Nearly 880 Indian nationals, including students who had been stranded in Iran due to the conflict in West Asia, have started to return to India through Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.. At the weekly media briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said, of the 284 pilgrims who had gone to Iran, about 280 have returned via Armenia (PTI). At the weekly media briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said, of the 284 pilgrims who had gone to Iran, about 280 have returned via Armenia, and three-four of them are expected to arrive in a couple of days.. “Some people do not register with the Indian Embassy. So, our estimate was that about 9,000 people were there (in Iran). Many of the students had returned before the strikes began. And recently, nearly 882 Indian nationals, including students, people from the business community, and pilgrims, had gone from India,” he said.. Jaiswal was asked for an update on Indian nationals in Iran who wish to return to the country.. “These 882 Indian nationals, via Armenia and Azerbaijan, are expected to return, some have returned. A total of 772 are returning via Armenia, and through Azerbaijan, 110, out of whom, some have returned, while others are coming back,” he said.. He also said that the MEA’s Control Room set up on March 4 here remains fully functional, supporting the needs of the Indian nationals.. Jaiswal said the number of calls or emails has reduced significantly. The issues of people getting stranded have been largely addressed, and calls and emails have gone down significantly, and helplines in the Indian embassies in various countries in the region are working 24×7, he added.. The MEA spokesperson further said, “We have a large number of students, including girl students from Kashmir who are getting medical education in Iran. We had issued an advisory, we had told everybody to get in touch with the Embassy before crossing the Azerbaijan border, so they could help them in crossing the Iran-Azerbaijan border.”. As the conflict in West Asia widened with global ramifications, India on Thursday said the situation has been a “testing time”, not just for the country, but the entire global community.. The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israel combine launched military strikes on Iran. In retaliation, Tehran has targeted Gulf countries hosting US military bases.. The West Asia conflict has stretched into three weeks, with an Israeli attack on Iran’s strategic gas fields of South Pars resulting in an intense Iranian retaliation on key energy infrastructure in several Gulf nations, including Qatar’s LNG (liquefied natural gas) hub of Ras Laffan, triggering global concerns.. Qatar accounts for nearly 40 per cent of India’s LNG requirement.. “Yes, it has been a testing time, not just for us, but the entire global community. Our leaders have been in touch with their counterparts, as I just spoke about the conversation between our prime minist 

 The Congress in Assam released its third list of 22 candidates on Thursday, bringing its total tally to 87 for next month’s election to the 126-seat assembly.. Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi being welcomed into the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi on Wednesday (@BJP4Assam). Among the 22 names in Thursday’s list was sitting legislator Asif Mohamad Nazar, who has been again fielded from the Laharighat assembly segment.. Nagaon Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi had opposed giving the Laharighat ticket to Nazar and threatened to quit the party if this was done. Bordoloi, who headed the Assam Congress’s panel to frame the manifesto, however, did not wait for the party to make the decision and crossed over to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday. The BJP subsequently fielded Bordoloi from Dispur.. The Congress handed the Ranganadi seat to Jayanta Khaund, a former Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) heavyweight who hopped over to the Congress earlier this month.. The third list also contains the names of the sitting MLAs: the party’s working president, Jakir Hussain Sikdar, from the Pakabetbari seat; Aftab Uddin Mollah (Jaleshwar); Abdur Rahim Ahmed (Chenga); and Pradip Sarkar (Abhayapuri).. The Congress has left 15 seats for its alliance partners, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI (M), and All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC), and is in the midst of efforts to bring the Raijor Dal into the four-party Opposition alliance.. Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, who held another meeting with Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi on Thursday, said the efforts were on.. “There should be no problem if we manage to reach a consensus. It all depends on whether we can reach one,” said Gaurav. “The people of Assam want to see a united Opposition, and I am making my best personal efforts to stitch together a broad united coalition of opposition parties,” he added.. Akhil Gogoi added that Gaurav had supported their demand for giving 13 seats to the Raijor Dal but had yet to receive a decision from the party leadership.. “We have decided that we should work together, but the talks on Thursday remained inconclusive. There was no decision as Gaurav Gogoi has proposed 13 seats to us, but since no approval has come yet from the Congress leadership, the matter remains undecided,” Akhil said. 

 The Chhattisgarh assembly on Thursday passed a bill aimed at preventing religious conversions carried out through force, inducement, fraud or misrepresentation, with stringent provisions including life imprisonment in cases of “mass conversion”.. Chhattisgarh bill against forced religious conversions passed (Representative image/Reuters). The Chhattisgarh Dharm Swatantraya Vidheyak 2026 (Freedom of Religion Bill 2026), tabled in the House by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, was passed following five hours of discussion amid a boycott by Congress legislators after their demand to refer the bill to a Select Committee for consultation before its introduction was rejected by the chair.. During the discussion on the bill, Sharma, who also holds Home portfolio, accused the Congress of indulging in vote bank politics.. Citing alleged religious conversion incidents in Narayanpur and Kanker districts in Bastar, Sharma said the Bill was introduced keeping in view the current scenario, adding the government does not intend to restrict voluntary conversions.. “Any person can choose to convert by their own will. How can we stop that? The issue is whether conversions are taking place through inducement, force, or misrepresentation,” he said.. The Bill seeks to replace Chhattisgarh Dharm Swatantraya Adhiniyam (Freedom of Religion Act) 1968 adopted from Madhya Pradesh when the state was carved out in 2000.. Referring to the 1968 law, Sharma said it was enacted during Congress rule (in erstwhile Madhya Pradesh).. “This (new bill) is an extension and strengthening of the same law. Nearly 60 years have passed and circumstances have changed. It is surprising that the opposition is walking out on a law that they themselves enacted,” he said while accusing the Congress of ignoring the potential impact of religious conversions on the state’s culture.. All offences will be cognisable and non-bailable. The Bill, however, states that reconversion to one’s ancestral religion will not be treated as conversion under the law.. Given Chhattisgarh’s geographical location, socio-economic conditions, the passage of time, and advancements in technology and communication within society, the provisions of the existing Freedom of Religion Act have become inadequate, the Bill said.. The new Bill aims to prohibit religious conversions carried out through force, coercion, undue influence, allurement, misrepresentation, fraudulent means, or marriage, including through digital platforms such as social media and electronic communication.. It defines “allurement” as monetary benefits, gifts, employment, free education or medical facilities, promises of better lifestyle, or marriage, while “coercion” includes psychological pressure, physical force or threats, including social boycott.. “Mass conversion” has been defined as conversion of two or more persons in a single event.. It also prohibits any person from promoting or conspiring to convert another person through illegal means, whether 

 On Thursday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its second list of 132 candidates for the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, escalating the battle against the incumbent Trinamool Congress (TMC) over all 294 seats in the state. BJP’s Rekha Patra will contest from Hingalganj (SC), while Roopa Ganguly will run in Sonarpur Dakshin. (photos de stock) As per the list, Rekha Patra is fielded from Hingalganj (SC), Kalyan Chakraborty from Khardaha, and Roopa Ganguly from Sonarpur Dakshin. The party has also named Nisith Pramanik for Mathabhanga, Shankar Adhikari for Chopra, Koustav Bagchi for Barrackpur, and Arup Choudhury for Kamarhati. Priyanka Tibrewal will contest from Entally, while Tapas Roy has been fielded from Maniktala, among other key candidates. S. No. Constituency. Name of the Candidate. 1303Mekliganj (SC)Shri Dadhiram Roy. 217Mathabhanga (SC)Shri Nisith Pramanik. 219Madarihat (ST)Shri Lakshman Limbu. 

 On Thursday, the government introduced the Chhattisgarh Dharm Swatantraya Vidheyak, 2026 (Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026) in the Assembly. The bill targets religious conversions done via force, inducement, fraud, or misrepresentation, proposing harsh punishments like life imprisonment for “mass conversions.” It replaces the Chhattisgarh Dharm Swatantraya Adhiniyam, 1968, and was tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma. The new Bill, intended to replace the Chhattisgarh Dharm Swatantraya Adhiniyam of 2003—originally adopted from Madhya Pradesh when the state was formed in 2000—was tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who oversees the Home portfolio. The government stated that the current law, which mainly requires notification to the district magistrate after conversions, is now insufficient due to evolving socio-economic conditions and progress in technology and communications. The proposed Bill seeks to ban conversions achieved via force, coercion, undue influence, allurement, misrepresentation, fraud, or marriage, including those facilitated through digital channels like social media and electronic messaging. It also prohibits any person from directly or indirectly promoting or conspiring to convert another individual using such unlawful methods. “Allurement” is defined to encompass monetary incentives, gifts, jobs, free education or medical services, promises of an improved lifestyle, or marriage, whereas “coercion” includes psychological pressure, physical force, threats, and even social ostracism. “Mass conversion” refers to the conversion of two or more individuals during a single incident. All violations under the proposed legislation will be cognisable and non-bailable. However, returning to one’s ancestral religion will not be considered conversion. The Bill imposes strict penal provisions. Violations in general may result in imprisonment of at least seven years, which can extend up to 10 years, plus a minimum fine of ₹5 lakh. For offenses against minors, women, individuals with mental disabilities, or members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, or Other Backward Classes, the punishment can include 10 to 20 years in prison along with a minimum fine of ₹10 lakh. Mass conversions could result in at least 10 years’ imprisonment, which may extend to life, accompanied by fines of ₹25 lakh or higher; repeat offenders may receive life imprisonment. Public servants convicted of the offense may face imprisonment of 10 to 20 years along with a minimum fine of ₹10 lakh. The Bill further offers compensation of up to ₹10 lakh to victims of unlawful conversions, besides other penalties. As per the proposed legislation, those seeking conversion must file a declaration with the relevant authority, and religious functionaries performing the conversion must give prior notice.