Uttarakhand

Kotdwar, Uttarakhand: The controversy over the naming of a shop as ‘Baba’ in Kotdwar, Pauri Garhwal, has escalated, drawing national attention. Bajrang Dal activists had protested against the shop owner, Shoaib Ahmed, who claims to have run the store for 30 years, pressuring him to change the name. During the standoff, Deepak, a local gym employee, intervened and confronted the activists. The incident triggered counter-protests by right-wing groups, raising tensions in the town. Amid this, Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP and former Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, extended his support to Deepak. He described him as “a hero of India” for standing up for constitutional values and humanity. In a post on social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi wrote that Deepak is fighting for the Cons...

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has extended full support to Deepak Kumar, a young man from Uttarakhand who stood up against the harassment of a Muslim shopkeeper. Gandhi described Deepak as a national hero, praising his courage and commitment to constitutional values. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rahul Gandhi wrote, “Deepak from Uttarakhand is a hero of India. He is fighting for the Constitution and humanity, values that the BJP and RSS are daily trying to undermine. In a marketplace of hatred, Deepak’s actions symbolize a shop of love, and that is what unsettles those in power.” The former Congress president accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of deliberately spreading economic and social harm to divide the nation and rule through fear. “The BJP government in Uttarakha...

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has lauded the Union Budget 2026-27, describing it as a development-oriented and inclusive blueprint that will create new opportunities for all sections of society. CM Dhami congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting a budget that emphasizes the welfare of farmers, women, marginalized communities, youth, small entrepreneurs, and backward classes. He said the budget focuses on accelerating economic growth, fulfilling public aspirations, and ensuring “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” (collective progress for all). The Chief Minister highlighted that the budget makes significant provisions for employment, education, healthcare, tourism, skill development, women’s empowerment, industry, and inf...