Explosion at Japan port during PM Kishida visit, no injuries
Tokyo (AP): A loud explosion occurred at a western Japanese port on Saturday during Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit, but there were no injuries, Japan's NHK television reported.
Kishida was unharmed and evacuated to the Wakayama prefectural police headquarters, NHK said.
The incident comes only nine months after Kishida's predecessor, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara.
The assassination shocked the nation and a subsequent investigation found holes in Abe's security, and led to reinforcement of Japan's police security measures.
The attack also comes as a series of Group of Seven ministerial meetings begins this weekend ahead of the May 19-21 summit that Kishida will host in Hiroshima.
Kishida was visiting the Saikazaki port in Wakayama prefecture to cheer his ruling party's candidate in a local election.
The explosion happened just before he was to begin his speech, NHK said.
A man believed to be a suspect was arrested at the scene, and NHK footage showed several uniformed and plainclothes police officers gathered around the man, pressing him to the ground and dragging him to the side.
The suspect, identified only as a young male, allegedly threw the explosive, NHK said.
One witness told NHK that she was among the crowd and saw something come flying from behind and that there was a sudden loud noise and she fled with her children.
Another witness said people were screaming and that he saw someone being apprehended right before the explosion occurred. (AP)
Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida was Evacuated during a Speech at a Fishing Pier in the Wakayama Region after a Person in the Crowd threw what was initially believed to be an “Explosive Device” at the Prime Minister; the Object later turned out be a Smoke Canister/Grenade. pic.twitter.com/ps91HUCMMm
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 15, 2023
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
