VK News Today https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html Alia Bhatt gives shout-out to Ranbir Kapoor after ‘Love And War’ first-look release: ‘Hey handsome’ 6 simple tips to grow onions at home in pots, containers and small garden spaces | Maricarmen Eviction: 87-year-old’s eviction in Madrid sparks protests as Spain’s housing crisis deepens CNN, MS NOW, Politico seek emergency hearing after White House denies access despite court order | World News Dhanush calls Karthik Subbaraj’s ‘Dorothy’ ‘a masterpiece’ and says Ilaiyaraaja’s background score ‘will blow your mind away’ ahead of September 25 release How Microsoft helped uncover an urban myth; it went that Atari buried millions of game cartridges in Mexico desert; unravelling 30-year-old ‘El Paso warehouse mystery’ Palestinian president delivers UN speech by video after US denies visa again The Election Commission has barred both Trinamool Congress factions from using the party’s name. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission to give rival factions in the Trinamool Congress dispute reasonable time to present their evidence, but to ensure that the proceedings are completed in time for the upcoming West Bengal elections.The court’s direction came against the backdrop of the prolonged Shiv Sena name-and-symbol dispute. “We know what delay did in Shiv Sena,” the bench observed, stressing that the TMC dispute should not be allowed to drag on indefinitely, according to news agency ANI.A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was hearing a plea filed by former West Bengal chief minister and TMC leader Mamata Banerjee challenging the Election Commission’s decision concerning the use of the original TMC name and its traditional ‘Flowers and Grass’ symbol.The court asked the Election Commission how much time it would need to complete the adjudication, particularly since its order was intended to operate for the current by-election.The bench said that while the dispute needed to be resolved within a reasonable timeframe, both sides must have adequate opportunity to place their evidence before the poll panel.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesSenior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Mamata Banerjee, sought a stay on the Election Commission’s order, submitting that it had left his client without an effective remedy.”EC order has left me without a remedy,” Sibal said.The Supreme Court said it was conscious of the consequences of delay in disputes involving the identity of political parties and their election symbols.The court asked the Election Commission to provide the rival sides reasonable time to submit their evidence and complete the adjudication sufficiently ahead of the West Bengal elections.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 MediaVideos21-Year Search Ends As Jamui Police Arrest Double Murder Accused While Raiding House Of His Son‘Anti-National’ Gyanesh Kumar Must Resign: CJP’s Dipke, Saurav Das List 3 Demands Amid SIR-EC RowLoP Role ‘Largely Ornamental’?: SC Judges Split Over EC Appointment Law, Matter Sent To CJIRam Temple Donation Case: SIT Files 74,000-Page Chargesheet Against 8 AccusedSahil Wakode Death Case: CCTV Footage Surfaces; IIT Bombay Sets Up 10-Member Probe Panel’Illegal’ Changes to IT System Row: Timeline of Sandhu & Joshi’s Objections Over Form 6, ECINet, SIRVivek Joshi & SS Sandhu: The 2 Election Commissioners Who ‘Raised Objections’ Over SIR, Form-6CJP Takes On Election Commission After Report; Will This Lead To Next Jantar Mantar? | WatchCEC, 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 Questions123Hot PicksIBPS PO Prelims Result 2026Bank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysSchool holiday todaySamastipur girl molestationTelangana school holidayMumbai-Pune ExpresswayCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Dubai-based Indian bought two Mumbai flats, but later cancelled them after delayed possession; builder sought deductions, but MahaREAT orders full Rs 1.15 crore refund plus interest Mushtaq Khan, ‘Welcome’ and ‘Gadar – Ek Prem Katha’ actor, passes away at the age of 56 In 2017, this man got a bank job; 8 years later, he returned to his family in Andhra Pradesh after his father’s death and started farming again; he now earns Rs 5,000 daily from vegetables | In 1999, Mariah Carey paid $9 million for two Tribeca apartments, combined them into a 12,728-sq-ft triplex and had Mario Buatta design the interiors; 27 years later, the penthouse is asking $27 million In 2000, California packed 662,700 shredded waste tires beneath an I-880 on-ramp; they cut foundation stress 40%, saved $477,000, and CalRecycle later reported 22 years without repairs or issues The report alleges outdated data fed to AI may have caused the tragedy Saudi Arabia issued an emergency alert for Mecca on Thursday amid an escalation in attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, warning of potential danger in the holy city for the first time during the latest flare-up.The alert was later lifted, with Saudi Civil Defence saying the danger had passed and urging residents to follow safety instructions and avoid gathering or filming. Mecca is home to Islam’s holiest site, the Grand Mosque.Saudi Arabia’s Saudi-led coalition in Yemen also said it had intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis at areas including Taif and Yanbu. It was not immediately clear whether the attacks caused any casualties or damage.Saudi authorities had first issued a brief warning for Mecca, Jeddah and Taif on September 15, with the Mecca alert marking the first such warning during the latest escalation.”Any escalation and violations by the terrorist Houthi militia will be dealt with firmly,” the Saudi-led coalition said after Thursday’s attacks.The Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in July, opening another theatre in the wider regional conflict. The group has also seized much of Yemen’s western coastline, bringing it closer to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb waterway.The latest escalation comes alongside renewed fighting in Yemen’s civil war. Houthi forces have been pushing against the Riyadh-backed government, while government forces earlier repelled overnight attacks on the Taiz-Aden road, a key supply route to the southern port city of Aden.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe fighting is the latest episode in Yemen’s 12-year civil war, which had largely been frozen since a 2022 truce. The Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year in support of the internationally recognised government.More than 700 people have been killed and thousands wounded in the latest fighting, according to the United Nations. Nearly 130,000 Yemenis have been displaced within Yemen, while more than 3,000 have fled by boat across the Red Sea to Africa.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 MediaVideosWhen The Umpires Clash: 10 Questions At The Heart Of The Election Commission-SIR Row21-Year Search Ends As Jamui Police Arrest Double Murder Accused While Raiding House Of His Son‘Anti-National’ Gyanesh Kumar Must Resign: CJP’s Dipke, Saurav Das List 3 Demands Amid SIR-EC RowLoP Role ‘Largely Ornamental’?: SC Judges Split Over EC Appointment Law, Matter Sent To CJIRam Temple Donation Case: SIT Files 74,000-Page Chargesheet Against 8 AccusedSahil Wakode Death Case: CCTV Footage Surfaces; IIT Bombay Sets Up 10-Member Probe Panel’Illegal’ Changes to IT System Row: Timeline of Sandhu & Joshi’s Objections Over Form 6, ECINet, SIRVivek Joshi & SS Sandhu: The 2 Election Commissioners Who ‘Raised Objections’ Over SIR, Form-6CJP Takes On Election Commission After Report; Will This Lead To Next Jantar Mantar? | WatchCEC, ECs And The Power To Decide: What Happens When Election Commissioners Disagree?123Hot PicksIBPS PO Prelims Result 2026Bank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysSchool holiday todaySamastipur girl molestationTelangana school holidayMumbai-Pune ExpresswayCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Sep 24, 2026, 19:49 IST ‘Hi’ OTT release date confirmed: When and where to watch Kavin and Nayanthara’s romantic drama 10 baby girl names that reflect beauty in different languages YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says ‘no’ to joining Meta’s multistate child safety settlement; Facebook parent has agreed to $18 billion fine, says: We are no … Meet Natalie Flaherty, the Minnesota girl who turned a 2023 Halloween idea into an anti-hate campaign distributing 100,000+ bracelets across 50+ countries; now the 12-year-old has won a $10,000 national Young Hero prize File photo: BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi NEW DELHI: Congress leader and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday escalated his attack on the Centre and the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that India’s elections had been “rigged” and demanding the immediate resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.Congress MP said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and Kumar were “deshdrohis” (traitors) for what he alleged was the destruction of the country’s vote.He said the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly elections were “all rigged” and asserted that PM Modi and Shah would be investigated over what he described as a conspiracy to “steal elections”.His remarks came a day after an investigation by a media report claimed that election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections to decisions and orders related to electoral-roll management and the SIR exercise.The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that these objections reflected a disagreement over its final decisions, saying its decisions, including those concerning SIR, were unanimous.Rahul Gandhi demands CEC’s resignationAddressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi, Rahul said the Election Commission was responsible for protecting the vote and accused the poll panel of failing in that duty.”Mr Gyanesh Kumar must resign immediately. We are not going to let democracy be destroyed in India and sit silent, and the people responsible for this are going to be punished,” Rae Bareli MP said.He said the reported objections by Sandhu and Joshi showed that questions were being raised within the poll panel itself.”The two Election Commissioners have done a wise thing, and I appreciate it,” he said.Former Congress president further alleged that the Prime Minister and home minister were “at the top of this conspiracy” and would be investigated. He also suggested that Kumar should “turn approver”, describing that as an act of nationalism.”I can say with certainty that Indian elections — 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls — were all rigged,” Rahul said.He also linked the alleged manipulation of votes to the functioning of Parliament, laws and institutions.”From vote chori (vote theft), comes kanoon chori (law theft) and from that comes sanstha chori (institutional theft),” he said.Explaining the argument, the Congress leader said the vote was the foundation of the constitutional system.”If the vote has been destroyed, then our Constitution has been destroyed. If our Constitution has been destroyed, our laws are illegal. If our laws are illegal, our institutions are meaningless,” he said.He said the alleged issue was therefore not limited to electoral rolls but concerned the wider constitutional framework.”The central question here is this is not just an attack on the vote; this is an attack on the idea, the basic infrastructure, and the expression of every single Indian person,” Rahul said.What triggered the latest row?The immediate trigger was an Indian Express investigation reporting that Sandhu and Joshi recorded at least 14 objections over 10 months to decisions and orders issued in the name of the Election Commission.The objections reportedly covered voter registration and deletion, changes to Form 6 used for new voter registration, access to and centralisation of electoral-roll databases, and other aspects of the SIR exercise.The report said the two commissioners had objected four times on a single day and had raised concerns about decisions they said were taken without their knowledge or approval.The Election Commission, however, has disputed the interpretation that the reported internal notes amounted to a breakdown or disagreement over final decisions.The poll panel said internal technical notes, queries and suggestions were part of the normal administrative and decision-making process and maintained that the final decisions of the Commission were unanimous. Its response did not dispute the existence of the notes but said focusing on individual objections presented only part of the overall decision-making process.The EC’s position is that all decisions relating to SIR had the approval of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and election commissioners Sandhu and Joshi.BJP rejects Rahul’s allegationsThe BJP hit back at Lok Sabha LoP’s allegations, with party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari describing his press conference as a “damp squib” and dubbing it “Jhoot Ki Goonj”.In a post on X, Bhandari accused Rahul of making false claims and said the Congress leader was unable to win public support through democratic means.He also challenged Rahul’s assertion that there had been no anti-incumbency against the BJP since 2014, saying the BJP had lost 20 elections since then.BJP leader and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi also challenged Rae Bareli MP’s argument on anti-incumbency.He pointed to the Congress’s electoral record in states including Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and argued that anti-incumbency had affected the Congress as well.On the media report, Trivedi questioned the basis for treating the reported objections as evidence that the Election Commission’s final decisions were not unanimous.”Do you have even a single report indicating that a decision was not unanimous?” Trivedi said, adding that there was no quoted statement from any Election Commissioner saying that a final decision had not been unanimous.He also questioned whether the reported internal objections should be treated as evidence of a wider institutional dispute when the Commission had maintained that its decisions were unanimous.Rahul’s anti-incumbency argumentA significant part of the Congress leader’s press conference focused on what he described as the disappearance of anti-incumbency against the BJP.He cited electoral swings in Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and said governments and political parties in India had historically faced anti-incumbency.”Haryana swings from one party to another for 50 years. Suddenly anti-incumbency disappears. Maharashtra swings; suddenly it disappears. Uttar Pradesh swings. Sometimes Samajwadi, sometimes BSP; it disappears. Madhya Pradesh, it disappears. Gujarat, it disappears,” Rahul said.He cited former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s experience after the 1971 Bangladesh war as an example of how anti-incumbency, according to him, had affected even highly popular leaders.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”It happens to leader after leader. It does not happen to PM Modi, Shah and the BJP – now we know the answer to it,” he said.He also played videos of PM Modi and Shah, including remarks about the BJP remaining in power for decades and Modi’s “Abki Baar 400 Paar” slogan. He argued that such statements were inconsistent with the normal operation of democratic politics.However, BJP has rejected Rahul’s allegations, while the Election Commission has maintained that the reported objections were part of its internal decision-making process and that its final decisions, including those related to SIR, were unanimous.The dispute over the electoral-roll revision and the reported objections by the two election commissioners is now at the centre of the political exchange between Congress, BJP and the poll panel.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos21-Year Search Ends As Jamui Police Arrest Double Murder Accused While Raiding House Of His Son‘Anti-National’ Gyanesh Kumar Must Resign: CJP’s Dipke, Saurav Das List 3 Demands Amid SIR-EC RowLoP Role ‘Largely Ornamental’?: SC Judges Split Over EC Appointment Law, Matter Sent To CJIRam Temple Donation Case: SIT Files 74,000-Page Chargesheet Against 8 AccusedSahil Wakode Death Case: CCTV Footage Surfaces; IIT Bombay Sets Up 10-Member Probe Panel’Illegal’ Changes to IT System Row: Timeline of Sandhu & Joshi’s Objections Over Form 6, ECINet, SIRVivek Joshi & SS Sandhu: The 2 Election Commissioners Who ‘Raised Objections’ Over SIR, Form-6CJP Takes On Election Commission After Report; Will This Lead To Next Jantar Mantar? | WatchCEC, 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 Questions123Hot PicksIBPS PO Prelims Result 2026Bank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysSchool holiday todaySamastipur girl molestationTelangana school holidayMumbai-Pune ExpresswayCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Updated: Sep 24, 2026, 19:24 IST Quote of the day by Humphrey Bogart: ‘Everybody has something to conceal,’ when the American actor highlighted that everyone keeps a part of their life hidden People who keep old birthday cards may have this emotional reason behind the habit ‘No anti-incumbency against BJP?’ Party counters Rahul Gandhi with Tamil Nadu, Bengal poll history A Wisconsin university campus closed in 2025 after roughly six decades of classes; one year later, its 76-acre property has been approved for sale and could be redeveloped into about 670 homes “POCSO offence cannot be quashed on basis of compromise”, says Delhi High Court NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has held that proceedings under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cannot be quashed on the basis of a compromise between a child victim or the victim’s family and the accused.Justice Sachin Datta made the observation while dismissing a petition seeking quashing of an FIR and related proceedings on the basis of a settlement allegedly reached with the victim with the intervention of her family, according to news agency ANI.The court noted that the case involved allegations of aggravated penetrative sexual assault against a child by a person allegedly in a position of trust or authority. It observed that such offences are heinous and have a serious impact on society.The high court relied on a Supreme Court judgment which held that while a high court has inherent powers to quash criminal proceedings in appropriate cases where parties have settled their dispute, such powers must be exercised after considering the nature and gravity of the offence.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe Supreme Court has held that heinous and serious offences, including rape, ordinarily cannot be quashed merely because the victim or the victim’s family and the accused have reached a settlement, as such offences are not private in nature and have a serious impact on society.Applying the principle, the Delhi high court held that an offence under the POCSO Act cannot be compromised by the child victim or the victim’s family. It said quashing the proceedings at this stage on the basis of a compromise would defeat the object of the statute and the ends of justice.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAastha JhaAastha Jha is a writer at The Times of India, covering politics. She also writes on business, global affairs, social issues, with a focus on policy, governance and their impact on everyday lives. Her work brings together reportage and analysis, tracking developments in India and abroad while examining the broader social and economic currents shaping public discourse.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos21-Year Search Ends As Jamui Police Arrest Double Murder Accused While Raiding House Of His Son‘Anti-National’ Gyanesh Kumar Must Resign: CJP’s Dipke, Saurav Das List 3 Demands Amid SIR-EC RowLoP Role ‘Largely Ornamental’?: SC Judges Split Over EC Appointment Law, Matter Sent To CJIRam Temple Donation Case: SIT Files 74,000-Page Chargesheet Against 8 AccusedSahil Wakode Death Case: CCTV Footage Surfaces; IIT Bombay Sets Up 10-Member Probe Panel’Illegal’ Changes to IT System Row: Timeline of Sandhu & Joshi’s Objections Over Form 6, ECINet, SIRVivek Joshi & SS Sandhu: The 2 Election Commissioners Who ‘Raised Objections’ Over SIR, Form-6CJP Takes On Election Commission After Report; Will This Lead To Next Jantar Mantar? | WatchCEC, 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 Questions123Hot PicksIBPS PO Prelims Result 2026Bank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysSchool holiday todaySamastipur girl molestationTelangana school holidayMumbai-Pune ExpresswayCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Amitabh Bachchan overtakes Shah Rukh Khan by a slim 1 lakh-follower margin on social media – Report What you see first reveals if you’re logical or an intuitive thinker IIT-Bombay student suicide: Sahil Wakode’s parents begin hunger strike in Mumbai, seek action against ‘tormentors’ Rare Captain America and Batman comics were stored for 75-80 years; recently discovered collection heads to auction | World News Rahul targets Centre, CEC amid SIR row; Iran threatens to extend war to Indian Ocean in case of new US strikes SIR row: Rahul Gandhi questioned CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid the SIR row and asked why PM Modi and Amit Shah face no anti-incumbency.Iran-US tensions: An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader warned that a new US attack could see the conflict spread to the Indian Ocean.CEC impeachment: Congress has reached out to opposition parties seeking support for an impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.Market crash: Sensex plunged 1,248 points and Nifty fell 384 points as rising US bond yields triggered heavy selling.Paneer labelling: FSSAI has proposed restricting the use of the term “paneer” for analogue paneer and cheese products to prevent consumer confusion.Here are top 5 news of the dayRahul Gandhi questions CEC over SIR, asks why PM Modi, Shah face no anti-incumbencyLeader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi questioned Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid reports of differences within the poll body over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Rahul alleged that elections were “rigged” and questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah did not face anti-incumbency. “I come from a political family, and I have spent more than 50 years in a political family… In India, there is a fundamental force called anti-incumbency,” he said. Read full storyIran warns war with US could spread to Indian OceanAn adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Tehran could expand any new conflict with the United States to the Indian Ocean if Washington launches another attack, AFP reported. The warning comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US, with Tehran signalling that a fresh confrontation could widen beyond the region. Follow live updatesCongress seeks Opposition backing for impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh KumarCongress has approached opposition parties seeking their support for an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid the ongoing SIR row, ANI reported, citing party sources. The sources said the notice would be moved in both Houses of Parliament within two weeks. Congress has also directed its state units to hold protest marches to Election Commission offices on September 25, demanding Kumar’s arrest and removal. Read full storySensex plunges 1,248 points, Nifty falls 384 points on global cuesIndian equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty ended sharply lower, dragged by weak global signals and a sharp rise in US bond yields. The Nifty 50 declined 383.70 points, or 1.64%, to 23,063.10, while the BSE Sensex dropped 1,247.71 points, or 1.67%, to 73,580.54. Both indices came under intense selling pressure during the session, falling more than 1.5% as US bond yields hit a 19-year high, raising investor concerns.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines Read full storyFSSAI proposes curbs on use of ‘paneer’ tag for analogue productsThe Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed restricting the use of the term “paneer” for analogue paneer and cheese products to ensure consumers are not misled about their composition. The proposal covers food businesses, including hotels, restaurants and caterers, using dairy substitutes. Such products would need clear identification, with businesses required to prominently disclose the information on menu cards, packaging and other consumer touchpoints under existing labelling rules. Read full storyGet the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAastha JhaAastha Jha is a writer at The Times of India, covering politics. She also writes on business, global affairs, social issues, with a focus on policy, governance and their impact on everyday lives. Her work brings together reportage and analysis, tracking developments in India and abroad while examining the broader social and economic currents shaping public discourse.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Anti-National’ Gyanesh Kumar Must Resign: CJP’s Dipke, Saurav Das List 3 Demands Amid SIR-EC RowLoP Role ‘Largely Ornamental’?: SC Judges Split Over EC Appointment Law, Matter Sent To CJIRam Temple Donation Case: SIT Files 74,000-Page Chargesheet Against 8 AccusedSahil Wakode Death Case: CCTV Footage Surfaces; IIT Bombay Sets Up 10-Member Probe Panel’Illegal’ Changes to IT System Row: Timeline of Sandhu & Joshi’s Objections Over Form 6, ECINet, SIRVivek Joshi & SS Sandhu: The 2 Election Commissioners Who ‘Raised Objections’ Over SIR, Form-6CJP Takes On Election Commission After Report; Will This Lead To Next Jantar Mantar? | WatchCEC, 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 Impact123Hot PicksIBPS PO Prelims Result 2026Bank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysSchool holiday todaySamastipur girl molestationTelangana school holidayMumbai-Pune ExpresswayCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Updated: Sep 24, 2026, 18:52 IST ‘Definitely, I will do it, sir’: Keerthy Suresh explains why she AGREED to Karthik Subbaraj’s ‘Dorothy’ right after reading the synopsis A brightly striped wasp spider has been recorded in Cheshire for the first time; Chester Zoo says the harmless species is moving north as warming reshapes where British wildlife can survive Straitcraft: How geography gives Iran leverage and could do the same for India Tech industry group urges Trump administration to drop $103,265 H-1B fee proposal, asks how Silicon Valley will hire top talents Milan Pradhan was arrested on September 18 NEW DELHI: The Calcutta high court on Thursday orally directed the West Bengal government to allow arrested Congress candidate Milan Pradhan to contest the upcoming Nandigram assembly bypoll.Justice Saugata Bhattacharya held that Pradhan would not be treated as “arrested” in the 2007 case for which a lower court remanded him to judicial custody until October 7.Pradhan had challenged his arrest in the case, which was not among the 11 cases mentioned before the high court on September 22. The court noted that the state had produced no document showing that a production warrant had been served on the Congress candidate.“It is surprising to note that the said criminal prosecution is of 2007 and the investigating officer made a prayer for treating the petitioner as ‘shown arrest’ on September 19,” the court observed.On September 22 too, the bench had orally asked the West Bengal government to allow Pradhan to contest the Nandigram bypoll, subject to his securing bail in the five cases in which he had been arrested.The court noted that Pradhan was shown “arrested” in the Khejuri police station case after the September 22 hearing.Justice Bhattacharyya directed the police not to take any steps against Pradhan until October 12 in case number 45 of 2007 at Khejuri police station in Purba Medinipur district and ordered that he not be treated as arrested in the case.The court questioned why Pradhan had been arraigned in another case after the state had told it that he was not wanted in any other case.Pradhan’s counsel Ayan Bhattacharjee told the bench he was “unaware” of the Khejuri case and that the prosecution had not disclosed the production warrant to the high court.Additional advocate general Rajdeep Majumdar, appearing for the state, said the Contai ACJM court had issued the warrant on September 19. Pradhan faces charges including murder and attempt to murder in the case.The cases against Pradhan stem from protests against land acquisition by the then Left Front government in Nandigram and Khejuri in 2007. Police said the pending cases include charges of murder, attempt to murder, abduction with intent to murder, rioting with arms and offences under the Arms Act.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHe has filed bail applications in four cases.Pradhan was arrested on September 18, hours after Mamata Banerjee announced that her Trinamool Congress faction would support him after its candidate, Sanchita Pradhan De, withdrew from the Nandigram contest.The Nandigram seat fell vacant after West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari retained Bhabanipur, Mamata Banerjee’s erstwhile stronghold. The bypoll will be held on October 6, with counting on October 9.(With PTI inputs)Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorKaran ManralKaran Manral is a journalist at the Times of India. He covers politics, social issues, and international affairs, exploring stories that affect people’s everyday lives. He also writes explainers to make these stories easier for readers to follow.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Anti-National’ Gyanesh Kumar Must Resign: CJP’s Dipke, Saurav Das List 3 Demands Amid SIR-EC RowLoP Role ‘Largely Ornamental’?: SC Judges Split Over EC Appointment Law, Matter Sent To CJIRam Temple Donation Case: SIT Files 74,000-Page Chargesheet Against 8 AccusedSahil Wakode Death Case: CCTV Footage Surfaces; IIT Bombay Sets Up 10-Member Probe Panel’Illegal’ Changes to IT System Row: Timeline of Sandhu & Joshi’s Objections Over Form 6, ECINet, SIRVivek Joshi & SS Sandhu: The 2 Election Commissioners Who ‘Raised Objections’ Over SIR, Form-6CJP Takes On Election Commission After Report; Will This Lead To Next Jantar Mantar? | WatchCEC, 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 Impact123Hot PicksIBPS PO Prelims Result 2026Bank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysSchool holiday todaySamastipur girl molestationTelangana school holidayMumbai-Pune ExpresswayCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Just 1.85%, yet NSE has best debut among India’s five biggest IPOs ‘Why would the writer make a movie and ruin the seasons?’: Raghubir Yadav explains why a three-hour movie for ‘Panchayat’ may not work for Phulera’s layered characters amid Season 5 buzz and ‘Mirzapur The Movie’s box office success ₹10 lakh a month for rent? Indian woman’s New York City apartment cost sparks debate Jonathan Taylor Thomas Numerology: What His Birth Number Symbolises About Ambition and Personal Freedom Massachusetts restores cranberry bog to protect rare trout that moves between river and ocean US launches online portal to report visa fraud, misuse; tips can be submitted anonymously Meet Lucas Rojas, the 16-year-old Miami student who turned one inclusive kickball game into a six-team league with 40+ players and 60+ teen volunteers, then won a $10,000 national young hero prize BJP mocks Rahul Gandhi’s presser on EC-SIR row NEW DELHI: The BJP on Thursday mocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s presser in New Delhi, calling it a “damp squib” and accusing the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha of making false claims.BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari took a swipe at Rahul by twisting the name of his “Chhatron Ki Goonj” initiative, calling the Congress press conference “Jhoot Ki Goonj”.Taking to X, Bhandari wrote: “Rahul Gandhi’s Press was a damp squib! It was “Jhoot Ki Goonj” by a frustrated leader not able to win People’s support through democratic means.”Bhandari then listed what he called two “lies” from Rahul’s press conference and offered his counterpoints as “truths”.The first, according to Bhandari, was Rahul’s claim that there had been no anti-incumbency against the BJP since 2014. Countering it, Bhandari said: “BJP has lost 20 elections since 2014.”His second point was Rahul’s question over how Prime Minister Narendra Modi had managed to win elections consecutively.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesBhandari responded: “Did Congress under Nehru did “Vote Chori”, or does Congress win in Rae Bareilly 16 times in consectutive.”BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi also countered Rahul’s claims in his presser.The BJP’s counterattack came shortly after Rahul launched a fresh broadside at the Centre and the Election Commission over the special intensive revision (SIR), claiming that “all elections are being rigged”.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAbhishek MishraAbhishek Mishra is a Digital Content Producer at The Times of India, working with the news desk. He writes with a keen eye on foreign policy, defence developments, and the shifting currents of geopolitics-and yes, Indian politics always finds a way onto his radar too.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Anti-National’ Gyanesh Kumar Must Resign: CJP’s Dipke, Saurav Das List 3 Demands Amid SIR-EC RowLoP Role ‘Largely Ornamental’?: SC Judges Split Over EC Appointment Law, Matter Sent To CJIRam Temple Donation Case: SIT Files 74,000-Page Chargesheet Against 8 AccusedSahil Wakode Death Case: CCTV Footage Surfaces; IIT Bombay Sets Up 10-Member Probe Panel’Illegal’ Changes to IT System Row: Timeline of Sandhu & Joshi’s Objections Over Form 6, ECINet, SIRVivek Joshi & SS Sandhu: The 2 Election Commissioners Who ‘Raised Objections’ Over SIR, Form-6CJP Takes On Election Commission After Report; Will This Lead To Next Jantar Mantar? | WatchCEC, 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 Impact123Hot PicksIBPS PO Prelims Result 2026Bank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysSchool holiday todaySamastipur girl molestationTelangana school holidayMumbai-Pune ExpresswayCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Sep 24, 2026, 18:17 IST Coach who delivered RCB’s first title now appointed Mumbai Indians head coach ahead of 2027 season Ahead of the ‘Verity’ release, stream these Anne Hathaway films online; P.S. it’s not just about ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ and number 3 is a MUST WATCH Lonzo Ball Retirement: What Spirituality Teaches About Accepting Your Past Without Closing the Door on Your Future White House bars Politico, MS NOW reporters again despite judge’s access order