Allah Rakha Rahman, known as A.R. Rahman, one of the finest composers in the music industry has sparked heavy criticism from Hindu ring-wing voices following his recent comments regarding alleged communal bias in Bollywood.

The 59-year-old Kun Faya Kun composer shared his views on ‘lost work’ in the industry during an interview. 

‘People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also but not in my face,’ Rahman told the BBC Asian Network online in the interview aired on Wednesday.

‘It comes to me as Chinese whispers that they booked you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I said, ‘Oh, that’s great, rest for me. I can chill out with my family,’” he said in the 90-minute interview.

Right-wing commentators and activists questioned Rahman’s patriotism and talent, accusing him of playing the “victim card”.

Vinod Bansal from the far-right organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanded an apology from Rahman for “defaming” the country.“

We are proud of him and whatever he has done for the country. But for someone who has earned his living from the Indian industry, the way he is trying to defame the country is highly objectionable,” he told Al Jazeera.

Amid the controversy, the composer stepped forward to clarify his stance following a stream of media trolling. 

 In a video posted to his Instagram account, Rahman said: ‘I understand that intentions can sometimes be misunderstood, but my purpose has always been to uplift, honour and serve through music.’

He stressed that he remained grateful to the nation and noted that he had thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support of India’s entertainment industry. 

For those unversed, the legendary artist has won some of the world’s most coveted musical awards – including Oscars, Grammys and a Golden Globe. 

His song Jai Ho which won him an Oscar, became a celebrated anthem.

The Oscar winner’s  1997 song Maa Tujhe Salam on his album Vande Mataram was seen as unifying the diverse nation of 1.4 billion people.

A.R. Rahman’s blockbusters span Bollywood and Tamil cinema, featuring iconic hits like Chaiyya Chaiyya, Jai Ho, Dil Se Re, Tu Hi Re, and many more.

• Indus Waters Treaty cannot be suspended unilaterally: Jadoon.
• Says systemic water risks cannot be managed by any nation alone.
• Pakistan urges respect for water law ahead of UN conference 2026 .

Islamabad has warned that New Delhi’s unilateral decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance has created an unprecedented crisis for Pakistan’s water security and regional stability.

The concerns were raised by the Acting Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon while speaking at the Global Water Bankruptcy Policy Roundtable hosted by the Permanent Mission of Canada and the United Nations University (UNU).

Ambassador Jadoon said that India’s decision, taken in April last year, was followed by material breaches of the treaty, including unannounced disruptions of downstream water flows and the withholding of hydrological information.

He described India’s decision as a deliberate weaponisation of water and said that Pakistan’s position on the Indus Waters Treaty is unequivocal.

“Pakistan’s position is unequivocal; the Treaty remains legally intact and permits no unilateral suspension or modification,” he added.

Ambassador Jadoon said that for more than six decades, the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 has served as a time-tested framework for equitable and predictable management of the Indus River basin.

Highlighting the importance of the basin, he said it sustains one of the world’s largest contiguous irrigation systems, provides over 80% of Pakistan’s agricultural water needs, and supports the lives and livelihoods of more than 240 million people.

The ambassador said water insecurity has emerged as a systemic risk across regions, affecting food production, energy systems, public health, livelihoods, and human security.

Referring to Pakistan’s situation, he said the country is a semi-arid, climate-vulnerable, lower-riparian state facing floods, droughts, accelerated glacier melt, groundwater depletion, and rapid population growth, all of which are placing immense pressure on already stressed water systems.

He said Pakistan is taking steps to strengthen water resilience through integrated planning, flood protection, irrigation rehabilitation, groundwater replenishment, and ecosystem restoration. He cited initiatives such as Living Indus and Recharge Pakistan in this regard.

Ambassador Jadoon said systemic water risks cannot be managed by any nation alone, particularly in shared river basins. He said that predictability, transparency, and cooperation in transboundary water governance are matters of survival for downstream populations.

The ambassador added that water insecurity should be recognised as a systemic global risk in the lead-up to the UN Water Conference 2026, calling for cooperation and respect for international water law to be placed at the center of shared water governance to ensure protection for vulnerable downstream communities.

A judge has ordered that actor Timothy Busfield be released from jail as he awaits trial on child sex abuse charges.

The order Tuesday, by state district court Judge David Murphy during a detention hearing, is linked to accusations that Busfield inappropriately touched a minor while working as a director on the set of the series “The Cleaning Lady.”

The judge ordered that the defendant be released on his own recognizance, pending trial. Busfield will be supervised upon release by a pretrial service in Albuquerque, and can leave the state to live at home, the judge said. Under the conditions of his release, Busfield cannot be in possession of firearms or drugs and can’t have contact with the alleged victims.

Busfield, an Emmy Award-winning actor who is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething,” was ordered held without bond last week at his first court appearance. Busfield called the allegations lies in a video shared before he turned himself in.

At the hearing Tuesday, Busfield was handcuffed and dressed in an orange jail uniform in a New Mexico state district court, while wife and actor Melissa Gilbert watched from the court gallery.

Gilbert was tearful while exiting the courtroom after the judge ordered Busfield’s release.

Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls in the 1970s to ’80s TV series “Little House on the Prairie,” is on the list of potential witnesses submitted ahead of the hearing.

Albuquerque police issued a warrant for Busfield’s arrest earlier this month on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred on the set of the series “The Cleaning Lady.”

According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the police department says the child reported Busfield touched him on private areas over his clothing on one occasion when he was 7 years old and another time when he was 8. The boy’s twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Busfield, but did not specify where. He said he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to get in trouble.

On Monday, Busfield’s attorneys submitted two brief audio recordings of initial police interviews in which the children say Busfield did not touch them in private areas. The attorneys in a court filing argue that the complaint characterizes the interviews as a failure to disclose abuse, but an “unequivocal denial is materially different from a mere absence of disclosure.”

According to the criminal complaint, one of the boys disclosed during a therapy session that he was inappropriately touched by the show’s director. Those records were obtained by police during the investigation.

Arguing Tuesday for Busfield’s continued detention, Bernalillo County Assistant District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch called evidence of abuse against Busfield strong and specific.

“The boys’ allegation are supported by medical findings and by their therapist,” Brandenburg-Koch said. “Their accounts were specific and not exaggerated.”

She also described a documented pattern of sexual misconduct, abuse of authority and grooming behavior by Busfield over the past three decades. Prosecutors also say witnesses have expressed fear regarding retaliation and professional harm.

“GPS is not going to tell this court if he is around children or talking to witnesses,” Brandenburg-Koch said.

Busfield’s attorneys have argued that the allegations emerged only after the boys lost their role in the TV show, creating a financial and retaliatory motive. The filings detailed what the attorneys said was a history of fraud by both the boys’ father and mother. They cited an investigation by Warner Bros. that found the allegations unfounded.

Busfield also submitted letters vouching for his character, and his attorneys say he passed an independent polygraph test.

Legal experts say New Mexico is among a few states that allow polygraph evidence in criminal cases, but a judge has final say over whether one can be used. There are strict requirements for admission.