Rahul Gandhi dramatically shifted the INDIA bloc's protest after their march to the Election Commission was stopped and leaders were detained. He entered Akashvani Bhavan, leading to a standoff and a continued sit-in joined by other opposition leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, to protest against alleged threats to democracy.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan attended Dussehra celebrations in New Delhi on Tuesday. Effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran, and Meghnath were burnt at various Ramleela grounds, with dignitaries delivering messages on truth, righteousness, and fighting social evils. One committee also burnt a cockroach effigy to symbolise filth, leading to a complaint from AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj.
Kunwar Basit Ali, national president of BJP Minority Morcha, stated that the demolition of religious structures for development should not be viewed communally, citing examples from Uttar Pradesh and Muslim nations. He accused the Congress of misleading Muslims and instigating unrest. Ali also expressed confidence in the BJP forming the next government in Jammu and Kashmir and addressed concerns regarding the delay in statehood restoration, asserting that the central government would make the best decisions for Kashmir.
Delhi Police launched a massive crackdown, detaining Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, and nearly 500 protesters who attempted to reach Jantar Mantar for a demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Opposition, including AAP and Congress, denounced the situation as 'worse than the Emergency'.
'Tiger Shroff is someone who has absolutely no controversies associated with him.' 'He is someone who works out or dances. That is all I ever see him doing.' 'I cannot fathom how shots could be fired at him. I am even scared to speak about this on camera. What if someone comes after me?'
The BJP in Keralam has demanded a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) during the previous LDF regime. Senior BJP leader P K Krishnadas accused the current UDF government of attempting to sabotage corruption cases and expressed a lack of faith in state-level investigations. The demand follows an expert panel report highlighting financial irregularities in KIIFB.
The Trinamool Congress has lost the chairpersonship of two significant Parliamentary panels following a reconstitution by Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. This development comes after a split in the TMC, with rebel MPs joining the Nationalist Citizen Party and supporting the NDA. The TMC has strongly criticised the move, alleging that Parliament is being turned into a 'deep, dark chamber' due to their exclusion from committee leadership.
'We are ready to help Prime Minister Modi achieve his vision of 100 per cent connectivity throughout India -- a vision all of our company, including Elon, shares,' Lauren Dreyer, vice-president of Starlink business operations at SpaceX, said at the pre-business day of the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi.
A 22-year-old woman preparing for competitive exams was severely injured in an acid attack in Balod, Chhattisgarh. The incident occurred as she returned from an e-library, suffering burns to her face and hands. Police are investigating, examining CCTV footage, while the Opposition Congress has condemned the attack, raising concerns about the state's law and order situation.
The Congress party is set to replace Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as the president of its Punjab unit, following organisational feedback from Sachin Pilot and persistent infighting within the state unit. The move aims to unite various factions ahead of the 2027 assembly polls, with former minister Vijay Inder Singla emerging as a frontrunner for the post.
By-elections across several Indian states, including Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengal, concluded peacefully with high voter turnouts. The Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam recorded 76% polling, while Tamil Nadu's Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly Constituencies saw 83.86% and 78.53% respectively. Puducherry's Thattanchavady registered 78.83%, and West Bengal's Nandigram and Rejinagar constituencies had nearly 79% turnout.
Elon Musk questioned if Mukesh Ambani is India's "real boss" amidst Starlink's licensing issues, drawing a cryptic response from Rahul Gandhi. The Indian government clarified that security assessments are pending for all satcom licensees, not just Starlink, and the delay is due to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, and several other opposition leaders were detained by Delhi Police during protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Sources have refuted Rahul Gandhi's claims regarding President Droupadi Murmu's response to 'vote chori' allegations, stating it's 'unfortunate' she's being drawn into the controversy. Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc, after meeting the President, has vowed to provide a 'mountain of proof' to support their claims of electoral malpractice and demand for the CEC's resignation.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has condemned the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh, alias Jhota, in Mansa, assuring strict action against all involved. He also criticised opposition parties for politicising the incident. The medical store owner accused of the shooting was arrested, and public outrage led to property damage.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut stated on Friday that he is prepared to apologise to the Supreme Court if his remarks were deemed inappropriate, emphasising his party's respect for the judiciary. His comments followed observations by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant regarding attempts to browbeat the judiciary. Raut also linked his apology to demands for justice concerning alleged electoral roll irregularities and the delayed hearing on the Shiv Sena name and symbol dispute.
Rahul Gandhi has ignited a political storm by accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and CEC Gyanesh Kumar of "vote chori" and "treason".
'The remaining 30% are scared they will be shot at and they too will shell out the money soon.'
West Bengal's bypolls in Rejinagar and Nandigram were marked by significant tension, including the arrest of AJUP chief Humayun Kabir, allegations of voter intimidation, and polling irregularities. The incidents highlighted the charged political atmosphere in these key constituencies, with competing claims from various parties amidst sustained voter participation.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi reportedly called former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar a "traitor" during a CWC meeting, drawing sharp criticism from JD(U) leaders. Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh "Lalan" and JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha condemned the remarks, highlighting Kumar's role in the INDIA bloc's formation and his popularity among the people.
Six US Democratic lawmakers, including Pramila Jayapal and Ilhan Omar, have urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address alleged excessive force during student protests in India and concerns over voter purges during his upcoming visit. They also accused Indian diplomatic missions of surveillance of protesters in the US and called for investigations into human rights violations and potential arms sales implications.
Historian Ramachandra Guha, at the launch of his book "Arguments with Gandhi", discussed Mahatma Gandhi's use of "Ram Rajya", acknowledging it could be "off-putting to Muslims" despite Gandhi's interfaith practice. Guha highlighted Gandhi's pluralistic approach, his efforts to protect minorities after Partition, and his contributions to the anti-untouchability campaign, often overlooked in contemporary discourse. The book also examines Gandhi's disagreements with figures like Ambedkar, Savarkar, Nehru, and Bhagat Singh.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticised the Modi government over the "war-like deployment" of police and paramilitary in Delhi to prevent a protest against the Election Commission. He highlighted extensive security measures, internet suspension, and detentions, calling it an "undeclared Emer-GenZ" and questioning the government's confidence in electoral integrity.
At least 14 persons were killed and several others injured after an out-of-control truck ran over devotees gathered near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior late on Saturday night, breaking through a police checkpoint and damaging the temple's gate and outer wall.
Eight workers were killed and 12 injured when a speeding car ran them over on the Lehragaga-Jakhal road in Sangrur, Punjab, on Sunday. The incident, which occurred near Alisher village, involved workers engaged under the VB-G RAM G scheme. Allegations of significant ambulance delays have emerged. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for the deceased's families and free treatment for the injured, promising swift arrest of the absconding driver.
Top US lawmakers, leaders, and civil society members have strongly condemned an alleged plot to attack a Hindu temple in Illinois. Alexandros Paporakis, 19, was arrested for attempting a mass shooting at the Aurora temple, which failed when his rifle jammed. Indian-American Congressmen and other officials have called for efforts to combat rising anti-Indian and anti-Hindu prejudice in America, highlighting the need to protect minority houses of worship.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called for the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation, citing alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the poll process. Kharge outlined five key demands for electoral transparency and pledged that the Congress party would protest both on the streets and in Parliament.
The conversations on July 22 and 23, 1962, meetings in Geneva between V K Krishna Menon, India's defence minister at the time, and Chinese vice premier Chen Yi are important because, had they been followed up, the subsequent border war may perhaps have been avoided, notes former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
The Congress party has called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, stating that the 'rot' in India's education system is profound. Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh highlighted alleged scams in Maharashtra's engineering admissions and discrepancies between entrance exam and board results, urging deep introspection beyond mere legislative fixes for paper leaks.
Elon Musk has renewed his criticism of Mukesh Ambani regarding Starlink's entry into India, accusing Ambani's supporters of hypocrisy for simultaneously claiming Starlink can't compete with low prices and that it poses a strong competitive threat. Musk argues that competition would benefit Indian consumers and that Starlink would adjust pricing if too expensive. He also shared reports alleging Reliance-funded political donations. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stated India does not permit monopolies and that multiple players, including Starlink, have received satcom licences.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has appealed to the Bombay High Court against the acquittal of former Maharashtra minister Padamsinh Patil and seven others in the 2006 murder case of Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar. A sessions court had acquitted the accused on June 20, citing insufficient evidence, and Nimbalkar's wife also filed an appeal last month.
MPSC aspirants are protesting in Pune, demanding reforms and the resignation of the MPSC chairman due to alleged paper leaks. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar announced that Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet the protesters on October 7 or 8. The Maharashtra government has already terminated an MPSC secretary and initiated a judicial inquiry into the commission's functioning.
Assembly by-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram will offer an early measure of the TVK's electoral strength and put the dynamics of its new alliance in focus.
Police in Bengaluru have registered a case against two Booth Level Agents (BLAs) and others for allegedly submitting fraudulent Form 7 applications to delete 5,698 voters from the electoral rolls in the Jayanagar Assembly constituency. The complaint, filed by Karnataka Mahila Congress president Sowmya Reddy, claims the BLAs are affiliated with the BJP and targeted minority communities and politically unfavourable voters.
The Election Commission replaced the inspector-in-charge of Nandigram police station, Ajay Kumar Mishra, with Debashis Sarkar a day before the bypoll, following complaints from opposition parties alleging Mishra's closeness to the ruling party. This move comes amidst heightened political scrutiny and concerns raised by opposition leaders regarding the fairness of the election process in Nandigram, a constituency with significant political history in West Bengal.
The INDIA bloc is escalating its protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, planning further actions and seeking an urgent meeting with President Droupadi Murmu.
The Kerala Legislative Assembly has passed a motion urging the central government to completely withdraw the proposed Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000. Chief Minister V D Satheesan and CPI MLA K Rajan highlighted concerns that the MDR would increase business costs, harm small businesses, and reduce the appeal of digital payments, while the BJP argued it would not affect general public or small merchants.
Delhi Police launched a massive crackdown to prevent a protest against the Chief Election Commissioner at Jantar Mantar, detaining CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, and nearly 500 others. The city was turned into a fortress with extensive security, metro closures, and barricades. Opposition parties, including AAP and Congress, condemned the actions, calling the situation "worse than the Emergency."
Leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc met President Droupadi Murmu, alleging 'vote chori' and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with the repeal of assembly polls from the last two years. Rahul Gandhi expressed shock that the President did not deny the 'election theft' charge but sought proof.
Rahul Gandhi has convened a high tea for INDIA bloc MPs to discuss a strategy for joint protests against alleged "vote theft" and to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. This meeting follows a "March for Democracy" by opposition leaders and activists to the Supreme Court, where they filed a petition challenging alleged poll irregularities.
