September 24, 2026

India

NEW DELHI: Only two women have been decorated till date with Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, and one of them received it posthumously for the CRPF. Not only this, Kamlesh Kumari, the CRPF constable who was the first to sound an alert when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide squad stormed into Parliament premises in a white Ambassador on December 13, 2001, prompting the security personnel to engage and neutralise the terrorists before they could enter Parliament House, also happens to be the only CRPF personnel in the hallowed list of Ashoka Chakra awardees.On September 25, the CRPF will celebrate 40 years of selfless duty and gallant actions by women brave hearts like Kamlesh Kumari. During the commemoration event, CRPF DG GP Singh will, alongside the President of CRPF Family Welfare Association (CWA), felicitate veteran and serving women personnel for “their extraordinary contributions and sacrifice”.It was in 1986 that CRPF raised its first-ever woman combatant battalion; in 2022, two personnel from the same battalion were elevated to Inspector-General (IG) level posts, with Annie Abraham appointed as IG, Rapid Action Force, and Seema Dhundia as IG in charge of Bihar sector.As of today, women personnel hold charge of multiple CRPF sectors, including critical ones like Jammu. IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar recently became the first woman to lead the CRPF’s jungle warfare commando unit, CoBRA. As part of a conscious push by CRPF to place its woman officers in the lead and combatant roles, women personnel are currently heading sectors like Jammu, CoBRA, RAF, North East, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as IG.In the past 40 years, women’s footprint in CRPF has expanded significantly, with six exclusive mahila battalions fully deployed across critical security grids and 64 women teams, comprising 24 personnel each, embedded in RAF for specialised crowd control and anti-riot duties. Integrated women components are also serving in frontline roles, including the dedicated Bastariya battalion raised to tackle Left-wing extremism.CRPF women personnel’s 40 years of selfless service and bravery have received due recognition. Constable Kamlesh Kumari was awarded the Ashok Chakra in 2002, constable Vimla Devi was honoured with Sena Medal and Lance Naik Rajwanti Devi received the Army Chief’s commendation for playing a critical operations role at the Elephant Pass check post in Sri Lanka in 1988. Constable Bindu Kumre has also received a gallantry medal for displaying exemplary bravery during the Srinagar airport terrorist attack in 2001.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesCRPF on Tuesday described the induction of women personnel in the force 40 years ago as “a pioneering step (that) broke deep-rooted barriers, redefining women’s empowerment, operational inclusivity and equal opportunity within the nation’s security framework”.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South Meet123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

NEW DELHI: Only two women have been decorated till date with Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, and one of them received it posthumously for the CRPF. Not only this, Kamlesh Kumari, the CRPF constable who was the first to sound an alert when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide squad stormed into Parliament premises in a white Ambassador on December 13, 2001, prompting the security personnel to engage and neutralise the terrorists before they could enter Parliament House, also happens to be the only CRPF personnel in the hallowed list of Ashoka Chakra awardees.On September 25, the CRPF will celebrate 40 years of selfless duty and gallant actions by women brave hearts like Kamlesh Kumari. During the commemoration event, CRPF DG GP Singh will, alongside the President of CRPF Family Welfare Association (CWA), felicitate veteran and serving women personnel for “their extraordinary contributions and sacrifice”.It was in 1986 that CRPF raised its first-ever woman combatant battalion; in 2022, two personnel from the same battalion were elevated to Inspector-General (IG) level posts, with Annie Abraham appointed as IG, Rapid Action Force, and Seema Dhundia as IG in charge of Bihar sector.As of today, women personnel hold charge of multiple CRPF sectors, including critical ones like Jammu. IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar recently became the first woman to lead the CRPF’s jungle warfare commando unit, CoBRA. As part of a conscious push by CRPF to place its woman officers in the lead and combatant roles, women personnel are currently heading sectors like Jammu, CoBRA, RAF, North East, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as IG.In the past 40 years, women’s footprint in CRPF has expanded significantly, with six exclusive mahila battalions fully deployed across critical security grids and 64 women teams, comprising 24 personnel each, embedded in RAF for specialised crowd control and anti-riot duties. Integrated women components are also serving in frontline roles, including the dedicated Bastariya battalion raised to tackle Left-wing extremism.CRPF women personnel’s 40 years of selfless service and bravery have received due recognition. Constable Kamlesh Kumari was awarded the Ashok Chakra in 2002, constable Vimla Devi was honoured with Sena Medal and Lance Naik Rajwanti Devi received the Army Chief’s commendation for playing a critical operations role at the Elephant Pass check post in Sri Lanka in 1988. Constable Bindu Kumre has also received a gallantry medal for displaying exemplary bravery during the Srinagar airport terrorist attack in 2001.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesCRPF on Tuesday described the induction of women personnel in the force 40 years ago as “a pioneering step (that) broke deep-rooted barriers, redefining women’s empowerment, operational inclusivity and equal opportunity within the nation’s security framework”.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South Meet123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna03 mins mins

NEW DELHI: Only two women have been decorated till date with Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, and one of them received it posthumously for the CRPF. Not only this, Kamlesh Kumari, the CRPF constable who was the first to sound an alert when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide squad stormed into Parliament premises in a…

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Omar Abdullah SRINAGAR: J&K CM Omar Abdullah said Wednesday his elected govt had no role in deciding which books are banned or withdrawn from libraries, distancing his administration from the removal of 4,249 books after a screening of more than 21 lakh volumes across the Union territory over the past two months.“I have my own views on whether books should be banned or not. But unfortunately, in the current system we in the elected govt don’t get to decide these things,” Omar said. “Then we will take a fresh look at what’s happening,” he said, referring to a future change in the administrative set-up.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHome department, which handles law and order and security in the Union territory, reports directly to lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha. Omar did not clarify whether the book-removal order came from home department or education department under elected govt.A year ago, home department banned 25 books on Kashmir for allegedly promoting “a false narrative”, “secessionism” and “anti-national” views. The total number of banned and withdrawn books swelled to 518 since then.Omar’s remarks came after Hurriyat Conference chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq questioned who decided that thousands of books, including almost 4,000 from the Kashmir region, were objectionable and demanded that their titles and reasons for removal be made public. Writing on X, he asked: “By withdrawing these books whose agenda is the elected govt implementing, its own or someone else’s?”Farooq held Omar govt responsible because education department and universities separately ordered in July screening of all new and old books in offices, classrooms, staff rooms and libraries for “objectionable content” after home department withdrew two volumes it called “highly inappropriate”. More than 21 lakh books were screened and over 4,000 titles removed from libraries since the orders were issued, education minister Sakina Itoo told the assembly Tuesday.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCEC, ECs And The Power To Decide: What Happens When Election Commissioners Disagree?ECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Omar Abdullah SRINAGAR: J&K CM Omar Abdullah said Wednesday his elected govt had no role in deciding which books are banned or withdrawn from libraries, distancing his administration from the removal of 4,249 books after a screening of more than 21 lakh volumes across the Union territory over the past two months.“I have my own views on whether books should be banned or not. But unfortunately, in the current system we in the elected govt don’t get to decide these things,” Omar said. “Then we will take a fresh look at what’s happening,” he said, referring to a future change in the administrative set-up.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHome department, which handles law and order and security in the Union territory, reports directly to lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha. Omar did not clarify whether the book-removal order came from home department or education department under elected govt.A year ago, home department banned 25 books on Kashmir for allegedly promoting “a false narrative”, “secessionism” and “anti-national” views. The total number of banned and withdrawn books swelled to 518 since then.Omar’s remarks came after Hurriyat Conference chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq questioned who decided that thousands of books, including almost 4,000 from the Kashmir region, were objectionable and demanded that their titles and reasons for removal be made public. Writing on X, he asked: “By withdrawing these books whose agenda is the elected govt implementing, its own or someone else’s?”Farooq held Omar govt responsible because education department and universities separately ordered in July screening of all new and old books in offices, classrooms, staff rooms and libraries for “objectionable content” after home department withdrew two volumes it called “highly inappropriate”. More than 21 lakh books were screened and over 4,000 titles removed from libraries since the orders were issued, education minister Sakina Itoo told the assembly Tuesday.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCEC, ECs And The Power To Decide: What Happens When Election Commissioners Disagree?ECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins

SRINAGAR: J&K CM Omar Abdullah said Wednesday his elected govt had no role in deciding which books are banned or withdrawn from libraries, distancing his administration from the removal of 4,249 books after a screening of more than 21 lakh volumes across the Union territory over the past two months.“I have my own views on…

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Ladakh LG VK Saxena Srinagar: Ladakh LG VK Saxena approved Wednesday withdrawal of cases against 20 of the 81 people who faced criminal charges for “rioting and arson” after violent statehood protests in Leh last Sept 24 that left four people dead in police firing and wounded nearly 90.“The cases have been withdrawn under section 360 of BNSS on the recommendation of Ladakh police following a comprehensive review of the status of investigations into the cases,” a govt spokesperson said.Of 87 accused identified in rioting cases, 81 were arrested and criminal proceedings initiated against them. Following the review, police recommended withdrawal of charges against 20, the spokesperson said. LG’s office did not comment on the status of the remaining 61 accused.LG’s office called the move significant for peace, public tranquillity and social harmony in Ladakh. On Sept 13, Saxena sanctioned Rs 15 lakh compensation to the next of kin of each of the four dead. He also approved ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh for those with major wounds and Rs 1 lakh for minor injuries.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesOn Sept 24 last year, police opened fire after protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh turned violent. Authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions, suspended mobile internet and arrested 81 people.Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance later refused talks with Union govt until a judicial inquiry commission was announced. On Oct 17, 2025, Union home ministry announced a judicial probe, with the commission begging work on Oct 27. It is yet to submit its report.After the probe was announced, Centre held talks with LAB and KDA representatives. Ladakh groups said Centre had assured withdrawal of cases against those arrested in Sept 2025 and compensation for victims and those wounded.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South Meet123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Ladakh LG VK Saxena Srinagar: Ladakh LG VK Saxena approved Wednesday withdrawal of cases against 20 of the 81 people who faced criminal charges for “rioting and arson” after violent statehood protests in Leh last Sept 24 that left four people dead in police firing and wounded nearly 90.“The cases have been withdrawn under section 360 of BNSS on the recommendation of Ladakh police following a comprehensive review of the status of investigations into the cases,” a govt spokesperson said.Of 87 accused identified in rioting cases, 81 were arrested and criminal proceedings initiated against them. Following the review, police recommended withdrawal of charges against 20, the spokesperson said. LG’s office did not comment on the status of the remaining 61 accused.LG’s office called the move significant for peace, public tranquillity and social harmony in Ladakh. On Sept 13, Saxena sanctioned Rs 15 lakh compensation to the next of kin of each of the four dead. He also approved ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh for those with major wounds and Rs 1 lakh for minor injuries.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesOn Sept 24 last year, police opened fire after protests demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh turned violent. Authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions, suspended mobile internet and arrested 81 people.Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance later refused talks with Union govt until a judicial inquiry commission was announced. On Oct 17, 2025, Union home ministry announced a judicial probe, with the commission begging work on Oct 27. It is yet to submit its report.After the probe was announced, Centre held talks with LAB and KDA representatives. Ladakh groups said Centre had assured withdrawal of cases against those arrested in Sept 2025 and compensation for victims and those wounded.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South Meet123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins

Srinagar: Ladakh LG VK Saxena approved Wednesday withdrawal of cases against 20 of the 81 people who faced criminal charges for “rioting and arson” after violent statehood protests in Leh last Sept 24 that left four people dead in police firing and wounded nearly 90.“The cases have been withdrawn under section 360 of BNSS on…

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Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj AMRITSAR: The officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht and Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, wrote a letter to Pakistan’s Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, asking for the protection and preservation of Sikh historical heritage sites in Lahore’s Walled City, particularly Lal Khooh, Kattari Chandu, associated with the martyrdom of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji.In his letter, addressed to the Punjab Chief Minister, copied to Provincial Minister and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Ramesh Singh Arora, the Jathedar asked that the Pakistan Punjab Government to immediately conduct an inquiry into the present status of Lal Khooh, Kattari Chandu in Lahore.“If any construction or alteration work is underway at the site, stop it immediately until the inquiry is completed”, writes Giani Gargajj.He also asked to get the historical and heritage significance of the site examined by experts from the Walled City of Lahore Authority, Archaeology Department and other concerned departments and suggested to include Sikh history experts and representatives of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in the inquiry process.If the historical significance of the site is established, initiate necessary action to have it legally protected as a heritage site. He suggested to conduct a comprehensive heritage survey of all major sites associated with Sikh history in Lahore’s Walled City, documenting their present condition, historical significance, ownership and legal status.In the letter, he wrote that the issue concerning Lal Khooh, Kattari Chandu, in Lahore’s Walled City had been brought to the attention of Sri Akal Takht Sahib by the Sikh sangat. He said there are concerns regarding construction-related activity around the site, which was a matter of serious concern for Sikhs.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHowever, rather than relying on assumptions, he called for an official fact-finding inquiry into the matter.At the same time, he clarified that the purpose of the communication was not to level allegations against any government, institution or individual, but to draw attention to Lahore’s shared historical heritage and the important chapters of Sikh history associated with the city.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorYudhvir RanaHe has been working with The Times of India since 2000, reporting on a wide range of subjects including Sikh religious and political affairs, general political and analytical stories, terrorism, issues related to the environment and climate, cross-border affairs, Indo Pak border events , NRI issues, spot events, etc. from Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, and even Chamba and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh. Over the years, he has been delivering in-depth stories with regional insight.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South Meet123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj AMRITSAR: The officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht and Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, wrote a letter to Pakistan’s Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, asking for the protection and preservation of Sikh historical heritage sites in Lahore’s Walled City, particularly Lal Khooh, Kattari Chandu, associated with the martyrdom of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji.In his letter, addressed to the Punjab Chief Minister, copied to Provincial Minister and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Ramesh Singh Arora, the Jathedar asked that the Pakistan Punjab Government to immediately conduct an inquiry into the present status of Lal Khooh, Kattari Chandu in Lahore.“If any construction or alteration work is underway at the site, stop it immediately until the inquiry is completed”, writes Giani Gargajj.He also asked to get the historical and heritage significance of the site examined by experts from the Walled City of Lahore Authority, Archaeology Department and other concerned departments and suggested to include Sikh history experts and representatives of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in the inquiry process.If the historical significance of the site is established, initiate necessary action to have it legally protected as a heritage site. He suggested to conduct a comprehensive heritage survey of all major sites associated with Sikh history in Lahore’s Walled City, documenting their present condition, historical significance, ownership and legal status.In the letter, he wrote that the issue concerning Lal Khooh, Kattari Chandu, in Lahore’s Walled City had been brought to the attention of Sri Akal Takht Sahib by the Sikh sangat. He said there are concerns regarding construction-related activity around the site, which was a matter of serious concern for Sikhs.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHowever, rather than relying on assumptions, he called for an official fact-finding inquiry into the matter.At the same time, he clarified that the purpose of the communication was not to level allegations against any government, institution or individual, but to draw attention to Lahore’s shared historical heritage and the important chapters of Sikh history associated with the city.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorYudhvir RanaHe has been working with The Times of India since 2000, reporting on a wide range of subjects including Sikh religious and political affairs, general political and analytical stories, terrorism, issues related to the environment and climate, cross-border affairs, Indo Pak border events , NRI issues, spot events, etc. from Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, and even Chamba and Kangra districts of Himachal Pradesh. Over the years, he has been delivering in-depth stories with regional insight.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South Meet123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins

Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj AMRITSAR: The officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht and Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, wrote a letter to Pakistan’s Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, asking for the protection and preservation of Sikh historical heritage sites in Lahore’s Walled City, particularly Lal Khooh, Kattari Chandu, associated with…

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NEW DELHI: In a move that will help govt job aspirants to centrally manage their applications and schedule for recruitment examinations conducted by different agencies like UPSC, Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Board etc and even state govt recruitment boards etc, the department of personnel and training (DoPT) is planning a unified portal that shall put out all exam notifications and an integrated calendar that avoids any date clashes. It will allow candidates to apply for various exams with a one-time registration on the portal.Sources in the ministry of personnel, where discussions on the proposed portal are at an advanced stage, said various central govt recruitment agencies like UPSC, SSC, RRB, Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) and National Recruitment Agency (NRA) and various state govts have been approached to come on board. “Modalities of the proposed unified portal are still being worked out; it may take final shape in a month or so,” a senior DoPT official told TOI.Sources said that candidates will need to do a one-time registration, sharing their personal details including mobile number, email, aadhaar ID etc and upload their photo and signature only once. The OTR information like personal details, photo and signature will be displayed automatically while applying to any govt job notified on the portal. These details shall be authenticated by issuing agencies like UIDAI.With most aspirants applying to multiple govt jobs advertised by different recruitment agencies, the portal will put out an integrated, clash-free calendar of such examinations after coordinating the dates with the recruitment agencies. The aspirants can track any delays or postponements of the exams through notification updates on the unified portal.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe coordinated govt exam calendar follows disruptions in several recruitment examinations earlier this year, which included deferment of the Civil Services examination notification on February 4, citing administrative reasons.The Departmental Competitive Examination for postal and sorting assistants was also put off by one week to June 28 after it clashed with revised NEET-UG dates. SSC too had cancelled or rescheduled tests at some venues following technical failures.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South Meet123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

NEW DELHI: In a move that will help govt job aspirants to centrally manage their applications and schedule for recruitment examinations conducted by different agencies like UPSC, Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Board etc and even state govt recruitment boards etc, the department of personnel and training (DoPT) is planning a unified portal that shall put out all exam notifications and an integrated calendar that avoids any date clashes. It will allow candidates to apply for various exams with a one-time registration on the portal.Sources in the ministry of personnel, where discussions on the proposed portal are at an advanced stage, said various central govt recruitment agencies like UPSC, SSC, RRB, Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) and National Recruitment Agency (NRA) and various state govts have been approached to come on board. “Modalities of the proposed unified portal are still being worked out; it may take final shape in a month or so,” a senior DoPT official told TOI.Sources said that candidates will need to do a one-time registration, sharing their personal details including mobile number, email, aadhaar ID etc and upload their photo and signature only once. The OTR information like personal details, photo and signature will be displayed automatically while applying to any govt job notified on the portal. These details shall be authenticated by issuing agencies like UIDAI.With most aspirants applying to multiple govt jobs advertised by different recruitment agencies, the portal will put out an integrated, clash-free calendar of such examinations after coordinating the dates with the recruitment agencies. The aspirants can track any delays or postponements of the exams through notification updates on the unified portal.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe coordinated govt exam calendar follows disruptions in several recruitment examinations earlier this year, which included deferment of the Civil Services examination notification on February 4, citing administrative reasons.The Departmental Competitive Examination for postal and sorting assistants was also put off by one week to June 28 after it clashed with revised NEET-UG dates. SSC too had cancelled or rescheduled tests at some venues following technical failures.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South Meet123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins

NEW DELHI: In a move that will help govt job aspirants to centrally manage their applications and schedule for recruitment examinations conducted by different agencies like UPSC, Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Board etc and even state govt recruitment boards etc, the department of personnel and training (DoPT) is planning a unified portal that shall…

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NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked all ministers to ensure that the benefits of all govt schemes and programmes reach every eligible person and to work for society’s overall development.At the Chintan Shivir meeting, Modi interacted with eight groups consisting of eight ministers each, which deliberated on different issues, including improving self-efficiency, delivery, effective communication and trust-based governance. TOI has learnt that the PM interacted with each group separately and the brainstorming session went on for nearly five hours at Seva Teerth.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe ministers will resume the exercise on Thursday. “PM went to each table to take part in the discussion and made suggestions as well. It was an altogether different experience. More such sessions will be held in the future. All discussions were centred on overall development, with a focus on women and youth,” said a source.The two-day brainstorming session is aimed at stocktaking, improving coordination, preparing govt’s future agenda, future planning and reviewing work underway on welfare schemes, among other issues. A similar exercise is expected to be held next week as well.A similar exercise was also conducted on Oct 21, 2021. At that time, the deliberations focused on governance and policy making. The exercise is aimed at helping ministers better understand the issues being faced by government.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South Meet123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked all ministers to ensure that the benefits of all govt schemes and programmes reach every eligible person and to work for society’s overall development.At the Chintan Shivir meeting, Modi interacted with eight groups consisting of eight ministers each, which deliberated on different issues, including improving self-efficiency, delivery, effective communication and trust-based governance. TOI has learnt that the PM interacted with each group separately and the brainstorming session went on for nearly five hours at Seva Teerth.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe ministers will resume the exercise on Thursday. “PM went to each table to take part in the discussion and made suggestions as well. It was an altogether different experience. More such sessions will be held in the future. All discussions were centred on overall development, with a focus on women and youth,” said a source.The two-day brainstorming session is aimed at stocktaking, improving coordination, preparing govt’s future agenda, future planning and reviewing work underway on welfare schemes, among other issues. A similar exercise is expected to be held next week as well.A similar exercise was also conducted on Oct 21, 2021. At that time, the deliberations focused on governance and policy making. The exercise is aimed at helping ministers better understand the issues being faced by government.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosECI’s ERONET Controversy: Voter Database Row, Software Errors & 17.6 Million Notices Raise QuestionsJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South Meet123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked all ministers to ensure that the benefits of all govt schemes and programmes reach every eligible person and to work for society’s overall development.At the Chintan Shivir meeting, Modi interacted with eight groups consisting of eight ministers each, which deliberated on different issues, including improving self-efficiency, delivery,…

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People visit the Badrinath Temple amid the ongoing ‘Char Dham Yatra’, in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. (PTI Photo) More than 17.79 lakh pilgrims have visited Badrinath Dham so far this year, surpassing the shrine’s previous annual footfall record.A total of 1,779,805 devotees had visited the shrine as of September 22, 153 days after the Badrinath Yatra began on April 23. The shrine’s portals are expected to remain open for another one-and-a-half to nearly two months before closing for the winter.The latest footfall has exceeded the previous record of 1,780,429 visitors recorded in 2023 when comparing the current figure with the year-to-date data provided by the government. The 2025 figure stood at 1,778,298.Footfall rises after pandemic disruptionAccording to the Tourism Department data, 695,332 pilgrims visited Badrinath in 2000, the year Uttarakhand was established.The number rose to 768,107 in 2007 and crossed the one-million mark in 2008 and 2010.The 2014 disaster led to a sharp decline in pilgrimage numbers, with footfall falling to 159,575.Visitor numbers subsequently recovered, with 1,048,051 pilgrims visiting Badrinath in 2018 and 1,244,993 in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic again resulted in a steep decline, with 155,055 visitors recorded in 2020 and 199,409 in 2021.Footfall increased significantly from 2022 onwards. The shrine recorded 1,763,578 visitors in 2022, followed by 1,780,429 in 2023, 1,774,264 in 2024 and 1,778,298 in 2025.On September 22, 6,685 devotees visited Badrinath, according to the data released by the state government.Government focuses on pilgrim facilitiesThe government said arrangements for pilgrims had been strengthened in view of the increased footfall during the second phase of the Char Dham Yatra, including health and safety measures and facilities at the shrines and along the pilgrimage route.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe government also said work was underway to improve facilities at Badrinath Dham.“Keeping in view the increasing number of pilgrims during the second phase of the Char Dham Yatra, special focus has been placed on strengthening pilgrim facilities at the dhams and en-route halts. Health and safety arrangements have also been strengthened. Under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, work is being carried out at a rapid pace to give Shri Badrinath Dham a grand, divine and well-organised form in keeping with its religious and mythological significance. This will provide better facilities and a more comfortable experience to devotees”, said Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

People visit the Badrinath Temple amid the ongoing ‘Char Dham Yatra’, in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. (PTI Photo) More than 17.79 lakh pilgrims have visited Badrinath Dham so far this year, surpassing the shrine’s previous annual footfall record.A total of 1,779,805 devotees had visited the shrine as of September 22, 153 days after the Badrinath Yatra began on April 23. The shrine’s portals are expected to remain open for another one-and-a-half to nearly two months before closing for the winter.The latest footfall has exceeded the previous record of 1,780,429 visitors recorded in 2023 when comparing the current figure with the year-to-date data provided by the government. The 2025 figure stood at 1,778,298.Footfall rises after pandemic disruptionAccording to the Tourism Department data, 695,332 pilgrims visited Badrinath in 2000, the year Uttarakhand was established.The number rose to 768,107 in 2007 and crossed the one-million mark in 2008 and 2010.The 2014 disaster led to a sharp decline in pilgrimage numbers, with footfall falling to 159,575.Visitor numbers subsequently recovered, with 1,048,051 pilgrims visiting Badrinath in 2018 and 1,244,993 in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic again resulted in a steep decline, with 155,055 visitors recorded in 2020 and 199,409 in 2021.Footfall increased significantly from 2022 onwards. The shrine recorded 1,763,578 visitors in 2022, followed by 1,780,429 in 2023, 1,774,264 in 2024 and 1,778,298 in 2025.On September 22, 6,685 devotees visited Badrinath, according to the data released by the state government.Government focuses on pilgrim facilitiesThe government said arrangements for pilgrims had been strengthened in view of the increased footfall during the second phase of the Char Dham Yatra, including health and safety measures and facilities at the shrines and along the pilgrimage route.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe government also said work was underway to improve facilities at Badrinath Dham.“Keeping in view the increasing number of pilgrims during the second phase of the Char Dham Yatra, special focus has been placed on strengthening pilgrim facilities at the dhams and en-route halts. Health and safety arrangements have also been strengthened. Under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, work is being carried out at a rapid pace to give Shri Badrinath Dham a grand, divine and well-organised form in keeping with its religious and mythological significance. This will provide better facilities and a more comfortable experience to devotees”, said Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins

People visit the Badrinath Temple amid the ongoing ‘Char Dham Yatra’, in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. (PTI Photo) More than 17.79 lakh pilgrims have visited Badrinath Dham so far this year, surpassing the shrine’s previous annual footfall record.A total of 1,779,805 devotees had visited the shrine as of September 22, 153 days after the Badrinath Yatra…

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(Representative image): The MEA said its embassy in Oman was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities for the early repatriation of the rescued Indian seafarers. An Indian seafarer, identified as Wiper Suraj Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, was killed after a missile attack on the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier MV Cape Dao off the east coast of Oman, while all 19 other Indian crew members were safely evacuated, the government said on Wednesday.Yadav succumbed to head injuries sustained in the attack, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said. The vessel had 20 Indian seafarers on board, with the surviving crew evacuated by the Royal Navy of Oman and brought ashore.Sonowal said directions had been issued to maritime authorities to coordinate with Omani authorities and the ship management company for the immediate and safe repatriation of the surviving Indian crew.“The government will ensure that the mortal remains of Suraj Yadav are brought home with full dignity, and every possible support is extended to his next of kin,” Sonowal said.India condemns attackThe ministry of external affairs condemned the attack and said continuing incidents targeting commercial shipping in the region were “deeply worrisome”.“Of the 20 Indian seafarers on board, 19 have been rescued, while 1 Indian national tragically lost his life. We offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,” the MEA said.The ministry said its embassy in Oman was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities for the early repatriation of the Indian seafarers. It also thanked the Omani authorities for their support.“We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel MV Cape Dao earlier today off the east coast of Oman,” the MEA said.It called for an end to attacks targeting commercial shipping, seafarers and civilian infrastructure in the region. India also reiterated its call for free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through international waterways.“The continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply worrisome. We reiterate our call for dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate tensions and enable early return of peace to the region,” the MEA said.Embassy coordinating with OmanThe Indian embassy in Oman said it was in close coordination with Omani authorities over the safety of the crew and was monitoring the situation.“We are closely monitoring the attack on MV Cape Dao today while transiting toward India, and are in close coordination with Omani authorities regarding the safety of all crew on board, including 19 Indian nationals,” the embassy said in a post on X.The mission also expressed condolences to the family of the Indian seafarer who was killed.“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one Indian national in this attack. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The Mission is coordinating with the RPSL and is in touch with the family of the deceased,” it added.The MEA said the embassy was proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities for the early repatriation of the Indian seafarers. Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesGovernment orders repatriationSonowal said maritime authorities had been directed to work closely with Omani authorities and the ship management company to ensure the surviving crew members return home safely.He also offered condolences to Yadav’s family and said the government would provide all possible support to his next of kin.India has consistently called for safe and free navigation in international waters and the unhindered flow of commerce through international waterways.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorVijaya SrivastavaVijaya Srivastava is a journalist and feature writer whose expertise lies in covering human-centred developments. Her stories explore how policy, technology, economic shifts and social change influence people’s everyday lives. Her work also focuses on bringing depth, context and a human perspective to complex issues. Her reports primarily cover society, healthcare, safety, public policy and emerging trends, alongside other political developments.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

(Representative image): The MEA said its embassy in Oman was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities for the early repatriation of the rescued Indian seafarers. An Indian seafarer, identified as Wiper Suraj Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, was killed after a missile attack on the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier MV Cape Dao off the east coast of Oman, while all 19 other Indian crew members were safely evacuated, the government said on Wednesday.Yadav succumbed to head injuries sustained in the attack, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said. The vessel had 20 Indian seafarers on board, with the surviving crew evacuated by the Royal Navy of Oman and brought ashore.Sonowal said directions had been issued to maritime authorities to coordinate with Omani authorities and the ship management company for the immediate and safe repatriation of the surviving Indian crew.“The government will ensure that the mortal remains of Suraj Yadav are brought home with full dignity, and every possible support is extended to his next of kin,” Sonowal said.India condemns attackThe ministry of external affairs condemned the attack and said continuing incidents targeting commercial shipping in the region were “deeply worrisome”.“Of the 20 Indian seafarers on board, 19 have been rescued, while 1 Indian national tragically lost his life. We offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,” the MEA said.The ministry said its embassy in Oman was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities for the early repatriation of the Indian seafarers. It also thanked the Omani authorities for their support.“We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel MV Cape Dao earlier today off the east coast of Oman,” the MEA said.It called for an end to attacks targeting commercial shipping, seafarers and civilian infrastructure in the region. India also reiterated its call for free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through international waterways.“The continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply worrisome. We reiterate our call for dialogue and diplomacy to de-escalate tensions and enable early return of peace to the region,” the MEA said.Embassy coordinating with OmanThe Indian embassy in Oman said it was in close coordination with Omani authorities over the safety of the crew and was monitoring the situation.“We are closely monitoring the attack on MV Cape Dao today while transiting toward India, and are in close coordination with Omani authorities regarding the safety of all crew on board, including 19 Indian nationals,” the embassy said in a post on X.The mission also expressed condolences to the family of the Indian seafarer who was killed.“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one Indian national in this attack. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The Mission is coordinating with the RPSL and is in touch with the family of the deceased,” it added.The MEA said the embassy was proactively coordinating with the Omani authorities for the early repatriation of the Indian seafarers. Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesGovernment orders repatriationSonowal said maritime authorities had been directed to work closely with Omani authorities and the ship management company to ensure the surviving crew members return home safely.He also offered condolences to Yadav’s family and said the government would provide all possible support to his next of kin.India has consistently called for safe and free navigation in international waters and the unhindered flow of commerce through international waterways.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorVijaya SrivastavaVijaya Srivastava is a journalist and feature writer whose expertise lies in covering human-centred developments. Her stories explore how policy, technology, economic shifts and social change influence people’s everyday lives. Her work also focuses on bringing depth, context and a human perspective to complex issues. Her reports primarily cover society, healthcare, safety, public policy and emerging trends, alongside other political developments.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna03 mins mins

(Representative image): The MEA said its embassy in Oman was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Omani authorities for the early repatriation of the rescued Indian seafarers. An Indian seafarer, identified as Wiper Suraj Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, was killed after a missile attack on the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier MV Cape Dao…

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File photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Picture credit: PTI) India has emerged as one of the countries whose proposals are being considered for restoring safe commercial shipping in the Black Sea, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Egypt, India and Turkey have outlined options for a maritime truce between Russia and Ukraine.Speaking to leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to support a maritime truce based on the proposals and that Russia now needed to respond.“We are waiting for Russia’s response. Ukraine is ready … to ensure safe shipping and food security in the Black Sea if Russia is ready to take real steps towards de-escalation too. We have to start somewhere,” Zelenskyy said.The remarks came at Ukraine’s Crimean Platform summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Russia’s war in Ukraine.India has been pushing for dialogueThe reference to India’s role comes amid New Delhi’s efforts to remain engaged with both Moscow and Kyiv and encourage an end to the conflict.External affairs minister S Jaishankar said earlier this month that India had been in continuous touch with both Ukraine and Russia and was exploring ideas that could contribute to mitigating and eventually ending the war.“What we are trying to do is to see if there are ideas and suggestions which can be developed in some way in which they will contribute to the mitigation, ideally, the cessation of the conflict,” Jaishankar said during his visit to Warsaw.Jaishankar has also said India’s position is that the conflict should end through dialogue and diplomacy.During his visit to Kyiv earlier this month, he met Zelenskyy and Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, with discussions including possible approaches to ending the conflict.“If India can be of any help, in any manner, we are there,” Jaishankar said in Kyiv.Black Sea shipping remains key concernAccording to Reuters, Zelenskyy said Egypt, India and Turkey had proposed options to restore safe navigation for merchant vessels in the Black Sea, where cargo movements have been severely disrupted by attacks on ships and port infrastructure by both sides.Ukraine has been seeking ceasefires covering attacks on energy infrastructure as well as shipping in the Black Sea. Kyiv has also expressed concern that Russia could target power and heating facilities with missiles and drones during the winter.The disruption has also affected countries dependent on grain supplies from the Black Sea region. Reuters reported that wheat importers in Asia, the Middle East and Africa have faced difficulties securing supplies, while global wheat prices have risen.Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to ensure safe shipping and food security if Russia was prepared to take steps towards de-escalation.Russia yet to back proposalsUS secretary of state Marco Rubio said after meeting Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday that both Russia and Ukraine had expressed interest in a limited ceasefire involving grain and energy.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe Kremlin has not publicly backed the proposals.Ahead of the Rubio-Lavrov meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were currently no grounds for broader peace talks, while maintaining that Russia remained open to negotiations.“For now, there are no prerequisites for moving on to a peaceful negotiating track, although we, as the Russian side, remain open to peace talks,” Peskov said.Zelenskyy also said he was ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at a trilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump.The latest developments come as India continues its diplomatic engagement with both sides.Jaishankar met US secretary of state Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday and discussed the Ukraine situation, as well as India’s concerns over the US Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

File photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Picture credit: PTI) India has emerged as one of the countries whose proposals are being considered for restoring safe commercial shipping in the Black Sea, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Egypt, India and Turkey have outlined options for a maritime truce between Russia and Ukraine.Speaking to leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to support a maritime truce based on the proposals and that Russia now needed to respond.“We are waiting for Russia’s response. Ukraine is ready … to ensure safe shipping and food security in the Black Sea if Russia is ready to take real steps towards de-escalation too. We have to start somewhere,” Zelenskyy said.The remarks came at Ukraine’s Crimean Platform summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Russia’s war in Ukraine.India has been pushing for dialogueThe reference to India’s role comes amid New Delhi’s efforts to remain engaged with both Moscow and Kyiv and encourage an end to the conflict.External affairs minister S Jaishankar said earlier this month that India had been in continuous touch with both Ukraine and Russia and was exploring ideas that could contribute to mitigating and eventually ending the war.“What we are trying to do is to see if there are ideas and suggestions which can be developed in some way in which they will contribute to the mitigation, ideally, the cessation of the conflict,” Jaishankar said during his visit to Warsaw.Jaishankar has also said India’s position is that the conflict should end through dialogue and diplomacy.During his visit to Kyiv earlier this month, he met Zelenskyy and Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, with discussions including possible approaches to ending the conflict.“If India can be of any help, in any manner, we are there,” Jaishankar said in Kyiv.Black Sea shipping remains key concernAccording to Reuters, Zelenskyy said Egypt, India and Turkey had proposed options to restore safe navigation for merchant vessels in the Black Sea, where cargo movements have been severely disrupted by attacks on ships and port infrastructure by both sides.Ukraine has been seeking ceasefires covering attacks on energy infrastructure as well as shipping in the Black Sea. Kyiv has also expressed concern that Russia could target power and heating facilities with missiles and drones during the winter.The disruption has also affected countries dependent on grain supplies from the Black Sea region. Reuters reported that wheat importers in Asia, the Middle East and Africa have faced difficulties securing supplies, while global wheat prices have risen.Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to ensure safe shipping and food security if Russia was prepared to take steps towards de-escalation.Russia yet to back proposalsUS secretary of state Marco Rubio said after meeting Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday that both Russia and Ukraine had expressed interest in a limited ceasefire involving grain and energy.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe Kremlin has not publicly backed the proposals.Ahead of the Rubio-Lavrov meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were currently no grounds for broader peace talks, while maintaining that Russia remained open to negotiations.“For now, there are no prerequisites for moving on to a peaceful negotiating track, although we, as the Russian side, remain open to peace talks,” Peskov said.Zelenskyy also said he was ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at a trilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump.The latest developments come as India continues its diplomatic engagement with both sides.Jaishankar met US secretary of state Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday and discussed the Ukraine situation, as well as India’s concerns over the US Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosJaishankar Meets Rubio At UNGA, Raises India’s Concerns Over Trump’s Russia Sanctions Bill ImpactBJP Defends Election Commission Over SIR Row, Challenges Opposition To Impeach CEC In Parliament’This Is a Scandalous Story’: Opposition Attacks Gyanesh Kumar After Report Claims ECI DissentSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna04 mins mins

File photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Picture credit: PTI) India has emerged as one of the countries whose proposals are being considered for restoring safe commercial shipping in the Black Sea, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Egypt, India and Turkey have outlined options for a maritime…

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Jaishankar met Rubio in NY (Image credit: Jaishankar on X) NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar brought up Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (SRIA) in a meeting with US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Wednesday.The two officials met on the sideline of United Nations General Assembly session. “Good to meet Secretary Rubio of the US. Reiterated India’s interests and concerns with regard to SRIA. Also discussed the Gulf and Ukraine situations,” said Jaishankar in a statement on X.Rubio also confirmed the meeting on X mentioning the bilateral ties. “Great to meet with Indian External Affairs Minister in New York today. Together, we are building on the US-India strategic partnership and coordinating on key regional priorities and upcoming multilateral efforts.”The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, signed by US President Donald Trump, expands Washington’s powers to impose sanctions and tariffs on Russia and countries that continue significant purchases of Russian oil and gas. A key provision gives the president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the five largest importers of Russian petroleum or natural gas, subject to conditions in the law.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines The Act itself, however, does not automatically impose a 100% tariff on India.India is particularly exposed because it has become one of the largest buyers of Russian crude since 2022. If Washington invokes the new powers against India, higher tariffs (up to 100%) could make Indian goods more expensive in the US market, hurting exporters across sectors and adding pressure to India-US trade ties. Meanwhile, India has defended its Russian oil purchases as necessary for securing affordable and reliable energy.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorTrisha MahajanTrisha Mahajan is a journalist with The Times of India digital, with keen interest in covering business and corporate affairs. She also reports on key national and world developments and global news trends. A keen reader with a strong interest in storytelling that adds context, clarity, and depth to complex issues.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Jaishankar met Rubio in NY (Image credit: Jaishankar on X) NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar brought up Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (SRIA) in a meeting with US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Wednesday.The two officials met on the sideline of United Nations General Assembly session. “Good to meet Secretary Rubio of the US. Reiterated India’s interests and concerns with regard to SRIA. Also discussed the Gulf and Ukraine situations,” said Jaishankar in a statement on X.Rubio also confirmed the meeting on X mentioning the bilateral ties. “Great to meet with Indian External Affairs Minister in New York today. Together, we are building on the US-India strategic partnership and coordinating on key regional priorities and upcoming multilateral efforts.”The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, signed by US President Donald Trump, expands Washington’s powers to impose sanctions and tariffs on Russia and countries that continue significant purchases of Russian oil and gas. A key provision gives the president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the five largest importers of Russian petroleum or natural gas, subject to conditions in the law.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines The Act itself, however, does not automatically impose a 100% tariff on India.India is particularly exposed because it has become one of the largest buyers of Russian crude since 2022. If Washington invokes the new powers against India, higher tariffs (up to 100%) could make Indian goods more expensive in the US market, hurting exporters across sectors and adding pressure to India-US trade ties. Meanwhile, India has defended its Russian oil purchases as necessary for securing affordable and reliable energy.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorTrisha MahajanTrisha Mahajan is a journalist with The Times of India digital, with keen interest in covering business and corporate affairs. She also reports on key national and world developments and global news trends. A keen reader with a strong interest in storytelling that adds context, clarity, and depth to complex issues.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins

Jaishankar met Rubio in NY (Image credit: Jaishankar on X) NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar brought up Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (SRIA) in a meeting with US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Wednesday.The two officials met on the sideline of United Nations General Assembly session. “Good to meet Secretary Rubio of…

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Evening news wrap SC delivers split verdict on CEC-EC appointment law challenge.Opposition targets CEC Gyanesh Kumar over SIR; BJP and EC defend panel.India rejects OIC remarks on J&K, calls them “factually incorrect”.BJP announces new state incharges; Smriti Irani named for Haryana, Chhattisgarh & Tawde for UP.Trump’s Board of Peace likely to unveil .45 billion, six-month Gaza recovery plan.Here are the top news stories of the day:SC delivers split verdict on plea challenging election commissioners’ appointment lawThe Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on whether challenges to the law governing appointments of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners should be heard by a Constitution Bench. The law provides for a panel comprising the PM, a Union minister and Lok Sabha opposition leader. Read full storyEC ‘dissent’ row triggers opposition demands for CEC’s removal, fresh pollsReported objections by election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to SIR-related decisions triggered a political row on Wednesday. Opposition parties demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and arrest, an end to SIR and fresh elections in some states. Meanwhile, BJP defended the EC, saying differences reflected democratic deliberations. Read full storyIndia rejects OIC remarks on J&K, says grouping has ‘no locus standi’India rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in an OIC Contact Group communique as “unwarranted and factually incorrect”, saying the grouping had no locus standi to comment on India’s internal matters. The MEA reiterated that J&K and Ladakh are integral parts of India and criticised the OIC for backing what it called politically motivated narratives. Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesRead full storyBJP announces state incharges; Smriti Irani gets Haryana, ChhattisgarhBJP announced new state incharges and co-incharges across states and Union territories. Smriti Irani was given charge of Haryana and Chhattisgarh, while Vinod Tawde was appointed Uttar Pradesh incharge and Vinay Sahasrabuddhe was named Delhi incharge. Read full storyBoard of Peace to unveil .45 billion, six-month Gaza recovery planThe US-led Board of Peace is set to unveil a .45 billion, six-month recovery plan for Gaza, covering 66 projects for temporary housing, infrastructure, healthcare, economic revival and post-war governance. The plan includes billion for infrastructure and 5 million for security, including a multinational force, but implementation depends on cooperation from Israel and Hamas. Read full storyGet the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Evening news wrap SC delivers split verdict on CEC-EC appointment law challenge.Opposition targets CEC Gyanesh Kumar over SIR; BJP and EC defend panel.India rejects OIC remarks on J&K, calls them “factually incorrect”.BJP announces new state incharges; Smriti Irani named for Haryana, Chhattisgarh & Tawde for UP.Trump’s Board of Peace likely to unveil $2.45 billion, six-month Gaza recovery plan.Here are the top news stories of the day:SC delivers split verdict on plea challenging election commissioners’ appointment lawThe Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on whether challenges to the law governing appointments of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners should be heard by a Constitution Bench. The law provides for a panel comprising the PM, a Union minister and Lok Sabha opposition leader. Read full storyEC ‘dissent’ row triggers opposition demands for CEC’s removal, fresh pollsReported objections by election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to SIR-related decisions triggered a political row on Wednesday. Opposition parties demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal and arrest, an end to SIR and fresh elections in some states. Meanwhile, BJP defended the EC, saying differences reflected democratic deliberations. Read full storyIndia rejects OIC remarks on J&K, says grouping has ‘no locus standi’India rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in an OIC Contact Group communique as “unwarranted and factually incorrect”, saying the grouping had no locus standi to comment on India’s internal matters. The MEA reiterated that J&K and Ladakh are integral parts of India and criticised the OIC for backing what it called politically motivated narratives. Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesRead full storyBJP announces state incharges; Smriti Irani gets Haryana, ChhattisgarhBJP announced new state incharges and co-incharges across states and Union territories. Smriti Irani was given charge of Haryana and Chhattisgarh, while Vinod Tawde was appointed Uttar Pradesh incharge and Vinay Sahasrabuddhe was named Delhi incharge. Read full storyBoard of Peace to unveil $2.45 billion, six-month Gaza recovery planThe US-led Board of Peace is set to unveil a $2.45 billion, six-month recovery plan for Gaza, covering 66 projects for temporary housing, infrastructure, healthcare, economic revival and post-war governance. The plan includes $1 billion for infrastructure and $885 million for security, including a multinational force, but implementation depends on cooperation from Israel and Hamas. Read full storyGet the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins

SC delivers split verdict on CEC-EC appointment law challenge. Opposition targets CEC Gyanesh Kumar over SIR; BJP and EC defend panel. India rejects OIC remarks on J&K, calls them “factually incorrect”. BJP announces new state incharges; Smriti Irani named for Haryana, Chhattisgarh & Tawde for UP. Trump’s Board of Peace likely to unveil $2.45 billion,…

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SIR row explodes into political confrontation as Opposition demands action against CEC NEW DELHI: The reported objections raised by two Election Commissioners to decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls triggered a major political confrontation on Wednesday, with opposition parties demanding action against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, an immediate halt to the SIR exercise and fresh elections in states where polls have already been held.The ruling BJP, however, defended the Election Commission, saying differences expressed by Election Commissioners during internal deliberations showed that the poll panel was functioning democratically rather than under a “dictatorial” system.The political row followed a media report which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the SIR process and electoral rolls.The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections indicated a breakdown in its functioning.It said differing views and observations were a normal part of institutional deliberations and maintained that its decisions, including those concerning SIR, had been taken unanimously.Opposition demands CEC’s removal, arrestOpposition parties, which have been criticising the EC over the SIR exercise, seized on the report to renew their demands for action against Gyanesh Kumar.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reiterated his “vote chori” allegation against the Election Commission, describing it as “a crime against the people of India” and an attack on the Constitution.“The BJP, RSS and EC who organised it have committed an act of treason. Justice will be served,” Rae Bareli MP said.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said 73 Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs had submitted a fresh notice on April 24, seeking Kumar’s removal.He questioned whether the Rajya Sabha chairman would decide on the pending notice since the Monsoon Session of Parliament had not yet been prorogued.Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal went further, demanding that Kumar be removed and arrested.“Gyanesh Kumar should be immediately sacked and jailed,” Thackeray said.He also demanded that the last elections in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu be nullified and fresh polls held in the three states using ballot papers.Kejriwal demanded that the entire SIR exercise be cancelled, all changes made under it be reversed and the voter list from three years ago be restored. He also called for Kumar’s arrest and registration of a sedition case against him.TMC MP Derek O’Brien said, “Impeach CEC to save democracy.”Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also demanded Kumar’s arrest and said he had “no moral authority to continue”.“This is such a scandalous story. We had never seen this in our lives. This Election Commissioner must be arrested. He has no moral authority to continue, and the BJP must see that they cannot destroy our Constitution. They cannot demolish democracy,” Banerjee said.Fresh polls demanded in Bihar, West BengalThe Opposition’s demands also extended to fresh elections in states where polls have already taken place.RJD leader and Bihar leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav demanded fresh elections in Bihar and West Bengal, alleging that the electoral mandates in the two states had been compromised through electoral fraud and institutional manipulation.“The opposition did not lose elections on the ground; the results were orchestrated by PM Modi and Amit Shah. In 2020, we were defeated through manipulation, and the same script was executed in 2025. Voter lists were purged, money was distributed, and counting was manipulated. The electoral outcomes in Bihar and Bengal are fraudulent, and we demand that fresh, transparent elections be held,” he said.Yadav also questioned changes to the rules governing the preservation of voting and counting records, alleging that the period had been reduced from one year to 45 days.He said this could make it difficult for parties to approach courts without access to election-related evidence.DMK president M K Stalin demanded Kumar’s resignation and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise. He also sought a fair probe “into everything that transpired within the EC and those responsible should be held accountable”, according to news agency PTI.Stalin alleged that the report had raised doubts about the results of Assembly elections held after the SIR exercise and said his party had consistently opposed the deletion of voters from electoral rolls in the name of SIR.Akhilesh, Omar question EC functioningSamajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said governments formed during a period when the Election Commission was not functioning impartially were “unconstitutional”.“This means that the governments which have been formed during this period are unconstitutional governments,” Yadav said.He alleged that interference in the poll panel amounted to “trampling” democracy and urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said the Centre and the Election Commission needed to take corrective steps to prevent people from losing faith in elections.“Corrective action needs to be taken somewhere. Otherwise, if people lose faith in elections, what remains of a democracy? Elections are the very foundations of a democracy. If people lose faith in elections, why would they even participate in them? I feel the Election Commission and the government of India need to reflect on this,” Abdullah said.He also said the report raised questions about the functioning of the poll panel and referred to his earlier concerns over the electoral process.BJP says EC differences show ‘pure democracy’The BJP rejected the Opposition’s allegations and defended the reported differences between the Election Commissioners.Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, party spokesperson Sambit Patra said differing views during official deliberations showed that the poll panel was functioning democratically.“The media reports saying that the election commissioners shared differing views in official deliberations is a reflection of pure democracy,” Patra said.“If there is no communication and exchange of views among the election commissioners who conduct polls, the opposition parties would allege ‘dictatorship’ and call them ‘yes men’ of the government,” he said.Patra said the Election Commission’s response showed that neither the poll panel nor other constitutional bodies were functioning under a “dictatorial rule”.“This shows that the Election Commission (EC) and all other constitutional bodies are functioning in a democratic manner and upholding the democracy of the country,” he said.EC says all decisions were unanimousResponding to the media report, the Election Commission said written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks and balances were standard practices within a multi-member constitutional body.“The ECI is a constitutional body that functions under the strict mandate of Article 324 of the Constitution, statutory rules and established institutional conventions. The Commission operates as a multi-member constitutional body. Written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks-and-balances are standard, ongoing practices designed to ensure complete transparency, legal compliance and operational rigour,” it said.The commission said all official orders, decisions and administrative directions carried full legal sanction and followed established statutory procedures. It added that operational queries or inputs raised by members during the drafting stage were part of standard administrative practice aimed at safeguarding voter rights and improving electoral processes.The EC further said differing views and observations were a normal part of deliberation before a final decision was taken.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines“Not only the three Commissioners, but every officer of the Commission is fully authorised to give his suggestions to the Commission for improving the electoral system,” it said.The commission said focusing on specific internal notes and observations over 10 months while overlooking its wider body of approvals, decisions, instructions and initiatives presented only one part of the picture.It said it had taken numerous decisions, issued instructions and introduced around 40 new initiatives and electoral reforms, including electoral-roll revision and SIR across the country.“All these decisions are an outcome of the unanimous decisions of the full Commission in the past one year,” the EC said.The commission also pointed to the conduct of elections in Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal during the period and said it remained committed to carrying out its constitutional duties.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

SIR row explodes into political confrontation as Opposition demands action against CEC NEW DELHI: The reported objections raised by two Election Commissioners to decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls triggered a major political confrontation on Wednesday, with opposition parties demanding action against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, an immediate halt to the SIR exercise and fresh elections in states where polls have already been held.The ruling BJP, however, defended the Election Commission, saying differences expressed by Election Commissioners during internal deliberations showed that the poll panel was functioning democratically rather than under a “dictatorial” system.The political row followed a media report which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the SIR process and electoral rolls.The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections indicated a breakdown in its functioning.It said differing views and observations were a normal part of institutional deliberations and maintained that its decisions, including those concerning SIR, had been taken unanimously.Opposition demands CEC’s removal, arrestOpposition parties, which have been criticising the EC over the SIR exercise, seized on the report to renew their demands for action against Gyanesh Kumar.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reiterated his “vote chori” allegation against the Election Commission, describing it as “a crime against the people of India” and an attack on the Constitution.“The BJP, RSS and EC who organised it have committed an act of treason. Justice will be served,” Rae Bareli MP said.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said 73 Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs had submitted a fresh notice on April 24, seeking Kumar’s removal.He questioned whether the Rajya Sabha chairman would decide on the pending notice since the Monsoon Session of Parliament had not yet been prorogued.Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal went further, demanding that Kumar be removed and arrested.“Gyanesh Kumar should be immediately sacked and jailed,” Thackeray said.He also demanded that the last elections in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu be nullified and fresh polls held in the three states using ballot papers.Kejriwal demanded that the entire SIR exercise be cancelled, all changes made under it be reversed and the voter list from three years ago be restored. He also called for Kumar’s arrest and registration of a sedition case against him.TMC MP Derek O’Brien said, “Impeach CEC to save democracy.”Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also demanded Kumar’s arrest and said he had “no moral authority to continue”.“This is such a scandalous story. We had never seen this in our lives. This Election Commissioner must be arrested. He has no moral authority to continue, and the BJP must see that they cannot destroy our Constitution. They cannot demolish democracy,” Banerjee said.Fresh polls demanded in Bihar, West BengalThe Opposition’s demands also extended to fresh elections in states where polls have already taken place.RJD leader and Bihar leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav demanded fresh elections in Bihar and West Bengal, alleging that the electoral mandates in the two states had been compromised through electoral fraud and institutional manipulation.“The opposition did not lose elections on the ground; the results were orchestrated by PM Modi and Amit Shah. In 2020, we were defeated through manipulation, and the same script was executed in 2025. Voter lists were purged, money was distributed, and counting was manipulated. The electoral outcomes in Bihar and Bengal are fraudulent, and we demand that fresh, transparent elections be held,” he said.Yadav also questioned changes to the rules governing the preservation of voting and counting records, alleging that the period had been reduced from one year to 45 days.He said this could make it difficult for parties to approach courts without access to election-related evidence.DMK president M K Stalin demanded Kumar’s resignation and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise. He also sought a fair probe “into everything that transpired within the EC and those responsible should be held accountable”, according to news agency PTI.Stalin alleged that the report had raised doubts about the results of Assembly elections held after the SIR exercise and said his party had consistently opposed the deletion of voters from electoral rolls in the name of SIR.Akhilesh, Omar question EC functioningSamajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said governments formed during a period when the Election Commission was not functioning impartially were “unconstitutional”.“This means that the governments which have been formed during this period are unconstitutional governments,” Yadav said.He alleged that interference in the poll panel amounted to “trampling” democracy and urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said the Centre and the Election Commission needed to take corrective steps to prevent people from losing faith in elections.“Corrective action needs to be taken somewhere. Otherwise, if people lose faith in elections, what remains of a democracy? Elections are the very foundations of a democracy. If people lose faith in elections, why would they even participate in them? I feel the Election Commission and the government of India need to reflect on this,” Abdullah said.He also said the report raised questions about the functioning of the poll panel and referred to his earlier concerns over the electoral process.BJP says EC differences show ‘pure democracy’The BJP rejected the Opposition’s allegations and defended the reported differences between the Election Commissioners.Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, party spokesperson Sambit Patra said differing views during official deliberations showed that the poll panel was functioning democratically.“The media reports saying that the election commissioners shared differing views in official deliberations is a reflection of pure democracy,” Patra said.“If there is no communication and exchange of views among the election commissioners who conduct polls, the opposition parties would allege ‘dictatorship’ and call them ‘yes men’ of the government,” he said.Patra said the Election Commission’s response showed that neither the poll panel nor other constitutional bodies were functioning under a “dictatorial rule”.“This shows that the Election Commission (EC) and all other constitutional bodies are functioning in a democratic manner and upholding the democracy of the country,” he said.EC says all decisions were unanimousResponding to the media report, the Election Commission said written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks and balances were standard practices within a multi-member constitutional body.“The ECI is a constitutional body that functions under the strict mandate of Article 324 of the Constitution, statutory rules and established institutional conventions. The Commission operates as a multi-member constitutional body. Written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks-and-balances are standard, ongoing practices designed to ensure complete transparency, legal compliance and operational rigour,” it said.The commission said all official orders, decisions and administrative directions carried full legal sanction and followed established statutory procedures. It added that operational queries or inputs raised by members during the drafting stage were part of standard administrative practice aimed at safeguarding voter rights and improving electoral processes.The EC further said differing views and observations were a normal part of deliberation before a final decision was taken.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines“Not only the three Commissioners, but every officer of the Commission is fully authorised to give his suggestions to the Commission for improving the electoral system,” it said.The commission said focusing on specific internal notes and observations over 10 months while overlooking its wider body of approvals, decisions, instructions and initiatives presented only one part of the picture.It said it had taken numerous decisions, issued instructions and introduced around 40 new initiatives and electoral reforms, including electoral-roll revision and SIR across the country.“All these decisions are an outcome of the unanimous decisions of the full Commission in the past one year,” the EC said.The commission also pointed to the conduct of elections in Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal during the period and said it remained committed to carrying out its constitutional duties.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna07 mins mins

SIR row explodes into political confrontation as Opposition demands action against CEC NEW DELHI: The reported objections raised by two Election Commissioners to decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls triggered a major political confrontation on Wednesday, with opposition parties demanding action against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, an immediate halt…

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Opposition leaders have stepped up demands for action against the Election Commission, with calls for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal, an investigation into the poll panel’s functioning and, in some states, fresh elections. Leaders have also questioned the SIR exercise and alleged irregularities in electoral-roll revisions. NEW DELHI: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday accused the Election Commission of being misused to benefit the BJP and alleged that election rules had been changed to weaken the Opposition’s ability to challenge poll results.At a press conference, Tejashwi questioned the functioning of the poll panel, raised concerns over changes to the retention period for voting and counting records, and demanded fresh elections in Bihar and Bengal. He also called for the removal of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.“Whether it is the results in Bihar or Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, or Bengal—the opposition has not lost. Rather, in these states, the EC has been misused to ensure that the BJP wins,” he said.He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah had “flouted all the rules” and claimed the CEC had acted according to their wishes.“And this process is still continuing. It is going on in several states, and it is being carried out arbitrarily. There are objections from two Election Commissioners as well. Even then, neither Modi ji nor Amit Shah ji is coming forward and saying anything about it,” he said.He also questioned the change in the period for retaining voting and counting records. He said the earlier period of up to one year had been reduced to 45 days.“That means, when there is no evidence left, what can the opposition do? When they go to court, there will be no evidence, so there will be no benefit,” he said.On the appointment of the CEC, Tejashwi said the earlier selection panel included the Chief Justice of India, while a Union minister is now part of the panel.“This means that, as Modi ji wishes, one Gyanesh ji may be removed, but the BJP can bring in another Gyanesh Kumar,” he said.He also alleged that elections in Bihar and Bengal had been illegal and demanded fresh polls in both states.MK Stalin demands Gyanesh Kumar’s removalDMK supremo and former Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin also demanded the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. He cited allegations over the functioning of the EC during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.Stalin said the DMK and other opposition parties had opposed the deletion of voters from electoral rolls under the SIR exercise. He said the process, carried out months before elections in different states, had faced allegations of irregularities, particularly in West Bengal.He said, “The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, along with other Opposition parties, has consistently opposed the move to delete crores of voters from the electoral rolls in the name of the Special Intensive Revision (#SIR). Rushed through just months ahead of elections in State after State, the exercise was riddled with irregularities and sparked widespread unrest, particularly in West Bengal.”Stalin said the reported objections by election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over decisions related to SIR raised questions about the functioning of the three-member poll panel. Responding to a report by the Indian Express, he claimed the two commissioners had been kept unaware of key decisions and that their objections had been brushed aside on 14 occasions in 10 months.”Gyanesh Kumar had been acting unilaterally and in secrecy, without the concurrence of the other two Election Commissioners. Even more alarming is the revelation that Thiru. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Thiru.”Stalin said the EC’s decisions should follow the majority view when its members disagree. He argued that concerns raised by two serving commissioners could not be treated merely as an internal or procedural issue.”Where the Commissioners differ in opinion on any matter, the decision must be based on the majority view. If two of its three members were themselves kept unaware of what was being done in the Commission’s name, this cannot be dismissed as a mere internal or procedural matter. It constitutes a grave assault on Indian democracy,” he said.The DMK chief also raised questions over electoral-roll appeals filed even after courts had directed that certain voters be added to the rolls. He questioned who authorised and filed such appeals.Stalin said the party had earlier moved an impeachment motion against Gyanesh Kumar and demanded that he step down.“Gyanesh Kumar must go immediately. The SIR exercise must be halted,” Stalin said, while calling for a “fair and thorough investigation” into the functioning of the Election Commission.Mamata Banerjee calls report ‘scandalous’Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also attacked the Election Commission over the reported objections by the two commissioners to decisions linked to the SIR process.Reacting to the Indian Express report, Mamata alleged that the poll panel had been misused and demanded action against Gyanesh Kumar.“This is such a scandalous story. We had never seen this in our lives. This election commissioner must be arrested. He has no moral authority to continue, and BJP must see that they cannot destroy our Constitution. They cannot demolish democracy,” she said.Mamata also alleged that people linked to the BJP had been deployed in the electoral-roll process and accused the CEC of misusing the police.“They cannot depute their own EROs in the name of BJP IT Team. What we said earlier has now been exposed,” she said.She further said, “Gyanesh Kumar has misused Police and with BJP they have deputed their own BJP-minded people. Such a scandal has never happened. If you have any honour, you yourself would ask to be arrested. You should be arrested.”Akhilesh Yadav questions poll panel’s functioningSamajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also questioned the functioning of the Election Commission, saying the reported objections by two election commissioners had raised serious concerns over the poll panel’s impartiality.Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Akhilesh referred to reports that Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders concerning SIR and electoral-roll procedures.“This is dangerous for our democracy. This is an attempt to weaken our democracy,” he said.Akhilesh questioned whether elections held during a period when the Election Commission was allegedly not acting impartially could be considered fair.“This means that the governments which have been formed during this period are unconstitutional governments,” he said.In an earlier post on X, he described the reported objections by the two commissioners as “extremely serious news” and urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.He also alleged that voters supporting the Samajwadi Party had been systematically removed from electoral rolls and claimed that no action was taken despite the party bringing the matter to the Election Commission’s notice.“Samajwadi Party voters were systematically deleted from the Election Commission’s voters list. We brought this to the notice of the Election Commission, but no action was taken against anyone. Rampant malpractice was committed on a massive scale in the by-elections,” he said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe EC has rejected the suggestion that its decisions were taken without the participation of all three commissioners. It said decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously with the approval of the CEC and the two other election commissioners.The poll panel said written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks were standard practices within a multi-member constitutional body. It said differing views were part of institutional deliberations before final decisions were taken and that all official orders had legal sanction and followed established procedures.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorVijaya SrivastavaVijaya Srivastava is a journalist and feature writer whose expertise lies in covering human-centred developments. Her stories explore how policy, technology, economic shifts and social change influence people’s everyday lives. Her work also focuses on bringing depth, context and a human perspective to complex issues. Her reports primarily cover society, healthcare, safety, public policy and emerging trends, alongside other political developments.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Opposition leaders have stepped up demands for action against the Election Commission, with calls for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal, an investigation into the poll panel’s functioning and, in some states, fresh elections. Leaders have also questioned the SIR exercise and alleged irregularities in electoral-roll revisions. NEW DELHI: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday accused the Election Commission of being misused to benefit the BJP and alleged that election rules had been changed to weaken the Opposition’s ability to challenge poll results.At a press conference, Tejashwi questioned the functioning of the poll panel, raised concerns over changes to the retention period for voting and counting records, and demanded fresh elections in Bihar and Bengal. He also called for the removal of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.“Whether it is the results in Bihar or Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, or Bengal—the opposition has not lost. Rather, in these states, the EC has been misused to ensure that the BJP wins,” he said.He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah had “flouted all the rules” and claimed the CEC had acted according to their wishes.“And this process is still continuing. It is going on in several states, and it is being carried out arbitrarily. There are objections from two Election Commissioners as well. Even then, neither Modi ji nor Amit Shah ji is coming forward and saying anything about it,” he said.He also questioned the change in the period for retaining voting and counting records. He said the earlier period of up to one year had been reduced to 45 days.“That means, when there is no evidence left, what can the opposition do? When they go to court, there will be no evidence, so there will be no benefit,” he said.On the appointment of the CEC, Tejashwi said the earlier selection panel included the Chief Justice of India, while a Union minister is now part of the panel.“This means that, as Modi ji wishes, one Gyanesh ji may be removed, but the BJP can bring in another Gyanesh Kumar,” he said.He also alleged that elections in Bihar and Bengal had been illegal and demanded fresh polls in both states.MK Stalin demands Gyanesh Kumar’s removalDMK supremo and former Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin also demanded the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. He cited allegations over the functioning of the EC during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.Stalin said the DMK and other opposition parties had opposed the deletion of voters from electoral rolls under the SIR exercise. He said the process, carried out months before elections in different states, had faced allegations of irregularities, particularly in West Bengal.He said, “The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, along with other Opposition parties, has consistently opposed the move to delete crores of voters from the electoral rolls in the name of the Special Intensive Revision (#SIR). Rushed through just months ahead of elections in State after State, the exercise was riddled with irregularities and sparked widespread unrest, particularly in West Bengal.”Stalin said the reported objections by election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over decisions related to SIR raised questions about the functioning of the three-member poll panel. Responding to a report by the Indian Express, he claimed the two commissioners had been kept unaware of key decisions and that their objections had been brushed aside on 14 occasions in 10 months.”Gyanesh Kumar had been acting unilaterally and in secrecy, without the concurrence of the other two Election Commissioners. Even more alarming is the revelation that Thiru. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Thiru.”Stalin said the EC’s decisions should follow the majority view when its members disagree. He argued that concerns raised by two serving commissioners could not be treated merely as an internal or procedural issue.”Where the Commissioners differ in opinion on any matter, the decision must be based on the majority view. If two of its three members were themselves kept unaware of what was being done in the Commission’s name, this cannot be dismissed as a mere internal or procedural matter. It constitutes a grave assault on Indian democracy,” he said.The DMK chief also raised questions over electoral-roll appeals filed even after courts had directed that certain voters be added to the rolls. He questioned who authorised and filed such appeals.Stalin said the party had earlier moved an impeachment motion against Gyanesh Kumar and demanded that he step down.“Gyanesh Kumar must go immediately. The SIR exercise must be halted,” Stalin said, while calling for a “fair and thorough investigation” into the functioning of the Election Commission.Mamata Banerjee calls report ‘scandalous’Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also attacked the Election Commission over the reported objections by the two commissioners to decisions linked to the SIR process.Reacting to the Indian Express report, Mamata alleged that the poll panel had been misused and demanded action against Gyanesh Kumar.“This is such a scandalous story. We had never seen this in our lives. This election commissioner must be arrested. He has no moral authority to continue, and BJP must see that they cannot destroy our Constitution. They cannot demolish democracy,” she said.Mamata also alleged that people linked to the BJP had been deployed in the electoral-roll process and accused the CEC of misusing the police.“They cannot depute their own EROs in the name of BJP IT Team. What we said earlier has now been exposed,” she said.She further said, “Gyanesh Kumar has misused Police and with BJP they have deputed their own BJP-minded people. Such a scandal has never happened. If you have any honour, you yourself would ask to be arrested. You should be arrested.”Akhilesh Yadav questions poll panel’s functioningSamajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also questioned the functioning of the Election Commission, saying the reported objections by two election commissioners had raised serious concerns over the poll panel’s impartiality.Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Akhilesh referred to reports that Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders concerning SIR and electoral-roll procedures.“This is dangerous for our democracy. This is an attempt to weaken our democracy,” he said.Akhilesh questioned whether elections held during a period when the Election Commission was allegedly not acting impartially could be considered fair.“This means that the governments which have been formed during this period are unconstitutional governments,” he said.In an earlier post on X, he described the reported objections by the two commissioners as “extremely serious news” and urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.He also alleged that voters supporting the Samajwadi Party had been systematically removed from electoral rolls and claimed that no action was taken despite the party bringing the matter to the Election Commission’s notice.“Samajwadi Party voters were systematically deleted from the Election Commission’s voters list. We brought this to the notice of the Election Commission, but no action was taken against anyone. Rampant malpractice was committed on a massive scale in the by-elections,” he said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe EC has rejected the suggestion that its decisions were taken without the participation of all three commissioners. It said decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously with the approval of the CEC and the two other election commissioners.The poll panel said written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks were standard practices within a multi-member constitutional body. It said differing views were part of institutional deliberations before final decisions were taken and that all official orders had legal sanction and followed established procedures.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorVijaya SrivastavaVijaya Srivastava is a journalist and feature writer whose expertise lies in covering human-centred developments. Her stories explore how policy, technology, economic shifts and social change influence people’s everyday lives. Her work also focuses on bringing depth, context and a human perspective to complex issues. Her reports primarily cover society, healthcare, safety, public policy and emerging trends, alongside other political developments.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna07 mins mins

Opposition leaders have stepped up demands for action against the Election Commission, with calls for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s removal, an investigation into the poll panel’s functioning and, in some states, fresh elections. Leaders have also questioned the SIR exercise and alleged irregularities in electoral-roll revisions. NEW DELHI: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday accused the…

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Sexist remarks over Keerthana’s London absence trigger political row NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu industries minister S Keerthana was subjected to sexist remarks by DMK which was questioning her absence from chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s recent London visit. The remarks by DMK leader Vaishnavi has triggered a political controversy.Vijay travelled to London to flag off actor Ajith Kumar’s car race and seek fresh investments for Tamil Nadu. Keerthana, whose portfolio places her at the centre of the state’s investment-promotion efforts, was not part of the delegation.Reacting to Keerthana’s absence, Vaishnavi referred to TN minister Aadhav Arjuna’s statement that the industries minister had not travelled for “4 days due to health reasons” and questioned the reference to the four days.“Industrial minister has not come for 4 days due to health reasons, says Aadhav Arjuna! What is the explanation regarding those “4 days”? If it refers to a natural physiological change that occurs for women, like menstruation, then why should it be stated as the reason?” Vaishnavi said.She added, “Today’s women athletes consider menstruation as a normal physiological process and plan their training and competitions accordingly. Doesn’t even this basic understanding of women’s physiology exist for a minister who oversees the sports sector?”Vaishnavi also questioned whether the actual reason for Keerthana’s absence had been clearly communicated, saying, “Especially, clearly informing the public about the real reason for a minister not attending an event is the transparent approach.”She further asked, “What is the real reason for industrial minister not coming? Will Aadhav Arjuna clarify?”Amid the controversy, TVK leader Kanimozhi Santhosh came out in support of Keerthana and said the minister had been recovering from a collarbone surgery when she missed the London visit.“As a woman, I want to say this because I witnessed it myself. I met my thangai minister Keerthana at Kamatchi Hospital after her collarbone surgery. Doctors had advised around 20 days of rest, but within 4 days she was back at work because of her commitment to the state,” Santhosh said.She said Keerthana continued to coordinate Vijay’s London visit even while recovering in hospital.“Even while she was at hospital bed, she was coordinating the chief minister’s London visit. Her first question every single day wasn’t about her pain or her tablets; it was whether every company and every arrangement was on time. I told her to relax, she wouldn’t,” Santhosh said. Watch Vijay Apologises In Assembly After Karunanidhi Remark Sparks DMK Uproar Over Decorum BreachTaking aim at those who questioned the reason for Keerthana’s absence, Santhosh said, “And what struck me most is this: when minister Aadhav Sir said she was unwell for a few days, the opposition ecosystem didn’t pause to ask about what was the reason, or recovery, or what she may have actually gone through. Their minds went straight to one reason: menstruation.”“That reflex, that a woman’s absence can only ever mean one thing, says nothing about her and everything about your regressive mindset. Women are not defined by their cycles. We are leaders, professionals, mothers, daughters carrying illness, injury and duty all at once, and still showing up. Reducing a woman’s every unexplained day to her biology is an old habit of attacking a woman’s body when her work can’t be faulted,” she added.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesSanthosh said Keerthana returned to work despite still recovering from the surgery.“4 days after, still recovering, on painkillers and still wearing a bandage, she went straight back to meeting companies and signing MoUs, one after another, without a pause,” she said.PollVote & Share your viewShould personal health issues of public figures be shared publicly?Yes, for transparency.No, it’s a private matter.Only if they choose to share.3k+ users shared opinion today 5k+ users already voted today 3k+ users shared opinion today Share Opinion“This regressive mindset needs to stop. We should be celebrating women who continue to lead through difficult circumstances, not discussing their cycles. Women deserve better than this. Tamil Nadu deserves better than this,” Santhosh said.She concluded by apologising to Keerthana for making her medical condition public, saying, “Sorry Keerthana, I know you wanted to keep this private but I had to post this.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAadrita HalderWrites on social matters, geopolitics, and trending issues for the Times of India.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Sexist remarks over Keerthana’s London absence trigger political row NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu industries minister S Keerthana was subjected to sexist remarks by DMK which was questioning her absence from chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s recent London visit. The remarks by DMK leader Vaishnavi has triggered a political controversy.Vijay travelled to London to flag off actor Ajith Kumar’s car race and seek fresh investments for Tamil Nadu. Keerthana, whose portfolio places her at the centre of the state’s investment-promotion efforts, was not part of the delegation.Reacting to Keerthana’s absence, Vaishnavi referred to TN minister Aadhav Arjuna’s statement that the industries minister had not travelled for “4 days due to health reasons” and questioned the reference to the four days.“Industrial minister has not come for 4 days due to health reasons, says Aadhav Arjuna! What is the explanation regarding those “4 days”? If it refers to a natural physiological change that occurs for women, like menstruation, then why should it be stated as the reason?” Vaishnavi said.She added, “Today’s women athletes consider menstruation as a normal physiological process and plan their training and competitions accordingly. Doesn’t even this basic understanding of women’s physiology exist for a minister who oversees the sports sector?”Vaishnavi also questioned whether the actual reason for Keerthana’s absence had been clearly communicated, saying, “Especially, clearly informing the public about the real reason for a minister not attending an event is the transparent approach.”She further asked, “What is the real reason for industrial minister not coming? Will Aadhav Arjuna clarify?”Amid the controversy, TVK leader Kanimozhi Santhosh came out in support of Keerthana and said the minister had been recovering from a collarbone surgery when she missed the London visit.“As a woman, I want to say this because I witnessed it myself. I met my thangai minister Keerthana at Kamatchi Hospital after her collarbone surgery. Doctors had advised around 20 days of rest, but within 4 days she was back at work because of her commitment to the state,” Santhosh said.She said Keerthana continued to coordinate Vijay’s London visit even while recovering in hospital.“Even while she was at hospital bed, she was coordinating the chief minister’s London visit. Her first question every single day wasn’t about her pain or her tablets; it was whether every company and every arrangement was on time. I told her to relax, she wouldn’t,” Santhosh said. Watch Vijay Apologises In Assembly After Karunanidhi Remark Sparks DMK Uproar Over Decorum BreachTaking aim at those who questioned the reason for Keerthana’s absence, Santhosh said, “And what struck me most is this: when minister Aadhav Sir said she was unwell for a few days, the opposition ecosystem didn’t pause to ask about what was the reason, or recovery, or what she may have actually gone through. Their minds went straight to one reason: menstruation.”“That reflex, that a woman’s absence can only ever mean one thing, says nothing about her and everything about your regressive mindset. Women are not defined by their cycles. We are leaders, professionals, mothers, daughters carrying illness, injury and duty all at once, and still showing up. Reducing a woman’s every unexplained day to her biology is an old habit of attacking a woman’s body when her work can’t be faulted,” she added.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesSanthosh said Keerthana returned to work despite still recovering from the surgery.“4 days after, still recovering, on painkillers and still wearing a bandage, she went straight back to meeting companies and signing MoUs, one after another, without a pause,” she said.PollVote & Share your viewShould personal health issues of public figures be shared publicly?Yes, for transparency.No, it’s a private matter.Only if they choose to share.3k+ users shared opinion today 5k+ users already voted today 3k+ users shared opinion today Share Opinion“This regressive mindset needs to stop. We should be celebrating women who continue to lead through difficult circumstances, not discussing their cycles. Women deserve better than this. Tamil Nadu deserves better than this,” Santhosh said.She concluded by apologising to Keerthana for making her medical condition public, saying, “Sorry Keerthana, I know you wanted to keep this private but I had to post this.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAadrita HalderWrites on social matters, geopolitics, and trending issues for the Times of India.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna04 mins mins

Sexist remarks over Keerthana’s London absence trigger political row NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu industries minister S Keerthana was subjected to sexist remarks by DMK which was questioning her absence from chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s recent London visit. The remarks by DMK leader Vaishnavi has triggered a political controversy.Vijay travelled to London to flag off…

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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that Gautam Buddha Nagar district magistrate Medha Roopam could not be isolated from the larger decision-making process that led to the detention of student protester Akriti Chaudhary under the National Security Act (NSA).While hearing Roopam’s plea challenging Allahabad high court judgment, a bench of justices SC Sharma and NK Singh observed that if the decision-making chain ran “from top to bottom”, the district magistrate could not be singled out. Watch High Court Quashes NSA Detention Of DU Law Student Over Noida Protest, Officials To Pay ₹5 Lakh”We can’t isolate her… as fine of Rs 5 lakh,” the apex court observed.Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted that the DM had acted on reports that passed through the SHO, DCP and commissioner before reaching her. He also pointed out that the NSA Advisory Board had examined the detention.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Roopam, said there were five stages before the DM issued the detention order and that her role was to form an opinion after the statutory safeguards had been followed.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe hearing comes days after the Allahabad high court quashed the NSA detention of Akriti Chaudhary, a 25-year-old student who was taken into custody in connection with a workers’ protest in Noida in April.The high court found that the detention was based on a story “concocted” by the state and directed Chaudhary’s immediate release if she was not required in any other case.It also directed that Rs 5 lakh in compensation be deducted from Roopam’s salary and ordered that the court’s displeasure against the DM and police officers involved in preparing the dossier be recorded in their service records.The Allahabad high court had also warned Roopam that continued “despotic” conduct by an “errant” bureaucracy could reduce Uttar Pradesh to an Orwellian dystopia.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that Gautam Buddha Nagar district magistrate Medha Roopam could not be isolated from the larger decision-making process that led to the detention of student protester Akriti Chaudhary under the National Security Act (NSA).While hearing Roopam’s plea challenging Allahabad high court judgment, a bench of justices SC Sharma and NK Singh observed that if the decision-making chain ran “from top to bottom”, the district magistrate could not be singled out. Watch High Court Quashes NSA Detention Of DU Law Student Over Noida Protest, Officials To Pay ₹5 Lakh”We can’t isolate her… as fine of Rs 5 lakh,” the apex court observed.Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, submitted that the DM had acted on reports that passed through the SHO, DCP and commissioner before reaching her. He also pointed out that the NSA Advisory Board had examined the detention.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Roopam, said there were five stages before the DM issued the detention order and that her role was to form an opinion after the statutory safeguards had been followed.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe hearing comes days after the Allahabad high court quashed the NSA detention of Akriti Chaudhary, a 25-year-old student who was taken into custody in connection with a workers’ protest in Noida in April.The high court found that the detention was based on a story “concocted” by the state and directed Chaudhary’s immediate release if she was not required in any other case.It also directed that Rs 5 lakh in compensation be deducted from Roopam’s salary and ordered that the court’s displeasure against the DM and police officers involved in preparing the dossier be recorded in their service records.The Allahabad high court had also warned Roopam that continued “despotic” conduct by an “errant” bureaucracy could reduce Uttar Pradesh to an Orwellian dystopia.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that Gautam Buddha Nagar district magistrate Medha Roopam could not be isolated from the larger decision-making process that led to the detention of student protester Akriti Chaudhary under the National Security Act (NSA).While hearing Roopam’s plea challenging Allahabad high court judgment, a bench of justices SC Sharma…

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She said that INDIA bloc will meet soon amid concerns over the “issue” NEW DELHI: Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded fresh Assembly elections in West Bengal using the pre-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter list while announcing pan-India protests against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, after a report claimed two Election Commissioners had raised objections to aspects of the voter-roll revision exercise.Reacting to a media report, Mamata demanded Kumar’s arrest and accused the Election Commission of working in favour of the BJP.”Re-election must be held in West Bengal with the old voter list,” Banerjee said during a Facebook Live, adding that there would be “pan-India protests till Gyanesh Kumar remains CEC”. “It has now been proven that the BJP and the EC looted the West Bengal assembly polls,” she alleged.Mamata also called for Kumar to be arrested, saying, “He must be immediately arrested and put behind bars. The chair of the CEC is not for a person like him.””This is such a scandalous story. We had never seen this in our lives. This Election Commissioner must be arrested. He has no moral authority to continue,” she said, referring to the report.The TMC leader said INDIA bloc partners had discussed the issue and would meet soon.Meanwhile, in another TMC pushback, national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee separately accused the election commission of deliberately deleting 30 lakh voter names from West Bengal electoral rolls to benefit the BJP. He alleged that similar manipulation had taken place in Haryana and Bihar and demanded the immediate arrest of Kumar.”The allegations we raised earlier have today been echoed by the other Election Commissioners as well. Just as the names of 30 lakh people were deleted from the voter list to benefit one political party, the same was done in Haryana and Bihar,” Abhishek alleged.Abhishek also questioned the process through which Kumar was appointed, citing a split Supreme Court verdict on the Election Commission selection panel and the dismissal of an impeachment motion moved by Opposition parties.The Election Commission, however, said that “operational queries or inputs” had been raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on matters including the SIR exercise, but maintained that these related to the draft stage and were part of “standard administrative practice aimed at safeguarding voter rights”. The poll panel also said decisions relating to the SIR were taken unanimously with the approval of all three Election Commissioners.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe row erupted when a media report claimed that Sandhu and Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders concerning the SIR, including some that they allegedly said were taken without their knowledge.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorTrisha MahajanTrisha Mahajan is a journalist with The Times of India digital, with keen interest in covering business and corporate affairs. She also reports on key national and world developments and global news trends. A keen reader with a strong interest in storytelling that adds context, clarity, and depth to complex issues.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

She said that INDIA bloc will meet soon amid concerns over the “issue” NEW DELHI: Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded fresh Assembly elections in West Bengal using the pre-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter list while announcing pan-India protests against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, after a report claimed two Election Commissioners had raised objections to aspects of the voter-roll revision exercise.Reacting to a media report, Mamata demanded Kumar’s arrest and accused the Election Commission of working in favour of the BJP.”Re-election must be held in West Bengal with the old voter list,” Banerjee said during a Facebook Live, adding that there would be “pan-India protests till Gyanesh Kumar remains CEC”. “It has now been proven that the BJP and the EC looted the West Bengal assembly polls,” she alleged.Mamata also called for Kumar to be arrested, saying, “He must be immediately arrested and put behind bars. The chair of the CEC is not for a person like him.””This is such a scandalous story. We had never seen this in our lives. This Election Commissioner must be arrested. He has no moral authority to continue,” she said, referring to the report.The TMC leader said INDIA bloc partners had discussed the issue and would meet soon.Meanwhile, in another TMC pushback, national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee separately accused the election commission of deliberately deleting 30 lakh voter names from West Bengal electoral rolls to benefit the BJP. He alleged that similar manipulation had taken place in Haryana and Bihar and demanded the immediate arrest of Kumar.”The allegations we raised earlier have today been echoed by the other Election Commissioners as well. Just as the names of 30 lakh people were deleted from the voter list to benefit one political party, the same was done in Haryana and Bihar,” Abhishek alleged.Abhishek also questioned the process through which Kumar was appointed, citing a split Supreme Court verdict on the Election Commission selection panel and the dismissal of an impeachment motion moved by Opposition parties.The Election Commission, however, said that “operational queries or inputs” had been raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on matters including the SIR exercise, but maintained that these related to the draft stage and were part of “standard administrative practice aimed at safeguarding voter rights”. The poll panel also said decisions relating to the SIR were taken unanimously with the approval of all three Election Commissioners.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe row erupted when a media report claimed that Sandhu and Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders concerning the SIR, including some that they allegedly said were taken without their knowledge.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorTrisha MahajanTrisha Mahajan is a journalist with The Times of India digital, with keen interest in covering business and corporate affairs. She also reports on key national and world developments and global news trends. A keen reader with a strong interest in storytelling that adds context, clarity, and depth to complex issues.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna03 mins mins

She said that INDIA bloc will meet soon amid concerns over the “issue” NEW DELHI: Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded fresh Assembly elections in West Bengal using the pre-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter list while announcing pan-India protests against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, after a report claimed two Election…

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Akhtar also pointed to differences in access to healthcare. She said people in JKUT were able to access health benefits under national schemes even in remote areas, while similar access remained a distant prospect for people in PoK. NEW DELHI: Kashmiri socio-political activist Tasleema Akhtar has raised concerns over the treatment of people in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), alleging that Pakistan has failed to protect their basic rights and provide adequate infrastructure and essential services. Watch UNHRC: Kashmiri female activist exposes Pakistan’s propaganda on KashmirAddressing the 54th session of the UN human rights council in Geneva, Akhtar contrasted the situation in PoK with developments in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (JKUT). She alleged that people in PoK were living at the mercy of the Pakistan government amid poor infrastructure, limited investment and disregard for their basic rights.Her remarks come against the backdrop of concerns raised at the UNHRC over the human rights situation in PoK and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan.At the 63rd session of the council, United Kashmir People’s National Party chairman Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri had alleged intensified repression in PoK since June 5 citing reports of arrests, violence, deaths, injuries, alleged disappearances and restrictions on internet and mobile communications.Kashmiri had called for an independent investigation into the reported violations and urged Pakistan to stop using force against peaceful protesters.’Strategic developmental differences’Akhtar told the UNHRC that there were significant differences in development between JKUT and PoJK.“Mr Vice President, being a native to J&K through UNHR Council, I would like to bring forth the strategic developmental differences of Union Territory of J&K, i.e. JKUT and Pak Occupied J&K.”She said the Indian government was investing in infrastructure and development projects in Jammu and Kashmir, while alleging that PoJK faced inadequate investment and misuse of its resources.“While JKUT is bringing transformational changes for the betterment of the region, people of POJK are living at the mercy of Pakistan Government having uttered disregard for the people over there and their basic human rights and amenities.”Akhtar also alleged that Pakistan was struggling with its financial obligations while shielding terrorist outfits involved in what she described as a proxy war against India.“While the Government of India is investing in infrastructure and developmental projects in J&K besides bringing peace and prosperity to the region, Pakistan is struggling to meet its basic financial obligations and is shielding terrorist outfitters to wage a proxy war against India.”Education concernsAkhtar highlighted education as one of the key areas where she said JKUT had an advantage over PoK.“PoK lacks even basic infrastructure and amenities, with negligible investment and built-in misappropriation of its resources by Pakistan. In terms of education and literacy rate, JKUT is far ahead of PoK. Government of India spends nine times more on education in JKUT compared to its counterpart.”She alleged that schools in PoK lacked basic facilities such as buildings, roofs, clean water and toilets. These shortcomings, she said, were creating hardships for students and contributing to a high dropout rate.“PoK is facing a major crisis in its education sector, lacking basic infrastructure including building and roofs, clean water, toilets, etc., causing acute hardships to students, resulting in severe drop-out ratio.”Healthcare accessAkhtar also pointed to differences in access to healthcare. She said people in JKUT were able to access health benefits under national schemes even in remote areas, while similar access remained a distant prospect for people in PoJK.“Change is also possible in health sector. PoK of health, UT are availing health benefits in even their remote areas with national health schemes, which is a distant dream for the people of PoK.”She further highlighted the government’s health insurance coverage in Jammu and Kashmir.“Government of India facilitates people of the Juman Kashmir with universal health insurance coverage of far-reaching… Thank you.”Broader concerns over PoKAkhtar’s remarks followed wider concerns raised at the UNHRC over alleged restrictions and human rights violations in the Pakistan-occupied parts of Jammu and Kashmir.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesKashmiri, while addressing the council’s 63rd session under Agenda Item 4, had called for independent monitoring of PoK and PoGB, an investigation into reported violations and the release of people he described as arbitrarily detained.“Peaceful dissent is not terrorism, and demanding rights is not a crime,” Kashmiri said.He also called for the whereabouts of missing people to be established and for unrestricted internet and mobile communications to be restored across PoK.“The Council must act now to safeguard the lives and fundamental rights of millions of Kashmiris,” he said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorVijaya SrivastavaVijaya Srivastava is a journalist and feature writer whose expertise lies in covering human-centred developments. Her stories explore how policy, technology, economic shifts and social change influence people’s everyday lives. Her work also focuses on bringing depth, context and a human perspective to complex issues. Her reports primarily cover society, healthcare, safety, public policy and emerging trends, alongside other political developments.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Akhtar also pointed to differences in access to healthcare. She said people in JKUT were able to access health benefits under national schemes even in remote areas, while similar access remained a distant prospect for people in PoK. NEW DELHI: Kashmiri socio-political activist Tasleema Akhtar has raised concerns over the treatment of people in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), alleging that Pakistan has failed to protect their basic rights and provide adequate infrastructure and essential services. Watch UNHRC: Kashmiri female activist exposes Pakistan’s propaganda on KashmirAddressing the 54th session of the UN human rights council in Geneva, Akhtar contrasted the situation in PoK with developments in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (JKUT). She alleged that people in PoK were living at the mercy of the Pakistan government amid poor infrastructure, limited investment and disregard for their basic rights.Her remarks come against the backdrop of concerns raised at the UNHRC over the human rights situation in PoK and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan.At the 63rd session of the council, United Kashmir People’s National Party chairman Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri had alleged intensified repression in PoK since June 5 citing reports of arrests, violence, deaths, injuries, alleged disappearances and restrictions on internet and mobile communications.Kashmiri had called for an independent investigation into the reported violations and urged Pakistan to stop using force against peaceful protesters.’Strategic developmental differences’Akhtar told the UNHRC that there were significant differences in development between JKUT and PoJK.“Mr Vice President, being a native to J&K through UNHR Council, I would like to bring forth the strategic developmental differences of Union Territory of J&K, i.e. JKUT and Pak Occupied J&K.”She said the Indian government was investing in infrastructure and development projects in Jammu and Kashmir, while alleging that PoJK faced inadequate investment and misuse of its resources.“While JKUT is bringing transformational changes for the betterment of the region, people of POJK are living at the mercy of Pakistan Government having uttered disregard for the people over there and their basic human rights and amenities.”Akhtar also alleged that Pakistan was struggling with its financial obligations while shielding terrorist outfits involved in what she described as a proxy war against India.“While the Government of India is investing in infrastructure and developmental projects in J&K besides bringing peace and prosperity to the region, Pakistan is struggling to meet its basic financial obligations and is shielding terrorist outfitters to wage a proxy war against India.”Education concernsAkhtar highlighted education as one of the key areas where she said JKUT had an advantage over PoK.“PoK lacks even basic infrastructure and amenities, with negligible investment and built-in misappropriation of its resources by Pakistan. In terms of education and literacy rate, JKUT is far ahead of PoK. Government of India spends nine times more on education in JKUT compared to its counterpart.”She alleged that schools in PoK lacked basic facilities such as buildings, roofs, clean water and toilets. These shortcomings, she said, were creating hardships for students and contributing to a high dropout rate.“PoK is facing a major crisis in its education sector, lacking basic infrastructure including building and roofs, clean water, toilets, etc., causing acute hardships to students, resulting in severe drop-out ratio.”Healthcare accessAkhtar also pointed to differences in access to healthcare. She said people in JKUT were able to access health benefits under national schemes even in remote areas, while similar access remained a distant prospect for people in PoJK.“Change is also possible in health sector. PoK of health, UT are availing health benefits in even their remote areas with national health schemes, which is a distant dream for the people of PoK.”She further highlighted the government’s health insurance coverage in Jammu and Kashmir.“Government of India facilitates people of the Juman Kashmir with universal health insurance coverage of far-reaching… Thank you.”Broader concerns over PoKAkhtar’s remarks followed wider concerns raised at the UNHRC over alleged restrictions and human rights violations in the Pakistan-occupied parts of Jammu and Kashmir.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesKashmiri, while addressing the council’s 63rd session under Agenda Item 4, had called for independent monitoring of PoK and PoGB, an investigation into reported violations and the release of people he described as arbitrarily detained.“Peaceful dissent is not terrorism, and demanding rights is not a crime,” Kashmiri said.He also called for the whereabouts of missing people to be established and for unrestricted internet and mobile communications to be restored across PoK.“The Council must act now to safeguard the lives and fundamental rights of millions of Kashmiris,” he said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorVijaya SrivastavaVijaya Srivastava is a journalist and feature writer whose expertise lies in covering human-centred developments. Her stories explore how policy, technology, economic shifts and social change influence people’s everyday lives. Her work also focuses on bringing depth, context and a human perspective to complex issues. Her reports primarily cover society, healthcare, safety, public policy and emerging trends, alongside other political developments.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna04 mins mins

Akhtar also pointed to differences in access to healthcare. She said people in JKUT were able to access health benefits under national schemes even in remote areas, while similar access remained a distant prospect for people in PoK. NEW DELHI: Kashmiri socio-political activist Tasleema Akhtar has raised concerns over the treatment of people in Pakistan-occupied…

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Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav addresses a press conference at the party office in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday questioned the functioning of the Election Commission, saying governments formed during a period when the poll panel was not acting impartially were “unconstitutional”.Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Yadav referred to a report that said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and electoral roll procedures.Yadav said the Election Commission was regarded as an impartial institution and was expected to strengthen democracy. He questioned “on whose behalf” the poll panel was functioning if its own members were raising objections to its decisions.“This is dangerous for our democracy. This is an attempt to weaken our democracy,” he said.Yadav questions fairness of electionsThe SP chief said the Election Commission was a constitutional body and questioned who was “playing with” such an institution for the purpose of remaining in government.“What can you imagine now? Would the Election Commission have been fair? Would it have been impartial?” he asked.Yadav said the reported objections from within the poll panel raised questions about the functioning of an institution whose basic expectation was impartiality.“This means that the governments which have been formed during this period are unconstitutional governments,” he said, alleging that democracy had been “trampled upon”.In an earlier post on X, Yadav described the reported objections by the two Election Commissioners as “extremely serious news”.“It is extremely serious news that in the last 10 months, two Election Commissioners have recorded their objections 14 times to the wrong decisions of the Election Commission,” he said.“Making democracy a victim by becoming puppets of some people in power is a grave constitutional crime. It is no less than a conspiracy to destroy democracy,” Yadav said, urging the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.Yadav alleges deletion of SP votersYadav also alleged that voters supporting the Samajwadi Party had been “systematically deleted” from electoral rolls and claimed no corrective action was taken after the issue was brought to the Election Commission’s notice.“The Election Commission claims it will strengthen democracy. When such things are happening within the Election Commission itself, where can one place their trust? In the span of 10 months, various officials have written letters 14 times. Samajwadi Party voters were systematically deleted from the Election Commission’s voters list. We brought this to the notice of the Election Commission, but no action was taken against anyone. Rampant malpractice was committed on a massive scale in the by-elections,” Yadav said.The Election Commission, however, said all its decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously with the approval of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two other Election Commissioners.Responding to the report, the EC said written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks were standard practices within a multi-member constitutional body. It said all official orders and decisions carried full legal sanction and followed established statutory procedures.The commission said differing views were part of institutional deliberations before a final decision was taken. It also said it had introduced around 40 new initiatives and undertaken electoral reforms, including electoral-roll revision and SIR.Yadav targets UP governmentYadav also accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of arbitrary governance.“The government is acting arbitrarily. It is dismantling every system. Those who believe in demolition and destruction—whether it comes to the law or the Constitution—simply do not care about anything. This government is trampling upon everyone’s dignity and self-respect,” he said.On Ayodhya, Yadav said the SP had never opposed construction of the Ram Temple but accused the BJP of displacing local residents through demolition drives.“We have never wanted to be an obstacle in the development of the Lord Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, nor will we ever be in the future. We will develop a far better city of Ayodhya than they ever could. Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThey are snatching away the rights of the poor,” he said.The Election Commission controversy has also drawn criticism from other Opposition parties, with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi questioning the poll panel and CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged “vote chori”.Opposition parties had earlier moved motions seeking the removal of Gyanesh Kumar.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav addresses a press conference at the party office in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday questioned the functioning of the Election Commission, saying governments formed during a period when the poll panel was not acting impartially were “unconstitutional”.Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Yadav referred to a report that said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and electoral roll procedures.Yadav said the Election Commission was regarded as an impartial institution and was expected to strengthen democracy. He questioned “on whose behalf” the poll panel was functioning if its own members were raising objections to its decisions.“This is dangerous for our democracy. This is an attempt to weaken our democracy,” he said.Yadav questions fairness of electionsThe SP chief said the Election Commission was a constitutional body and questioned who was “playing with” such an institution for the purpose of remaining in government.“What can you imagine now? Would the Election Commission have been fair? Would it have been impartial?” he asked.Yadav said the reported objections from within the poll panel raised questions about the functioning of an institution whose basic expectation was impartiality.“This means that the governments which have been formed during this period are unconstitutional governments,” he said, alleging that democracy had been “trampled upon”.In an earlier post on X, Yadav described the reported objections by the two Election Commissioners as “extremely serious news”.“It is extremely serious news that in the last 10 months, two Election Commissioners have recorded their objections 14 times to the wrong decisions of the Election Commission,” he said.“Making democracy a victim by becoming puppets of some people in power is a grave constitutional crime. It is no less than a conspiracy to destroy democracy,” Yadav said, urging the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.Yadav alleges deletion of SP votersYadav also alleged that voters supporting the Samajwadi Party had been “systematically deleted” from electoral rolls and claimed no corrective action was taken after the issue was brought to the Election Commission’s notice.“The Election Commission claims it will strengthen democracy. When such things are happening within the Election Commission itself, where can one place their trust? In the span of 10 months, various officials have written letters 14 times. Samajwadi Party voters were systematically deleted from the Election Commission’s voters list. We brought this to the notice of the Election Commission, but no action was taken against anyone. Rampant malpractice was committed on a massive scale in the by-elections,” Yadav said.The Election Commission, however, said all its decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously with the approval of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two other Election Commissioners.Responding to the report, the EC said written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks were standard practices within a multi-member constitutional body. It said all official orders and decisions carried full legal sanction and followed established statutory procedures.The commission said differing views were part of institutional deliberations before a final decision was taken. It also said it had introduced around 40 new initiatives and undertaken electoral reforms, including electoral-roll revision and SIR.Yadav targets UP governmentYadav also accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of arbitrary governance.“The government is acting arbitrarily. It is dismantling every system. Those who believe in demolition and destruction—whether it comes to the law or the Constitution—simply do not care about anything. This government is trampling upon everyone’s dignity and self-respect,” he said.On Ayodhya, Yadav said the SP had never opposed construction of the Ram Temple but accused the BJP of displacing local residents through demolition drives.“We have never wanted to be an obstacle in the development of the Lord Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, nor will we ever be in the future. We will develop a far better city of Ayodhya than they ever could. Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThey are snatching away the rights of the poor,” he said.The Election Commission controversy has also drawn criticism from other Opposition parties, with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi questioning the poll panel and CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged “vote chori”.Opposition parties had earlier moved motions seeking the removal of Gyanesh Kumar.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna04 mins mins

Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav addresses a press conference at the party office in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday questioned the functioning of the Election Commission, saying governments formed during a period when the poll panel was not acting impartially were “unconstitutional”.Addressing a press conference…

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He said opposition parties had questioned the functioning of the three election commissioners both when they appeared to agree and now when correspondence between them has emerged. NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday defended the election commission over the row surrounding an alleged split among the poll panel’s commissioners, with party MP Sambit Patra saying that internal deliberations between the three election commissioners were a sign of a healthy democracy. He also accused the Congress of attacking constitutional institutions after failing to win elections.Addressing a press conference, Patra referred to the EC’s press note and said correspondence among the three election commissioners had taken place on 14 occasions.”I am not here to hold a press conference on behalf of the Election Commission. I have brought the press note issued by the EC, and I have read it. I hope you have also read it,” he said.Patra said the correspondence showed that the commissioners had formally exchanged views and consulted one another.He added, “But now there has been correspondence among the three commissioners on 14 occasions. This is official deliberation among the three election commissioners. What do we gather from this? The BJP did not go and plant a story in the media saying that there had been official deliberations among the three commissioners. Such deliberations are actually a sign of a healthy democracy…”Patra targets oppositionPatra also hit out at opposition parties over their criticism of the EC, accusing them of attacking constitutional institutions.He said opposition parties had questioned the functioning of the three election commissioners both when they appeared to agree and now when correspondence between them has emerged.”If the three election commissioners who conduct elections in the country do not communicate with each other, do not exchange views or consult one another, and simply keep agreeing with each other, then the Opposition parties say, ‘This is a dictatorship.'””They say, ‘This government appointed all three of them, and they simply keep saying yes to everything. They are all supporters of Modi.'”Patra said the opposition had also used the term “Godi media” for sections of the media and was now making similar allegations against the poll panel.”You say the same thing about the media, calling it ‘Godi media’, and now you say these three commissioners are also ‘Godi’ people.”Congress accused of attacking institutionsPatra linked the latest controversy to what he described as a broader Congress campaign against constitutional institutions.”You know how, since 2014, when the Modi government came to power, opposition parties have been falling one after another. They did not fall on a battlefield, but in the democratic arena, as their existence came under threat because they were not chosen by the people,” he said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHe claimed the Congress had subsequently turned its focus to institutions after finding itself unable to win elections.He added, “After that, particularly the Congress party realised that it could not win elections, and so the biggest weapon in its hands was to ‘kill the institutions of the country’. It began attacking our constitutional institutions and trying to defame them.”Patra said the criticism of the EC was part of the same campaign, “In the same context and as part of the same campaign, several parties have held press conferences today regarding the Election Commission.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorVijaya SrivastavaVijaya Srivastava is a journalist and feature writer whose expertise lies in covering human-centred developments. Her stories explore how policy, technology, economic shifts and social change influence people’s everyday lives. Her work also focuses on bringing depth, context and a human perspective to complex issues. Her reports primarily cover society, healthcare, safety, public policy and emerging trends, alongside other political developments.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

He said opposition parties had questioned the functioning of the three election commissioners both when they appeared to agree and now when correspondence between them has emerged. NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday defended the election commission over the row surrounding an alleged split among the poll panel’s commissioners, with party MP Sambit Patra saying that internal deliberations between the three election commissioners were a sign of a healthy democracy. He also accused the Congress of attacking constitutional institutions after failing to win elections.Addressing a press conference, Patra referred to the EC’s press note and said correspondence among the three election commissioners had taken place on 14 occasions.”I am not here to hold a press conference on behalf of the Election Commission. I have brought the press note issued by the EC, and I have read it. I hope you have also read it,” he said.Patra said the correspondence showed that the commissioners had formally exchanged views and consulted one another.He added, “But now there has been correspondence among the three commissioners on 14 occasions. This is official deliberation among the three election commissioners. What do we gather from this? The BJP did not go and plant a story in the media saying that there had been official deliberations among the three commissioners. Such deliberations are actually a sign of a healthy democracy…”Patra targets oppositionPatra also hit out at opposition parties over their criticism of the EC, accusing them of attacking constitutional institutions.He said opposition parties had questioned the functioning of the three election commissioners both when they appeared to agree and now when correspondence between them has emerged.”If the three election commissioners who conduct elections in the country do not communicate with each other, do not exchange views or consult one another, and simply keep agreeing with each other, then the Opposition parties say, ‘This is a dictatorship.'””They say, ‘This government appointed all three of them, and they simply keep saying yes to everything. They are all supporters of Modi.'”Patra said the opposition had also used the term “Godi media” for sections of the media and was now making similar allegations against the poll panel.”You say the same thing about the media, calling it ‘Godi media’, and now you say these three commissioners are also ‘Godi’ people.”Congress accused of attacking institutionsPatra linked the latest controversy to what he described as a broader Congress campaign against constitutional institutions.”You know how, since 2014, when the Modi government came to power, opposition parties have been falling one after another. They did not fall on a battlefield, but in the democratic arena, as their existence came under threat because they were not chosen by the people,” he said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHe claimed the Congress had subsequently turned its focus to institutions after finding itself unable to win elections.He added, “After that, particularly the Congress party realised that it could not win elections, and so the biggest weapon in its hands was to ‘kill the institutions of the country’. It began attacking our constitutional institutions and trying to defame them.”Patra said the criticism of the EC was part of the same campaign, “In the same context and as part of the same campaign, several parties have held press conferences today regarding the Election Commission.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorVijaya SrivastavaVijaya Srivastava is a journalist and feature writer whose expertise lies in covering human-centred developments. Her stories explore how policy, technology, economic shifts and social change influence people’s everyday lives. Her work also focuses on bringing depth, context and a human perspective to complex issues. Her reports primarily cover society, healthcare, safety, public policy and emerging trends, alongside other political developments.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSIR, Form 6, Voter Rolls: EC Responds After Report Flags Objections By 2 Election CommissionersIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional Appeal123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowHurricane PoloUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

Vamsikrishna03 mins mins

He said opposition parties had questioned the functioning of the three election commissioners both when they appeared to agree and now when correspondence between them has emerged. NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday defended the election commission over the row surrounding an alleged split among the poll panel’s commissioners, with party MP Sambit Patra saying…

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NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday announced the names of state incharges for different states, with party leader Smriti Irani given the responsibility of Chhattisgarh and Haryana.Vinod tawde has been appointed as the incharge of UP, while Vinay Sahastrabuddhe was named Delhi incharge.Here is the full listState/UTInchargeCo-incharge(s)Andaman & NicobarJai Prakash, Delhi-Arunachal PradeshDevesh Kumar, Bihar-Andhra PradeshArvind BhadoriaVanathi SrinivasanAssamMangal PandeyPhangnon Konyak, Manoj TigggaBiharHarish DwivediSangeeta Yadav, Rohan GuptaChandigarhMahendra Pandey-ChhattisgarhSmriti IraniSiddharth ShambhuDadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & DiuVarshaben Narendra Bhai Doshi-DelhiVinay SahasrabuddheJamyang Tsering Namgyal, Darshana JardoshGoaBharati Pravin PawarAnil AntonyGujaratTarun ChughAjay Mahawar, Gomati SaiHaryanaSmriti IraniBhola SinghHimachal PradeshShrikant SharmaDarshana SinghJammu & KashmirSatish PooniaReena KashyapJharkhandGajendra PatelSaurabh Singh, Nivedita SinghKarnatakaHarish DwivediKasm VenkateshwaraluKeralaM. NagrajaM. VenkatesanLadakhRajkumar Bhatia, Delhi-LakshadweepGeorge Kurian-Madhya PradeshBabul Kumar DebRekha VermaMaharashtraBaijayant Jay PandaAmit Malviya, Sadanand Shet Tanawade, Kamaljeet SehrawatManipurRajdeep Roy-MeghalayaKanad PurkayasthaNumal MominMizoramBhagwat Karad-NagalandAnil Antony-OdishaD. PurandeshwariSwadesh SinghPuducherryK. Surendran-PunjabSatish PooniaVirendra Sachdeva, Alka GurjarRajasthanSanjay BhatiaKavita Patidar, Kuljeet ChahalSikkimRaju Bista-Tamil NaduRam MadhavNirmal Kumar Surana, D.K. ArunaTelanganaSunil BansalAbhay Patil, Rekha SharmaTripuraMriganka Deb Barman-Uttar PradeshVinod TawdeJagdish Patel, Medha Kulkarni, Pradeep Sharma, Anant OjhaUttarakhandRam MadhavArvind Menon, Bansuri SwarajWest BengalSunil BansalLal Singh Arya, Rajendra Singh, Pinky KushwahaGet the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional AppealJamui Harassment Case: Prime Accused Shot In Police Encounter, All Seven Arrested In Bihar | Watch123PhotostoriesHow to make a castor oil hair treatment at home in 5 minutes?From dating rumours with Nadeem and daughter Tara calling him ‘Abba’ to divorce from Jay Bhanushali after 14 years of marriage: Bigg Boss 20’s Mahhi Vij’s top controversiesYami Gautam channels old-world royalty in a striking gold-trimmed black saree at the National Film Awards9 things boys learn from their grandparents without even realising itMartha’s Rule rolled out to every A&E in England after teenager’s death: 5 things you need to knowWhy do eggs crack while boiling? 5 common reasons and how to prevent itBeyond Litti Chokha: 10 Bihari dishes you may not know about10 legendary tigers of India and why they became famous5 daily habits that make kids feel deeply valuedCan leftover roti become a dessert? 5 surprisingly good ideas123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowVivek Tiwari caseUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday announced the names of state incharges for different states, with party leader Smriti Irani given the responsibility of Chhattisgarh and Haryana.Vinod tawde has been appointed as the incharge of UP, while Vinay Sahastrabuddhe was named Delhi incharge.Here is the full listState/UTInchargeCo-incharge(s)Andaman & NicobarJai Prakash, Delhi-Arunachal PradeshDevesh Kumar, Bihar-Andhra PradeshArvind BhadoriaVanathi SrinivasanAssamMangal PandeyPhangnon Konyak, Manoj TigggaBiharHarish DwivediSangeeta Yadav, Rohan GuptaChandigarhMahendra Pandey-ChhattisgarhSmriti IraniSiddharth ShambhuDadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & DiuVarshaben Narendra Bhai Doshi-DelhiVinay SahasrabuddheJamyang Tsering Namgyal, Darshana JardoshGoaBharati Pravin PawarAnil AntonyGujaratTarun ChughAjay Mahawar, Gomati SaiHaryanaSmriti IraniBhola SinghHimachal PradeshShrikant SharmaDarshana SinghJammu & KashmirSatish PooniaReena KashyapJharkhandGajendra PatelSaurabh Singh, Nivedita SinghKarnatakaHarish DwivediKasm VenkateshwaraluKeralaM. NagrajaM. VenkatesanLadakhRajkumar Bhatia, Delhi-LakshadweepGeorge Kurian-Madhya PradeshBabul Kumar DebRekha VermaMaharashtraBaijayant Jay PandaAmit Malviya, Sadanand Shet Tanawade, Kamaljeet SehrawatManipurRajdeep Roy-MeghalayaKanad PurkayasthaNumal MominMizoramBhagwat Karad-NagalandAnil Antony-OdishaD. PurandeshwariSwadesh SinghPuducherryK. Surendran-PunjabSatish PooniaVirendra Sachdeva, Alka GurjarRajasthanSanjay BhatiaKavita Patidar, Kuljeet ChahalSikkimRaju Bista-Tamil NaduRam MadhavNirmal Kumar Surana, D.K. ArunaTelanganaSunil BansalAbhay Patil, Rekha SharmaTripuraMriganka Deb Barman-Uttar PradeshVinod TawdeJagdish Patel, Medha Kulkarni, Pradeep Sharma, Anant OjhaUttarakhandRam MadhavArvind Menon, Bansuri SwarajWest BengalSunil BansalLal Singh Arya, Rajendra Singh, Pinky KushwahaGet the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndian Man Murdered in UAE: Body Found in Nine Pieces Inside Car In SharjahAsad Alam Siam to Be Bangladesh’s Next High Commissioner to India | What It Means for TiesUP Man Kills Wife & 2 Priests, Holds 3 Children Hostage, Later Shot Dead In Police EncounterIndia Tests 1,000-Km-Range ‘KAL’ One-Way Attack Drone At Pokhran Range‘Can’t Deny Our Right To Industrialise’: Jaishankar Lists 7 Priorities At Global South MeetIIT Bombay Student Death: Family Alleges Caste Discrimination, Alumni Association Urges Fair Probe‘Only Akhilesh Can Beat BJP’: SP Leader Iqra Hasan’s Remark Triggers Fresh Congress-SP Face-Off’Everything Is Fine In Our Schools’: CJP Team Stopped In Greater Noida, Locals Question School Visit’I’m With You Don’t Go’: Ex-Cong MLA Calls Off BJP Entry After Rahul Gandhi’s Emotional AppealJamui Harassment Case: Prime Accused Shot In Police Encounter, All Seven Arrested In Bihar | Watch123PhotostoriesHow to make a castor oil hair treatment at home in 5 minutes?From dating rumours with Nadeem and daughter Tara calling him ‘Abba’ to divorce from Jay Bhanushali after 14 years of marriage: Bigg Boss 20’s Mahhi Vij’s top controversiesYami Gautam channels old-world royalty in a striking gold-trimmed black saree at the National Film Awards9 things boys learn from their grandparents without even realising itMartha’s Rule rolled out to every A&E in England after teenager’s death: 5 things you need to knowWhy do eggs crack while boiling? 5 common reasons and how to prevent itBeyond Litti Chokha: 10 Bihari dishes you may not know about10 legendary tigers of India and why they became famous5 daily habits that make kids feel deeply valuedCan leftover roti become a dessert? 5 surprisingly good ideas123Hot PicksBPSC TRE 4 RecruitmentAndhra Pradesh school holidaySpaceXGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysWeather tomorrowVivek Tiwari caseUPI transactionsOpenAI breachCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyConnor McDavid WifePowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court

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NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday announced the names of state incharges for different states, with party leader Smriti Irani given the responsibility of Chhattisgarh and Haryana.Vinod tawde has been appointed as the incharge of UP, while Vinay Sahastrabuddhe was named Delhi incharge.Here is the full list State/UT Incharge Co-incharge(s) Andaman & Nicobar Jai…

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