Normal

The 25-year-old, who has 48 caps for the Netherlands, has found love in Manchester – settling down with her partner Ruth, who she met on a dating app.

Now an openly gay woman, Casparij says the community is “close to her heart”.

“It was hard at times growing up until I got into women’s football. It was normal and openly spoken about [at Heerenveen],” she said.

“I learned a lot about myself. I didn’t have that when I was young, I had so many doubts and questions.

“I was lying awake at night thinking ‘is this weird or am I weird?’ Being able to be that role model now with my partner, for so many young girls, is so important.”

The right-back has a platform to promote inclusivity in women’s football and has taken full advantage.

She wears rainbow laces on her football boots, rainbow armbands, regularly posts messages of LGBTQ+ support on social media and in April, dedicated her goal against Everton to the transgender community.

“Why I find it really important to spread the word and stand with people is because in modern society if it’s often not against you, you won’t say anything,” said Casparij.

“It’s important that we stand up for people that need it so they feel supported. For example, the trans community. They are good people and I care about them.

“I want to show that I stand with them. I’m hoping to inspire people to do the same. I think we need more togetherness generally and a sense of community.”

She has supported numerous campaigns – most recently becoming a patron for the LGBTQ Foundation, helping to fund helplines against domestic abuse and transphobia.

“I think queer women are having a tough time at the moment and I want to help them have safe spaces,” said Casparij.

“In domestic violence, for example, queer women are often overlooked. I want to make sure they have a place to heal and someone to talk to.

“I want to be a woman that helps women.”

She is also passionate about setting an example to young, gay women – the type of representation she wished she had as a child.

“It’s nice to be able to make other people take away doubt. It’s about helping them to understand why they are feeling how they are feeling,” she added.

“I always love being surrounded by queer people. Feeling included and supported is important. All I want to do is spread love.”

BRITAIN’S smallest castle, a charming 19th century Gothic turret in the heart of Hertfordshire, has gone up for sale.

The Gazebo Tower is a glorious Grade II listed landmark which dates back to 1833 and is packed with royal-looking features inside its 645sqft of living space.

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Described as a “local icon”, this three-storey tower in Ross-on-Wye looks out over the River Wye and the Hertfordshire countryside.

Inside, each of its circular rooms – roughly 16ft across – has been transformed into a kitchen, a bedroom and a living room.

It also comes with a picturesque roof-top terrace, described as offering 360-degree views of the Black Mountains of Southeast Wales, the spire of Saint Mary’s Church, Chase Wood and Ross-on-Wye’s vibrant architecture.

It’s currently available to buy for £330,000.

Estate agents Hamilton Stiller described it “an opportunity to own a landmark and one of Ross-on-Wye’s most striking features.”

One of the most whimsical touches to the property is how the double bed hides a bath underneath – making the most of the space.

The top floor also includes an en-suite wet room and a spiral staircase leading to a battery-operated roof hatch.

Athletes from the Ross Rowing Club can even often be seen sailing down the River Wye from the windows.

The quintessential market town of Ledbury is only 13 miles away, while trains to London Paddington take two hours.

This tower, once owned by Herefordshire Council, was sold in 2001 when its only floor was accessible by ladder.

Tony Billingham, who won the bid by post, lovingly restored the tower into a cozy, functional home and later opened it to visitors, donating proceeds to local charities.

This isn’t the only house that has caught widespread attention recently.

A seemingly ordinary home has gone up for sale at £400,000, but there’s one very unexpected twist that’s caught people’s attention.

Photos of the property reveal that one of its two bathrooms has been transformed into a home office – giving workers the chance to “do their business” without ever leaving the room.

A three-bedroom home in Walton, Chesterfield, has hit the market for £150,000, appearing perfectly normal from the street – but step inside, and things take a decidedly unexpected turn.

Baffled house hunters have branded the interior “bonkers”, with photos revealing a quirky layout and eccentric design choices that are anything but ordinary.

A charming seaside property with a fascinating backstory has caught the attention of locals and house hunters alike.

Listed for £235,000 in February, the home was purchased by a couple in July after making several visits over the summer.

Nicknamed “the Dolls House” by locals, the petite property is cleverly built in an alleyway between two neighbouring homes and offers breathtaking views of the coast.

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A NORMAL-looking terraced home has hit the market for £140,000 – but it hides a “satanic” secret.

The two-bedroom house went viral on TikTok after Ashleigh Anderson, 33, shared its unique decor with the world.

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The tattoo enthusiast bought the property in Barrhead, Scotland in 2022 and spent three years turning it into her dream home.

With its brick walls and manicured lawn, the house appears like a regular terraced home from the outside.

But inside lies a Goth’s paradise – fit with jet black cabinets and radiators, as well as signature Halloween-inspired artwork.

Ashleigh said her living room was inspired by a tattoo studio.

To achieve this particular look, she adorned the walls with a number of eclectic decorations.

The house features spooky sculptures and a large neon sign that covers part of the ink-coloured wall.

Eerie statues form the base of a glass-mounted coffee table, while dark sofa cushions are emblazoned with bold exaggerated eyes.

Meanwhile, two mannequin tattoo-covered legs poke out from either end of the sofa.

Continuing the gothic theme, skulls appear dotted around the room, alongside a zebra head taking pride of place by the steps.

Now on the market for £140,000, with Kelly Residential, the property has gained widespread acclaim for its “unexpected character”.

The listing reads: “This two-bedroom semi-detached property may appear understated from the outside, but step inside and you’ll discover a striking interior with a bold, gothic-inspired design.

“The front door opens into a spacious living room, where dark hardwood flooring, dramatic black walls, gothic artwork, and a distinctive tartan media wall create a stylish and memorable space.

“To the rear, the generous kitchen continues the contemporary feel with high-gloss black cabinets, integrated appliances, and ample worktop space, offering both flair and functionality.

“Upstairs, the main bedroom is large and finished with a neutral feature wall and built-in mirrored wardrobes.

“The second bedroom, currently arranged as a dressing room, offers ample space to serve as a comfortable double bedroom or versatile home office.

“Combining a bold interior aesthetic with practical modern living, this home is ideal for buyers seeking something truly distinctive.”

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THIS terraced house may look normal from the outside but one disgusting feature has left potential buyers flabbergasted.

Much of the three-bedroom property looks pleasant and welcoming enough but one feature may be too much to bear.

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The family home in Brislington, Bristol, has a bewildering bathroom and kitchen setup that will leave prospective buyers thinking again.

The open-plan utility room may seem perfectly normal at first glance but look a little closer and you’ll find an unwelcome addition.

A surprise toilet can be found alongside the room’s typical kitchen appliances and items – and it’s the butt of jokes online.

The room is home to a washing machine, a fridge-freezer, a sink and even a coffee machine laid out on a cabinet.

But despite food and drink being stored there, there is nothing to separate the toilet from the rest of the room.

The room has been described as the “utility/downstairs WC”.

Listing images were shared on social media, where viewers were left “flabbergasted” by the arrangement, as reported by Luxury Property News.

One person commented: “I get that’s a utility room but… Imagine having your fridge in a windowless room where someone just had a rough time on the throne.

“Or your washing. Either settle for one toilet or put a small cubicle in.”

“This new trend of open plan s***ters has to stop,” another joked.

Someone else wrote: “That’s got to be breaking some health and safety regulations surely?”

“Oh that’s grim, and right next to a kettle and stuff. Imagine how many airborne poop particles are in that fridge and cooking area,” commented another viewer.

Thankfully, the rest of the terraced home looks perfectly ordinary.

It has three bedrooms, a spacious lounge, a dining room, kitchen which opens out onto the back garden and a fully family bathroom upstairs.

And you’ll be pleased to know that there are no other surprise lavatories throughout.

It is currently on the market for £400,000 with Moving You.

It’s not the only property on the market that has some unwelcome additions either.

The Sun recently reported on a perfectly normal looking house that’s hit the market for £435,000 – but it’s hiding a sci-fi surprise inside.

The unique four-bedroom house is certainly bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside.

Another quirky five-bed property has also gone on the market but has a surprise waiting in the basement.

And this unassuming semi-detached home comes complete with its own dance floor, bar and cinema.

Keen entertainers have the opportunity to snap up the five-bed “party house” on Bedford Avenue in Barnet, north London, for £1.25 million.

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WRAPPED around the hoover, blocking the plughole and stuck on the shower wall – it feels like hair gets everywhere.

It’s normal to lose hair every day, but sometimes, the large clump in your hairbrush can feel worrying. But what is ‘normal’, and what could be causing your locks to fall out faster? We reveal the hidden health concerns, and how to fix them to stop the shed.

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Eva Proudman, founder of www.ukhairconsultants.com, consultant trichologist and Fellow of the Institute of Trichologists UK, tells Sun Health: “Everyone is going to see some hair coming out of the head daily; this is part of the normal growing and shedding cycle.

“Around 50-150 hairs can be shed daily.

“If you wash every day, you will see less than if you leave it for three or four days, as the shed hair is held within the hair by a natural static charge that is broken when the hair is washed.”

While some hair loss is a natural part of getting older – for example, women tend to see thinning due to menopause – and genetic predisposition can lead to gradual thinning over time, any sudden changes warrant concern.

Eva, who sees many distressed patients in her clinics, says: “If you are noticing more hair in the brush, shower, on your clothes, or being picked up by your hoover, seek advice from a professional to identify and understand the cause.”

Our hair is not only part of our identity, but is “often said to be a reflection of your general health,” adds Eva.

“In many cases, these symptoms are linked to an underlying medical issue.”

From hormonal issues to autoimmune diseases, here are the causes worth considering…

DIET NOT CUTTING IT

EXCESSIVE hair shedding and thinning from iron and vitamin B12 deficiency is called telogen effluvium – a form of temporary loss.

Telogen effluvium can be triggered by several factors, from stress to viruses and inflammation, which disrupt the hair growth cycle.

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Eva says: “Being deficient in iron and vitamin B12 can also cause fatigue, brain fog, aches and pains, and a general state of feeling unwell.

“This is especially true if you eat a limited diet, whether vegetarian, vegan or you are on GLP-1 ‘weight loss’ jabs, and exclude core food groups such as red meat and animal proteins.”

Trichologists use a blood test to ascertain stored levels before advising on dietary or supplementary changes.

“The results take time to show,” Eva notes. “It’s usually a minimum of four to six months.

“However, the relief as the hair shedding reduces also brings a reduction in stress and anxiety, which is supportive to both hair and general health.”

SLUGGISH GLAND

BOTH types of thyroid disease (overactive and underactive) affect the hair, says Eva.

She adds: “In my clinics, I see clients with excessive hair shedding, thinning and breakage that also present with other recognised signs and symptoms of thyroid disease.

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“It has an impact on female pattern hair loss (FPHL), whether it is hypothyroidism (underactive) or hyperthyroidism (overactive).”
FPHL tends to affect the crown of the head.

An underactive thyroid can also cause brittle and fragile hair, while overactive can cause excessive shedding.

For the former, look out for symptoms such as “severe tiredness, weight gain and feeling cold”, says Eva, and for the latter, “you may find there’s weight loss, a feeling of ‘running on overdrive’, and poor sleep”.

The thyroid is a gland in the neck that produces two hormones (TSH and T4) vital for all the cells in the body to work efficiently.

Both types of thyroid disease, which can occur at any age, are treated with medication for life.

HORMONES GOING HAYWIRE

ONE in ten women have PCOS, a hormonal condition that causes the male hormones to be more dominant.

“PCOS is a very common condition in my clinics, particularly in younger ladies who see me due to hair thinning and loss, as well as a feeling of being able to see more scalp, with slow growth,” explains Eva.

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Other signs and symptoms can include heavy and/or irregular periods, facial hair, weight gain, oily skin and scalp, and acne.

Eva says: “Insulin resistance or pre-diabetes is often seen in my clinics.

“But this is also a common standalone condition in the UK, causing the body to have an ineffective response to insulin.

“The increase of insulin in the bloodstream can stimulate the ovaries to produce more androgens, providing an environment that promotes thinning and shedding and an exacerbation of the FPHL.”

Eva adds: “This health condition should ideally be managed jointly between the trichologist and GP.

“Lifestyle changes definitely help; we work on diet and the uptake and storage of nutrients to give the correct levels for optimum hair health.”

Hair growth treatments, like Minoxidil, or Tricoactiv+, may also be used.

BODY’S BETRAYAL

IN the case of autoimmune conditions, the body attacks its own tissues, such as the hair follicles.

Eva says: “A common – and very distressing – autoimmune condition is frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA).

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“This causes the hairline to recede with permanent loss, and so it’s important to get an early, accurate diagnosis as there are supportive treatments that can stabilise the condition to help to prevent further hair loss.”

FFA is a type of scarring autoimmune condition, meaning the hair will not grow back.

“It presents with a lack of follicular orifices, usually a smooth area of skin with a paler skin pigmentation,” says Eva.

Alopecia areata is a non-scarring autoimmune condition in which hair loss can come and go.

Eva says: “It causes patchy hair loss, usually in smooth circles.
“In some cases, it develops into total hair loss on the scalp (alopecia totalis) or total hair loss all over the body (alopecia universalis).

“When the condition is active, you see clinical signs such as yellow dots on the scalp, black dots and exclamation hairs. When there are no signs like this, there can then be regrowth and recovery.

“Treatments for this type of condition range from scalp massage, stimulating oils, topical Minoxidil, topical steroids, steroid injections and JAK (Janus kinase) inhibitors.”

SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM

VIRUSES can cause hair and scalp issues, often a diffuse thinning, which is a uniform, widespread loss of density across the scalp.

This is a form of telogen effluvium – temporary hair loss that affects the hair growth cycle.

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Covid-19, for example, can potentially cause hair loss, though it might not appear until months later.

Eva says: “With a virus, it can feel like hair loss but may actually be a disruption to the growing and shedding cycle of the hair, called telogen effluvium.

“This condition can have multiple underlying causes and though alarming at first, it is generally short-lived in most circumstances.”

This type of hair loss tends to resolve on its own, but in more severe or prolonged cases, a doctor may recommend medications to support regrowth.

Eva says: “As with all hair-related problems, the sooner you seek professional advice and have an accurate diagnosis, the sooner you can start to treat and get the hair back to normal.

“Many of the products advertised online or across social media may not be relevant.

“Just because something says it works, doesn’t mean it does or will!

“The cost and stress of trying many different treatments can be avoided just by seeking the right advice.”

Nearly every state in the Middle East has condemned Israel’s war on Gaza.

Saudi Arabia says normalising relations with Israel hinges on a Palestinian state.

Jordan, Egypt and some Gulf nations have diplomatic ties with Israel, but have criticised it publicly.

In Europe, a growing number of countries are recognising Palestine and the EU is reviewing economic relations with Israel.

But are words enough to make Israel stop killing and starving Palestinians?

And what would it take for countries to cut ties with Israel?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Daniel Levy – President of the US/Middle East Project and a former Israeli negotiator

James Moran – Former European Union ambassador to Egypt and Jordan

Jawad Anani – Former deputy prime minister and former foreign minister of Jordan

A WOMAN who thought she was going on a romantic cruise with her partner was left stunned after she realised what was really going on.

Robyn-Jay was looking forward to her 10-day cruise, but that excitement quickly faded when she realised many of the holiday makers were swingers.

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Taking to TikTok to share her story, she explained that she and her partner went to the ship’s nightclub on the first night as they tried to settle in and get their bearings.

That’s when things began to take a turn and as they decided to sit in a booth and people watch when a man came up to them to ask if they “wanted a third”, Robyn-Jay claimed.

But the strange encounters didn’t end there, as on the second night Robyn-Jay claimed a woman called their room and tried to hook up with the couple, despite having never met them before.

According to Robyn-Jay, the woman needed to know their room number, which they didn’t share, to be able to call, which made the couple feel uneasy.

The pair said they could also hear couples from other rooms on the ship shouting at each other from their balconies.

“It’s not that they were friends, they were trying to arrange hook ups,” she said in the viral video.

But it was what allegedly happened next that drew the line for the holidaymaker.

She explained that one night she got all dressed up to enjoy some of the entertainment the cruise put on.

After finding a quiet place to sit with her partner, Robyn-Jay claimed she noticed a man sat at another tabled was staring at her.

“This was something different, this was a whole other level. I felt so uncomfortable in my skin, it really gives you that horrible feeling inside,” she said.

That’s when the man, who was sat with his wife, allegedly bent down to try and look up Robyn-Jay’s skirt.

She went on to explain that her partner, William, soon noticed and called the man out on his behaviour before he got up and left with his wife.

The holidaymaker went on to claim that she even saw an older man act inappropriately towards a young girl on the ship and he was overly touchy with her.

“I just really think [cruises are] a place for a bit of lawlessness and I think people go there knowing that and I honestly dread to think what goes on in the eyes of other people,” she said.

After sharing her experience, people chimed in to share their experiences on cruise ships, and many thought Robyn-Jay got unlucky.

“I’ve just been on a Marella Cruise and never experienced anything like this,” one person said.

And a second agreed: “Been on a few cruises – not my experience,” they commented on the video.

“This could have happened absolutely anywhere, it’s not because you were on a cruise. It’s also completely common knowledge that cruises are swinger’s paradise,” someone else wrote.

And someone who claimed to work for a cruise company added: “This is a well known thing on some cruise ships.

“Unfortunately you have experienced some awful behaviour and some people should understand that not everyone’s a swinger. Not all cruise lines behave like this.”

Anadolu via Getty Images

‘She’s a changed person’

Getty Images

‘There’s a level of fear’

‘Catalyst for change’

The new £400million project, in the mountains of Neath Port Talbot, will have miles of railway tracks and station platforms – but it’s not for everyday passengers

A whopping £400 million train line and station, which won’t be used by the general public, is planned for a patch of land the size of Gibraltar.

The project, nestled in the mountains of Neath Port Talbot in Wales, is not intended for everyday commuters but rather for testing new trains, including high-speed and hydrogen-powered models.

Known as the Global Centre of Rail Excellence, this unique venture is being built on a massive 700-hectare site near the village of Onllwyn, just 17 miles north of Neath. The centre, which is being constructed on the former Nant Helen opencast site and Onllwyn Washery, is expected to be fully operational by 2027.

Once completed, it will operate round-the-clock, offering rail enthusiasts ample opportunity to test the next generation of engines. The site will feature two seven-kilometre looped tracks.

READ MORE: Brits warned of summer of holiday hell as strikes threaten 12 Spanish islands

This pioneering development could mark a first for the rail industry. Reports suggest that the centre “plugs a significant gap in European rail by providing a purpose-built, single site for world class research,” and that it “allows products to be tested to the highest technology readiness levels, in a live environment, with no risk to the mainline.”

It is hoped that the test centre will let developers put new ideas and innovations to the test before they are deployed in major projects, helping develop future transport systems.

Lewis Smith, a reporter for Wales Online, recently toured the site, which developers claim will be larger than Gibraltar when finished. “If you can test trains or technology systems that work up here, they should be able to work anywhere,” a worker shared with him.

“Whilst today’s fog obscures most of the expected views, the sheer magnitude of work required becomes evident – not only in transforming the landscape for the facility, but also in securing the hundreds of millions of pounds needed from private investors, coupled with over £90 million from Welsh and UK Government funding, for the site to reach its full potential,” he penned.

“Along the journey, we witness the initial stages of works to clear the path for the loop tracks, as well as the early sections of track being laid at the former mining facility – which workers say previously saw more than two million tonnes of coal extracted. We also pass the old shower and locker facilities, still standing from the area’s mining days, complete with hi-vis jackets and helmets, almost as if a group of workers had just finished a shift earlier that day.”

Simon Jones, the Global Centre of Rail Excellence, said: “I don’t think these kinds of projects come around very often, particularly projects like this which have got Government support from both the UK and Welsh Government.

“What it means for the people here is that we’ll be creating a site where the railway industry across the UK and Europe will come here to carry out testing for their innovations in a way that they just can’t do anywhere else. We’ve got 170 companies now from across Europe who’ve pledged their support for what we’re doing and who want to be able to use this place, so that’s just going to create jobs and opportunities for people.

READ MORE: Spain tourist hotspot faces summer of ‘changeover day’ travel chaos as hotel staff set to strikeREAD MORE: Europe’s ‘longest’ train journey between two beautiful countries is 1,075 miles

“There are some sites elsewhere in the UK and there are some sites in Europe, but none of them do what we are planning to do so we are unique. There is nowhere in the UK where people can do high speed testing of trains on a looped track, and that sounds insignificant but actually being able to just drive continuously round without having to reverse the train every time you do a test is a huge time saving.”

While the project would bring a huge amount of money into the area, its future is not secure, despite the land being “shovel-ready”.

GCRE, which is owned by but operates at arm’s length from the Welsh Government, has secured funding of £50m from the Cardiff Bay administration and £20m from the UK Government, originally signed off by the former Conservative Westminster administration. This leaves it needing to raise around £330m, Wales Online reported earlier this year.

Mr Jones said: “2025 will be the moment when all of our hard work at GCRE over the last seven years comes to a decision point. From the start, the model for GCRE has been to use the public funding set aside for us – £50m from the Welsh Government and a £20m grant from the UK Government -to prepare the development to a point where the £400m project could be taken to market. That process began in April 2023, when GCRE undertook a public procurement exercise to secure the private finance we needed.”

GCRE has been contacted for comment.

A SHOPPER has been praised for sharing their haul after nabbing laundry essentials for a quarter of the normal price in Asda.

The thrifty person took to Facebook to post about their epic find, after a trip to their local supermarket.

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In a post on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group on the social media site, they shared a snap of the purchases and reveal the discount they got at the till.

“I just picked these up in Asda,” they wrote.

They then revealed they’d paid £1 each for the boxes of Fairy laundry pods – usually £4.50 a pop, and big bottles of Lenor for just 70p.

Also in their spree was two bottles of the ASDA Pure Cotton Sensitive Fabric Softener, which they got for 68p each rather than £2.48.

And other jealous shoppers took to the comments section to weigh in on the person’s find, with one writing: “Wowsas, brilliant find!”

“Bloody hell, never that cheap near me!” another sighed.

“I wish this would happen to me lol, never EVER does!” a third insisted.

“I really wanna get to my Asda but then I don’t ever get good bargains.” someone else moaned.

“Some people are lucky!” another pointed out.

“Well done!” someone else said.

“I got some a week or so ago, but not that cheap. Shared them with family as I bought a lot.”

“Bargain, there at the right time!” another raved.

However, others accused the bargain hunter of “telling porkies”.

“I went Asda last night and they were normally priced at our Asda,” one wrote.

To which another added: “She’s telling the truth.

“I got some today in Asda for £1, I bought all and made the worker get the rest from the top shelf… it was the Bold ones though.”

“It is in our store as well, it’s all deleted lines,” someone else said.

“They went down last week at my store,” another added.

“The colleagues had most of them so might be the same in other stores.

“Doesn’t get a chance to go out on the shop floor!”

On May 12, two days after the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally addressed the nation. He stated that the Indian army had only “paused” military action and Operation Sindoor, launched in the aftermath of the April 22 massacre in Pahalgam to target “terrorist hideouts”, had not ended.

“Now, Operation Sindoor is India’s policy against terrorism. Operation Sindoor has carved out a new benchmark in our fight against terrorism and has set up a new parameter and new normal,” he said.

Modi’s speech was clearly not meant to reassure the Indian people that the government can guarantee their safety or security and is seeking peace and stability. Instead, it was meant to warn that the country is now in a permanent warlike situation.

This new state of affairs has been called not to secure the national interest but to satisfy Modi’s nationalist support base, which was bewildered and disappointed with the announcement of the ceasefire by United States President Donald Trump. The detrimental impact that this new militarised normal will have on Indian democracy is clearly a price worth paying, according to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The truth is, the political establishment unwittingly put itself in a difficult position when it decided to capitalise politically on the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack in India-administered Kashmir and whip up war fervour.

While victims of the attack like Himanshi Narwal, who survived but lost her husband, navy officer Vinay Narwal, called for peace and warned against the targeting of Muslims and Kashmiris, the BJP called for revenge and embraced anti-Muslim rhetoric.

As a ruling party, it did not feel the need to take responsibility for failing to prevent the attack or explain the carelessness in securing tourist destinations. It immediately converted this act of killing into an act of war against India.

Actions followed the hate rhetoric swiftly. Muslims and Kashmiris were attacked in several parts of India, and arrests were made of those criticising the Indian government. In Kashmir, nine houses were blasted immediately as punishment of those who had any link with “terrorists”, and thousands were detained or arrested. People with Pakistani passports were deported, and families were broken.

Then, Operation Sindoor was announced. The Indian army’s targeting of Pakistani sites was accompanied by frenzied calls from the mainstream media for the complete obliteration of Pakistan. Major TV platforms – entirely falsely – declared the Karachi port had been destroyed and the Indian army had breached the border.

The war cries and fake news emerging from the TV studios and the frantic messaging from the IT cells of the BJP led its supporters to believe that a decisive battle against Pakistan had been launched and its fall was imminent.

In parallel, critical voices were swiftly silenced. The Indian government requested the blocking of 8,000 accounts from the social media platform X, including those of BBC Urdu, Outlook India, Maktoob Media, veteran journalist Anuradha Bhasin and political content creator Arpit Sharma.

Just when war fever had gripped the BJP’s support base, the sudden announcement of a ceasefire by the US caught them by surprise. The truce was seen as a retreat and an admission of weakness.

Some of the BJP’s online supporters turned on the foreign secretary, Vikram Misri, who had declared the ceasefire as the representative of the government of India. He was viciously attacked, and his timeline was flooded with abusive and violent messages, calling him a traitor and coward. His daughter also faced abuse.

The trolling was so severe that Misri had to lock his social media accounts. Interestingly, but unsurprisingly, we did not hear about the blocking of any social media accounts trolling him or any action by the police against them. There was no action to protect Narwal either after she faced abuse and humiliation by the same crowd for daring to call for peace.

Meanwhile, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, which focuses on rights violations in marginalised communities, has released a report saying 184 hate crimes against Muslims – including murder, assault, vandalism, hate speech, threats, intimidation and harassment – have been reported from different parts of India since April 22.

On Saturday, Misri claimed that India was a democracy that allowed criticism of the government. But the experience of critics raising questions about the objective and efficacy of Operation Sindoor has been bitter.

Criticism of government requires parliamentary deliberation. But the government has been ignoring calls by opposition parties to convene the parliament, which means stalling democratic dialogue.

Now that the prime minister has announced the operation has not ended, total loyalty from the Indian people will be demanded. Opposition parties would feel compelled to suspend all questions to the government. Muslims would feel a burden to prove their allegiance to the nation. The government will happily blame a dire economic situation that is of its doing on the war. There will be freedom of speech, but only for those who speak in favour of the BJP.

Democracy in India thus remains in suspended animation as the country now faces a permanent enemy and a permanent war.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.