Ghaziabad Flower Seller Earns Modi's Mann Ki Baat Mention; Journalist Takes Police to Supreme Court
Ghaziabad this week produced both an inspiring story of resilience and a sharp legal confrontation: a single mother who built a flower-selling enterprise outside a local temple received a mention in Prime Minister Modi's Mann Ki Baat radio address, while separately a journalist approached India's Supreme Court to challenge a Ghaziabad police attempt to obtain his X social media account data and seek protection from arrest.
🤝 Single Mother Babita Sharma's Flower Business Near Ghaziabad Temple Featured on Mann Ki Baat
Babita Sharma, a single mother who sells flowers outside a temple in Ghaziabad, received national recognition when Prime Minister Narendra Modi cited her story during his Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, according to ETV Bharat, which published the report on August 31, 2026. Sharma's journey began with a roadside cart near the Ghaziabad temple, from which she sold flowers to devotees and passersby. Through persistence and, as the report noted, the combination of personal resolve and timely government support, Sharma progressed from that roadside cart to operating her business from a rented shop. The ETV Bharat report described her life journey as never having been easy, emphasizing the adversity she faced as a single mother who chose to fight rather than give in to her circumstances. Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister's monthly radio programme in which he highlights positive and inspiring stories from across India, gave Sharma's story a national platform. The mention in Mann Ki Baat elevated what had been a local Ghaziabad story of quiet determination into a nationally recognized example of entrepreneurial resilience supported by government initiatives aimed at empowering women in small-scale livelihoods. [3]
Journalist Abhishek Upadhyaya Approaches Supreme Court Over Ghaziabad FIR and Social Media Data Request
Journalist Abhishek Upadhyaya moved India's Supreme Court against the Ghaziabad police, challenging a First Information Report filed against him and seeking protection from arrest, according to LawBeat, which reported the development on September 1, 2026. The case centers on Ghaziabad police seeking digital information related to an X (formerly Twitter) social media account, a move the journalist contests. Upadhyaya's petition to the Supreme Court asks the court to intervene in what the journalist characterizes as an overreach by the Ghaziabad police in attempting to access his digital account information. The Supreme Court petition simultaneously challenges the legitimacy of the FIR and requests that the court shield the journalist from arrest while the matter is pending. LawBeat identified the petitioner as a journalist and described the Ghaziabad FIR as the action being challenged before the country's highest court. The case raises questions about press freedom and the extent to which police in Uttar Pradesh can seek to access the social media data of journalists who report on civic and political matters, a concern that has attracted attention from media freedom advocates and legal commentators. [2]
Farmer Hacked to Death with Sword in Ghaziabad After Dispute Over Form of Address
A farmer was hacked to death with a sword in the Muradnagar area of Ghaziabad, in an incident that reportedly began when the victim refused to address the accused using the honorific title of 'brother,' according to Bhaskar English. The headline described the victim as falling to the ground during the attack and failing to rise, indicating that the sword attack proved fatal. The altercation reportedly originated in the Kannauja village area within the Muradnagar region of Ghaziabad district, where a confrontation over the social form of address escalated into lethal violence. The accused attacked the farmer after the victim declined to use the expected honorific, suggesting that the dispute was rooted in local codes of respect and interpersonal hierarchy. The case draws attention to the persistence of disputes over social protocols and honorific address in parts of rural and semi-rural Uttar Pradesh, where such matters can carry high stakes. Sword attacks remain a documented form of violence in the region, and the incident was covered by regional Hindi and English media as an example of the kinds of interpersonal conflicts that continue to result in fatalities in Ghaziabad district. [5]
Allahabad High Court Orders Hathras Victim's Family to Be Rehabilitated in Ghaziabad or Noida
The Allahabad High Court directed that the family of the Hathras sexual assault victim be rehabilitated in either Ghaziabad or Noida within three months, according to The New Indian Express, which published the report on August 26, 2026. The order came after advocate Mahmood Pracha, appearing for the victim's family, argued before the court that relocating the family to Kasganj, Etah, or Aligarh would place them at risk given the proximity of those districts to Hathras, where the original crime occurred. Pracha submitted that the family's safety could be endangered if they were settled in a district geographically close to Hathras, and the court's directive to consider Ghaziabad or Noida as suitable relocation sites reflects the view that these larger, more distant urban centers would offer better protection and anonymity. The Hathras case, which drew widespread national and international attention following the assault and subsequent death of a young Dalit woman, has been subject to prolonged legal proceedings in which the safety and welfare of the victim's family has remained a central concern. The three-month timeline set by the High Court was intended to ensure prompt action on the rehabilitation order. [8]
Sources: [3] ETV Bharat · [2] LawBeat · [5] Bhaskar English · [8] The New Indian Express