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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said India needs to remain prepared for a full-scale war in the future and called for better synergy between the armed forces and the civil administration.

In an address at Mussoorie’s Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Singh also mentioned the fighting in Ukraine to stress that security challenges have become more complex now with cyber and proxy wars.

He said India believes in peace and “waging war is not in our character”. But if it is provoked into a war, the country which attacks it will suffer because India does not fight on the strength of its weapons but on its morale, he said at the IAS academy’s 28th joint civil-military training programme.

The Congress is gearing up to demonstrate a political show of strength on Monday as the party leader Rahul Gandhi is set to depose before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection in connection with a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper. Congress is planning a big event to show its strength and convey its political message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government.

The ED on Friday issued a fresh summons to Sonia Gandhi asking her to appear on June 23 for questioning in connection with the National Herald money laundering case. 

According to sources, Congress MPs, and Congress Working Committee (CWC) members have also been asked to be present in Delhi on Monday. A meeting of All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretaries, State Incharges, and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs was called on Thursday to decide the strategy for the same. 

Amid mounting uncertainties over the civil nuclear partnership with Russia in the wake of the Ukraine war, there are indications of fresh progress on the much-delayed deal with French power utility EDF for the supply of six EPR (European Pressurised Water Reactors) nuclear reactors.

The Department of Atomic Energy is actively examining a binding techno-commercial offer submitted by the French state-owned power company to help build six third-generation EPR reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.

A high-level team from EDF was here late last month.

New Delhi had accorded an “in-principle” approval of the site at Jaitapur in Maharashtra for setting up of six reactors of 1650 MWe (megawatt electric) each as part of an umbrella nuclear deal signed with France in September 2008.

A shooter - suspected to be linked to Punjab singer-politician Sidhu Moose Wala's murder - was reportedly held in Pune during early hours on Monday. Santosh Jadhav, officials were quoted as saying by news agency PTI, has been detained in a 2021 murder case filed at a Pune police station. He is said to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. One of his aides has also been detained.

Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi - lodged in Delhi's Tihar - was recently named as the mastermind in the murder case. Gangster Goldy Brar - who is Canada - had also claimed the responsibility of the killing earlier.

Amid pan-India protests against the controversial remarks by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Muhammad, few protestors were seen carrying a national flag in which the revered Ashok Chakra was replaced with ‘Kalma’ in Telangana's Mahabubnagar district.

The protest was held outside Masjide Rahmath in Mahabubnagar. Around 15-200 protestors gathered outside the mosque after the Friday prayers, Times Now reported.

In a viral video, a protestor can be seen waving a tricolor with ‘Kalma’ in place of Ashok Chakra.