• India marks one-year anniversary of Pahalgam attack in Indian administered Kashmir that killed 26 civilians

  • PM Modi says 'India will never bow down to any form of terror'

  • West Bengal and Tamil Nadu hours away from voting in high-stakes elections

Here's a roundup of the news from India on Wednesday, April 22:

How a Babri mosque construction impacts West Bengal elections

A few months ahead of the election in West Bengal, former TMC leader Humayun Kabir began the construction of a Babri mosque in the state's Murshidabad district. That's miles and miles away from the original site in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, where the mosque was demolished by Hindu-nationalist groups in 1992, inciting communal riots in parts of the country.

Every day, thousands visit the site of the under-construction mosque in West Bengal, where it has become a key point in the state elections.

Tamil Nadu, West Bengal gear up for polls

The states of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have so far rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party. Less than a day before elections, the question hangs in the air: will they do so again?

Voters in the north of the eastern state of West Bengal will vote on April 23 in the first phase of the two-phase voting there. The remaining constituencies will vote on April 29.

Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23.

Political parties and leaders are currently in a mandatory period of silence, during which they are not allowed to air party advertisements, hold press conferences or rallies, or attempt to sway voters in any way. It is meant to ensure a calm environment ahead of voting.

Hours before the silent period kicked in on Tuesday evening, campaigning in West Bengal saw senior political leaders resort to name-calling and religious divisiveness.

India's home minister, Amit Shah, campaigning for Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, accused West Bengal's current chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, of building a Babri mosque in West Bengal.

The Babri mosque, originally in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, was demolished by Hindu-nationalists in 1992, leading to communal violence and tensions in several parts of India. After a protracted legal battle, the land was awarded to Hindus and the Modi government built a grand temple for Hindu diety Lord Ram on it. It remains asensitive topic.

Speaking in West Bengal, Shah vowed that the BJP would never let a Babri mosque be constructed in India. Banerjee, on the other hand, called Shah a "goon" and said no one wanted the BJP to come to power in the state.

In Tamil Nadu, ruling party leaders and their allies invoked Dravidian roots to garner votes and keep the BJP out. "Dravidian" is a cultural term that brings most south Indian states under one umbrella based on similar linguistic cultures.

Welcome to our coverage

Good morning and welcome back to DW's India news blog.

This is Mahima Kapoor from the New Delhi bureau, where the national weather agency has warned of the year's first heatwave for the next few days.

Temperatures are likely to touch 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and people are being advised to stay out of the sun, if at all possible.

Moving away from the weather, it is a somber day for Indians. April 22, 2026, marks the one-year anniversary of the Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, where armed militants killed 26 civilians in spot popular among tourists.

Tributes poured in for those killed in the attack and their family members. As did nationalist messages about India standing up to terror.

Meanwhile, two Indian states are less than a day away from voting. Both West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have seen an aggressive campaign season in the run-up to the polls and are now in the silence period before voting.

- Deutsche Welle

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