Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Telangana, which was expected to energise the BJP cadre, is said to have left a sour taste among the top leaders as the PM is said to have been pissed off over the internal wranglings when the party was in a position to challenge the Congress government.

Sources within the party claimed that the Prime Minister was utterly unhappy due to persistent internal differences and factional politics. Staying away from them and spending an unusually long time with Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan also unnerved them.

The controversy surrounding Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s son, which surfaced ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, is also believed to have added to the unease. Some BJP leaders alleged that certain internal groups were attempting to politically damage Mr. Bandi Sanjay by amplifying the issue at a sensitive time despite knowing it could damage the party.

“The Prime Minister is fully aware of the developments surrounding the episode and also the political moves made during his visit,” a senior leader claimed.

Some leaders feel the optics sent an uncomfortable signal to the cadre at a time when the BJP is trying to project Telangana as its next major political destination in South India. “The Prime Minister rarely visits the State. Leaders expected greater engagement with the State party with 8 MPs and 8 MLAs”, a senior leader said with a note of disappointment.

Another senior leader saw a positive side too. Mr. Modi avoiding a prolonged interaction with top leaders may have actually helped avoid an uncomfortable situation. “Had there been a long meeting, the Prime Minister might have taken them to task over the internal political rivalries damaging the party,” the leader claimed.

With Municipal Corporation elections to three Commissionerates of Hyderabad ahead, perhaps Mr. Modi had more faith in Mr. Naidu and Mr. Pawan Kalyan, who can influence the AP-origin voters in Hyderabad, argued a senior functionary. Is that the reason why they were favoured with precious time of the PM over the State BJP leaders?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (May 9, 2026) paid rich tributes to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary and said he made a mark as an exceptional philosopher, educationist, artist and a “timeless voice of India’s civilisational soul”.

Tagore’s birth anniversary is celebrated on ‘Pochishe Boishakh’ or the 25th of the Bengali month of Boishak, known as Rabindra Jayanti.

“Today, on the special occasion of Pochishe Boishakh, we pay our heartfelt tributes to Gurudev Tagore,” Mr. Modi said in a post on ‘X’.

He said Gurudev Tagore was a writer, thinker and poet of extraordinary brilliance.

“He made a mark as an exceptional philosopher, educationist, artist and a timeless voice of India’s civilisational soul. He gave expression to the deepest emotions of humanity and the noblest ideals of our culture,” the prime minister said.

Mr. Modi said Tagore enriched society with new thoughts, creative energy and cultural confidence.

“We remember him with deep reverence and gratitude. May his thoughts continue to illuminate minds and guide us in our endeavours,” he said.

Tagore was born on 25th Boishakh 1268 of the Bengali calendar (May 7, 1861, by the Gregorian calendar).

Mamata pays tribute to Tagore on his birth anniversary, calls him symbol of unity

Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday (May 9, 2026) paid tributes to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary, describing him as an eternal guiding light and a messenger of unity for humanity.

In a post on X, Ms. Banerjee said Tagore’s philosophy represented the “rebirth of the Bengali language, culture, and heritage”.

“His profound philosophy of life serves as the eternal guiding light for our daily journey. He has taught us — division is not the truth; unity is,” she said.

The Trinamool Congress supremo said Tagore had risen above “the fervour of aggressive nationalism” and imparted to the world the message of unity for all.

Quoting from Tagore’s works, Ms. Banerjee wrote, “O my heart, awaken slowly at this holy pilgrimage site, at the ocean-shore of this great soul of India.” She expressed hope that the eternal ideals of the poet, his far-reaching thought-currents, awakened consciousness and creative genius would “shine even more intensely in the minds of people across the globe”.

Suvendu pays tribute to Rabindranath Tagore

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari paid tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary, describing the Nobel laureate as an “eternal star” in the sky of Bengali literature and culture.

In a post on X, he said Tagore’s “immortal creations, humanitarian philosophy, and patriotism” have guided people through the ages.

“May human civilisation advance, inspired by the great message, ‘Where the mind is without fear, and the head held high’. On the poet-sage’s birth anniversary, I pay my humble tribute to him,” Mr. Adhikari said.

He also said, “On the birth anniversary of the world poet, Nobel laureate, globally renowned poet-sage Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, I offer my heartfelt respects. His immortal creations, humanitarian philosophy, and patriotism have guided us through the ages. In the sky of Bengali literature and culture, he shall forever shine as an eternal star.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (March 1, 2026) night chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, the highest decision-making body on security and strategic matters of the country, and it is learnt to have discussed the evolving situation arising out of the fresh conflict in West Asia.

The meeting was convened to take stock of the situation emerging in the wake of the attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel and the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran-Israel conflict updates on March 1, 2026

“The Prime Minister chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS),” a source said, without disclosing details of the meeting.

The CCS meeting was held shortly after Mr. Modi arrived in the national capital at around 9.30 pm following his two-day tour of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The meeting, which was attended by committee members, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, was briefed by top officials on the prevailing situation in West Asia and its implications on India, the sources said.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, principal secretaries to the Prime Minister, P.K. Mishra and Shaktikanta Das, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also attended the meeting.

It is believed that the meeting discussed the safety of Indian nationals living in West Asia, and also those who are stranded, and how to deal with the situation if it deteriorates, the sources said.

Currently, the airspace of West Asia is almost closed.

With flight services disrupted due to the military escalation in West Asia, hundreds of Indians are stranded in Dubai, Doha and other key airports in the region, with many taking to social media to appeal to the Indian government for assistance.

The meeting is also learnt to have taken stock of the situation arising out of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is a major shipping route for Indian oil carriers, by the Iranian authorities, the sources said.

There are around 10,000 Indian citizens who live, study and work in Iran, while over 40,000 live in Israel. The number of Indians living in the Gulf and West Asia is about nine million.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Indian missions across the region are in continuous contact with its nationals, while helplines have also been activated.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the United States early Saturday. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early Sunday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said it gave the Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back their country”.

The heavy and pinpoint bombing was to continue through the week or as long as necessary, Mr. Trump said.

Iran responded to the assault by firing drones and missiles at Israel and U.S. military installations around the Gulf region, and also at the global business hub of Dubai.

On Sunday, mourners belonging to the Shia community took to the streets in various parts of India to express outrage and grief over the killing of Khamenei.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (February 22, 2026) said he was looking forward to his upcoming visit to Israel.

The Prime Minister said this on X in response to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comment that Mr. Modi would visit Israel on Wednesday (February 25, 2026).

“Thank you, my friend, Prime Minister Netanyahu. I fully agree with you on the bond between India and Israel as well as the diverse nature of our bilateral relations. India deeply values the enduring friendship with Israel, built on trust, innovation and a shared commitment to peace and progress. Looking forward to our discussions during my upcoming Israel visit,” Mr. Modi said.

In a post on X on Sunday (February 22), Mr. Netanyahu spoke about the historic visit of “my dear friend”, Mr. Modi, to Israel on Wednesday.

He said the bond between Israel and India was a powerful alliance between two global leaders.

“We are partners in innovation, security, and a shared strategic vision. Together, we are building an axis of nations committed to stability and progress,” he said.

Mr. Netanyahu said that from artificial intelligence to regional cooperation, the partnership between India and Israel continued to reach new heights.

“Looking forward to seeing you in Jerusalem, PM Modi!” he said.