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Agra: The fatal shooting of a 27-year-old Muslim waiter in Agra on Wednesday night has sparked controversy after social media claims linked the incident to "revenge" for the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir. However, the police have dismissed these claims, terming them as fake and inflammatory.

Gulfam, an employee at a restaurant on Shilpgram Road, was shot dead around midnight by three unidentified assailants on a scooter. Saif Ali (25), who worked at a nearby dhaba, was also injured in the firing and is currently stable after undergoing surgery to remove a bullet from his shoulder.

Shortly after the shooting, a video circulated online showing two men identifying themselves as members of the “Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal” and claiming responsibility for the killing as an act of revenge for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists. The men, armed with guns and knives, alleged that the victim had been targeted for his religious identity.

Tajganj Police, however, have rejected any communal motive behind the attack. The Agra Police Commissionerate clarified via its official X handle that no such organization exists in the city and that preliminary investigations point to a personal dispute, reportedly over food quality.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Tajganj) Areeb Ahmed stated that an FIR under Sections 101 (murder) and 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita has been registered. Six teams are currently reviewing CCTV footage and monitoring border checkpoints to track down the accused.

One of the individuals seen in the viral video has been taken into custody, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the second. ACP (Cyber Cell) Sukanya Sharma warned that spreading communal misinformation could lead to legal consequences under the IT Act, and said cyber teams have flagged several handles for inciting tensions online.

Officials at S.N. Medical College confirmed that Gulfam died of a close-range gunshot wound. Forensic teams recovered three spent cartridges from the crime scene. Eyewitnesses described the attackers as being in their early 20s and fleeing towards Fatehabad Road.

Local citizens’ group Hindustani Biradari has called for communal harmony and announced the deployment of volunteers to counter online disinformation.

Restaurant owner Shahid Ali has appealed for enhanced night patrolling and upgraded CCTV infrastructure, particularly in the Shilpgram-Taj East Gate corridor—a tourist-heavy area recently visited by US Vice President J.D. Vance and his family.

Police expect significant progress in the investigation within 48 hours and continue to examine all possible motives, including communal provocation.

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New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.

The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.

When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.

"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."


Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."

Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."

Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.

"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."

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