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India news: Kolkata's SRFTI students allege violent attack
India news: SRFTI students violently attacked in Kolkata
Shakeel Sobhan with AFP, AP, ReutersPublished 09/26/2026Published September 26, 2026last updated 09/27/2026last updated September 27, 2026Students at Kolkata's Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute say they were attacked with knives after confronting an outside group over a meeting they allege was affiliated with the right-wing Hindu RSS.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NKCLWhat you need to know
- SRFTI students attacked after objecting to outsiders' event on campus
- Modi says India follows 'zero tolerance' policy against terrorism
- CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka detained by police in Assam
- Protests, vandalism at Punjab's university over rape allegations
- ECI frames new rules for voter roll revisions amid furor
- India opposition INDIA bloc to meet over voter roll revision
- India and Pakistan traded accusations at the UN General Assembly (UNGA)
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Here are some of the major headlines from India on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27:
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Skip next section Thanks for reading!09/27/2026September 27, 2026Thanks for reading!
That's all for today! There will be a fresh new India blog on Monday.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5NMXfSkip next section SRFTI students attacked after objecting to outsiders' event on campus09/27/2026September 27, 2026SRFTI students attacked after objecting to outsiders' event on campus
Shamayita ChakrabortyStudents of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata said on Sunday they were violently attacked after objecting to a meeting held on campus by an allegedly rightwing group, a student representative told DW.
A scuffle broke out between the students and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) after the student union confronted the group saying it had not been informed about the meeting and questioned the participants before the confrontation turned violent.
The students allege that members of the group attacked them with knives.
Poorvi Bondre, an editing student from Maharashtra and a member of the SRFTI student union, told DW that the event was affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and was being used to promote its agenda on campus.
She said students had opposed the meeting because it was not a film screening but what she described as direct RSS promotion.
The RSS is a right-wing Hindu organization and the ideological parent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"This was an RSS event. We were completely unaware of this event. When we asked them what this was about, the fight started," Bondre said. "They called us anti-nationals and Naxals and attacked us with knives."
Videos of the incident have circulated on social media, showing students with what appear to be knife wounds. However, DW could not independently verify their authenticity.
The campus remains tense, with students inside and members of the ABGP gathered outside, according to the student representative.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NMXeSkip next section Modi says India follows 'zero tolerance' policy against terrorism09/27/2026September 27, 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday that India follows a "zero tolerance" policy against terrorism, ahead of the 10th anniversary of the 2016 strikes against targets in Pakistan.
Speaking on his "Mann Ki Baat" radio program, Modi linked the 2016 strikes, carried out after an attack that killed 19 Indian soldiers, with the 2019 Balakot airstrikes and 2025's Operation Sindoor, saying India had repeatedly sent the same message to Pakistan over the past decade.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh separately said India was prepared to carry out any strike against terrorism if anu neighboring country continued what he described as a "state policy of terrorism," the Hindustan Times reported.
Singh said India sought peace and dialogue but would not compromise on national security, according to the report.
"India wants peace, but India will not compromise on its security under any circumstances," Singh was quoted as saying by the newspaper. "India believes in dialogue. India believes in dialogue, but if any country gives shelter to terrorism against India, then the scope of dialogue ends right there."
https://p.dw.com/p/5NMQxSkip next section Jaishankar meets Canadian foreign minister, says ties ready for 'higher level'09/27/2026September 27, 2026Jaishankar meets Canadian foreign minister, says ties ready for 'higher level'
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly as the two countries attempt to rebuild frayed ties,
Jaishankar referred to the meeting as a "productive discussion" as New Delhi and Ottawa "prepare to take the relationship to a higher level."
Ties between the two countries were tested following the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, which triggered a major diplomatic dispute between India and Canada.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NMPZSkip next section More than 56 killed, 1,000 houses destroyed as heavy rains lash Uttar Pradesh09/27/2026September 27, 2026More than 56 killed, 1,000 houses destroyed as heavy rains lash Uttar Pradesh
At least 56 people died due to heavy rain and storms in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh over the past three days, authorities said on Sunday.
The deaths were reported across India's most populous state, where 63 districts were affected.
According to a statement by the state disaster management department, "exceptionally heavy rain that has affected much of Uttar Pradesh."
More than 1,000 houses were damaged, while several people were also left injured, authorities said.
The Relief Commissioner's office's statement said the state recorded 66.5 millimeters (2.62 inches) of rain between Friday and Sunday, compared to the season average of 7.6 millimeters.
Last month, heavy rainfall and thunderstorms claimed dozens of lives across India, as the country grapples with extreme weather.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NMBlSkip next section Cricket: Kohli says 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last09/27/2026September 27, 2026Cricket: Kohli says 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last
Indian cricketer and one of the game's biggest global stars, Virat Kohli announced on Saturday that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last for India, as the veteran batter looks for another title.
"For me, it's the last World Cup I'm going to play for India," Kohli told broadcaster JioStar on Saturday.
The 37-year-old, who now plays only One Day International (ODI) cricket, said he was motivated to "leave everything out there" and help India win the tournament.
"And, of course, the goal is absolutely to win the World Cup and whatever it takes, I'm absolutely ready."
Kohli has scored 14,941 ODI runs and a record 54 centuries, and was part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning team. He retired from T20 internationals after India's 2024 World Cup victory and from Test cricket last year.
The 2027 ODI Cricket World Cup will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
At least 19 dead in Nagaland due to spurious liquor
At least 19 people have died in the northeastern state of Nagaland after allegedly consuming suspected spurious liquor, prompting a police probe and crackdown on illegal alcohol, local media reports said on Sunday.
Eight deaths were reported in Mokokchung district and 11 in Tuensang, while police have arrested 19 people and seized nearly 3,000 bottles of liquor.
A Special Investigation Team has been formed to trace the source and supply chain, with liquor samples sent for forensic examination, authorities said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NM97Skip next section CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka detained by Assam Police, Dipke says09/27/2026September 27, 2026CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka detained by Assam Police, Dipke says
Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, posted on X on Sunday that CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka has been detained by the police in the northeastern state of Assam while on a visit to the state.
Earlier, Ranka talked to reporters in Assam, where he targeted the chief minister.
"Himanta Biswa Sarma is scared that if we expose the reality of Assam's schools, the country will find out what the condition of the schools here is really like," Ranka said.
The CJP leader said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader is "scared that people will find out how the rights of the people are being taken away in Kaziranga, and how their water, forests and land are being taken away and handed over to their corporate allies."
He accused Sarma of being scared that "people will find out how manmade floods were created in Assam, and how hundreds of people lost their lives."
Ranka also brought up the delimitation in Assam in 2023, which critics say altered demographic weights.
"We know how you redraw the boundaries of the constituencies during the assembly elections," Ranka said. "In one village, people ended up voting in three different constituencies, simply so that you could rig the election and win. But we are not people who are going to be afraid."
Large student protests erupted overnight on Saturday at Lovely Professional University in Punjab's Phagwara, after claims circulated on social media that a female student had allegedly been raped and subsequently died by suicide, according to reports.
Videos showed students smashing windows and flower pots, while some objects and parts of the private university building were set on fire.
However, some students posted on social media that the vandals were not university students but outsiders.
Reports also said students blocked the Jalandhar–Phagwara National Highway. Ppolice later cleared the highway.
Kapurthala Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora said police had received no complaint or information about any rape and learned of the allegations only after reaching the campus.
Police said a report has been registered based on a students' statement, while investigators are examining the allegation and CCTV footage.
The university urged students to ignore the "rumors" and said they were safe, media reports said.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5NLsiSkip next section Welcome back!09/27/2026September 27, 2026Welcome back!
This is Shakeel from DW's New Delhi Studio bringing you the latest from across India.
Cockroach party founder Abhijeet Dipke said on X that Assam Police detained CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka while he was in the northeastern state to inspect schools.
Meanwhile, large student protests erupted overnight at Lovely Professional University in Punjab after unverified social media claims that a female student had been raped and subsequently died by suicide.
For all this and more, follow our live blog.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NLrtSkip next section Thanks for reading!09/26/2026September 26, 2026That is all for today! We will have more tomorrow!
https://p.dw.com/p/5NKonSkip next section ECI frames new rules for voter roll revisions amid furor09/26/2026September 26, 2026India's Election Commission (ECI) on Saturday said all decisions concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, including the nationwide exercise, were approved unanimously, amid reports of differences within the poll panel, media reports said.
At a meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, held on Saturday, the commission also eased the process for voters who receive notices over discrepancies, the reports said.
According to the reports, the new mandates for those who receive notices:
- local electoral officials will visit homes to collect documents and upload them into the Election Commission's system
- hearings only in exceptional cases, preferably online
- an authorized adult family member can appear on behalf of a voter
- help desks and special enrollment drives for people who were left off electoral rolls, including first-time voters
- an independent expert would review the ECI's system for compliance with electoral laws
The ECI, while extending the deadline for claims and objections in Delhi to October 30 and in Maharashtra to October 12, said SIR had been completed in 20 states and Union territories, including Bihar and West Bengal, the reports said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NKoWSkip next section WATCH: Can a heat wave trigger a paycheck? India is trying it09/26/2026September 26, 2026WATCH: Can a heat wave trigger a paycheck? India is trying it
Jyoti Thakur | Daniela Rivas GrajalesAs deadly heat threatens livelihoods, women working in Delhi's informal sector are trying out heat wave insurance that pays out automatically when temperatures spike.
Can a heat wave trigger a paycheck? India is trying it
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https://p.dw.com/p/5NKa3Skip next section India opposition INDIA bloc to meet over voter roll revision09/26/2026September 26, 2026The opposition INDIA bloc parties are likely to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss concerns over the Election Commission of India (ECI) and its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rollsand a coordinated joint response, the Times of India newspaper reported on Saturday.
The proposed meeting comes amid growing calls for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after an Indian Express investigation found that Kumar's fellow Election Commissioners had raised at least 14 objections over 10 months to decisions concerning voter registration and electoral data.
The three commissioners are overseeing the SIR, a voter-roll revision that the ECI says aims to remove the names of deceased, relocated and duplicate voters and prevent the inclusion of "foreign illegal immigrants."
Critics, however, say the exercise has gone beyond that remit and resulted in the removal of millions of eligible voters, potentially benefiting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
On Friday, Congress workers staged protests across several states demanding Kumar's resignation. Police used water cannons and detained protesters in several locations as they attempted to march towards election offices.
Congress has called for an independent audit of the revision process and greater transparency over deleted and restored voters.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NKb4Skip next section WATCH: How cities are fighting heat and floods09/26/2026September 26, 2026WATCH: How cities are fighting heat and floods
With temperatures and flooding risks rising, finding good housing is getting even tougher. We visit Chennai, Delhi and Berlin to see what the answers to these climate change challenges might be.
How cities are fighting heat and floods
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