A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Hindutva supporters disrupt Christmas prayers in Gurugram school, shout ‘Jai Shri Ram’: Another Hindutva group disrupted Christmas celebrations in a school in Karnataka. Both groups claimed that their actions were based on allegations that religious conversions were happening at the events.
  2. 22 farm unions launch a political party ahead of Punjab Assembly elections: The party named Samyukta Samaj Morcha will contest on all 117 seats in the state Assembly.
  3. Centre to send teams to 10 states with high Covid caseload, low vaccination rates amid rising Omicron cases: The 10 states are Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Mizoram, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Punjab. Meanwhile, Mumbai reported 757 Covid cases, highest single-day rise since October.
  4. Five leaders quit Trinamool Congress in Goa accusing it of trying to divide people on religious lines: The group includes former Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLA Lavoo Mamledar, who had joined the Mamata Banerjee-led party just three months back.
  5. No plots of land in Assam encroached by foreigners, says minister: The response gains significance as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s government has conducted widespread eviction drives to clear plots of government land of alleged encroachers.
  6. On farms laws, agriculture minister says ‘government moved a step back, will move forward again’: After over a year of farmer protests against the three new agriculture laws, they were repealed on December 1.
  7. Man killed in Ludhiana court blast was the bomber, say Punjab Police: Gagandeep Singh was also identified as a suspended police officer. He spent two years in jail following his arrest in 2019 in a drug trafficking case.
  8. BJP leader threatens to stop comedian Munawar Faruqui’s show in Hyderabad: Faruqui had announced that he will perform in the city on January 9 after Telangana minister KT Rama Rao invited him and another comedian Kunal Kamra.
  9. Two suspected militants killed in Jammu and Kashmir gunfight with security forces in Shopian: The police claimed that they were affiliated to terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
  10. Maharashtra announces fresh Covid curbs, restricts overnight gatherings: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation also banned New Year celebrations in both closed and open spaces in the city.