VK News Today https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html ‘Hanuman Ansh’ box office collection day 50: Vishal Chaturvedi film crosses Rs 380 cr worldwide; earns Rs 291.53 cr India net; Rs 37 cr overseas US Supreme Court rejects Trump-backed Missouri congressional map for third time Tarun Tejpal (PTI photo) NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Friday issued two notices on Tarun Tejpal’s sentencing in a 2013 rape case – one to Goa Police on the journalist’s petition against his 10-year prison term and the second to him on a Goa govt plea seeking enhancement of the sentence.Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Tejpal, submitted before an SC bench that it was a case where the acquittal was reversed by Bombay HC and urged that his bail plea be heard. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Goa govt, said, “Rape never takes place for years, and only one day is enough.”On Aug 25, SC had directed Tejpal to surrender within three weeks to undergo his 10-year prison sentence, following which he surrendered before the trial court. HC has convicted Tejpal of raping a junior colleague inside a hotel elevator in 2013 during an event in Goa. Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksWeather tomorrowBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court ‘Dorothy’ box office collection day 1: Keerthy Suresh and Karthik Subbaraj’s film opens with Rs 69 lakh in Tamil Nadu Pisces Horoscope Today, September 26, 2026: Focused efforts bring career progress and encouraging financial gains Supreme Court allows Trump administration to use controversial voter citizenship database before midterms NEW DELHI: The trial in a money laundering case against Jharkhand IAS officer Pooja Singhal would continue as SC refused Friday to quash a trial court order taking cognisance of the offence against her.Additional solicitor general S V Raju, appearing for ED, told a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana that cognisance was taken a long time ago. Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for Singhal, said that a sanction to prosecute an administrative officer as provided under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was not granted. Arora said ED argued that under BNSS, there was a provision of “automatic deemed sanction”.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesShe said Singhal was not an accused in the corruption case, and so far as the money laundering case is concerned, she was acting in her official capacity. Refusing to grant any relief, the bench said it has to be ascertained whether the officer was discharging her official functions. PTIGet the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksWeather tomorrowBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court ‘Choice now rests with US’: Iran offers America 7-day plan to reopen Strait of Hormuz . NEW DELHI: Supreme Court Friday said it would hear after six weeks a plea seeking directions to confiscate the movable and immovable property of offenders and their family members involved in exam question paper leak cases.The matter came up for hearing before Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe.On Aug 18, SC had sought responses from Centre and the state govts on the plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The bench asked the respondents to file their counter affidavits and posted the matter after six weeks. During the Aug 18 hearing, Upadhyay submitted that he was not seeking measures to ensure time-bound probe in question paper leak cases, as the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, has been passed.The plea sought directions for assessment of entire property of perpetrators and their family, and invoke provisions, including Prevention of Corruption Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksWeather tomorrowBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Zeenat Aman reacts to Alia Bhatt’s first look from ‘Love & War’; says ‘SLB has unleashed a showgirl!’ Capricorn Horoscope Today, September 26, 2026: Hard work brings results, but new investments need caution 14 killed in Congo plane crash, two senior military officials among dead Election Commision NEW DELHI: EC, which is reeling under allegations of faultlines among its members, is now being questioned over a software update recently made in the application used by booth level officers, with its description on the Apple app store reading “mark VIP elector-related changes”.EC sources told TOI Friday the instruction to BLOs on “flagging of marked electors” was a standard instruction, which was part of all three special intensive revision orders approved by the commission.The instruction to field officers to “mark” prominent electors in their jurisdictional areas has figured in EC’s instructions for all special summary revisions, well before SIR was conceived, they said. For instance, Para 20 of the SSR exercise ordered by EC on May 29, 2023, with Jan 1, 2024, as the qualifying date, directed the “flagging of marked electors, viz MP/MLA/MLC, holders of declared offices and personalities from fields of arts, culture, journalism, sports, members of judiciary and public services, etc”. Para 21 said the electoral registration officers were to ensure that the names were in the proposed draft roll.The same instruction was reiterated in the SIR order for Bihar dated June 24, 2025, and the orders for SIR Phase 2 and 3.Nowhere in the SIR or SSR instructions has the terminology ‘VIP’ been used. “It somehow made it to the app description,” an officer said. EC officials said the BLO app software update was meant to help such prominent persons “marked” in the electoral database by flagging any notices served and enabling the proof furnished by them to be uploaded on the app without delay.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesMeanwhile, EC sources said the postponement of the electoral literacy club conferences in UP had nothing to do with the row and the decision was made on Sept 21.On reports alleging annual confidential reports were held up due to differences between commission members, EC officials said such delays were not unusual. TOI has further learnt there have been few full commission meetings in the past few months.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 MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksWeather tomorrowBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Cops use water cannons to disperse Congress supporters during a march towards the Election Commission office in New Delhi Friday Stepping up the heat on CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Congress members, joined by other opposition parties and groups, on Friday staged protests across the country and attempted to march to the Election Commission office in various states, demanding his immediate removal and arrest, while police detained the protesters and used water cannons to stop them.The opposition also pressed for an independent inquiry into alleged irregularities in the electoral process, an immediate halt to the SIR exercise and a review of all the decisions taken by ECI during Kumar’s tenure.In an X post Friday evening, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said, “Gyanesh will go; it’s a matter of time. And then Congress will make it happen.” Terming Friday’s protest “just the beginning”, he said that “there will be a massive outpouring of defenders of democracy”.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesIn Assam, state chief Gaurav Gogoi and several senior functionaries were detained as they attempted to cross the barricades placed outside the party’s state headquarters and proceed towards the chief electoral officer’s office.In Jammu and Bhubaneswar, several senior Congress functionaries and workers were detained as they took part in the party’s nationwide agitation against the CEC.In Lucknow, UP Congress workers clashed with police after they were prevented from marching towards the assembly. In Patna, water cannons were fired on Congress workers led by state party chief Rajesh Ram. In Chandigarh, too, demonstrations by Punjab Congress, led by state chief Amrinder Raja Warring, and Haryana Congress faced water cannons.In Lucknow, UP Congress workers clashed with police after they were prevented from marching towards the assembly. In Patna, water cannons were fired on Bihar Congress workers led by state party chief Rajesh Ram.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksWeather tomorrowBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Tata Motors focuses on sedan amid mounting cost pressures Sagittarius Horoscope Today, September 26, 2026: Family harmony and property prospects bring a sense of stability 3 BJP allies say EC must clear air, can’t lose people’s trust Which forces want these names in voters list? Which parties benefited from it? Which party and family created a system keeping such names in the voters’ lists for decades? Why was SIR not held regularly all these decades? Nation wants answers: BL SANTOSH BJP general secretary (Organisation) NEW DELHI: Amid a row over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, BJP on Friday stepped up its defence of the exercise by citing large-scale anomalies which are behind a big chunk of notices and targeted the Opposition for turning a legitimate process into an issue.Citing data, a combative BJP general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh said less than nine months’ difference among siblings is behind 6.4% of the notices issued in Delhi, while 2.5% pertain to the gap between the age of voter and parents being more than 50 years.He said 5% of notices were triggered as difference between the age of voter and parent is less than 15 years, while 4.2% notices stemmed from someone having six or more children.In 2.3% of cases, difference between the age of voter and grandparents is less than 40 years, Santhosh pointed out. He said, “Are you wondering why there’s so much political storm over SIR? These are reasons. Which forces want these names to remain in the voters list? Which parties benefited from this voters’ list all these years? Which party and family created a system which kept such names in voters’ lists for decades? Why was SIR not held regularly all these decades? Nation wants answers for these.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”The aggressive response, though in keeping with BJP’s stand that poll rolls needed to be cleansed to strike off illegal immigrants, the deceased and the doubly registered, stood out because it coincided with Opposition’s attack on CEC Gyanesh Kumar for allegedly making decisions unilaterally about SIR which, according to it, is aimed at manipulating voter lists.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksWeather tomorrowBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Forex reserves decline by $15bn to $766bn ‘Avengers Endgame: Encore’ re-release: Indian fans celebrate, light fireworks inside Chennai theatre during Captain America vs Thanos battle – WATCH In 2015, NBA Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning stepped into affordable housing after years of philanthropy; a decade later, his mission reached a $37.4 million project offering senior citizens apartments from $322 a month ​SIR row reaches SC: Plea targets CEC Gyanesh Kumar, seeks Form 6 restoration As questions are being raised against CEC Gyanesh Kumar for allegedly unilaterally taking many decisions pertaining to the SIR drive, a Supreme Court lawyer has filed a petition in court seeking his criminal prosecution, and another has approached the attorney general, seeking his permission, as required under the law, to file a contempt petition against him.The petition filed in SC said action needed to be taken against the chief election commissioner for his “unilateral, unauthorised, and illegal decisions” taken in the name of EC. It referred to Section 18 of Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, and the law laid down by a constitution bench in the TN Seshan case in 1995 to say EC’s decisions mandatorily had to be taken by the majority.EC has maintained that all the decisions regarding special intensive revision of electoral rolls were taken unanimously by Kumar and his two colleagues, election commissioners S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.The petition filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, echoing claims made in a news report, sought quashing of unauthorised modifications made to Form 6 on ECINet/ERONet portals requiring ancestry/last-SIR declarations, and also sought immediate restoration of the statutory Form 6 as prescribed under Registration of Electors Rules to permit all eligible adults to register as voters on the basis of original statutory requirements.Mentioning the alleged illegal acts of CEC, the petition said, “Introducing a mandatory ancestral condition (last SIR linkage) for first-time young voters without legislative authority or amendment of Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, was explicitly branded as unauthorised and illegal by a majority of the commission.”The petition said depriving decentralised electoral registration officers of their statutory authority under sections 13B, 22 and 23 of Representation of the People Act, 1950, and centralising electoral roll management under the director general of IT in Delhi was another wrong.”Tampering with the electoral roll constitutes a cognisable offence under Section 32 of RP Act, 1950, as well as provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita concerning falsification of records and public servants disobeying directions of law. In such a scenario, divested of any statutory or constitutional immunity, CEC remains directly accountable under the law – subject to police investigation, evidence gathering, and regular trial proceedings as an ordinary accused,” the petition said, adding CEC could not claim immunity for illegal acts.It said CEC’s act of deliberately manipulating the electoral roll bore no “reasonable nexus” or legal connection to his official duties and fell squarely outside the ambit of official immunity and constituted distinct, personal criminal liability.Another apex court advocate, Shiv Kumar Tripathi, wrote to the attorney general, bringing to his notice the “constitutional misconduct and contempt of court” by CEC and sought his approval to file a contempt case against him.”SC has repeatedly emphasised EC’s independence, impartiality and institutional integrity. CEC’s office is one of constitutional primacy, but it is not intended to function as an authority overriding the equal constitutional status of other election commissioners in collective decision-making. Any departure from this constitutional framework may undermine public confidence in free and fair election,” Tripathi said in his letter.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”I therefore respectfully request your good office to examine whether the reported conduct amounts to wilful disregard of binding judicial principles or directions of the Supreme Court, thereby attracting proceedings under Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, if legally sustainable,” the letter said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksWeather tomorrowBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Centre to borrow nearly Rs 7.9 lakh cr in Oct-March Scorpio Horoscope Today, September 26, 2026: Love, career and finances show promising growth today Months after OSM row, government appoints new CBSE chairperson Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends ‘Bhajan Clubbing’ on the occasion of Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s birth anniversary, at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Park in New Delhi on Friday. (DD News) NEW DELHI: Mixing modern trends with tradition, PM Narendra Modi Friday evening attended a ‘bhajan clubbing’ at a park named after BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay to pay him tributes on his 116th birth anniversary.Attended by a young cohort, whose embrace of bhajan clubbing has made it a big trend, especially among the urban youth, across the country, the event drew praise from Modi.”Bhajan Clubbing in Delhi. Spectacular,” he said of the event, which saw a live performance by a band.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesBhajan clubbing has a concert-like feel and hosts devotional songs, with its popularity shining a light on the growing traction of religiosity in the younger demography, who has chosen to shape it in its own style.Modi’s participation marks his continuous engagement with the Gen Z crowd at a time when his political opponents are trying hard to woo them as well.He had spoken about this at his Mann Ki Baat broadcast in Jan, saying the young generation has adapted devotion to their lifestyle.This mindset has given rise to a new cultural trend, he had said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksWeather tomorrowBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Festive sales: Cos paying retention bonus to workers ‘This is the autopen’: Trump mocks Biden while showing Xi presidential portraits PM tells cadre not to focus only on vote banks NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday asked BJP members to draw inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi to blend social reforms with their political work instead of focusing on vote bank politics.”When we look at Mahatma Gandhi’s life, we see he fought against the British and led the freedom movement. But he was also a great social reformer. He always worked against social evils. We as political workers too should not merely focus on vote-bank politics and allow things to continue as they are. We must continue working for social reforms,” he said.He was interacting virtually with participants of “Seva Yatra”, a motorcyle rally from Varanasi to Vadnagar organised by BJP to mark his 76th birthday and his continuous stint of 25 years as head of govt.Modi drew from his own experience as a frequent traveller across the length and breadth of India and said it has deeply enriched his life and values. “The message of service should be spread not merely by our words but action,” he said, highlighting the felicitation of sanitation workers and other service-oriented programmes to make his point. Serving people is serving the country, he said, adding that BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay, whose birth anniversary fell on Friday, put serving people at the core of his ideology.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHe praised those who carried out the cleanliness work in Prayagraj, noting that their efforts made the ‘Kumbh Mela’ famous worldwide for sanitation and elevated India’s honour.”So, I felt compelled to wash the feet of those who have enhanced India’s honour so much, to seek their blessings,” he said.Modi also said over the past 12 years, the gap between cities and villages in India has significantly narrowed and infrastructure in villages has improved to a great extent. He said self-reliance among women has also increased in the country.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksWeather tomorrowBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court India may sign new investment pact with Australia & Canada Libra Horoscope Today, September 26, 2026: Romance, studies and career progress get a positive boost PSU banks lift ATM charges in view of strike The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, for another six months in most parts of Manipur, several districts of Nagaland, and certain districts of Arunachal Pradesh, officials said on Friday. NEW DELHI/ AIZAWL: The home ministry Friday extended the application of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in parts of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagal-and for six months, until March 31, 2027. Status quo has been retained in terms of police stations and districts declared “disturbed”.Meanwhile, the commander-in-chief of the banned United Kuki National Army was arrested Thursday in Aizawl and will be sent to Manipur, a senior police officer said. Thangkhomang Haokip was held in a joint operation by Assam Rifles and Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau. “He is not in the custody of Mizoram police. The case is most likely to be taken over by NIA,” the officer said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesA central agency official said NIA sleuths had also arrested two Kuki student leaders from Manipur at a hotel in Aizawl.Haokip is accused of involvement in several attacks, including a 2024 ambush on an advance security convoy of then Manipur CM N Biren Singh.(With inputs from HC Vanlalruata)Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksWeather tomorrowBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingAsian Games Medal TallyRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court Indian economy doing well amid global headwinds, says RBI Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce’s $200 million brand marks a new milestone amid an impressive revenue growth EAM Jaishankar External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday sharply responded to a Pakistani journalist who asked him a question related to terrorism. “A terrorist country is asking me that question. Come on,” Jaishankar said in a strong response to the question by the Pakistani journalist at the United Nations.Jaishankar and Liberia’s foreign minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti delivered remarks to the press at the UN HQ on the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers.After their remarks, the Pakistani journalist stood up and shouted a question to Jaishankar, “When will your government stop sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan?”India’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Harish Parvathaneni, told the Pakistani journalist, “You have heard your reply. You have heard your response, loud and clear.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? 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