Scroll’s occasional diarist curates the headlines in the first fortnight of May.May 1‘No offence made out’: Supreme Court clears Delhi Deputy CM Parvesh Verma and BJP’s Anurag Thakur in 2020 hate speech case – The Indian ExpressAgreeing with the conclusion that “no cognizable offence is made out” against former Union Minister Anurag Thakur and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, the Supreme Court has cleared the two BJP leaders in a complaint that they delivered alleged hate speeches targeting those protesting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Delhi in January 2020.May 2ED empowered under Modi govt. to fight ‘cancer’ of financial crimes, not target anyone: MoS Finance – The HinduUnion Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary on Friday (May 1, 2206) said that under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been vested with the powers necessary to effectively combat financial crimes and terror funding, not to target anyone.May 3NIA seeks documents from Mumbai Press Club after gathering attended by Bhima Koregaon accused – ScrollThe National Investigation Agency on Friday sought documents from the Mumbai Press Club related to a social gathering that was attended by some of the persons accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case who are out on bail, the Mumbai Press Club said in a statement emailed to members.This came two days after the Mumbai Press Club suspended three members for having “facilitated” the gathering, which was held on January 19.May 5Assembly elections: Results in four States, U.T. triumph of democracy and Constitution, says Modi – The HinduPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday described the outcomes of the elections in four States and a Union Territory as a triumph of democracy and the Constitution, suggesting that voters chose stability and development amid the crisis in West Asia and broader global turmoil.Analysing the results, Mr. Modi said people in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala rejected the governments that practised “divisive politics” and sought to create conflicts on issues such as language, food habits, and regional identity, and chose mutual development and unity.May 6SC says PIL has become ‘paisa interest litigation’ – The HinduSupreme Court judge Justice B.V. Nagarathna on Tuesday (May 5, 2026) said Public Interest Litigation (PIL), a unique mechanism initiated by the Indian judiciary post-Emergency to “bring social justice within the reach of the common man”, has lately metamorphosed into ‘private interest litigation’, ‘publicity interest litigation’ and even ‘paisa’ and ‘political’ interest litigation.Justice Nagarathna’s oral observations follow submissions made by the Union government in the Sabarimala case to do away with PIL jurisdiction. “The time has come not merely to recalibrate public interest litigation, but to remove it,” the Centre had submitted through Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.May 7India’s new sports policy for Pakistan: No to bilateral ties, yes to global events – The Indian ExpressIn an Office Memorandum issued on May 5, the Sports Ministry stated that ‘Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in multilateral events hosted by India,’ while also signalling a more supportive visa regime for athletes, officials and international federation representatives.The policy draws a firm line between bilateral and multilateral sport. “In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India,” the memorandum said. But in the same breath, it clarifies that for international competitions, “we are guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interest of our own sportspersons.”May 8A year after Operation Sindoor, two schools bear the cost of conflict in Pulwama and Poonch – The HinduWith Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) on the other side of the nearby hills, the Christ High School in Poonch is finding it hard to bury the memories of the war. …Three students – Zain Ali and Urwa Fatima, twins who were in Class 5, and Vihaan Bhargav of Class 8 – were killed in Pakistani shelling when they were trying to move to safer locations between May 7 and 11. They were among 21 civilians, including five children, who died on this side of the border during Operation Sindoor.Around 141 km away from the Poonch school, another school in Pulwama district tells a story of loss. The school was damaged in a blast, but since the nature of the explosion is still unknown, it does not fall in the compensation list of those who suffered damage in the conflict and were provided relief money. A two-storey building of the high school, Madrasa Taleem ul Quran, in Pulwama’s Wuyan was hit by an unidentified aerial object before sunrise on May 7. Locals said the administration neither provided any compensation for the loss nor revealed the cause of the explosion that ripped through the school building.May 9BJP’s victory in Bengal will plug a big hole in national security, says Amit Shah – The HinduDuring his address, the Home Minister, who presided over the BJP Legislature Party meeting, emphasised that the victory was not only about the BJP’s expansion and about the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance forming a government in its 21st State. “The BJP promises the people of Bengal and the country that we will identify and remove every infiltrator from India. And let me say from this stage – people who call this polarisation are mistaken. This is not about polarisation. This is about national security,” Mr. Shah said.“The biggest importance of this victory is that it plugs one of the biggest holes in India’s national security. Now, infiltration and cow-smuggling will become impossible in West Bengal,” Mr. Shah asserted.May 10‘Johnny Johnny Yes Papa’ is against Indian culture: UP Education Minister – The Indian Express“What does this rhyme teach (us) – Johnny Johnny Yes Papa, Eating Sugar No Papa, Telling Lies No Papa, Open Your Mouth Ha Ha Ha. These lines teach children to tell lies. No one ever thought about how this rhyme imparts wrong lessons to young children.”The minister added, “Our culture is ‘Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay’ (for the welfare of all, for the happiness of all). But this rhyme ‘Rain Rain Go Away, Come Again Another Day, Little Johnny Wants To Play, Rain Rain Go Away’ teaches children ‘Swantah Sukhay (self happiness)’. This is not our culture.”May 10WFI issues 15-page show-cause notice to Vinesh Phogat, stops her from competing till June 26 – The Indian ExpressThe Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has issued a 15-page show-cause notice to wrestler Vinesh Phogat, accusing her of indiscipline, violations of anti-doping regulations, and breaches of United World Wrestling (UWW) rules.The federation has also barred her from competing in domestic events until June 26, effectively delaying her planned return to competitive wrestling.The suspension from domestic competition is also likely to derail her hopes of making a comeback in time for major international events, including the Asian Games cycle leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.Earlier this year, the former world championship medallist had indicated her intention to return to the sport and was targeting the National Open Ranking tournament in Gonda in UP, scheduled to begin this Sunday. Gonda is the home turf of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a former MP, who was accused of sexual harassment by six women wrestlers. On May 3, Vinesh said she was one of the six who had complained against him.PM Modi opts for alternate route in Hyderabad to avoid inconvenience to wedding guests – Punjab Kesri (From IANS)Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s power-packed Sunday, with multiple programmes and events slated in three states – Karnataka, Telangana and Gujarat, grabbed extra attention mid-way in HITEC City (Hyderabad), where he broke the protocol for the convenience and comfort of a wedding party and guests.The Prime Minister’s compassionate and warm-hearted gesture won the hearts of those present and drew praise from legislators and public representatives, belonging to rival parties. The Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), the place where PM Modi’s helicopter was to land from Bengaluru, was also the wedding venue where BRS MLC MC Koti Reddy’s son was to get married tonight.The moment when it was brought to the notice of the Prime Minister that the wedding of BRS MLC M.C. Koti Reddy’s son, Ajith Reddy, with Laxmi Sowjanya, IPS Karaikal, was scheduled at the same venue, he instructed the officials for alternate landing arrangements.Notably, the wedding arrangements were made well in advance, with invitations already distributed to nearly 5,000 guests.The change in the Prime Minister’s landing arrangements came on his instructions, as he sensed the inconvenience and trouble that the last-minute security arrangements could have caused, to an auspicious and special occasion for the family.With PM Modi choosing a longer route for his convoy and facilitating a comfortable and memorable marriage to the couple, it has become a talking point in the HITEC city.This compassionate, considerate gesture of PM Modi and also his humane leadership reinforce the principle that putting people above self and beyond any political differences remains his guiding mantra.May 11Poll officer Manoj Agarwal — who oversaw SIR, faced TMC ire for ‘bias’ — appointed Bengal Chief Secretary by BJP govt – The Indian ExpressThe BJP government in West Bengal on Monday appointed the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal as the next Chief Secretary.Agarwal, who is set to retire in July, had faced criticism from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The move comes days after the government appointed the Election Commission’s special observer for West Bengal, Subrata Gupta, as an advisor to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.May 12Vijay appoints his astrologer as OSD – The Indian ExpressWith actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) formally appointing astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vetrivel the Chief Minister’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD), the party has brought into its inner structure a figure long associated with political astrology, numerology and high-profile predictions in Tamil Nadu’s power circles.May 13Vijay’s government revokes order appointing astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit as OSD (Political) to CM – The HinduThe Tamil Nadu government, on Wednesday (May 13, 2026), revoked its Government Order (G.O.), which appointed Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel – an astrologer – as the Officer on Special Duty (Political) to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, following criticism from various quarters, including those made in the Assembly earlier in the day.May 13IT firms paid record ₹1.3 trn to shareholders in FY26 despite AI headwinds – Business StandardIndia’s top 16 information-technology (IT) services companies in FY26 paid its shareholders a record high amount of around ₹1.3 trillion in dividend and share buyback even as the industry faced a threat to its traditional business configurations from artificial-intelligence (AI) models.The amount is 36.3 per cent higher than the payout of around ₹95,400 crore for FY25. This is the industry’s fastest growth in payout in the last nine years.May 11India’s Modi to begin five-nation tour, including UAE, amid Middle East crisis – ReutersIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a five-nation tour taking in the United Arab Emirates and Europe from May 15-20, India's foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday, as the Middle East crisis drives up global oil prices and strains India's foreign currency reserves.Modi is to visit the UAE on May 15 and subsequently travel to the Netherlands, ⁠Sweden, Norway and Italy, the statement said.May 14PM cuts size of convoy after fuel conservation appeal – The HinduPrime Minister Narendra Modi has substantially downsized the strength of his convoy, days after making an appeal to the people for the rational use of fuel-powered vehicles amid the West Asia crisis, a move subsequently followed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Ministers in several States.Mr. Modi’s fleet size has been reduced while ensuring that all essential components of his security arrangements remain in accordance with the Special Protection Group (SPG) protocols. After his appeal during a recent speech in Hyderabad, the decision was reportedly implemented during his visits to Gujarat and Assam. The PM has also asked for already available electric vehicles to be part of his convoy.May 14Congress high command defers announcement of Kerala CM designate to May 14 – The HinduThe Congress high command has deferred announcing the party’s Chief Minister designate for Kerala, ostensibly until Thursday (May 14, 2026). …Meanwhile, the “raging group war” in the Congress over the top post threatened to spill over into the high command’s backyard. Anonymous posters in English condemning Mr. Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MP, for allegedly supporting Mr. Venugopal appeared in the latter’s constituency in Wayanad.May 15 Bhima Koregaon case: NIA seeks cancellation of bail for activists Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj – ScrollThe National Investigation Agency on Friday moved a special court in Mumbai seeking that the bail granted to activists Varavara Rao and Sudha Bharadwaj in the Bhima Koregaon case be cancelled....In its applications seeking the cancellation of bail for Rao and Bharadwaj, the NIA contended that they attended a meeting at the Mumbai Press Club along with other persons accused in the case on January 19. This violated their bail conditions, alleged the agency.It claimed that the gathering was convened with the intention of “propagating the ideology of the proscribed organisation Communist Party of India (Maoist) and to deliberate upon the future course of action for spreading the ‘Urban Naxal’ movement…”