CJP protesters pack Shivaji Park demanding CEC resignation

Thousands of protesters gathered at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday despite police denying permission for the demonstration, as the Cockroach Janta Party intensified its campaign demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

The Gandhi Jayanti protest, led by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, drew a predominantly young crowd carrying national flags, placards and banners questioning the Election Commission’s handling of electoral rolls. Police maintained a heavy presence around Shivaji Park and Dadar as organisers went ahead with the gathering after their application to hold it at the ground was rejected.

Dipke said the campaign would move to Delhi if Kumar did not step down, announcing another demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10. He said the planned agitation would be peaceful and called on people concerned about free and fair elections to participate.

The CJP has accused the Election Commission of serious irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and has sought greater transparency in the process. Its allegations remain contested, and the Election Commission has maintained that electoral-roll revisions are conducted under established legal procedures.

Friday’s turnout included actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, singer-composer Vishal Dadlani and Tushar Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson. CJP co-conveners Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were also present alongside Dipke.

Estimates of the crowd varied. Multiple accounts placed attendance in the thousands, while one local account put the gathering at about 4,000 and another estimated more than 10,000. No authoritative police crowd figure was immediately available, making a precise attendance number difficult to establish.

The protest followed the Mumbai Police decision to refuse permission for the October 2 gathering at Shivaji Park. Dipke had responded to the refusal by saying the group would proceed with a “Jail Bharo Andolan” if citizens were prevented from demonstrating. Organisers subsequently reiterated that Shivaji Park would remain the venue.

A complaint was later lodged at Shivaji Park police station over the demonstration being held without permission. The complainant cited a Bombay High Court order restricting protests at the ground and argued that demonstrations should be conducted at designated locations. The filing of the complaint did not by itself establish criminal liability against the organisers.

The CJP’s principal grievance centres on the Special Intensive Revision and questions surrounding changes to voter rolls. Opposition groups have alleged that eligible voters were improperly excluded and have demanded accountability from the Election Commission. The poll body has rejected allegations of partisan wrongdoing and defended the revision framework as lawful.

The Election Commission last week ordered a review of its voter-roll software after questions emerged about the operation of the revision system. The review is intended to examine whether the software and associated procedures comply with legal requirements. The Commission also announced measures for election officials to contact voters whose records contain discrepancies, reducing the need for affected citizens to visit government offices.

Dipke used his Shivaji Park address to criticise the BJP-led central government and Kumar, while also contrasting the policing of Friday’s Mumbai gathering with police action during an earlier CJP protest in Delhi. He thanked Mumbai Police for its handling of the demonstration but sharply criticised Delhi Police over its response to protesters there.

The Mumbai gathering coincided with demonstrations in Delhi involving the Aam Aadmi Party, Left-linked student organisations and civil society groups. Hundreds of people were detained in the capital as protesters attempted to reach Jantar Mantar, where restrictions had been imposed.

At Shivaji Park, demonstrators used satire, slogans and pop-culture references on placards to press their demand for Kumar to leave office. Some residents and local businesses, however, complained that the gathering caused disruption in the surrounding neighbourhood, adding a local dispute over the choice of venue to the wider confrontation over electoral-roll revisions.

Dipke said the CJP was prepared to sustain its campaign for three months. The group has presented Friday’s Mumbai mobilisation as the opening stage of a broader series of demonstrations, with the announced October 10 gathering in Delhi dependent on Kumar remaining in office.

Warring tenders Punjab Congress resignation to Rahul Gandhi

Amarinder Singh Raja Warring formally resigned as Punjab Congress president on Friday after meeting Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, ending a four-and-a-half-year tenure at the head of the state unit.

Warring, the Congress MP from Ludhiana, said after the meeting that he had handed his resignation to Gandhi and briefed him on the political situation in Punjab, the party’s organisational challenges and its strengths ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.

The resignation was followed hours later by the appointment of Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge approved Singh’s appointment with immediate effect, completing a leadership change that had been signalled a day earlier by Warring himself.

Warring had changed his biography on X on Thursday, first describing himself as “Former President INC Punjab” and then as “Former PPCC President”, before the party had formally announced a replacement. The change intensified speculation over an organisational reshuffle after weeks of internal differences within the Punjab unit.

Speaking after his meeting with Gandhi, Warring said the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha had sought his assessment of conditions on the ground, including the Congress’s position and its approach towards the Aam Aadmi Party government.

“I shared with him my four-and-a-half years of experience as the Punjab Congress state president, what are the challenges we have, how we have to fight those challenges and where our strengths are,” Warring said, describing those issues as the context of the discussion.

He thanked Gandhi for entrusting him with the state organisation and said he remained available for any responsibility assigned by the Congress. Warring had taken over the Punjab unit in April 2022, following the party’s defeat in that year’s Assembly election, when it won 18 of the state’s 117 seats.

Warring also addressed questions about the circumstances surrounding his departure, saying he had formed an impression that Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot, who is in charge of Punjab, may have favoured a change in the state leadership. He stressed that he had no concrete evidence for that view.

“I feel that Sachin Pilot may have thought that Raja should be removed. I do not have any concrete evidence for this,” Warring told journalists. He said there had been no detailed discussion with Pilot over whether he should continue as state president.

The leadership transition follows months of visible differences among senior Punjab Congress figures. A section associated with former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi had sought a change at the top of the state organisation, while Warring’s continuation had remained a point of contention within the unit.

Pilot had taken charge of Congress affairs in Punjab after replacing Bhupesh Baghel as the party’s state in-charge. His consultations with Punjab leaders formed part of the central leadership’s assessment of the organisation as it prepares for the next Assembly election.

Pargat Singh’s appointment settled immediate speculation over Warring’s successor. The former hockey captain has represented Jalandhar Cantonment in the Punjab Assembly since 2012 and previously served as a minister in the state government led by Channi.

The change places Pargat Singh in charge of a state unit that is seeking to manage factional differences while preparing to challenge the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and other rivals in the Assembly election due in 2027. The Congress had retained Warring in the state president’s post during an organisational exercise earlier this year before opting for another change.

Warring, meanwhile, indicated that he intended to take a break after leaving the post. He said he had worked continuously during his tenure and would remain a Congress worker despite relinquishing the organisational position.

Murmu assent clears Gujarat uniform civil code

President Droupadi Murmu has assented to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026, clearing the constitutional stage required for Gujarat to bring a common framework for marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships into force.

The President granted assent on September 17, according to Rashtrapati Bhavan records. The legislation was subsequently published in the Gujarat Government Gazette on October 1 as the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026, or Gujarat Act No. 15 of 2026.

The law does not take effect automatically with its publication. Its commencement clause provides that the state government will appoint the date on which it comes into force through a separate notification in the gazette. Gujarat must also frame and notify rules needed to administer the code.

The legislation creates a common statutory framework for personal civil matters across religious communities, while retaining specified constitutional exemptions. It covers marriage and divorce, succession and inheritance, and live-in relationships, including their registration and termination.

Members of Scheduled Tribes are excluded from the code. The exemption also extends to persons or groups whose customary rights are protected under Part XXI of the Constitution, which contains temporary, transitional and special provisions applying to specified states and communities.

The code extends throughout Gujarat and also applies to residents of the state who live outside its territorial boundaries, according to the legislation.

Among its central provisions, the law requires marriage registration and establishes common conditions for marriage. It prohibits a person from marrying while a spouse is living and prescribes a minimum marriage age of 21 for men and 18 for women. It also provides a statutory structure for divorce rather than leaving the matter to separate religion-based personal laws covered by the code.

The legislation also regulates live-in relationships. Partners are required to submit statements of their relationship to the designated registrar, subject to conditions and procedures laid down in the law. Children born from live-in relationships are recognised for legal purposes, while the code provides a mechanism for women to seek maintenance after desertion by a live-in partner.

Succession provisions set out rules for distribution of property where a person dies without a valid will. The framework provides inheritance rights without distinctions that existed under some personal-law systems and sets out shares and priorities among eligible heirs, including spouses, children and parents.

The Act also permits registration processes to be conducted through prescribed authorities and creates penalties for failures to comply, with operational details dependent on the rules that the government will issue.

The Gujarat Legislative Assembly passed the Bill on March 24 after a debate lasting more than seven hours. The measure had been prepared following recommendations from a state-appointed committee chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, which examined the proposed framework before submitting its report to the government.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel tabled the Bill in the Assembly. The state government presented the measure as an effort to establish uniformity in civil law and strengthen equal treatment in matters including marriage and inheritance. Opposition parties challenged aspects of the legislation during the Assembly debate, including its scope and the government's approach to personal laws.

Presidential assent was required because the state legislation operates in fields where existing central laws and personal-law statutes may overlap. Article 254 of the Constitution provides a mechanism under which a state law on a Concurrent List subject that conflicts with an existing parliamentary law can prevail within that state when it has been reserved for, and receives, the President's assent, subject to Parliament's power to enact subsequent legislation.

Gujarat follows Uttarakhand, which enacted its Uniform Civil Code in 2024 and brought it into operation in January 2025. Assam's Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026, has also received presidential assent, on September 29, according to Rashtrapati Bhavan's published list of state Bills.

Dipke reacts to Jantar Mantar internet slowdown

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke has responded to reports of slow internet around Jantar Mantar during Friday’s protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, declaring on social media: “The dictator is scared!!! Really scared!!!”

Dipke did not identify the person he was referring to, and there was no official confirmation that internet services had been deliberately restricted. Reports from the area described connectivity problems as police imposed extensive security measures across central New Delhi ahead of demonstrations demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Delhi Police had denied permission for the October 2 gathering and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita across the New Delhi district. The restrictions barred unauthorised assemblies and demonstrations. Barricades were erected on approaches to Jantar Mantar, traffic was diverted and entry and exit at several Delhi Metro stations were temporarily closed. Authorities had also advised commuters to avoid affected routes around Connaught Place, Parliament Street and adjoining parts of the New Delhi district as regulated movement and diversions remained in force during Friday's demonstration there.

Hundreds of protesters nevertheless attempted to reach the demonstration site. Estimates of detentions varied, with accounts putting the number from more than 500 to about 1,000. Those detained included opposition politicians, student activists and members of civil-society groups. The protest was backed by organisations including the All India Students’ Association and political groups opposed to the Election Commission’s handling of the electoral-roll revision.

The internet disruption became another point of contention because no formal shutdown order was publicly announced. Reports from central Delhi described mobile internet as unusually slow near the protest zone, but the cause could not be independently established. Neither Dipke’s post nor the available official information provided evidence linking the connectivity problems to an intentional government action.

The Delhi demonstration was separate from the CJP’s mobilisation in Mumbai, where Dipke addressed thousands of supporters at Shivaji Park on Friday. The youth-led group has demanded Kumar’s resignation and challenged the conduct of the SIR, alleging that eligible voters have been removed from electoral rolls. The Election Commission has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and has maintained that the revision is intended to ensure accurate and lawful voter lists.

Dipke subsequently announced that the CJP would organise another demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10 if Kumar did not resign. He said supporters from across the country would march to Delhi and added that, if police stopped them before they reached the designated site, they would protest wherever they were halted.

He also said the proposed October 10 mobilisation would be peaceful and invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s approach to protest. The announcement followed the Mumbai demonstration, where the CJP said it was prepared to continue its campaign over electoral rolls for an extended period.

The controversy surrounding the SIR has intensified amid questions from opposition parties, activists and sections of civil society about voter deletions, documentation requirements and the Election Commission’s decision-making. The Commission has defended the exercise as part of its constitutional responsibility to maintain electoral rolls and has said eligible citizens have avenues to register or correct their entries.

Its voter services portal continues to provide facilities connected with the 2026 SIR, including checking names against earlier rolls, submitting documents in response to notices and filing Form 6 for new voter registration. Critics, however, argue that the scale and procedures of the revision risk excluding legitimate voters, a contention the Commission disputes.

Friday’s Delhi mobilisation had been called by student and civil-society groups, with Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and advocate Prashant Bhushan among those associated with the protest call. Police said permission had not been granted and cited public-order requirements while enforcing restrictions around Jantar Mantar.

Fadnavis rejects SIR protest claims as fabricated

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday dismissed allegations surrounding the Election Commission’s voter-roll revision exercise as a “fabricated narrative”, as protesters gathered at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park demanding greater scrutiny of the electoral process.

The demonstration brought together activists associated with the Cockroach Janata Party and civil society participants who questioned the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and sought safeguards against wrongful deletion or exclusion of eligible voters.

Fadnavis rejected the protesters’ central contention that the revision exercise reflected systemic manipulation. He said claims being advanced against the Election Commission of India lacked substance and were being used to create public suspicion about an institution constitutionally responsible for conducting elections.

The chief minister’s intervention sharpened the political dispute over electoral-roll verification, which has become a major point of confrontation between the ruling establishment and groups challenging the manner in which voter lists are being examined.

Protesters at Shivaji Park maintained that their objections were directed at the procedures adopted during the revision and the possibility that eligible electors could face difficulties establishing their entitlement to remain on the rolls. Participants called for transparency, accessible verification mechanisms and effective opportunities to challenge exclusions.

The Election Commission has maintained that electoral-roll revision is intended to improve the accuracy of voter lists by ensuring that eligible citizens are included while removing entries that are duplicate, invalid or otherwise no longer qualify under electoral law. The commission has also stressed the availability of claims and objections procedures for electors affected by revisions.

Opponents of the SIR process have nevertheless raised questions about documentation requirements, verification standards and the practical burden placed on voters. They argue that an exercise involving large numbers of electors requires particularly strong safeguards because errors can affect the exercise of the franchise.

Supporters of the revision counter that periodic scrutiny of electoral rolls is an established administrative requirement and that inaccurate entries can themselves undermine confidence in elections. They have rejected assertions that verification automatically amounts to voter suppression, saying objections should be assessed against specific evidence and the procedures prescribed by the Election Commission.

Fadnavis’s comments came amid broader political arguments over the Election Commission’s functioning and the integrity of electoral rolls. Opposition parties and activist groups have demanded greater disclosure about additions and deletions, while governing-party leaders have accused critics of attempting to discredit the electoral system without substantiating their accusations.

The dispute has placed renewed attention on the safeguards available to voters whose names are omitted or whose eligibility is questioned. Electoral procedures provide avenues for submitting claims, correcting entries and objecting to proposed changes, while decisions taken by registration authorities remain subject to prescribed review mechanisms.

Civil society groups have argued that formal remedies alone may not be sufficient if voters lack information, documentation or easy access to officials. They have called for clearer communication, longer opportunities where necessary to resolve discrepancies and greater publication of data that would allow changes to electoral rolls to be independently examined.

The Election Commission, for its part, has repeatedly emphasised that preparation and revision of electoral rolls are conducted under constitutional and statutory provisions and that eligible voters should use the designated procedures to verify their registration and seek corrections.

Friday’s gathering also reflected the widening public dimension of the SIR controversy. What began largely as a dispute involving political parties and election authorities has increasingly drawn lawyers, campaign groups and other civic participants into arguments over voter eligibility, documentary verification and institutional accountability.

Fadnavis sought to draw a distinction between legitimate scrutiny and what he described as an organised attempt to build an unsupported narrative against the Election Commission. His remarks placed Maharashtra’s government firmly behind the commission’s authority while leaving individual complaints about electoral-roll entries to the mechanisms established under election law.

DTC offers INDIA entry if Mamata excluded

The Democratic Trinamool Congress has offered to join the Congress-led INDIA bloc if former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is excluded from the Opposition alliance, party leader Md Akhruzzaman said on Friday.

Akhruzzaman, a legislator and chief whip associated with Ritabrata Banerjee’s camp, said the DTC wanted a united political fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party but would not enter an alliance that included Mamata Banerjee. He appealed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Sonia Gandhi to consider the demand.

“If the coalition leadership removes her, Democratic Trinamool Congress is ready to join and strengthen the hands of the alliance,” Akhruzzaman said, setting out the faction’s position as Opposition parties intensify their campaign over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

The proposal places the Congress and its allies before a demand arising directly from West Bengal’s fractured Trinamool politics. Mamata Banerjee participated in an INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday, alongside Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and leaders of several Opposition parties, where the grouping agreed on joint protests over electoral-roll revision and other election-related issues.

Akhruzzaman accused Mamata Banerjee’s faction of acting in ways that benefited the BJP, including through absences or walkouts during important parliamentary business. He also alleged that she had undermined Opposition unity during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign. Those assertions are political allegations by the DTC leader and have not been established independently.

He argued that the alliance should choose between retaining Mamata Banerjee and accepting the DTC. Akhruzzaman said his faction wanted to fight the BJP collectively and claimed Mamata Banerjee could again distance herself from the Opposition grouping when politically advantageous.

The intervention follows a major rupture in the Trinamool Congress after the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election. Ritabrata Banerjee emerged as the principal figure in a rebel legislative camp that challenged Mamata Banerjee’s authority, while competing groups asserted claims over the party organisation, name and election symbol.

The split became public in June, when 58 of the Trinamool Congress’s 80 MLAs backed Ritabrata Banerjee as leader of the legislature party. The Speaker recognised him as Leader of the Opposition, while Akhruzzaman became chief whip of the rebel bloc. The faction later named senior MLA Arup Roy as its chairperson as it developed a parallel organisational structure.

Mamata Banerjee’s camp has rejected the rival faction’s claim to the original party identity and has pursued the dispute before the Election Commission and the courts. After the poll panel imposed interim names and symbols in September, she challenged the decision and said her group would continue to claim the organisation she founded and led.

The rival claims remain unresolved pending the Election Commission’s formal final determination.

The dispute subsequently reached the Election Commission, which temporarily froze the All India Trinamool Congress name and its Flowers and Grass symbol while the rival claims are examined. For by-elections, the faction associated with Ritabrata Banerjee was allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the envelope symbol, while Mamata Banerjee’s group received a separate interim name and symbol.

The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to decide the dispute over the Trinamool name and symbol within three months. The court’s direction has put a timetable around a contest that has implications for the political identity and organisational assets claimed by the rival camps.

The DTC’s approach to the INDIA bloc also comes as Opposition parties seek greater coordination over the electoral-roll controversy. At Wednesday’s meeting, the alliance announced programmes including marches and demonstrations, with Kharge calling for greater transparency in additions, deletions and corrections to electoral rolls.

Mamata Banerjee was among the prominent participants at that meeting and backed the alliance’s campaign against the Election Commission’s handling of electoral issues. Her continued participation makes the DTC condition politically significant, although there has been no indication from the Congress leadership that the alliance is considering her exclusion.

Former judges panel opens scrutiny of voter revision

The Lawyers’ Association for Constitution has constituted a five-member commission of former judges to independently examine the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, with a public report targeted for December.

Former Supreme Court judge Madan B. Lokur will chair the Independent Commission of Former Judges on the Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls. Its members are former Supreme Court judge A. K. Patnaik, former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad, former Delhi High Court judge Rekha Sharma and former Patna High Court judge Anjana Prakash.

LAFC said the commission would function autonomously and examine the constitutional and statutory validity of the SIR, the methods used during the exercise and its impact on eligible voters. A central question will be whether eligible citizens remained on electoral rolls while entries that did not qualify were properly excluded.

The commission plans nationwide public hearings, using full and regional benches to receive testimony from affected citizens, civil society organisations and experts. A dedicated research wing will collate and analyse data on additions and deletions from electoral rolls and place its findings before the former judges.

A legal support team will examine legislation, Election Commission notifications and verification procedures to assess compliance with constitutional and statutory safeguards. LAFC said the commission would retain sole responsibility for its findings and recommendations, with sponsoring organisations and supporting committees having no role in determining its substantive conclusions.

The panel will receive strategic legal advice from senior lawyers including Kapil Sibal, Prashant Bhushan, Chander Uday Singh, Prashanto Chandra Sen, Raju Ramachandran, Rebecca Mammen John, Warisha Farasat and Vrinda Grover. A coordination team and an LAFC-based secretariat will provide operational support.

The inquiry comes as the SIR, undertaken in phases during 2026, remains under legal and political scrutiny over voter inclusion, documentation requirements and deletion procedures. The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended to produce accurate electoral rolls by including all eligible electors and removing ineligible entries.

The Election Commission announced Phase III in May for 16 states and three Union Territories, saying it would take the exercise across the country except Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, where schedules were to be announced separately after considering census work and weather conditions.

According to the Commission’s Phase III schedule, more than 3.94 lakh booth-level officers were assigned to conduct house-to-house work involving about 36.74 crore electors, assisted by more than 3.42 lakh booth-level agents appointed by political parties. The Commission said the first two phases had covered 13 states and Union Territories with nearly 59 crore electors at the time their respective SIR orders were issued.

Questions surrounding the legal framework for intensive revision have also reached the Supreme Court. In a May judgment arising from the Bihar SIR, the court examined the constitutional and statutory setting governing electoral-roll preparation and stressed the importance of an electoral roll that is accurate, inclusive and legally valid.

The LAFC commission is separate from the Election Commission and from judicial proceedings. Its announced role is fact-finding and legal examination, followed by recommendations rather than binding orders. The association said it was created in response to concerns raised by citizens about the design, implementation and consequences of the SIR.

The proposed field research is intended to give the panel an empirical basis for examining patterns of inclusion and deletion rather than relying only on legal submissions. Testimony gathered through hearings will supplement that data, allowing the commission to consider how verification procedures operated in different regions and affected individual voters.

The inquiry’s scope therefore extends beyond aggregate changes in voter numbers. It will examine the processes used to verify electors, the legal basis for those processes and whether safeguards operated consistently. Public hearings are designed to provide a record of experiences that can be tested alongside electoral-roll data. The commission has not announced powers to compel evidence, and its conclusions will carry the status of an assessment.

Residents resist CJP protest at Shivaji Park

Residents at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park have opposed the Cockroach Janta Party’s planned October 2 demonstration, urging authorities to prevent the gathering after confrontations between locals and CJP organisers.

The dispute intensified ahead of the Gandhi Jayanti protest, which CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said would proceed at the Dadar ground despite Mumbai Police refusing permission. Local residents have submitted objections to the police and civic authorities, citing disruption to traffic, noise, public access and emergency services.

A video circulating on social media showed residents arguing with CJP coordinators near Shivaji Park and objecting to the proposed gathering. Some residents insisted that political demonstrations should be held at designated protest venues such as Azad Maidan rather than at the ground, which is surrounded by homes, schools and hospitals.

Accounts of the confrontation differ on timing. Accounts placed exchanges between residents and CJP members on Tuesday and Wednesday, while another account described local opposition on Thursday. The available footage establishes the confrontation but does not independently resolve the timing of every exchange.

Members of the Shivaji Park Advanced Locality Management group said they were not opposing the democratic right to protest but objected to the repeated use of the area for large political gatherings. They said such events could restrict movement, worsen congestion and make access difficult for senior citizens and emergency vehicles.

Mumbai Police had already rejected CJP’s request to demonstrate at Shivaji Park. Police cited restrictions governing gatherings at the ground, its status as a silence zone, the absence of required civic permission and concerns about traffic, noise and access to nearby hospitals. Organisers were advised to consider an alternative venue.

Dipke, however, said the organisation would continue with its programme and announced a “Jail Bharo” agitation if participants were prevented from protesting. CJP said its demonstration would begin at Gate No. 6 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park and would form the opening stage of a wider campaign in other cities.

The organisation is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and has raised allegations concerning electoral-roll revisions and the functioning of the Election Commission. It has also sought changes to the process for appointing the chief election commissioner and greater transparency in electoral administration.

CJP’s allegations remain disputed. The Election Commission has defended its procedures and rejected claims that decisions concerning electoral-roll revisions were improperly taken. Opposition parties have separately raised questions over voter rolls and the Special Intensive Revision process, making election administration a focus of political contestation.

Dipke said on Thursday that CJP intended to remain independent of opposition-party protests and would take its campaign beyond Mumbai, with demonstrations planned in other parts of the country before a proposed protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi later in October.

The Shivaji Park dispute has meanwhile centred increasingly on the venue rather than solely on CJP’s demands. Residents have argued that the ground’s role as a recreational and sporting space, together with the concentration of residential buildings and medical facilities around it, makes large demonstrations particularly disruptive.

One resident seen in footage of the confrontation said protesters were free to demonstrate elsewhere but should not use Shivaji Park, describing it as a ground used by children. Another pointed to nearby hospitals and schools and argued that Azad Maidan was better suited for demonstrations.

CJP representatives disputed the resistance they encountered. Pranav Ahire, a member present during one confrontation, questioned whether everyone opposing the group was genuinely a local resident. No independently verified evidence has emerged establishing that those confronting CJP workers were acting on behalf of another organisation.

The Mumbai unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has publicly backed residents opposing the demonstration. That support added a political dimension to a dispute residents have framed primarily around neighbourhood access, safety, noise and the permitted use of the ground.

Supreme Court declines TMC plea over frozen accounts

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to intervene in the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress faction’s challenge over four debit-frozen bank accounts holding about Rs 804 crore, leaving the dispute before the Calcutta High Court and asking it to accelerate the hearing.

A bench of Justices M. M. Sundresh and P. B. Varale refused to interfere with the High Court’s interim order denying the faction permission to operate the accounts. The judges expressly refrained from examining the merits of the dispute and declined to exercise the Supreme Court’s discretionary jurisdiction under Article 136 of the Constitution.

“We refrain from going into the merits. We are not inclined to exercise our jurisdiction under Article 136. We request high court to expedite the hearing,” the bench said.

The ruling concerns four accounts maintained with Indian Bank that were debit-frozen following a criminal investigation by the West Bengal Police. The investigation arose from a complaint lodged by TMC MLA Biswanath Das amid an internal dispute over control of the party.

The Supreme Court also took note of proceedings before the Election Commission, which has passed an interim order freezing the TMC’s name and election symbol while rival claims over the party remain unresolved. The bench observed that the larger question of entitlement to the money in the accounts could not be separated from the dispute over which faction is entitled to represent the party.

The amount involved in Thursday’s proceedings is about Rs 804 crore, not Rs 440 crore. The Rs 440.42 crore figure relates to a separate set of three HDFC Bank accounts frozen by the Enforcement Directorate in July as part of a money-laundering investigation. The Supreme Court proceedings on Thursday concerned four Indian Bank accounts frozen by the state police.

The Calcutta High Court had on August 27 declined to grant interim permission to the Banerjee-led faction to operate the four accounts. It held that granting the requested relief at that stage would undermine an earlier arrangement under which the party was permitted to meet essential day-to-day expenditure.

Before the Supreme Court, the faction challenged the refusal of interim relief and questioned the basis on which the police had frozen the accounts. Its case included objections to alleged procedural deficiencies in the first information reports underpinning the action.

The party told the court that the restrictions had severely affected its operations. During proceedings on the frozen accounts, it submitted that it required at least Rs 12.15 crore a month to sustain organisational activities. The opposing side maintained that an existing court-supervised arrangement already allowed necessary routine expenditure.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing in the matter, drew the court’s attention to the continuing internal party dispute and the criminal investigation. The complainant’s counsel also argued that the earlier arrangement for ordinary expenses meant additional interim access to the accounts was unnecessary while the substantive issues remained before the High Court.

The dispute over the four accounts is distinct from litigation concerning the three HDFC accounts containing Rs 440.42 crore. Those accounts were initially subjected to restrictions connected with a state police case before the Enforcement Directorate separately froze them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The Enforcement Directorate has said its investigation concerns alleged transfers of about Rs 160 crore from TMC accounts to Carewell Aviation India Pvt Ltd and a related entity between April 2023 and June 2026. Investigators have alleged that funds were routed through linked transactions involving the acquisition and use of an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet and an AgustaWestland 109SP helicopter. Those allegations remain under investigation.

The High Court had earlier created a mechanism allowing limited expenditure from certain party accounts under the supervision of retired High Court judge Justice Subrata Talukdar. The arrangement required designated signatories to submit cheques for essential administrative and legal expenses for verification and countersignature.

Ujjain mosque damaged during road-widening operation

A portion of Ujjain’s Shahi Masjid was damaged on Thursday during dismantling work linked to a road-widening project for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2028, with district authorities saying nobody was injured.

Ujjain Collector Roshan Kumar Singh said the affected section at Chhatri Chowk fell within the area required for the project and sustained damage while it was being removed. He said the operation was proceeding peacefully with cooperation from local representatives and residents, while officials continued to monitor the site.

Singh urged people to rely on authentic information and warned that legal action would be taken against anyone spreading rumours, misleading claims or false information through social media or other channels. The appeal followed days of heightened security around the mosque after protests over the road project.

The damage occurred while workers were dismantling a minaret affected by the widening plan. During the operation, part of the structure fell onto another section of the mosque, damaging its outer area. Authorities said all workers were safe and that remedial work was being undertaken.

Police remained deployed around Chhatri Chowk and adjoining areas as the administration sought to prevent a fresh confrontation. Officials maintained communication with representatives of different religious communities and local residents during the operation.

The work is part of a wider programme to improve access through central Ujjain before Simhastha 2028, when the city is expected to receive a large influx of pilgrims. The disputed stretch forms part of a route connecting the Gopal Mandir area towards the Mahakal temple and the Kshipra river.

The Shahi Masjid issue had triggered clashes on September 28 when protesters gathered near the site as work to remove the affected portion was due to proceed. Stones were thrown at police during the confrontation, and security personnel used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Police subsequently detained several people and maintained a substantial presence around the area.

The legal dispute over the project also moved through the Madhya Pradesh High Court. On September 9, a single judge at the court’s Indore bench dismissed petitions challenging notices issued by the Ujjain Municipal Corporation for removal of the portion obstructing the proposed road alignment.

The civic body told the court that the road was being widened to 15 metres and argued that the work was necessary to handle traffic during major religious events, including Simhastha. It said structures along much of the route had already been removed and maintained that the project was being implemented in the larger public interest.

The petitioners, who administer the mosque and described it as registered Waqf property, challenged the municipal action and raised objections to the proposed removal. They subsequently filed appeals against the single-judge ruling.

Those appeals were disposed of by a division bench on September 28 after the petitioners informed the court that the dispute had been settled with the municipal corporation. The bench, comprising Justices Subodh Abhyankar and Jai Kumar Pillai, recorded the settlement and said assurances given by the corporation in its response and interim notice would remain binding on it.

The High Court’s September order recorded the corporation’s position that the route is an important Peshwai and Shahi Sawari corridor used by large numbers of devotees during festivals. The corporation argued that widening was needed to reduce congestion. The court rejected the petitions at that stage, while subsequent appeals ended after the parties concerned placed their settlement before the division bench.

The settlement came on the same day as the confrontation outside the mosque. The administration later proceeded with the removal work under tight security, with members of the local community participating in dismantling portions affected by the project.

The road expansion is among infrastructure works being undertaken across Ujjain for the 2028 gathering. Municipal authorities have said the programme includes widening routes used by pilgrims and improving movement through congested parts of the city.

Shivakumar alleges mass voter deletion conspiracy in Karnataka

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has accused the BJP and JD of conspiring to remove millions of eligible voters from the state’s electoral rolls through bulk objections filed during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Thursday, Shivakumar alleged that pre-filled Form 7 applications had been supplied to party workers and submitted to booth-level officers across several constituencies. He said voters from minority communities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes and economically weaker sections were being disproportionately targeted.

Shivakumar put the scale of the alleged exercise at between 50 lakh and 60 lakh additional voters and demanded an immediate criminal investigation. He later went to the office of Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar with Cabinet colleagues, submitted a memorandum and began a sit-in seeking registration of cases against those responsible.

The Chief Electoral Officer subsequently directed electoral registration officers in all 224 Assembly constituencies to initiate legal proceedings where an inquiry establishes that applicants knowingly made false statements or declarations while filing claims or objections. The circular referred to reports of bulk Form 7 applications and allegations that some were not genuine, but did not attribute the alleged filings to any political party.

Under Election Commission rules, Form 7 can be used by an elector in a constituency to seek deletion of another person’s name on specified grounds, including death, permanent shifting, duplicate enrolment, being under age or not being a citizen. Objections require scrutiny by the electoral authorities and do not automatically result in deletion.

Shivakumar alleged that large numbers of forms carried voters’ names, addresses and Electoral Photo Identity Card numbers before details of the objectors were entered. He questioned how such information had been assembled and called for an investigation into where the forms were printed, who supplied the electoral data and whether it had been accessed without authorisation.

His memorandum sought constituency-wise and booth-wise scrutiny of unusually large batches of Form 7 applications, particularly those filed between September 22 and 24. It also asked officials to examine the identities of people filing multiple objections, their relationship with the voters concerned and applications that were returned or withdrawn.

The Chief Minister cited thousands of applications in constituencies including Belagavi North, Mudigere, Bhalki, Babaleshwar and Narasimharaja. He also alleged that large batches had been filed and later withdrawn in Ballari and Vijayapura after questions were raised about their validity. The precise statewide number of allegedly improper applications has not been independently established.

Shivakumar displayed copies of forms that he said demonstrated the pattern and alleged that some BJP workers had submitted dozens or hundreds of objections in their own names. He also accused JD functionaries of participating in the exercise. Both allegations remain subject to investigation.

Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra rejected the charge of wrongdoing and said his party’s workers were entitled to bring suspected irregularities in electoral rolls to the Election Commission’s attention. He argued that election officials, rather than political parties, ultimately determine whether a voter’s name should remain on or be removed from the rolls.

Vijayendra also alleged irregular additions to electoral rolls during the revision exercise and said requests for verification were legitimate where party workers suspected ineligible enrolments. The Election Commission’s Form 7 procedure requires supporting grounds and gives electoral registration officers responsibility for deciding objections after the prescribed process.

Shivakumar said the alleged bulk objections had surfaced while the state was already dealing with exclusions and discrepancy notices during the revision. He demanded that officials identify people responsible for any fraudulent filings, examine allegations of forged signatures and determine whether booth-level staff had faced pressure.

Police complaints over alleged irregularities involving Form 7 have been lodged in parts of Karnataka. In Bhalki, a case was registered after allegations that signatures were forged and mobile numbers were improperly entered on applications, adding a criminal-investigation dimension to the wider dispute over the revision process.

Gandhi challenges EC over Belagavi voter deletions

Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Election Commission and the BJP of involvement in an alleged attempt to remove nearly 15,000 voters from electoral rolls in Karnataka’s Belagavi region. The Times of India

Gandhi said a surge of Form 7 applications seeking deletion of names had been submitted over September 22, 23 and 24. He alleged that Muslims, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes were disproportionately targeted because many voters from those communities did not support the BJP. The New Indian Express

The Congress leader claimed the applications reflected a wider method of manipulating electoral rolls through centrally operated software and bulk filings. He accused BJP functionaries and election officials of colluding in the process. The allegations have not been established by an independent investigation, and the Election Commission had not issued a specific public response to Gandhi’s claims by Thursday night.

Gandhi also questioned why Karnataka’s Chief Electoral Officer had not registered an FIR over the broader allegations, saying Congress leaders had approached the official seeking criminal action. He repeated his demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign and called for an investigation into Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The New Indian Express

The accusations followed a dispute in Belagavi over bulk Form 7 applications, which are used to object to an entry in an electoral roll or seek deletion of a name under prescribed grounds. Filing an application does not by itself remove a voter: electoral registration authorities are required to examine objections and follow the stipulated process before deleting an entry.

Belagavi Market police registered an FIR on September 30 against BJP functionary Ravi Patil and about 20 to 25 others after a booth-level officer complained of an alleged attempt to seek deletion of 198 voters through Form 7 applications containing false information and forged documents. The Times of India

The complaint concerned voters at polling parts 195 and 196 in Veerabhadra Nagar and alleged that Muslim voters whose names were validly on the rolls had been targeted. Police are investigating the allegations. The registration of the case does not establish the guilt of those named. The Times of India

Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Roshan had earlier said no voters had been deleted on the basis of objections submitted at the polling station, an important distinction from claims that names had already been erased. The local controversy began after allegations that people linked to political workers sought signatures from a booth-level officer on a large batch of deletion applications. Hindustan Times

A separate political dispute has centred on Belagavi South BJP MLA Abhay Patil. Congress leaders accused him of seeking removal of 2,598 voters, while Patil rejected that characterisation and said he had sought verification of voters identified in a booth-level agent’s report. He maintained that names should be deleted only if verification found the voters ineligible. The Times of India

The Belagavi allegations surfaced during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which has become a major point of confrontation between the opposition and the Election Commission. Opposition parties have questioned the scale and methods of deletions, while the Commission has maintained that electoral-roll revisions are governed by law and prescribed procedures. Reuters

The Election Commission has also ordered a review of voter-roll software and procedural changes following concerns over exclusions during the revision exercise. Its measures include efforts to identify eligible voters left out of rolls and changes intended to make verification easier for people whose entries have been questioned. Reuters

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Cabinet colleagues staged a protest outside the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Bengaluru on Thursday, demanding criminal investigation of alleged bulk Form 7 filings. Shivakumar said authorities should determine who prepared and submitted the applications and whether identities or signatures had been misused. The Economic Times

Gandhi presses Election Commission over Form 6 changes

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned who within the Election Commission authorised changes implemented by Tata Consultancy Services to the online Form 6 voter-registration process, demanding disclosure of the officials who ordered and approved the alterations.

Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, raised the questions in a post on X as scrutiny continued over an additional declaration linked to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. He asked who instructed TCS to make the changes, who signed off on them and whether the technology company had been subjected to pressure.

The intervention followed the Election Commission's removal of the SIR-linked declaration from the online Form 6 on its ECINET portal in states where the intensive revision has been completed. The declaration remains available for states where the exercise is continuing.

Form 6 is the statutory application used by citizens seeking enrolment as new voters. During the SIR process, an additional declaration sought information on whether an applicant, a parent or a grandparent appeared on electoral rolls prepared during an earlier intensive revision.

The dispute centres on the distinction between the statutory Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and the additional declaration required during an SIR. The Election Commission has maintained that Form 6 itself was not changed and that the SIR requirement was introduced as a separate declaration accompanying the approved form.

Gandhi challenged that explanation on Thursday, focusing on how the workflow was altered and who exercised authority over the technical implementation. His questions placed TCS, which provides technology services for the election system, at the centre of his demand for an account of the decision-making chain, although he did not provide evidence that the company independently determined the change.

The controversy gained momentum after Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi were reported to have objected to the addition on legal and procedural grounds. The disputed online section required applicants to respond before they could complete submission, even though the section itself was not labelled mandatory.

The two commissioners' objections were based on the position that amendments to statutory electoral forms require action by the Union Law Ministry. The Election Commission subsequently said differences of opinion among commissioners were part of institutional deliberations and that decisions taken by the three-member body were ultimately unanimous.

Election Commission officials have also said SIR orders covering different phases of the revision listed Forms 6 and 8 with an additional declaration and had been approved unanimously by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Sandhu and Joshi. Form 8 is used for specified corrections and shifting of residence in electoral records.

On September 26, the Commission announced that during periods when an SIR was not under way, forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules would be used. Four days later, the additional declaration disappeared from the ECINET Form 6 workflow for states where final SIR rolls had already been published.

The Commission's citizen services portal continues to distinguish between the standard Form 6 and a declaration form in connection with the ongoing SIR process. The portal identifies Form 6 as the application for new voter registration for people aged 18 or above, including those who will reach voting age within the prescribed qualifying period.

Congress has used the Form 6 dispute as part of a broader challenge to the Election Commission over the conduct of electoral-roll revisions. Party leaders have demanded greater disclosure of internal decisions and questioned whether procedural safeguards were followed. The Commission has rejected allegations that its processes are designed to favour any political party and has said electoral-roll work is conducted under the applicable legal framework.

Gandhi's questions did not allege that TCS had itself devised the disputed requirement. Instead, he sought to establish which Election Commission authority directed the company's technical work and whether the instruction had gone through the required approval process.

Charity watchdog examines London mosque over violent sermons

Britain’s charity regulator is examining concerns about a London mosque after videos on its YouTube channel promoted physically disciplining disobedient wives and described execution as a punishment for gay sex under Islamic law.

The National Secular Society has referred Hackney Islamic Community Centre, also known as Masjid Daar Al-Hadeeth, to the Charity Commission for England and Wales over three lectures posted online in 2023. The campaign group says the material raises questions about whether the charity is meeting its legal duties and operating for public benefit.

The commission confirmed it had opened a regulatory compliance case to assess concerns about alleged sermons and social-media content linked to the centre. It said all charities, whatever their purpose, must operate for public benefit and provide a safe and trusted environment, and that its assessment would determine any further regulatory next steps.

The centre is a registered charity whose stated purposes include advancing the Islamic faith, maintaining a mosque and community centre, and supporting education for Muslim children and adults. Charity Commission records show that the organisation reported income of £191,097 and expenditure of £171,539 for the year ending March 31, 2025.

One of the videos features Islamic teacher Yasin Munye discussing what he describes as “major sins”. He includes a wife disobeying her husband, leaving home without permission and refusing sexual intimacy without an excuse.

Munye tells listeners that a husband should first advise his wife and then avoid intimacy with her. He goes on to say a husband can “discipline them physically as well” through “lightly hitting them to show them who is in charge”. The statements have been cited by the National Secular Society in its complaint to the regulator.

The same lecture addresses sexual conduct between men. Munye calls gay sex “one of the most evil acts” and a “crime”, and says both participants are executed under his interpretation of Sharia law. He then describes differing historical views among scholars about methods of execution.

Those statements describe religious punishments rather than the law of England and Wales. Same-sex sexual activity is lawful in Britain, while assaulting a spouse is subject to criminal law. Domestic abuse legislation also recognises controlling or coercive behaviour and other forms of abuse between intimate partners.

Another video highlighted by the National Secular Society concerns “sihr”, or witchcraft. Munye says witchcraft is real and praises Saudi Arabia for executing people accused of the practice. The campaign group argues that material of this kind could contribute to discrimination or abuse and is incompatible with the public-benefit obligations attached to charitable status.

A separate lecture cited in the complaint features scholar Abu Sa’ad Muhammad Al-Iraqi discussing domestic relationships. He describes it as an “unfortunate reality” that women in Britain may contact police after being struck by their husbands, according to the recorded material.

Megan Manson, head of campaigns at the National Secular Society, said it was “alarming” that a charity could host lectures promoting violence against women, denying women the ability to refuse sex and condoning capital punishment for gay men and people accused of witchcraft.

She called for a review of advancement of religion as a charitable purpose, arguing that charities should not receive public advantages while disseminating ideas that could fuel discrimination, division or abuse.

The centre has undergone a change in legal structure. Companies House records identify Hackney Islamic Community Centre as a charitable incorporated organisation, with charity number 1217558. The Charity Commission register also retains records for the earlier organisation, charity number 1117069, which was registered in November 2006.

The earlier charity’s official register entry says its work includes religious instruction, community engagement and supplementary education. It lists five trustees and 12 volunteers, and says its reporting was up to date. The register also records previous names including Masjid Imam an-Nawawi, the name used by the organisation when the disputed videos were published.

Supreme Court rebukes UP Police over investigation lapses

The Supreme Court has sharply questioned the Uttar Pradesh Police over alleged irregularities in a criminal investigation, warning that persistent failures could prompt the court to consider transferring investigations across the state to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva made the unusually severe oral observations on Wednesday after examining the handling of a case in which a motorcycle rider was allegedly apprehended at the scene and handed to police, yet the first information report identified the rider as “unknown”.

The judges questioned how the public could retain confidence in the police if investigations were conducted in such a manner. “In everything you have an agenda. How will people trust you if this is how you proceed with matters?” the bench observed during the hearing.

The court went on to say it might be better for the CBI to take over investigations handled by the Uttar Pradesh Police if such conduct continued. “We might as well disband the UP Police. This nonsense has to stop at some point,” the bench said.

The remarks were oral observations made during proceedings and did not amount to an order disbanding the police force or transferring all criminal investigations to the CBI.

The court’s immediate concern centred on the discrepancy between the circumstances described by the complainant and the way the FIR was initially recorded. The complainant, who appeared before the court in person, maintained that the motorcycle rider had been caught at the spot and handed over to police officers. The bench asked why, in those circumstances, the FIR had nevertheless been registered against an unidentified rider.

The judges also scrutinised the subsequent course of the investigation. The complainant submitted that the rider’s name was introduced after judicial intervention and that he was later given a clean chit. Questions were also raised during the hearing about the motorcycle’s registration details, including the complainant’s contention that the vehicle did not carry a number plate when it was seized.

The bench expressed particular concern about the possibility that leaving a suspect unnamed despite his alleged apprehension could permit later changes to the identity of the person shown as accused. Its questions focused on the integrity of the investigative process and the effect such practices could have on public confidence.

“Toeing the line is one thing but bending over backwards. And this kind of cover-up job? Less said the better,” the bench remarked while examining the police response.

The court was also dissatisfied with the affidavit placed before it by the Uttar Pradesh Police, describing the response as “completely uninspiring”. It directed the police officer concerned to remain present at the next hearing and provide a better explanation of the circumstances surrounding the registration of the case.

The officer has specifically been asked to explain why the FIR was registered against an unknown motorcycle rider when, according to the material before the court, the rider had been apprehended at the spot. The court noted that the police affidavit itself disclosed the rider’s name as Tushar and sought an explanation for why the name had initially been left blank and was added later.

The proceedings arose from a challenge brought by the complainant after the case moved through the lower courts. Accounts of the hearing indicate that the underlying dispute involved allegations against the rider and questions about the manner in which police recorded and investigated the complaint.

Counsel associated with the Uttar Pradesh side disputed characterisations that the court’s adverse oral remarks should be treated as findings against the state police, maintaining that the bench had heard the petitioner’s allegations and sought a further affidavit. The state authorities will have an opportunity to place their explanation before the court.

Sonia Gandhi applauds Mamata at INDIA bloc meeting

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee drew applause from Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi at an INDIA bloc press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday as opposition leaders sought to project unity over their campaign against the Election Commission. Moneycontrol

Banerjee declared that the alliance would “fight” and “win”, saying it would work to restore democracy and protect the Constitution. Gandhi, seated beside her, was seen nodding during the remarks, thumping the desk in approval and, when Banerjee finished speaking, patting her on the back before the two shook hands. Moneycontrol

The exchange followed a roughly three-and-a-half-hour meeting of opposition parties at the Constitution Club, where leaders agreed on a programme of protests centred on their allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls and demands concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Banerjee said the INDIA bloc remained united and demanded Kumar’s immediate removal. India Today

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the alliance would organise “Save Democracy” marches at district level from October 2 to 8. Opposition MPs are also scheduled to march to the Election Commission on October 6, while alliance leaders plan to seek a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu during the second week of October. Web India News

The opposition parties have demanded the use of electoral rolls prepared before the Special Intensive Revision for forthcoming elections, a return to ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines, an effective appeals mechanism for people excluded from voter lists and safeguards against wrongful deletion of eligible voters. The Economic Times

Banerjee used her address to level serious accusations against Kumar and the Election Commission, alleging manipulation of the electoral process. Those allegations remain political claims and have not been established as fact. She warned that opposition parties would launch a wider movement if Kumar did not step down. India Today

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, also framed the dispute as a defence of democratic institutions and the Constitution. He said democracy was bigger than any individual and described leaders of the opposition grouping as collective defenders of the Constitution. Uniindia

The meeting brought together representatives of several opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Nationalist Congress Party, Shiv Sena, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and other alliance constituents. Some prominent leaders were absent, although their parties were represented in several cases. Web India News

The visible interaction between Gandhi and Banerjee attracted attention because the two leaders sat together through the meeting and again at the joint press conference. Banerjee was seen asking Gandhi to take a seat near Kharge before sitting beside her. The Congress later circulated a video of Gandhi applauding Banerjee’s remarks. Moneycontrol

The meeting also exposed continuing political disagreement over the opposition’s charges against the Election Commission. The Bharatiya Janata Party rejected the INDIA bloc’s allegations and criticised its planned protest campaign. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused opposition parties of attacking the Election Commission after electoral defeats and characterised the October demonstrations as an attempt to protect political families rather than democracy. The Indian Express

The opposition, however, maintained that its campaign concerned the integrity of electoral rolls and the independence of institutions. Kharge said participating leaders had decided to act together after extensive discussions and that the protest programme would be pursued in a coordinated manner. Web India News

Banerjee’s appearance alongside senior Congress leaders also provided a prominent display of cooperation between the Trinamool Congress and Congress within the national opposition platform. The parties remain political competitors in some contexts, but both participated in Wednesday’s joint strategy session and endorsed the broader protest programme announced after it.

Kharge said the alliance would take its concerns to the public through rallies beyond district marches. The opposition’s announced programme extends from street demonstrations to institutional representations, with the Election Commission and the President among the authorities it intends to approach. Uniindia

Maharashtra contractors approach Gandhi over Rs 1 lakh crore dues

Contractors from Maharashtra have approached Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking his intervention over what they say are unpaid state government bills of about Rs 1 lakh crore, asking the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha to raise the matter in Parliament.

A delegation that met Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the financial strain had become acute for contractors executing public works across Maharashtra. The representatives said roughly Rs 40,000 crore was owed to small contractors, leaving many struggling to meet expenses and service borrowings.

The contractors also blamed Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who served as chief minister from June 2022 until December 2024, for what they described as excessive sanctioning of works before the 2024 Assembly election. They alleged that tenders and work orders were issued far beyond available budgetary provisions as the then government sought electoral advantage.

Those allegations have not been established independently, and the contractors' assertion that Maharashtra is heading towards bankruptcy is their assessment of the state's finances rather than an official finding. Maharashtra's budget documents for 2026-27 project a fiscal deficit of Rs 1.50 lakh crore, equivalent to 2.8 per cent of gross state domestic product, within the 3 per cent annual limit recommended for states by the Sixteenth Finance Commission.

The state's outstanding liabilities are projected at 20.4 per cent of GSDP at the end of 2026-27, while the budget estimates a revenue deficit of Rs 40,552 crore, or 0.7 per cent of GSDP. Those figures point to fiscal pressures but do not substantiate the contractors' bankruptcy characterisation.

The dispute over unpaid bills predates Wednesday's meeting. Contractors' organisations have repeatedly complained since 2024 that government departments were approving projects without matching financial provision and were delaying payment for completed work. Their demands have included clearance of arrears and a requirement that new works be sanctioned only when adequate funds are available.

By early 2025, the Maharashtra State Contractors Association and State Engineers Association were putting aggregate unpaid bills at close to Rs 1 lakh crore. They launched a stop-work agitation that February after saying repeated representations to the government had failed to secure sufficient payments.

At that stage, association president Milind Bhosale said dues included about Rs 46,000 crore from the Public Works Department, Rs 18,000 crore connected with the Jal Jeevan Mission, Rs 8,600 crore from the rural development department and Rs 19,700 crore from the water conservation department. The figures were claims by the contractors' organisations rather than audited government arrears.

The scale of the dispute has continued to affect contractors during 2026. Bhosale said in August that government debt to contractors stood at about Rs 86,000 crore and argued that smaller firms were facing severe financial stress because payments remained blocked. He also contended that the Public Works Department had awarded works exceeding its annual budget before the 2024 election.

Contractors had raised funding concern before the 2024 election. Their associations announced a protest that October over bills then estimated at Rs 40,000 crore, arguing that departments should not award fresh contracts without financial provision. They also opposed combining smaller works into large tenders, saying the practice disadvantaged small firms and engineers.

The arrears subsequently became a wider issue as associations said delayed payments were affecting public works and employment linked to contracting businesses. Their February 2025 stoppage covered projects associated with public works, rural development and water supply programmes across the state.

The current state government is led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, with Shinde serving as one of the deputy chief ministers. Fadnavis said in January that his government had stopped urban development projects worth about Rs 40,000 crore because of cost overruns, adding that the decision had been taken in consultation with Shinde.

EC limits Form 6 declaration to SIR periods

The Election Commission of India has withdrawn the additional Special Intensive Revision declaration from online Form 6 in states and Union Territories where the electoral roll revision exercise has concluded, leaving new applicants to complete only the statutory voter-enrolment form.

The change has been implemented on the ECINET application and portal and on the websites of the respective Chief Electoral Officers. The additional declaration remains available where the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, is still under way.

The Commission had decided at a meeting on September 26 that the declaration attached to Form 6 was specific to the SIR process. Its official statement said forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, would be used during non-SIR periods. The meeting was attended by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

Form 6 is the statutory application used by eligible citizens seeking inclusion in an electoral roll. During SIR, the additional declaration sought information connecting an applicant, or the applicant's parents or grandparents, with electoral rolls prepared during an earlier intensive revision. Where the revision has finished, that separate requirement no longer accompanies the online enrolment process.

The administrative change draws a clearer distinction between the standard enrolment procedure and requirements applied specifically during an intensive revision. The Commission has maintained that Form 6 itself was not amended and that the declaration was an additional SIR-specific requirement.

Questions over the declaration had arisen within the Commission. Joshi had objected to changes concerning the statutory Form 6 on the ground that a form prescribed under the 1960 Rules could not be altered without an amendment to those rules. Sandhu concurred with that position. Sandhu subsequently objected when the SIR declaration was incorporated into the online Form 6 workflow on ECINET and sought its removal.

The Commission's September 26 statement said the declaration attached to Form 6 for SIR had been upheld by the Supreme Court. It simultaneously clarified that the statutory forms under the 1960 Rules would apply outside an SIR period. The withdrawal from completed-SIR jurisdictions puts that distinction into effect on the digital registration system.

The change does not abolish the declaration across the country. Prospective voters in states and Union Territories where SIR remains in progress may still encounter the additional declaration as part of the enrolment process. The applicable requirement therefore depends on whether the intensive revision is continuing in the jurisdiction concerned.

The Commission has also ordered a review of ECINET, its digital election-management platform. A committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT has been tasked with checking that the system complies with electoral laws and rules and reporting to the Commission.

The September 26 decisions also addressed how officials should handle voters issued notices during an ongoing SIR because they were unmapped or had logical discrepancies in their records. Booth Level Officers are to visit such voters' homes, collect documents and upload them to ECINET for decisions by Electoral Registration Officers. Personal hearings at ERO or Assistant ERO offices are not ordinarily required, with hearings in exceptional cases preferably conducted online.

District Election Officers were also directed to establish adequate help desks or special camps for people in night shelters, labourers, poorer residents and homeless people where required. These measures were announced as part of the same Commission meeting that clarified the status of the Form 6 declaration.

The Commission said field officers have role-based access to ECINET according to their statutory powers. It also decided that new initiatives involving information-technology modules and portals would be discussed in the Committee of Officers before receiving Commission approval.

For applicants in jurisdictions where SIR has ended, the immediate procedural position is simpler: an eligible person applying for fresh inclusion on the electoral roll uses Form 6 as prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The separate SIR declaration is no longer displayed alongside that online application.

Jaishankar flags major food crisis from global conflicts

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has warned that the world could face a “major food crisis” within months as wars disrupt grain and fertiliser supplies, intensifying pressure on already strained Global South economies.

Speaking at the Asia Society in New York on Monday, Jaishankar said the Ukraine and Iran-Gulf conflicts had produced a “devastating impact” on developing economies, with food, fuel, fertiliser and finance coming under simultaneous pressure.

“We are already looking at major significant fertiliser shortages,” he said, adding that some major grain exporters were facing difficulties in shipping supplies. “So there is gonna be a major food crisis probably, you know, in the coming months.”

Jaishankar also pointed to the prospect of a strong El Niño weather pattern as an additional threat to agricultural production. He described the combined pressures as “very very stressful” for the Global South, where many economies have less fiscal room to absorb higher import costs or shield consumers from price increases.

His warning comes as international agencies are recording mounting strains across agricultural commodity and input markets. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said this month that disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict have severely affected fertiliser markets, while pressure on Black Sea trade routes has complicated grain movements.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu told a ministerial meeting in New York on September 24 that the Gulf normally supplies 30 to 35 per cent of global urea, half of sulphur exports and 20 to 30 per cent of ammonia. He said 1.5 million to 3 million tonnes of monthly fertiliser trade had been delayed, while diammonium phosphate prices had risen 26 per cent.

The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for energy and fertiliser shipments, has been a particular source of vulnerability. Qu said tanker movements through the waterway had fallen by more than 90 per cent amid the conflict. Under normal conditions, the strait carries 20 to 30 per cent of internationally traded fertiliser, according to FAO.

The agency has warned that fertiliser scarcity can feed through to harvests with a delay because farmers must apply nutrients at specific stages of the crop cycle. Missed deliveries can force growers to cut application rates, potentially reducing yields and tightening food supplies later in 2026 and into 2027.

Food prices are already showing renewed pressure. FAO’s Food Price Index averaged 133.3 points in August, up 1.9 per cent from July and 2.5 per cent from a year earlier. The agency attributed the increase partly to adverse weather, the Middle East conflict and logistical disruption around Black Sea trade.

International wheat, maize and rice export prices generally increased in August. US hard red winter wheat quotations were 41.1 per cent above their level a year earlier, while US maize export prices were 20.7 per cent higher, FAO data showed. Ukrainian grain trade continued to face logistical bottlenecks.

Jaishankar said energy markets were another immediate concern because supplies remained tight and political actions affecting oil flows could add to market complications. Higher energy costs can also raise fertiliser production and transport expenses, magnifying the effect on agriculture and food prices.

He linked the pressures to a broader “4F” challenge — food, fuel, fertiliser and finance — confronting developing countries. Conflict-driven uncertainty, he said, also encourages capital to move towards safer destinations, leaving Global South economies facing tighter financing conditions alongside higher commodity bills.

The World Bank said in June that global food and nutrition security remained fragile, with fertiliser prices during the first five months of 2026 running 35 per cent above the same period of 2025. Multilateral development banks subsequently pledged greater cooperation to strengthen fertiliser supply chains, including investment in production, processing, storage and transport.

Bangladesh illustrates the exposure of import-dependent economies. The World Bank approved emergency financing in June to support fertiliser imports for rice production after fuel and input-price shocks squeezed farmers and finances.

NCERT textbook details Mughal treatment of Sikh Gurus

The new NCERT Class 9 Social Science textbook says the Mughal state’s treatment of Sikh Gurus had “few comparisons in history”, attributing the persecution to what it describes as rigid religious and discriminatory practices.

Understanding Society: India and Beyond — Part 2, released on Tuesday, places the assertion in a chapter titled “Resistance and Resilience”, covering developments between 1000 and 1700 CE. The National Council of Educational Research and Training’s account focuses particularly on Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh while tracing the Sikh community’s response to Mughal authority.

The textbook says the “valour and sacrifice” of the Gurus for their faith became defining features of Sikhism and that their martyrdoms strengthened a conviction that persecution should be met with “firm resistance and resilience”. It says Mughal intervention in Sikh affairs increased from the beginning of the 17th century as the Gurus’ socio-cultural influence grew.

The chapter states that Mughal emperor Jahangir ordered the execution of Guru Arjan Dev after allegations that the fifth Sikh Guru had supported the emperor’s rebellious son, Khusrau Mirza. NCERT describes the execution as a significant turning point that contributed to changes in the organisational and political direction of the Sikh community.

It also records the detention of Guru Hargobind at Gwalior Fort under Jahangir and says Sikhs gathered outside the fort in large numbers to pay their respects. The book connects subsequent developments to the emergence of a more organised response to political pressure.

On Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, the textbook says Emperor Aurangzeb ordered his execution in 1675 and describes his martyrdom as a turning point in the history of the subcontinent. The chapter argues that persecution and political pressure encouraged collective organisation and, when considered necessary, armed resistance.

That account leads into Guru Hargobind’s establishment of the Akal Takht as a seat of temporal authority and the concept of miri-piri, combining spiritual and worldly authority. The textbook then traces the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 and the development of armed Sikh groups that later formed confederacies.

The treatment of Sikh history forms part of a broader restructuring of the Class 9 history syllabus under the National Curriculum Framework. The new volume gives substantial attention to resistance against the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal expansion, including the actions of Rajputs, Ahoms, Marathas, Sikhs and Jats.

The chapter begins its historical narrative by saying the subcontinent experienced successive phases of invasions from the seventh century, driven by territorial expansion and religious motives. It also says the economic attraction of fertile river plains contributed to invasions. Its treatment of medieval history emphasises struggles for sovereignty, alliances, confederacies and the defence or restoration of political and cultural institutions.

NCERT’s presentation also acknowledges differing relationships between regional powers and the Mughals. While Mewar is presented through its resistance to Mughal authority, the textbook notes that the Kachhwahas of Amber entered cooperative arrangements with the Mughal state. It discusses Maharana Pratap, the Ahom resistance culminating in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671, and Maratha campaigns associated with Shivaji.

The book also covers Jat resistance in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab, linking it to taxation, exploitation and Aurangzeb’s religious policies. It refers to Gokul Jat’s rebellion in 1669 and a later uprising led by zamindars of Sinsani and Sogar.

Part 2 follows the first volume of Understanding Society: India and Beyond, released in June. Together, the volumes replace the earlier subject-wise Class 9 Social Science books as NCERT implements textbooks aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023.

The revised approach marks a change from the previous Class 9 history course, which included the French Revolution, socialism in Europe, the Russian Revolution, Nazism and Hitler’s rise. Those themes are no longer the starting point of the new Class 9 volume.

Congress presses CEC exit and SIR suspension

The Congress Working Committee on Tuesday demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s immediate resignation, suspension of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and restoration of 13.30 crore names that the party claims have been removed during the exercise.

The party’s highest decision-making body adopted resolutions at a meeting in New Delhi, escalating its confrontation with the Election Commission over the SIR and alleged irregularities in voter registration. Congress also demanded the resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that the electoral process had been compromised. The government and the Bharatiya Janata Party have rejected opposition allegations of electoral manipulation.

The CWC said Kumar had forfeited “all moral and institutional authority” to continue as Chief Election Commissioner. Its resolution called for an immediate halt to the SIR, citing what it described as serious concerns over the integrity and transparency of electoral rolls being prepared through the process and questions about its constitutional validity.

Congress further demanded immediate restoration of 13 crore 30 lakh names it says were removed from electoral rolls. The figure is a party claim and does not, by itself, establish that all those deletions involved eligible voters or were improper. Electoral-roll revision normally includes removal of names for reasons including death, relocation, duplication and failure to establish eligibility under prescribed procedures.

The resolution argued that a revision process placing the burden on citizens to prove eligibility, conducted without adequate safeguards and resulting in what Congress called arbitrary mass disenfranchisement, could not be reconciled with constitutional guarantees of equality and universal adult suffrage.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who chaired the meeting, also set out demands for greater transparency in electoral-roll management. He called for full disclosure of additions, deletions and modifications; notification to voters whose names are removed and an opportunity to appeal; timely provision of electoral data to political parties; transparent investigation of disputed changes; and greater openness in Election Commission decision-making.

The dispute has sharpened after accounts of internal differences within the Election Commission over aspects of the SIR. Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi were reported to have recorded objections on multiple occasions concerning procedural decisions, including changes connected with Form 6, which is used for voter enrolment.

The Election Commission has maintained that differences of view and observations are normal in institutional deliberations and that its orders have legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures. It has also said correspondence involving the two commissioners concerned an officer on deputation rather than policy or information-technology matters.

The CWC nevertheless alleged that decision-making had become excessively concentrated and accused the poll body of failing to address opposition concerns adequately. It said Congress would continue challenging the SIR through political mobilisation, Parliament and the courts.

Kharge said the controversy raised questions about the credibility of electoral administration and argued that voters must be told when their names are deleted and given an effective avenue for redress. Congress has sought to link those demands to its broader campaign alleging manipulation of voter lists in several states.

The meeting was attended by senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K. C. Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh. The resolutions followed weeks of opposition pressure over the SIR and the functioning of the Election Commission, with Congress seeking a coordinated response from other opposition parties.

The INDIA opposition grouping was due to meet on Wednesday to discuss a common strategy on the Election Commission and the roll revision. Congress leaders have indicated that parliamentary action, including another effort concerning the CEC’s removal, could form part of those discussions.

Omar Abdullah escalates jibe over honour for CEC

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has mocked a BJP call for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to receive the Padma Bhushan, saying he should instead be awarded the Bharat Ratna and eventually made President.

Abdullah made the sarcastic remarks while speaking to reporters in Srinagar on Tuesday, as political arguments over the Election Commission’s functioning and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls continued.

“Padma Bhushan? Why stop there? Give him the Bharat Ratna!” Abdullah said. Referring to the next presidential election, he added that Kumar could then be made President because, in his words, he had “done so much for the BJP”.

The remarks were a response to West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, who had publicly defended Kumar and said the Chief Election Commissioner deserved “at the very least” the Padma Bhushan. Bhattacharya praised the conduct of this year’s West Bengal Assembly election and the revision of electoral rolls, arguing that voters had been able to cast ballots without intimidation.

Abdullah rejected that assessment and alleged that the Election Commission had effectively “gifted West Bengal to the BJP”. His statement was political criticism rather than an established finding about the conduct or outcome of the election.

The National Conference leader also urged the Election Commission to examine concerns about its internal functioning rather than dismiss them. He said the controversy was not based solely on accusations made by opposition parties and argued that the commission should address questions raised about decision-making within the three-member body.

“The Election Commission should do some soul-searching,” Abdullah said, adding that it should improve its functioning and try to prevent circumstances that generate allegations about its independence or procedures.

The dispute intensified after disclosures that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on multiple occasions concerning electoral-roll decisions, including voter registration, deletion and restoration, Form 6 requirements and management of the electoral database.

The Election Commission has pushed back against suggestions that those disagreements meant its final decisions lacked collective approval. It has said differing views and observations are normal within a multi-member constitutional institution and maintained that key decisions were ultimately taken unanimously.

The institutional dispute reached the Supreme Court on Wednesday, when the court agreed to hear a petition questioning Kumar’s functioning and the legality of aspects of the SIR. The petition alleges that powers belonging to the commission collectively were exercised unilaterally. Those allegations remain to be adjudicated, and the matter is listed next week for hearing.

A full commission meeting involving Kumar, Sandhu and Joshi was held at Nirvachan Sadan on Saturday. The poll body subsequently announced measures relating to the Special Intensive Revision and its procedures, while reiterating its position that institutional deliberations should not be equated with formal dissent from final decisions.

The controversy has nevertheless widened politically. Opposition parties have demanded greater scrutiny of Kumar’s leadership and of the SIR process, while BJP leaders and allies have defended the Election Commission and accused its critics of undermining confidence in the constitutional body.

Bhattacharya’s proposal for a Padma Bhushan came against that backdrop. He credited Kumar with overseeing what he described as a peaceful election in West Bengal and supported the revision of voter lists, saying it had removed names that should not have remained on the rolls. Opposition parties have disputed claims surrounding the revision and questioned aspects of the exercise.

Abdullah’s intervention sharpened the exchange by turning the proposed civilian honour into a broader attack on what he portrays as excessive BJP praise for the Chief Election Commissioner. His reference to the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, and the presidency was plainly sarcastic.

The Chief Minister also addressed other issues while speaking to reporters. Asked about External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s assessment of ties with China, Abdullah said Jaishankar was not wrong to point to an improvement compared with the period following the Galwan confrontation.

Gandhi urges Congress colleagues to trust his campaign

Rahul Gandhi has urged Congress leaders who remain sceptical of his campaign over alleged electoral irregularities to place greater trust in his political assessment, telling the party’s top decision-making body that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah recognise Congress as the principal alternative to the BJP.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha made the remarks during Tuesday’s closed-door Congress Working Committee meeting in New Delhi, according to people familiar with the deliberations. Gandhi is learnt to have told colleagues that some CWC members had not fully backed him and should “start believing” in him.

Gandhi referred to an earlier meeting with Modi and Shah in which, according to his account to the CWC, he was asked whether he had a problem with the BJP. He said he replied that he was doing what was best for his party. Gandhi told colleagues that Modi and Shah responded that if the BJP lost power, Congress would replace it.

The account of that exchange has not been publicly confirmed by Modi or Shah. Gandhi used it internally to question why some Congress leaders remained doubtful about his “vote chori”, or vote theft, campaign when, as he characterised the conversation, the BJP’s two most senior leaders regarded Congress as its eventual successor in government.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge intervened during the discussion to assure Gandhi that the party leadership stood behind him on the electoral issue. Gandhi responded that colleagues should not fall too far behind, while Kharge said the entire party would walk with him, according to accounts of the meeting.

The exchange came as the CWC escalated its confrontation with the government and the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The committee demanded the resignations of Modi, Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, suspension of the revision exercise and restoration of names it says were removed from voter lists.

Those demands are political claims and have been rejected by the BJP, which has accused Congress of attacking constitutional institutions when election outcomes do not favour it. BJP general secretary Smriti Irani questioned whether Congress was selectively challenging the Election Commission while accepting its functioning in states where opposition parties had performed well.

The Election Commission has also defended its procedures. It has said differing views and observations among election commissioners are a normal feature of institutional deliberations, while maintaining that its orders have legal sanction and follow established procedures.

Gandhi told the CWC that the party’s sustained focus on alleged electoral manipulation had altered the political atmosphere over the past two years. He argued that questions raised by Congress over elections in Haryana, Karnataka and Maharashtra, initially met with scepticism by some within the party, had gained wider attention.

He also urged Congress to combine “virodh”, or opposition, with “pratirodh”, or resistance, from Parliament to the streets. His intervention was intended both to reinforce the party’s campaign against alleged electoral malpractice and to address internal doubts over the political course he has pursued.

The CWC resolution echoed Gandhi’s position, saying concerns he had raised had developed into a broader demand for transparency and accountability. It accused the Election Commission and the government of compromising electoral integrity, allegations both institutions contest.

The immediate dispute has intensified following disclosures that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections on multiple occasions to aspects of the voter-roll revision process. The Election Commission subsequently announced measures addressing several concerns, including a review of voter-roll software and procedural changes intended to make verification easier for voters.

Congress leaders also discussed how to carry the campaign forward. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra favoured building public pressure over the demand for Kumar’s resignation, while Kumari Selja argued that the party should prepare its next steps if the Chief Election Commissioner remained in office.