2 min readJun 6, 2026 07:05 AM IST
First published on: Jun 6, 2026 at 06:39 AM IST

A 13-member, two-tier ministry headed by Bansi Lal was sworn in at Haryana Raj Bhavan. After taking office, the new chief minister declared that Chandigarh would continue to serve as Haryana’s capital for at least five years or until the Centre built a new capital for the state. The ministry consists of nine cabinet ministers, including Bansi Lal, and four ministers of state.

PM calls for afforestation

Marking World Environment Day, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi planted a “Tree for Peace” at Indira Gandhi’s memorial, Shakti Sthal, and called for a nationwide movement to protect and restore the environment. Describing the sapling as “putraiva” (giver of life to progeny), he warned against the destruction of natural resources, saying it led to wastelands, salinity, erosion and drought. He particularly emphasised educating children about environmental conservation.

Violence in Belgaum again

The language agitation in the Belgaum border region turned violent again after a two-day lull, with protesters derailing a train, hurling stones and acid bulbs at the police, and setting a policeman on fire, though he was rescued by an inspector. The unrest followed the arrest of a batch of Samyukta Maharashtra Seema Samiti activists led by Shiv Sena MLA and former Bombay mayor Chhagan Bhujbal. Earlier in the day, the Miraj–Vasco Express derailed after striking boulders placed on the tracks by miscreants.

16 massacred by Lanka rebels

Fresh violence in Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee district claimed numerous lives over the previous 48 hours. In the worst incident, Tamil militants allegedly killed 16 people and burnt eight houses in the Sinhala village of Andankulam, while a Buddhist priest was reported missing. In another incident, passengers from a bus travelling to Trincomalee were reportedly separated and taken away by armed men, with their whereabouts remaining unknown.