NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday responded to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s dig at him for choosing the Bharatiya Janata Party as an alliance partner rather than the Congress.Hours after Kharge’s address in Rajya Sabha, Deve Gowda wrote a letter saying that he was in a “forced marriage” with the grand old party but had to “divorce” them because it was an “abusive relationship.”“My dear and longtime friend, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, made a light-hearted comment in Parliament today about me having been in ‘love’ with them (Congress) but ‘married’ Modi Ji (BJP) eventually. He also said he did not know the reason as to why I did so. I was not in the House when Shri Kharge spoke, as I had to leave for Bengaluru to be present for tomorrow’s Ugadi celebrations,” the letter reads.“If I were to respond to my friend in the same language of marriage, I would like to say that I was in a ‘forced marriage’ with the Congress but had to ‘divorce’ them because it was an abusive relationship,” he added.Further, the former Prime Minister accused Congress of “dumping” his party in 2018 after offering the chief ministerial post of Karnataka to Deve Gowda’s son Kumaraswamy.“Shri Kharge will remember that in 2018 Congress sent Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad and offered Shri Kumaraswamy the chief ministership. I did not consent to this. I said in everybody’s presence that Shri Kharge should be made Chief Minister. Shri Siddaramaiah was also there. However, Shri Azad insisted on Shri Kumaraswamy’s leadership. But after all this song, dance, and a wedding, what did they do in 2019? They dumped us,” he said.“How many Congress MLAs defected to the BJP and who sent them across is now common knowledge. If Congress had acted against the person who instigated defection that day, today my friend Shri Kharge would be in a better position as AICC President. So, to put the record straight, I did not desert the Congress alliance. It is they who walked away. They left me with no choice but to ‘divorce’ them and seek a more stable alliance,” he added.Earlier in the day, Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking during his farewell, said he had known Deve Gowda for over 54 years and had worked closely with him before the former PM’s party aligned with the BJP.“I know Deve Gowda ji for more than 54 years and I worked with him a lot. Later, I don’t know what happened… ‘Wo mohabbat humare saath kiye, shadi Modi sahab ke sath,’” Kharge said, drawing laughter from fellow MPs and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Deve Gowda became Prime Minister in 1996 at the head of a United Front government backed by Congress, marking a key phase of cooperation. In Karnataka, his party, JD(S), later alternated between opposing and partnering Congress.Earlier in the day, PM Modi also addressed the House, thanking outgoing members for their contributions and echoing a similar sentiment.“There is no full stop in politics. The future is waiting for you,” the Prime Minister said, urging retiring MPs to continue contributing to public life. He also called on newly elected members to learn from senior leaders such as Deve Gowda, Kharge, and Sharad Pawar, noting their decades of parliamentary experience.PM Modi also singled out Ramdas Athawale for his wit, remarking that humour and satire in the House had diminished in recent years but remained alive through figures like him. Athawale is among 37 members completing their terms, alongside leaders including Priyanka Chaturvedi, Tiruchi Siva, and Abhishek Manu Singhvi.The retirements follow elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states, with 26 candidates elected unopposed. Political developments in states such as Bihar, where opposition abstentions aided the NDA, have further reshaped the Upper House’s composition.

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty closed nearly 1 per cent higher on Wednesday, extending their recovery for a third straight session amid a slight easing in crude oil prices and supportive global cues.The 30-share BSE Sensex rose 633.29 points, or 0.83 per cent, to settle at 76,704.13. During the session, it surged as much as 929.38 points, or 1.22 per cent, to hit an intraday high of 77,000.22.The 50-share NSE Nifty climbed 196.65 points, or 0.83 per cent, to end at 23,777.80.

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“Domestic markets extended their recovery, supported by opportunistic buying after the recent sell-off. The rebound was broad-based, driven by a combination of short covering and value buying, with leadership from IT, realty, and auto sectors, alongside strength in mid and smallcap stocks,” Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Investments Limited, said, PTI quoted.Ajit Mishra, SVP – Research at Religare Broking, said markets maintained a positive bias for most of the session but profit booking in the final hours trimmed some gains. He noted that the sharp rebound in IT stocks was a key highlight of the day’s trade.The broader market also participated in the rally. The BSE MidCap Select index advanced 2.39 per cent, while the SmallCap Select index gained 1.59 per cent.Sectorally, BSE Focused IT jumped 2.95 per cent, followed by IT (2.82 per cent), realty (2.67 per cent), BSE MidSmall Private Banks Quality Tilt (2.48 per cent), services (2.45 per cent), telecommunication (2.44 per cent) and consumer discretionary (2.08 per cent). Metal stocks emerged as the only laggards.A total of 3,202 stocks advanced on the BSE, while 1,088 declined and 142 remained unchanged.Analysts said geopolitical tensions, continued weakness in the rupee and the possibility of renewed volatility in crude oil prices are likely to keep investors cautious in the near term.“From a strong three-day rebound, due to supportive global cues, markets are expected to remain cautious as investor sentiment may continue to be sensitive to developments in West Asia, movements in crude oil prices and continued FIIs activity. While a near-term relief rally may persist, its sustainability will depend on de-escalation in geopolitical tensions and moderation in energy prices,” Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Research, Wealth Management at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, said.Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, slipped 0.10 per cent to USD 103.3 per barrel.In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi surged 5 per cent and Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 2.87 per cent, while Shanghai’s SSE Composite and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng also ended higher. European markets were trading in positive territory, and the US market had closed higher on Tuesday.Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 4,741.22 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs), however, bought stocks worth Rs 5,225.32 crore.

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NEW DELHI: Movie star Rajnikanth on Tuseday expressed “gratitude to everyone” who condemned a TVK leader’s “slanderous remarks” claiming that the actor didn’t join politics as the ruling DMK family “threatened” him when he tried to enter politics.Thanking the film fraternity, his friends and fans, the actor said: “Time doesn’t speak, but it waits and gives the answer”.

“I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who condemned his slanderous remarks and raised their voices in support of me: the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, Edappadi Palaniswami; Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran; Union Minister L. Murugan; Tamil Nadu Minister Raghupathy; Thol. Thirumavalavan; S.P. Velumani; my friend Annamalai; Arjunamurthy; Anbumani Ramadoss; G.K. Vasan. John Pandian; Pugazhendhi; and various other political leaders from different parties,” Rajnikanth posted on X. He further said: “I also extend my sincere thanks to Ameer, G. Dhananjayan, and my friends from the film fraternity; to Nakkeeran Gopal, Rangaraj Pandey (Chanakyaa), and members of the media; and, above all, to my fans—whom I revere as deities—for sustaining and uplifting me. Time doesn’t speak, but it waits and gives the answer.”

What was the remark?

TVK functionary Aadhav Arjuna had alleged that the DMK family threatened actor Rajinikanth when he tried to enter politics. Arjuna said he was not criticising Rajinikanth but added that Vijay had the courage to withstand such pressure.TVK organised protests at district headquarters across Tamil Nadu on Thursday, accusing the state government of failing to maintain law and order. A protest was held in Chennai, in which TVK functionaries N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna and Arun Raj participated.Speaking at the protest, Arjuna said after MGR, Rajinikanth was one of the most popular actors who intended to enter politics. He said Rajinikanth wanted to enter Tamil Nadu politics and change the system. “However, the DMK family issued several threats to Rajinikanth and prevented him from entering politics. See what happened now… At the end, he went on to act in a film produced by Red Giant,” he said.Arjuna added that there was no criticism of Rajinikanth personally. However, he said Vijay had the mental strength to enter politics despite such threats. “Even when personal criticism was directed at Vijay, he did not remain silent at home in fear.”

Remark draws criticism from all quarters

Arjuna’s remarks drew criticism from several quarters, particularly from Rajinikanth’s fans. “Rajinikanth is not someone who fears threats — everyone knows that. At a time when the coronavirus was spreading severely, he stepped away from politics considering the infection risk that gatherings could pose to the public and to avoid loss of lives due to the virus,” said S Ravi, one of his fan club members in Sholingur. “Not everyone who gathers crowds can become a leader,” he added.AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palansiwami and BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagenthran on Monday condemned remarks by TVK general secretary Aadhav Arjuna that actor Rajinikanth dropped his plans to launch political party due to threat from DMK. BJP has demanded an apology from Aadhav Arjuna.“Superstar Rajinikanth commands immense respect across spectrum for his abilities and talent.A TVK party functionary’s attack on such a personality is unacceptable,” EPS said in an X post. “Entering politics is one’s right, as is staying out.He (Rajinikanth) cited valid reasons for staying out. Respect that choice; politicising it is political incivility,” EPS said. EPS added that the actor earned MGR’s love and J Jayalalithaa’s respect. The statement comes four days after Aadhav made the remark that unlike Rajinikanth, Vijay withstood pressure and launched a party.In a post on X, Nagenthran said Rajinikanth, who completed more than five decades in cinema, is respected across political and social spheres and enjoys the affection of people cutting across caste, religion and language. “It is unacceptable for Mr Aadhav Arjuna to speak wrongly about such a dignified personality in public,” he said.Nagenthran recollected that Rajinikanth had received honours including Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. He said the actor also enjoyed respect of national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Nagenthran urged TVK president Vijay to intervene. “The leader of that party should condemn such remarks and advise him not to engage in such actions,” he said. Last week, Aadhav Arjuna alleged that actor Rajinikanth faced pressure from DMK when he attempted to enter politics and suggested that such intimidation discouraged him from pursuing a political career.He said unlike Rajinikanth, TVK president Vijay showed the resolve to withstand such pressure. The remarks drew reactions from political leaders and sections of Rajinikanth’s supporters. His fan clubs in Madurai announced that they will contest against Aadhav in the 2026 polls to defeat him and show Rajini’s strength.

In a historic step for English cricket, The Men’s Hundred recently held its first-ever player auction at London’s iconic Piccadilly Lights, setting the stage for an exciting season. All eight franchises finalized their squads in what turned out to be a lively and competitive event, with intense bidding battles for both homegrown talent and international stars.

The auction spotlighted the growing value of young English players, especially uncapped names who attracted surprisingly high bids. Leading the headlines was all-rounder James Coles, who became the most expensive player of the auction after London Spirit secured him for a whopping £390,000 (around ₹4.81 crore). Not far behind was last season’s standout performer Jordan Cox, snapped up by Welsh Fire for £300,000, reinforcing his reputation as one of England’s most exciting prospects.

Overseas stars also drew strong interest. South Africa’s T20I captain Aiden Markram landed a £200,000 deal with Manchester Super Giants, while experienced finisher David Miller joined Southern Brave for £110,000. England regulars weren’t left behind either, with Adil Rashid earning £250,000 and Joe Root fetching £240,000 from Welsh Fire.

One of the most talked-about moments came when Sunrisers Leeds signed Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190,000—marking a rare instance of an Indian-owned franchise investing heavily in a Pakistani player. Meanwhile, Usman Tariq was picked by Birmingham Phoenix, adding further intrigue to a landmark auction that signals a new era for The Hundred.

Also READ: ‘Shame on Kavya Maran’ – Sunrisers owner faces backlash for signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred 2026 Auction

The Men’s Hundred 2026: Full squads after the auction

Birmingham Phoenix: Jacob Bethell (retained), Rehan Ahmed (direct signing), Mitch Owen (direct signing), Donovan Ferreira (direct signing), Saqib Mahmood, Usman Tariq, Joe Clarke, Will Smeed, Jordan Thompson, Scott Currie, Laurie Evans, Chris Wood, Ethan Brookes, Mustafizur Rahman.

London Spirit: Jamie Overton (retained), Liam Livingstone (direct signing), Adam Zampa (direct signing), Dewald Brevis (direct signing), Jonny Bairstow, David Willey, James Coles, Mason Crane, Adam Milne, Adam Hose, Tymal Mills, James Rew, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Matthew Fisher.

Manchester Super Giants: Jos Buttler (retained), Noor Ahmad (retained), Heinrich Klaasen (retained), Liam Dawson (direct signing), Aiden Markram, Josh Tongue, Sonny Baker, Gus Atkinson, Leus Du Plooy, Tom Hartley, Tim Seifert, Tom Moores, Max Holden, Tawanda Muyeye, George Scrimshaw, Paul Walter.

MI London: Sam Curran (retained), Will Jacks (retained), Rashid Khan (retained), Nicholas Pooran (direct signing), James Vince, Tom Curran, Trent Boult, Nathan Sowter, Sherfane Rutherford, Richard Gleeson, Ollie Pope, Olly Stone, Ollie Sykes, Callum Parkinson, Jason Roy.

Southern Brave: Jofra Archer (retained), Jamie Smith (direct signing), Marcus Stoinis (direct signing), Tristan Stubbs (direct signing), Adil Rashid, David Miller, Luke Wood, Chris Jordan, Ben McKinney, Thomas Rew, Michael Pepper, Tom Abell, Dan Worrall, Caleb Falconer, Nikhil Chaudhary.

Sunrisers Leeds: Harry Brook (retained), Brydon Carse (retained), Mitchell Marsh (direct signing), Nathan Ellis (direct signing), Ryan Rickelton, Zak Crawley, Matthew Potts, Dan Lawrence, Abrar Ahmed, Benjamin Howell, Tom Lawes, Tom Alsop, Liam Patterson-White, Reece Topley, Edward Barnard.

Trent Rockets: Tom Banton (retained), Ben Duckett (direct signing), Tim David (direct signing), Mitchell Santner (direct signing), Finn Allen, David Payne, Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton, Daniel Mousley, Matt Henry, Sam Billings, Aneurin Donald, Ben Mayes, Danny Briggs, Bradley Currie, Louis Kimber.

Welsh Fire: Chris Woakes (retained), Phil Salt (direct signing), Rachin Ravindra (direct signing), Marco Jansen (direct signing), Joe Root, Jordan Cox, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Ben Kellaway, Lockie Ferguson, Asa Tribe, Tom Aspinwall, Matthew Short, Sam Cook, Jafer Chohan.

Also READ: The Hundred Women’s 2026 – Complete squads of all eight teams after the auction

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