Top 5 news of the day: Jaishankar slams Congress for ‘ignoring’ Indian farmers in IWT; 8.8-magnitude hits Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula; & more | India News
External affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke on Operation Sindoor in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, and criticized former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Congress for “ignoring” India’s interests while signing the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan.“The then PM is saying that let us do this treaty (IWT) because the Indian government should put the interest of the Pakistani Punjab. Not a word about the interest of the farmers of Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh,” Jaishankar said, referring to Nehru, the first prime minister of India.Meanwhile, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 hit near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, leading to tsunami waves hitting the coastlines of both Japan and Russia.The earthquake’s epicenter was about 250 kilometres from Japan’s Hokkaido island.Here are the top 5 news stories of the day:Jaishankar slams Congress in Rajya Sabha over Indus Water TreatyExternal affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday addressed the Rajya Sabha on Operation Sindoor, reaffirming the Centre’s position on its response following the Pahalgam terror attack. He outlined the government’s decisive actions, including diplomatic steps like the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the launch of Operation Sindoor, as part of a clear and firm message against terrorism. Read hereWatch: Violent shaking of Russian buildings captured after massive earthquakeVideos shared on social media show the intensity of the earthquake.In some videos, furniture and lights inside buildings are seen shaking violently. In another video, large waves are seen heading towards Japan’s coast. One clip also shows the moment the earthquake was picked up by Russia’s seismic monitoring centre, triggering alarms. Some footage shows buildings shaking hard, but there have been no reports of deaths so far due to the quake. Read herePM Modi hails return of Buddha’sPiprahwa relics; back in country after 127-yearsPrime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday that the sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha have returned to India after 127 years. He noted that although the relics were discovered in 1898, they were taken out of the country during the colonial era.In a post on X, the PM said, It is a joyous day for our cultural heritage. He wrote on X, “These sacred relics highlight India’s close association with Bhagwan Buddha and his noble teachings.” Read herePune mob targets Kargil war veteran Hakimuddin Shaikh’s family; demands citizenship proofA Kargil War veteran’s family in Chandannagar has alleged harassment by the Pune police and a group of unidentified individuals, who stormed their residence around 11.30pm on July 26, asking them to prove their Indian citizenship. Two other members in the family were veterans of the 1965 and 1971 wars. The family members claimed that all the men were then taken to the Chandannagar police station around midnight. Read hereEngland make blockbuster changes to playing XI for TestEngland cricket captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test match against India at The Oval due to a biceps tendon injury, leading to four changes in the England playing XI. The England selection panel announced the team changes on Wednesday, which include the introduction of Jacob Bethell, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue to the side.Read here
