Overview
- Twenty-five people died and several were injured in the Birch by Romeo Lane blaze in Arpora, with initial reports citing missing fire alarms and questions over permissions and capacity.
- Goa Police arrested the club manager, filed non-intentional homicide cases against the owner and general manager, issued a warrant for the owner, and the state suspended three officials, ordered safety audits within seven days, and announced compensation alongside central ex gratia.
- Investigators are assessing conflicting accounts of the ignition, including eyewitness claims of a kitchen fire, a performer’s account of a short circuit during a show, and the chief minister’s reference to electric ‘patakhe’.
- In Parliament’s special discussion on the national song’s 150th year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Congress of yielding to the Muslim League in 1937, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urged renewed respect for the full composition.
- Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi called the debate a distraction, Mamata Banerjee faulted the BJP for politicizing the issue, Akhilesh Yadav assailed the ruling party, and media analyses linked the push to the BJP’s 2026 West Bengal strategy.