Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today sent a legal notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary Jairam Ramesh for sharing a “twisted, distorted” version of one of his interviews on X.

Mr Gadkari said that the Congress posted the 19-second audio and visual clipping by “concealing the contextual intent and meaning” of his interview. He claimed the “sinister act” had been done with the sole intent to “fan and create confusion, sensation and disrepute” to him.

The 66-year-old has asked the Congress to delete the post “within 24 hours of receipt of this legal notice” and also demanded a written apology within three days.

Calling the video clip factually incorrect, he said that it was an “intentional attempt” by the Congress leaders to “insult and demean” him, “coupled with your intent to provoke members of Bhartiya Janata Party to develop ideological rift”. He claimed that the clip has resulted in “big reputation damage, defamation and great loss of credibility”.

“The interview has also been twisted, distorted and presented on your microblogging site ‘X’ wall by uploading the above video which is bereft and devoid of contextual meaning,” read the notice.

In the video shared on X by the Congress, Mr Gadkari can be heard saying, “Villages, poor, labourers and farmers are unhappy…The villages do not have good roads, there is no water to drink, there are no good hospitals, there are no good schools”.

The Cabinet Minister of Road Transport and Highways said that the Congress clipped the parts where he highlighted how much efforts were being made and the same is also giving good outcomes in the tenure of the present Union Government.

“(They) deliberately posted the Hindi captions and video by concealing the contextual meaning of the interaction which is deliberate and malicious to malign the reputation (of the minister),” he said.

The Congress is yet to respond to the notice.

A day after an explosion at Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe, CCTV footage has emerged showing a man carrying a bag inside the cafe’s premises in the Whitefield area of the Karnataka capital. The suspect, according to the police, allegedly placed this bag in the cafe and then left before the blast took place. Another individual, who was seen along with the suspect, has been detained and is being questioned by the Bengaluru police.

The main suspect, his face hidden by a mask, glasses, and a cap on top of his head, was caught on cameras installed inside the cafe carrying a plate of idlis.

The blast, which took place between 12.50 pm and 1 pm on Friday, resulted in ten people sustaining injuries. The police have invoked stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act in response to the attack.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) swiftly arrived at the scene to conduct a thorough inquiry. The injured, comprising both cafe staff and patrons, are currently receiving medical treatment.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urged the public not to politicise the incident and called for cooperation in the ongoing investigation. The Chief Minister added that the blast might have been caused by an “improvised explosive” device.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who visited the blast site along with Home Minister G Parameshwara, provided crucial details about the sequence of events leading to the explosion. “The blast occurred at 1 pm. A young man of about 28-30 years came to the cafe, purchased Rava idli at the counter, placed the bag near a tree (adjacent to the cafe) and left. After one hour the blast took place,” Mr Shivakumar said.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has taken charge of the investigation, with multiple teams actively pursuing leads to identify the accused. State Police Chief Alok Mohan labeled the incident a “bomb blast” but assured the public that no one sustained serious injuries. 

Rameshwaram Cafe co-founder Divya Raghavendra Rao, speaking exclusively with NDTV, said that the initial understanding following the blast was that it originated in the kitchen. 

“But then we found out that there were no injuries or blood inside the kitchen and that the blast took place in the customer area,” Ms Rao told NDTV. “After looking at the CCTV footage, we saw that a guy wearing a mask and muffler came to the billing counter and ordered a rava idli. He then took his order and sat in the corner. He finished his meal and left a bag where he was sitting before exiting the restaurant.”

“We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident at our Brookefield branch today. We are cooperating with the authorities and officials in their investigations. Our thoughts are with the injured and their families, and we are offering them all the support, assistance and care they need and pray for their speedy recovery,” she added.

Forensic teams are currently examining the scene to gather evidence and determine the nature of the explosive device used. NSG commandos and bomb squads are still combing the area this morning. 

In a surprising turn of events, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Gautam Gambhir has announced his decision to step away from active politics. The former cricketer, who represented East Delhi, took to Twitter to share the news with his followers and supporters. He expressed his desire to focus on his cricket commitments, citing the need to redirect his attention to the sport he passionately played before entering politics.

“I have requested Hon’ble Party President JP Nadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind,” Mr Gambhir wrote.

I have requested Hon’ble Party President @JPNadda ji to relieve me of my political duties so that I can focus on my upcoming cricket commitments. I sincerely thank Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji and Hon’ble HM @AmitShah ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the people. Jai Hind!

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) March 2, 2024

Gambhir, had joined the BJP in March 2019 and since then has become a prominent face of the party in Delhi. He contested and won the East Delhi seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by a substantial margin of 6,95,109 votes.

The decision to quit politics comes amid reports that Mr Gambhir may not get a ticket for the upcoming 2024 polls.