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.

Curative plea targets Supreme Court poll-law split

A curative petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking recall of its September 23 split ruling on challenges to the 2023 law governing appointments to the Election Commission, alleging a conflict-of-interest concern involving Justice Satish Chandra Sharma.

The petition, filed by Jaya Thakur and others, seeks a fresh hearing before an appropriate bench. It argues that Justice Sharma ought to have disclosed that his son, advocate Siddharth Sharma, has served as standing counsel for the Election Commission of India before the Madhya Pradesh High Court since July 2024, and should have recused himself.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court's advocates database lists Siddharth Sharma as counsel for the Election Commission, with his engagement dated July 10, 2024. The curative plea says the professional association created a "reasonable apprehension of bias and propriety" because the constitutional authority represented by the judge's son was connected to the litigation before him.

The petition does not allege that Justice Sharma decided the case for an improper reason. Senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, who certified the matter as fit for curative jurisdiction and settled the petition, said he had "no doubt" that the judge decided the case on its merits. He nevertheless said the principle that justice must also be seen to be done made recusal appropriate.

Justice Sharma and Justice Dipankar Datta had delivered differing opinions on September 23 on whether petitions challenging the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023 should go before a five-judge Constitution Bench.

Justice Datta held that a larger-bench reference was unnecessary, while Justice Sharma concluded that the challenge raised a substantial question of constitutional interpretation requiring consideration by a Constitution Bench. Despite their disagreement, both judges directed that the papers be placed before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to consider constituting a bench of appropriate strength.

Justice Datta's opinion also examined the composition of the selection committee, observing that the presence of a Cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister raised a question about perceived neutrality because ministers are bound by collective responsibility. Justice Sharma took the view that Parliament's exercise of its power under Article 324, and the constitutional implications of replacing the court-devised interim arrangement, presented questions that should be authoritatively considered by at least five judges. Neither opinion finally determined the validity of the 2023 Act.

The underlying petitions challenge provisions including Section 7 of the 2023 Act. The law provides for a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet minister nominated by the Prime Minister to recommend appointments of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.

That arrangement replaced the interim mechanism laid down by a Constitution Bench in the 2023 Anoop Baranwal judgment, under which the selection committee consisted of the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India until Parliament enacted a law. Petitioners contend that replacing the Chief Justice with a Cabinet minister weakens the institutional independence required of the Election Commission. The Union government has defended Parliament's authority to prescribe the appointment mechanism.

The curative petition also questions how the larger-bench issue arose. It says the Union government's counter-affidavit filed in May 2026 contained no objection to the constitutional challenge being heard by a two-judge bench, and says the Attorney General raised the objection under Article 145 during oral arguments on May 14.

Thakur's plea relies on the Supreme Court's decision in Rupa Ashok Hurra versus Ashok Hurra, the case that established the narrow curative jurisdiction intended to prevent a miscarriage of justice after ordinary remedies have been exhausted. It argues that non-disclosure of a judge's connection with a party can justify curative intervention where circumstances create an apprehension of bias.

Ujjain mosque removal proceeds after court-backed settlement

Removal of part of Ujjain’s Shahi Masjid has continued under heavy security after its management reached a settlement with civic authorities over a road-widening project linked to preparations for the 2028 Simhastha pilgrimage.

Members of the mosque committee began dismantling the affected section themselves after talks involving the local administration and the city Qazi. District Collector Roshan Kumar Singh said the work was voluntary, while committee representative Fahim Sikandar said the community was cooperating with the widening project after efforts to preserve the entire structure failed to produce an agreement.

The development followed a tense confrontation on Monday, when a crowd opposing the removal gathered near the mosque and stones were thrown at police. Police used tear gas and force to disperse protesters. Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma said 15 people had been detained and cases registered as investigators examined CCTV footage, drone recordings and social-media activity.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court’s Indore bench subsequently disposed of appeals challenging the action after being informed that the mosque’s representatives and Ujjain Municipal Corporation had settled their dispute. The court said assurances given by the corporation would bind the civic authority and directed the parties to adhere to the arrangement.

A lawyer representing one of the Muslim parties, Kuldeep Pathak, said the administration had initially sought removal of about 9.5 feet of the structure but the settlement reduced the affected portion to about three feet. Earlier accounts from community representatives had indicated that the precise extent remained under discussion as dismantling began.

The dispute concerns the widening to 15 metres of the road between Kanthal Chouraha and Gopal Mandir, a route authorities say must accommodate substantially heavier pilgrim traffic during Simhastha 2028. The project forms part of the Ujjain Development Plan 2035 and requires removal or alteration of structures within the planned alignment.

Mosque representatives and residents had resisted the proposed demolition, arguing that the religious structure should be protected and alternatives considered. Imam Mohammad Ibrahim has said the mosque dates to 1390, making it 636 years old, although the claimed age has not been independently established through an archaeological finding cited in the court proceedings.

Large numbers of Muslims gathered at the mosque on Sunday and some remained overnight as negotiations continued. The city Qazi, Khalil Qureshi Rehman, later said the dispute had been resolved through mutual agreement and urged residents not to gather at the site or respond to rumours.

The controversy had already reached the High Court earlier in September. A single-judge bench rejected petitions against the municipal notices, finding that the widening was being undertaken under statutory authority and that the action could not be considered discriminatory merely because it affected a religious property.

The court recorded the corporation’s submission that portions of 10 temples and another mosque had already been removed along the same road and that action connected with the wider development programme had affected about 80 religious structures. It also noted that nearly all structures obstructing the approximately 1.5-km stretch had been removed, apart from the Shahi Masjid and a structure opposite it.

Petitioners had argued that removing portions of the mosque would violate constitutional protections and affect its prayer hall, minaret and associated religious space. The corporation maintained that widening was necessary to manage congestion and the movement of the large numbers of devotees expected for Simhastha.

The dispute also acquired a political dimension. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the proposed removal and described the earlier gathering as a peaceful protest, while critics of the state government questioned why the road alignment could not be adjusted to protect the mosque. The administration has rejected suggestions of discriminatory treatment, pointing to removals affecting properties and religious structures belonging to different communities.

Authorities maintained a substantial security presence around the old-city area following Monday’s violence. Police said they were also scrutinising online material for alleged rumours and provocative posts, while the administration and religious leaders appealed for calm.

Reddy remarks on religious slogans draw BJP criticism

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has drawn sharp criticism from the BJP after contrasting religious and political identities in northern and southern India and questioning the party’s emphasis on the slogan “Jai Shri Ram”.

Speaking at the Conclave 2026 in New Delhi on Monday, Reddy asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders frequently invoked Lord Ram but did not similarly chant “Har Har Mahadev”, a slogan associated with Lord Shiva. He also sought to link religious preferences with regional and economic distinctions.

“Both Mahadev and Ram are our deities,” Reddy said before asking why Modi did not say “Har Har Mahadev”. He said BJP leaders routinely used “Jai Shri Ram” from political platforms and questioned why the Shiva invocation was not heard with comparable frequency.

Reddy went further, describing people of the south as “Dravidians” and those of the north as “Aryans”, and saying southern people were devotees of Shiva while northern political leaders were devotees of Ram. He also characterised Shiva as the deity of poor people and Ram as the deity of the rich, tying the comparison to his political attack on the BJP.

The remarks prompted objections from the BJP, which accused the Congress chief minister of attempting to create divisions among communities and regions for political purposes. Party critics argued that worship of Ram and Shiva cuts across geographical, linguistic and economic boundaries and rejected Reddy’s attempt to frame the two traditions through a north-south divide.

Reddy’s comments came during a wider discussion about differences in political culture between northern and southern states. He said student politics and routes into mainstream parties operated differently in Telangana, citing his own experience and the movement of politicians between ideological organisations and established parties.

The chief minister also argued that the country’s political and economic tensions should not simply be characterised as a contest between north and south. Instead, he accused the Modi government of creating what he described as a “Gujarat versus the rest of India” situation by directing investment and major projects towards Gujarat.

He cited infrastructure and investment demands from Telangana, including the Hyderabad Metro expansion, the Regional Ring Road, national highways and semiconductor projects, while arguing that the state had not received adequate support from the Centre. The BJP has repeatedly rejected opposition accusations that the Union government discriminates against states governed by rival parties.

Reddy also used the Delhi event to renew his criticism of a future delimitation exercise based on population. Southern states have raised concerns that population-linked redistribution of Lok Sabha seats could reduce their relative parliamentary influence after decades in which several of them achieved lower population growth.

Illustrating his argument, Reddy referred to the existing representation of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh. Kerala has 20 Lok Sabha seats and Uttar Pradesh 80. He said a proportional expansion without safeguards could widen the numerical gap and argued that states which controlled population growth should not be disadvantaged in parliamentary representation.

The chief minister separately attacked the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and called for a nationwide campaign against the exercise. He alleged that the process could be used to remove voters opposed to the BJP before the 2029 general election. The Election Commission has maintained that electoral-roll revisions are intended to ensure accurate voter lists and remove ineligible or duplicate entries.

Reddy also spoke about education, skills and employment policies in Telangana. He highlighted the state’s Young India Skills University and the upgrading of Industrial Training Institutes into Advanced Technology Centres, saying the government was seeking to improve employability and prepare young people for skilled work.

He said demand for blue-collar skills would grow and pointed to potential employment opportunities in countries including Japan, Germany and South Korea. Learning foreign languages such as German and Japanese, he said, could help Telangana’s young workers compete for jobs overseas.

Kolkata school alerts police over religious curriculum parcel

Kolkata police are investigating a registered parcel sent to state-run Jadavpur Vidyapith containing Islamic religious books and a letter asking the school to introduce Islamic teaching and religious texts into its curriculum.

Headmaster Parthapratim Baidya approached Jadavpur police after examining the package, which reached his office on September 24. An FIR was lodged at Jadavpur police station on September 25, and investigators are seeking to establish who dispatched the parcel and why it was sent to the school.

The package contained religious material, including a copy of the Quran. The accompanying letter sought the inclusion of Islamic teaching and the study of religious texts in the syllabus, according to details provided by the headmaster.

Baidya said the school had not promoted religious dogma among its pupils and stressed that it followed an inclusive approach to education. He said teaching the tenets of one particular religion to students would be inconsistent with that approach.

The headmaster also voiced concern that the parcel could have been intended to create trouble, though he did not identify or accuse any individual. He said determining the circumstances surrounding the delivery, including the identity and intentions of the sender, was a matter for the police investigation.

Police are examining the origin of the registered parcel and attempting to verify the identity of the person named as its sender. Investigators are also reviewing CCTV footage from the school and surrounding areas as part of efforts to reconstruct how the material reached the institution.

One line of inquiry is whether the person whose name appeared on the parcel and letter actually sent the material or whether that identity was used by somebody else. No finding on that question has been announced, and police have not publicly attributed responsibility for sending the package.

Baidya said the material was not immediately examined on September 24 because school officials were occupied with other work. He opened it the following day, saw the letter and books and then took the contents to the police station, where he submitted information in writing and handed over the material.

He said the unusual nature of the request, rather than the presence of a religious book by itself, prompted him to contact police. The school teaches pupils to respect all faiths, he said, adding that he would have viewed a religious book differently had it simply been presented as a gift.

The headmaster said he had not encountered a similar episode during his teaching career and regarded the matter as sensitive because it involved a school with a large student population. The institution is located close to Jadavpur University in south Kolkata.

Baidya also informed the state secondary education authorities about the episode, extending the school's response beyond the police complaint. Officials have not announced any separate administrative action over the request, leaving the criminal inquiry as the principal process.

School authorities have asked investigators to trace the source of the communication and establish why Jadavpur Vidyapith was selected to receive it. The inquiry is therefore focused both on verifying the sender and on determining whether the delivery was an isolated act.

The episode also raises a legal distinction relevant to state-funded education. Article 28 of India's Constitution says no religious instruction shall be provided in an educational institution wholly maintained out of state funds, while providing separate rules for institutions administered by the state but established under an endowment or trust requiring religious instruction.

The constitutional provision also says a person attending a state-recognised or state-aided educational institution cannot be required to take part in religious instruction or worship conducted there without consent, with guardian consent required for minors.

No change to Jadavpur Vidyapith's curriculum has been announced, and the school has treated the letter as an unsolicited request rather than an educational proposal under consideration. Its response has centred on reporting the delivery and preserving the parcel and its contents for investigation.

Security cordon reinforced around Meerut mosque after video

Security was tightened around a mosque in Meerut’s Kesarganj Mandi area on Tuesday after a social media video showed a Hindu outfit leader announcing plans to recite the Hanuman Chalisa near the place of worship, police said.

Additional personnel were deployed outside the mosque, patrols were intensified and surveillance was increased in the locality as a precaution against any disturbance. Police said they were also monitoring social media activity connected with the proposed programme.

Superintendent of Police Vinayak Gopal Bhosale said maintaining law and order was the priority and nobody would be permitted to take the law into their own hands. Police appealed to residents to remain peaceful and ignore rumours or unverified information circulating online.

The video featured Pinky Chaudhary, identified as the national president of a Hindu outfit, announcing that he planned to reach Meerut and recite the Hanuman Chalisa near the mosque on Tuesday. Another person, Lalit Sharma, was also associated with the video, according to accounts of the announcement.

Police moved to strengthen the security arrangements after the clip circulated widely, bringing renewed attention to an existing dispute over construction at the mosque. Officers maintained a visible presence around Kesarganj Mandi while stepping up patrols through the surrounding commercial area.

Zubair, the mosque’s mutawalli, or caretaker, approached the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police and submitted a complaint seeking action over the announcement. He also asked the authorities to ensure that peace and public order were maintained around the mosque.

The immediate dispute has its roots in construction work on the upper portion of the building. Police said work on the mosque’s upper floor had been stopped about a month earlier following objections from traders in the locality. The traders had complained that construction was being undertaken without the required permission.

Meerut Police had said earlier that the local station house officer visited the site and contacted people responsible for the mosque before work described as renovation on the third floor was stopped. Those involved were advised to approach the city administration over the matter.

The construction issue subsequently drew representations from traders and political figures. Meerut MP Arun Govil wrote to District Magistrate V K Singh this month after receiving a representation from the Meerut Merchant Association, Kesarganj Mandi. Govil sought an inquiry into allegations that work had proceeded without prior administrative permission and requested action in accordance with the law if violations were established.

Those allegations concern the legality of the construction and have not been treated by police as grounds for allowing any group to disturb public order. Authorities have instead focused on keeping the dispute within administrative and legal channels while preventing confrontations at the site.

Local traders have also expressed concern that the arrival of people from outside the area could disturb the atmosphere in the market. Their concerns added to the police decision to maintain an enhanced presence around the mosque after the video emerged.

Kesarganj Mandi is a busy trading locality, making crowd control and the uninterrupted functioning of the market an immediate consideration for the administration. Police precautions on Tuesday centred on the mosque and adjoining streets rather than any wider restrictions across Meerut.

The Hanuman Chalisa is a Hindu devotional hymn dedicated to Hanuman. Public recitations are common, but the announced choice of a location close to the mosque placed the proposed event within the context of the unresolved construction dispute and prompted police intervention before any gathering could develop.

Officials did not announce permission for the proposed recitation. Their statements instead stressed preventive deployment, patrols and monitoring, with officers instructed to maintain order and respond to any attempt to create a confrontation.

Supreme Court keeps Bengal SIR hearing on schedule

The Supreme Court has declined to advance its hearing on appeals linked to West Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, keeping the matter for October 5, a day before Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana rejected the request for an earlier hearing on Monday after counsel raised concerns that thousands of electoral-roll appeals affecting voters in the two constituencies remained unresolved.

Counsel told the court that the matter had earlier been expected to come up on September 29 but was no longer on that day’s cause list and was instead being shown tentatively for October 5. Polling in Nandigram and Rejinagar is scheduled for October 6.

“These are only by-elections. That is all,” Chief Justice Kant said while declining the request. The bench indicated that it would take up the matter on October 5.

The request for urgency focused on appeals against decisions concerning inclusion and exclusion of names following the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, undertaken in West Bengal. Counsel submitted that more than 18,000 appeals connected with the two poll-bound constituencies remained pending and argued that affected electors risked losing another opportunity to vote.

The lawyer told the bench that some of the people concerned had already been unable to participate in the Assembly elections while their electoral status remained unresolved. The submission was made to press the case for judicial consideration before voting in the two constituencies.

The request did not ask the bench to decide the merits of the SIR challenges on Monday. It concerned only the timing of the next hearing, with counsel seeking enough time before polling for the court to address the unresolved appeals and their electoral consequences.

The wider pendency before the appellate tribunals is substantially larger. Figures placed by the Election Commission of India before the Supreme Court show that 38,31,429 appeals had been filed following the revision exercise. Of these, 1,26,194 had been decided, leaving 37,05,235 pending when the data were furnished.

The Commission’s figures show that 22,21,118 appeals were filed by people challenging the exclusion or deletion of their names from the electoral rolls, while 16,10,311 challenged the inclusion of names. The data were submitted after the Supreme Court sought details on the scale and disposal of appeals before the tribunals.

The appellate mechanism was established under the Supreme Court’s supervision to deal with disputes generated by the revision. The Election Commission constituted 19 single-member appellate tribunals, headed by former chief justices and judges of high courts, for West Bengal’s 23 districts. The tribunals began functioning in April.

The Supreme Court had earlier directed that electors dissatisfied with decisions made during adjudication of claims and objections could approach the appellate tribunals. The system was intended to provide judicial scrutiny of decisions affecting whether names remained on, were restored to, or were removed from the electoral rolls.

The scale of pending cases has since become a central issue before the court. The Election Commission has suggested increasing the number of tribunals to accelerate disposal, telling the court that the existing arrangement faces a large volume of appeals. Its filing proposed expanding the mechanism in a manner corresponding to the state’s parliamentary constituencies.

The October 6 bypolls have brought the pace of adjudication into sharper focus because unresolved appeals could affect whether individual applicants are on the rolls used for polling. The court, however, did not accept that the approaching by-elections required the scheduled hearing to be brought forward.

The matter forms part of continuing proceedings over the SIR and the adjudicatory framework created to handle disputes arising from it. The Supreme Court has sought periodic information on the functioning of the tribunals and the number of cases disposed of, while hearing applications connected with the revision.

Dhulia says ECI cannot determine citizenship

Former Supreme Court judge Sudhanshu Dhulia has said determining citizenship falls outside the Election Commission of India’s remit, stressing that the Supreme Court has settled the question in several judgments.

Dhulia, speaking at an Idea Exchange event, said citizenship remained a prerequisite for registration as a voter but the poll body was not the authority empowered to decide a person’s citizenship. He said that responsibility lay with the Union Home Ministry, reiterating a position he had voiced while sitting on a Supreme Court bench hearing challenges to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar in July 2025.

“This is the law laid down by the Supreme Court in several earlier judgments: this is not the Election Commission of India’s job,” Dhulia said. “But a voter has to be a citizen of this country. The problem is the enormous conditions that have been imposed.”

His remarks have renewed attention on the legal boundaries of the ECI’s powers as the commission carries out a large-scale revision of electoral rolls. The exercise has generated disputes over documentation, inclusion and deletion of names, and the procedures used to establish whether applicants satisfy statutory eligibility requirements.

The Representation of the People Act, 1950, makes citizenship a condition for electoral registration. Section 16 disqualifies a person from registration if that person is not a citizen of India, while electoral registration authorities have powers to maintain and revise the rolls. The legal dispute centres on how far those powers extend when doubts about citizenship arise and which authority can conclusively determine citizenship status.

Dhulia’s comments echoed the distinction he drew from the bench in July 2025. Sitting with Justice Joymalya Bagchi on a vacation bench, he declined to halt the Bihar revision at that stage but questioned the documentation requirements and suggested that the commission consider Aadhaar, voter identity cards and ration cards while updating the rolls.

At the event, Dhulia emphasised that his role in those proceedings was limited. He said he had sat as a vacation judge for only a day or two and that the substantive arguments on the validity of the revision were heard later by another bench. His bench had dealt principally with interim issues concerning documents.

The Supreme Court subsequently ruled in May 2026 on challenges arising from the Bihar exercise. The court noted that Aadhaar does not constitute proof of citizenship or domicile, while recognising its statutory use for establishing identity. It also recorded that an earlier interim order had directed the commission to treat Aadhaar as an additional document of identity for considering inclusion or exclusion from Bihar’s revised electoral roll.

Questions over citizenship and electoral registration have reached the Supreme Court before. In the 1995 Lal Babu Hussein case, the court examined Election Commission directions concerning people suspected of being non-citizens and stressed procedural safeguards. It held that electoral authorities dealing with citizenship questions for the limited purpose of the electoral law had to examine them carefully under the Constitution and the Citizenship Act, while ensuring affected people received a proper opportunity to respond.

Dhulia also addressed concerns over the functioning of the three-member Election Commission. Asked about objections reportedly recorded by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to steps taken by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, he said it would be serious if decisions had been taken only by the CEC. He cautioned, however, that the other side had not been heard and that it was too early to reach a conclusion.

The Election Commission has maintained that final decisions relating to the electoral-roll revision were unanimous and has announced procedural changes intended to ease difficulties faced by voters during verification. These include steps concerning document collection and the handling of voters whose records require further scrutiny.

CJP schedules Mumbai jail bharo after police refusal

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke has announced a “Jail Bharo Andolan” at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2, pressing ahead with a Gandhi Jayanti protest after police denied permission for the planned demonstration.

Dipke announced the action on Monday in a post on X, writing: “Jail Bharo Andolan in Mumbai. October 2, Shivaji Park. #SaveDemocracy.” The move followed his earlier declaration that the organisation would resort to the mass-arrest protest if authorities prevented it from demonstrating at the venue.

The protest is centred on CJP’s demands concerning Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the functioning of the Election Commission. The organisation has called for Kumar’s resignation, sought a halt to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demanded changes to the legal framework governing appointments to the poll body.

Mumbai Police said permission was denied because it did not have the authority to approve a gathering at Shivaji Park under restrictions arising from a 2013 Bombay High Court judgment and a subsequent Maharashtra government order. Police also pointed to the organisers’ lack of permission from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for use of the ground.

The police communication cited Shivaji Park’s location in a residential and silence-zone area and raised concerns about noise, traffic congestion and disruption to movement. It said congestion could affect access to hospitals in the vicinity and advised the organisers to identify another location in Mumbai and seek the necessary permission there.

Civic officials have also said CJP does not currently have BMC permission to use Shivaji Park for the October 2 programme. No application for the proposed event had been filed with the civic body as of Monday, according to officials. If an application is submitted, the ward office is expected to forward it to Maharashtra’s Urban Development Department because of the restrictions governing use of the ground.

Dipke had criticised the police decision on Sunday, describing the refusal as an attempt to suppress citizens’ voices. He said CJP would continue with its protest plans and launch the jail bharo action if its proposed demonstration was stopped.

Police, responding publicly to his criticism, said the refusal was based on the legal restrictions governing gatherings at Shivaji Park rather than a prohibition on protest itself. Their statement referred specifically to the Bombay High Court order dated January 4, 2013, and a Maharashtra government order issued in January 2016.

CJP had announced the Mumbai mobilisation as part of a campaign against the Election Commission. At a press conference in New Delhi last week, the organisation demanded Kumar’s resignation and sought a criminal investigation into allegations it has raised over electoral administration. Those allegations remain disputed.

The Election Commission has rejected suggestions that disagreements within the institution amount to a breakdown in its functioning. It has maintained that differences of view can arise during institutional deliberations and that key decisions concerning electoral-roll revision were taken collectively.

CJP has also demanded that the Special Intensive Revision process be frozen and that the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners be repealed. Those are political demands advanced by the organisation and have not been accepted by the authorities.

The October 2 mobilisation now presents an immediate policing and civic-management issue because Dipke has named Shivaji Park as the location despite the denial of permission. A jail bharo campaign typically involves protesters deliberately courting arrest as a form of civil disobedience, but the precise arrangements for CJP’s Mumbai action, including expected attendance, have not been publicly detailed.

The dispute over the venue remains unresolved three days before the scheduled programme. The police rejection letter said Shivaji Park is reserved for sporting activity, subject to exceptions permitted under court and government directions. Organisers have not announced a shift to any of the alternative locations suggested by police.

Ujjain mosque appeal ends after civic settlement

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has disposed of appeals over the partial removal of Ujjain’s Shahi Masjid after the mosque administration and civic authorities told the court they had settled the dispute.

A division bench of Justices Subodh Abhyankar and Jai Kumar Pillai on Monday recorded the settlement between the mosque’s authorised administrative committee and Ujjain Municipal Corporation, bringing the legal challenge to the road-widening action to an end. The court said assurances given by the corporation in its reply and the disputed notice would remain binding on the civic body.

The order came as protests over the removal of part of the mosque turned violent in Ujjain. Police said stones were thrown at personnel deployed near the site and tear gas was used to disperse the crowd. Six policemen were injured, while authorities maintained a large security presence around the mosque and adjoining areas.

The appeals arose from a September 9 order by a single judge dismissing two petitions that challenged municipal notices requiring removal of a portion of the mosque. The notices were issued as part of a project to widen the adjoining road to 15 metres ahead of the Simhastha religious gathering scheduled for 2028.

During Monday’s hearing, counsel for the appellants told the division bench that the dispute had already been settled with the Municipal Corporation but asked the court to formally record the arrangement, citing concern that commitments made by the civic authority might not be honoured. The bench disposed of the matter while expressly stating that the corporation would be bound by the assurances it had made.

The corporation told the court that the authorised mosque committee had been given an opportunity to remove the affected portion itself following the single-judge ruling. It also submitted that less than 10 per cent of the mosque’s total area was proposed to be removed and that more than 80 structures had already been affected by the wider road project, most of them temples.

District authorities have said only a limited section of the mosque falls within the alignment required for widening. The disputed portion has been described by the administration as measuring roughly nine feet by four feet. The action does not involve demolition of the entire mosque.

Tension had built around the site before Monday’s court hearing, with residents gathering at the mosque and objecting to the proposed removal. The confrontation intensified when the demolition work proceeded. Police alleged that members of the crowd pelted security personnel with stones, after which officers used tear gas and a cane charge to clear the area.

Authorities registered cases against people accused of stone-pelting and disturbing public order. Police said some of those booked were social-media influencers accused of spreading misinformation. Around 2,500 police personnel, including teams drawn from neighbouring districts, were deployed as officials sought to prevent further disturbances.

The controversy centres on the road-widening programme being undertaken in preparation for Simhastha 2028, when Ujjain is expected to handle a sharp increase in pilgrim traffic. The Shahi Masjid is among structures affected by the planned widening, which the Municipal Corporation says is necessary to improve movement along the route.

The original petitioners, two groups claiming responsibility for administering the mosque, had challenged municipal notices issued in August and a final notice dated September 1. They argued before the single judge that the property was registered as waqf property and objected to removal of parts of the prayer hall and associated structures.

The single bench rejected those petitions, clearing the way for the municipal action. The subsequent appeals focused on the same notices, but the settlement between the authorised mosque committee and the corporation changed the position before the division bench.

During the appeal hearing, the civic side also showed the judges videos which it said demonstrated that portions covered by the agreement were being removed pursuant to the settlement. The court did not set out the settlement’s full terms in its order, noting that the details were not before it.

Supreme Court declines interim stay on UPI levy

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to stay the Union Government’s new merchant discount rate on specified Unified Payments Interface transactions above ₹2,000, leaving the charging framework on course to take effect on October 15.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana refused interim relief while hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate Anjan Datta. The court issued notices to the Union Government, the Reserve Bank of India and the National Payments Corporation of India, seeking their responses to the challenge.

During the hearing, the bench observed that the central grievance over the proposed charging structure appeared “less legal and more technical”, indicating that it was not persuaded to suspend the framework before examining the issues in greater detail.

The petition challenges the government’s September 14 notification and the MDR framework announced the following day. It seeks to quash or suspend the scheme insofar as it permits charges on specified person-to-merchant, or P2M, UPI payments exceeding ₹2,000.

Under the framework, general P2M transactions above ₹2,000 will attract an MDR of 0.4 per cent, with the charge capped at ₹300 for payments of ₹75,000 and above. Payments of ₹2,000 or less will remain free, as will person-to-person transfers regardless of value.

The charge is imposed within the merchant-payment ecosystem rather than on the customer. The government and NPCI have said consumers will not be charged for making ordinary UPI payments. Eligible small merchants receiving up to ₹1 lakh a month through UPI QR payments are also exempt under the framework.

Different rates have been prescribed for certain sectors. Transactions above ₹2,000 in railways, telecommunications, insurance, fuel and agricultural inputs will attract a flat ₹5 MDR. Payments involving mutual funds, securities, stockbrokers and dealers will carry a 0.02 per cent MDR, capped at ₹300.

Datta’s petition argues that the framework was introduced without adequate statutory safeguards, transparency or public consultation. It also challenges the constitutional validity of the amended Section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, alleging that the provision gives the executive insufficiently guided power to determine which electronic payment methods receive protection from charges.

The plea also questions the distinction between UPI and RuPay debit-card transactions, pointing to continued no-charge protection for RuPay debit cards without a comparable monetary ceiling. It contends that the ₹2,000 transaction threshold and the ₹1 lakh monthly-receipts threshold for exempt small merchants lack a disclosed empirical basis.

The petitioner has asked the court, alternatively, to direct a fresh review after consultation and publication of the data and impact assessment underlying the classifications. The plea also seeks safeguards for micro and small businesses and argues that any future classification should take account of factors including merchant turnover, margins, geography and capacity to bear payment costs.

The government has defended the MDR framework as a way of creating a sustainable funding model for the UPI ecosystem while shielding customers and smaller merchants. The proceeds are intended to support payment infrastructure, cybersecurity, innovation and customer service across banks, payment applications and other participants.

NPCI has said UPI would remain a comparatively low-cost payment channel after the change. The new structure marks a shift from the zero-MDR regime that has applied to standard bank-account UPI merchant payments for nearly six years.

The policy has nevertheless prompted concern among sections of the retail and merchant community that businesses operating on narrow margins could face higher acceptance costs. The framework bars banks and UPI providers from directly passing the MDR to customers, while the petition argues that merchants could still seek to recover costs indirectly through pricing.

UPI has become the dominant retail digital-payment channel by transaction volume. The system processed about 24 billion transactions worth roughly $311 billion in August, underlining the scale of the payment network affected by any change in its commercial model.

The Supreme Court’s refusal to grant interim protection means implementation preparations can continue while the constitutional and statutory challenge remains pending. Responses from the government, RBI and NPCI will place their legal and policy justification for the framework before the court.

NH-44 reopens after prolonged LPU student blockade

Traffic resumed on National Highway-44 at Phagwara early Monday after police cleared a blockade maintained for more than 15 hours by protesting students of Lovely Professional University.

Jalandhar Police Commissioner Satinder Singh said the highway was reopened during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday and the situation had been brought under control. Security personnel remained deployed outside the university on Monday morning as authorities sought to prevent further unrest.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav to visit the university and review the situation. A heavy police presence had been established at the campus after Sunday's protest escalated into clashes, stone-pelting, vandalism and damage to vehicles.

The students had blocked the highway outside the university while protesting over allegations that a female student had been sexually assaulted by an outsider on the campus. Police have registered a rape case against an unidentified person on the basis of statements provided by students and formed a Special Investigation Team to investigate the allegation.

Police officials said the allegation had not been substantiated during their preliminary inquiries. The university has denied that such an assault occurred on its premises, describing the claims as false and fabricated. Investigators have nevertheless said the complaint will be examined through forensic evidence, CCTV footage and phone data.

DIG Jalandhar Range Naveen Singla said the investigation would be conducted scientifically and student representatives would be involved. The SIT is headed by Phagwara Superintendent of Police Major Singh and includes a deputy superintendent of police, a woman police inspector and student representatives.

The unrest began during the early hours of Sunday after claims of a sexual assault circulated among students. Groups gathered near a girls' hostel and later moved towards the university entrance before the protest spread to the highway, a key route linking Phagwara and Jalandhar and carrying traffic towards Amritsar and other destinations.

Long queues developed as the blockade continued, forcing police to divert vehicles through alternative routes. Travellers heading towards Jalandhar, Amritsar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and Jammu and Kashmir were among those affected by the disruption.

Tensions rose on Sunday evening when police attempted to clear the highway. Officials said protesters pelted police personnel and vehicles with stones, injuring several officers. Police used a lathi charge, after which protesters moved back towards the campus but allegedly continued throwing stones.

Additional forces were subsequently deployed. A contingent led by Additional Director General of Police M F Farooqui entered the campus late on Sunday, and senior officers conducted a flag march. Singh, Singla and Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora were among the officers present during the operation.

Students had initially indicated that the protest could be withdrawn after registration of an FIR, but negotiations remained inconclusive. They later sought direct assurances from founder-chancellor Ashok Mittal, a Rajya Sabha member, and demanded action if negligence by university officials was established. Police said student representatives would participate in the inquiry process as it proceeds.

The university suspended regular classes for 10 days from Monday and postponed mid-term examinations until further notice. Students were permitted to return home after consulting their parents or guardians, while those remaining on campus were advised to stay inside their hostels or residences and avoid unnecessary movement.

Several rounds of talks between students and the university management had failed to end the agitation earlier on Sunday. Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh Sandhu said the university would cooperate fully with the police investigation and provide CCTV footage or other material sought by investigators.

Students also raised demands concerning hostel security and accountability. They sought stronger safeguards in girls' hostels, restrictions on male staff working in residential areas for women students and assurances that participants in the protest would not face retaliatory academic action.

Supreme Court weighs challenge to UPI merchant levy

The Supreme Court will on Monday hear a challenge to the Centre’s decision to permit a Merchant Discount Rate on specified Unified Payments Interface merchant transactions exceeding ₹2,000, weeks before the new charging framework takes effect.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana is scheduled to take up the public interest litigation filed by advocate Anjan Datta. The petition challenges the Centre’s September 14 notification and the MDR framework announced the following day, which is due to operate from October 15.

Under the framework, a 0.4 per cent MDR will apply to general person-to-merchant, or P2M, UPI transactions above ₹2,000. The charge will be borne within the merchant-payment ecosystem and capped at ₹300 for transactions of ₹75,000 and above. Person-to-person transfers will continue without MDR, while merchant payments up to ₹2,000 will also remain outside the charge.

The petition seeks to have the notification and framework quashed or suspended, arguing that the levy was introduced without adequate statutory safeguards, transparency or public consultation. It also questions the legal basis for withdrawing the zero-MDR protection that had applied to UPI merchant payments since 2020.

Datta has made the Union finance ministry, the Reserve Bank of India and the National Payments Corporation of India parties to the proceedings. His plea contends that although the MDR is formally imposed on merchants, businesses could seek to recover the additional expense through prices or other charges, potentially shifting the economic burden to consumers.

The petition also challenges the differential treatment of UPI and RuPay debit-card transactions. The September 14 notification, issued under Section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, retains no-charge protection for RuPay debit-card transactions irrespective of value while limiting the statutory protection for UPI merchant payments to transactions of up to ₹2,000.

According to the plea, the ₹2,000 transaction threshold and the ₹1 lakh monthly UPI-receipt ceiling used to identify exempt small merchants have not been supported by disclosed data or cost studies. It argues that the classifications require a clear and rational basis because they affect merchants operating across different sectors and scales.

The government’s framework exempts small merchants receiving up to ₹1 lakh a month through UPI QR-code payments. It also provides different rates for selected categories. Essential and thin-margin sectors including railways, telecom services, insurance, fuel and agricultural inputs will face a flat MDR of ₹5 for each eligible transaction above ₹2,000.

Payments involving mutual funds, securities, stockbrokers and dealers will attract an MDR of 0.02 per cent, capped at ₹300. The general 0.4 per cent rate applies to other specified P2M payments above the threshold.

The Centre has maintained that customers will not be charged for making UPI payments and that payment providers and banks cannot impose platform fees or hidden charges on users. Government figures accompanying the framework indicate that about 96 per cent of merchant UPI transactions by volume will remain unaffected because they fall outside the charge or within exemptions.

The policy marks a significant change to the economics of UPI, which has operated under a statutory zero-MDR regime for merchant transactions for nearly six years. The government has presented the revised structure as a means of supporting the costs of payment infrastructure, cybersecurity, customer service and continued expansion of the network.

UPI has become the country’s dominant retail digital-payment channel. The system processed about 24 billion transactions worth roughly $311 billion in August, highlighting the scale of the merchant ecosystem potentially affected by changes to its pricing structure.

The challenge does not oppose expenditure needed to maintain secure digital-payment infrastructure. Instead, the petition argues that any nationwide payment burden should rest on a transparent legal and evidentiary foundation, with safeguards against merchants passing costs to customers.

Narayanaswamy remarks on Rahul Gandhi trigger political row

A political row intensified in Karnataka after BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy made personal remarks about Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, linking his unmarried status to what he described as erratic behaviour and appealing to Sonia Gandhi to arrange her son's marriage.

Narayanaswamy, the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council, made the comments while addressing journalists at the BJP's state headquarters, Jagannath Bhavan, in Bengaluru on Sunday. His remarks came during a broader attack on Gandhi and the Congress over their criticism of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Invoking a Kannada village saying, Narayanaswamy said people traditionally joke that madness does not disappear until marriage, while marriage cannot take place until the madness disappears. He then applied the saying to Gandhi, saying he could not tell whether the Congress leader's supposed condition had begun or ended, before asking Sonia Gandhi to get him married.

Narayanaswamy also called Gandhi a "joker", drawing a connection between the Congress leader and the Hindi film Mera Naam Joker. The comparison formed part of a series of personal attacks as the BJP stepped up its response to Gandhi's allegations concerning the electoral process.

Congress MLA Pradeep Eshwar responded sharply to the marriage remark, turning Narayanaswamy's language back on him. Eshwar said the BJP leader was married and had children but, by Narayanaswamy's own reasoning, that had not cured the behaviour he was attributing to Gandhi. His response added to the political exchange over the comments.

Eshwar, the Congress legislator from Chikkaballapur, made his response in Davanagere, saying Narayanaswamy's family circumstances contradicted the premise of the jibe. The exchange underscored how the argument had moved beyond the original dispute over electoral rolls, with both sides using personal language while defending their respective positions on Gandhi's campaign against the Election Commission.

The controversy unfolded against a wider confrontation between the BJP and Congress over the Election Commission. Narayanaswamy accused Gandhi of attacking the poll body out of frustration and argued that the commission was not subordinate to any political party or leader.

He challenged Gandhi's criticism of the Special Intensive Revision, saying names removed from electoral rolls could include people registered in multiple places, those who had shifted residence and people whose documentation did not satisfy requirements. He maintained that eligible voters whose names were removed had avenues to seek inclusion.

Narayanaswamy further accused Congress leaders of portraying election commissioners as beholden to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He said the BJP was compelled to defend the commission when the institution was attacked, while rejecting allegations that electoral authorities were acting as the ruling party's agents.

The Congress and other opposition parties have, by contrast, raised questions about the conduct of electoral-roll revisions and the Election Commission's independence. Gandhi has repeatedly accused the poll authority of failing to address opposition concerns over voter lists, allegations rejected by the BJP and the commission.

The dispute over Narayanaswamy's language shifted part of that policy confrontation into a debate over political decorum. His comments focused not only on Gandhi's arguments about elections but also on his private life, prompting criticism from Congress figures who said political disagreements should not descend into personal ridicule.

Narayanaswamy also questioned Gandhi's political standing, arguing that the Congress leader continued to be projected as a youth figure despite his age and aspirations for the prime ministership. He said national leadership depended on electoral support rather than political branding.

The BJP leader separately referred to Sonia Gandhi's voter registration before she acquired citizenship, an issue BJP leaders have raised previously, and demanded an answer from Rahul Gandhi. He used the point while disputing the Congress's broader claims of irregularities in voter registration.

Congress assails ECI measures over SIR voter deletions

The Congress intensified its confrontation with the Election Commission on Sunday evening, saying measures announced to address problems arising from the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls amounted to an admission that the exercise had been a “disaster”.

Congress general secretary for communications Jairam Ramesh said the measures for voters deleted from, or considered at risk of deletion from, electoral rolls were far too limited to address what the party described as “mass disenfranchisement”. His criticism followed a full Election Commission meeting on Saturday that produced several changes intended to ease difficulties faced by voters during the SIR.

Ramesh said 5.43 crore voters considered at risk of deletion would now receive visits from Booth Level Officers, but argued that house-to-house verification was already supposed to have occurred during the enumeration stage. He questioned whether another round of visits would correct shortcomings alleged by the Congress in the earlier exercise.

The Election Commission said BLOs would visit people issued notices because they were unmapped or had “logical discrepancies”, collect their documents and upload them to the ECINet system for decisions by Electoral Registration Officers. Such voters would generally not be required to attend hearings personally, except in exceptional circumstances.

Ramesh also challenged the remedy available to people whose names had already been removed. He said nearly 14 crore voters had been deleted during the three phases of SIR so far and criticised the requirement that eligible people left out of the rolls apply to their EROs for inclusion.

The Commission has said people omitted during SIR or afterwards, including young and first-time voters, can seek enrolment through the continuous updation process. It directed chief electoral officers, district election officers and EROs to undertake special enrolment drives, including assistance for marginalised groups.

Another focus of the Congress criticism was ECINet, the technology platform used in electoral-roll management. Ramesh alleged that the system had overridden ERO decisions and resulted in eligible voters being deleted, an allegation the Election Commission has not accepted.

The poll panel announced that a committee headed by a senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent technology expert from an IIT or IIIT would review ECINet and examine whether it complies with applicable laws and rules. Future IT modules and portal initiatives will also be considered by a committee of officers before being placed before the full Commission.

Ramesh argued that ordering a compliance review after ECINet had already been deployed raised further questions. He cited Goa and West Bengal while asking whether statutory ERO authority had been overridden elsewhere, and called on the Commission to state unequivocally that EROs remain the final authority over electoral rolls under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

The Commission, meanwhile, maintained that all SIR orders had been approved unanimously by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. It said the nationwide SIR order issued on June 24, 2025, and subsequent schedules had the approval of the full Commission, and noted that the Supreme Court upheld the SIR order in May.

It also said the declaration attached to Form 6 for SIR had been upheld by the Supreme Court. The Commission rejected suggestions that letters sent by Sandhu and Joshi to the Cabinet Secretary concerned policy or the IT division, saying they related to the functioning of an officer on deputation.

The Commission said differing views and observations were normal features of institutional deliberation. It nevertheless announced procedural steps after Saturday’s meeting, including advance circulation of agendas for Commission meetings, issuance of minutes and compliance by officials with directions from the commissioners.

Ramesh said those commitments themselves raised questions about how procedures had previously operated. The Congress has been pressing its broader campaign against the Commission and Chief Election Commissioner, while the BJP has rejected the opposition’s allegations and defended the poll body’s constitutional independence.

Yogi cautions temple supporters over infiltration attempts

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday warned supporters of the Ram temple movement to remain vigilant against people he accused of trying to enter the movement and discredit it.

Speaking in Lucknow at the launch of the birth centenary year celebrations of former Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal, Adityanath invoked Kalnemi, a demon from the Ramayana who attempts to deceive Hanuman. He said those he called “Bajrangis”, or devotees of Hanuman, should guard against “Babri bhakts” and prevent what he described as efforts to insult the temple movement.

“Those who opposed the Ram temple and fired bullets on Ram bhakts are now trying to project themselves as Ram bhakts,” Adityanath said, describing that shift as an “ideological victory” for the VHP. He added that “Kalnemi” would seek to infiltrate work associated with Ram and urged supporters not to allow such attempts to succeed.

The chief minister’s remarks were directed primarily at political opponents, including the Congress and Samajwadi Party. He accused the parties of opposing the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign and said their leaders had stayed away from major ceremonies connected with the temple in Ayodhya despite invitations.

Adityanath said Congress and Samajwadi Party representatives did not attend the foundation-stone ceremony or the consecration of Ram Lalla because of electoral considerations. His comments framed their absence as evidence of political calculations over their support bases, an allegation directed at the opposition parties during a commemorative programme rather than a government announcement.

The event at CMS in Gomti Nagar Extension marked the opening of celebrations for Singhal’s birth centenary, covering 1926 to 2026. A documentary on Singhal’s life was screened, while VHP office-bearers and religious figures attended the programme.

In the Ramayana episode cited by Adityanath, Kalnemi is sent to obstruct Hanuman while he is travelling to obtain the life-saving Sanjeevani herb for Lakshmana during a critical mission. Kalnemi disguises himself as an ascetic and tries to deceive Hanuman. Adityanath used the reference as a political metaphor for people he said could appear sympathetic to the temple cause while seeking to weaken it from within.

Adityanath credited Singhal with providing leadership to the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation and mobilising supporters during its most confrontational phase. He recalled the police firing on kar sevaks in Ayodhya on November 2, 1990, when Uttar Pradesh was governed by Mulayam Singh Yadav, and portrayed Singhal as having remained at the forefront of the campaign despite the violence.

He said Singhal had brought together religious leaders, activists, legal experts, archaeologists and others around the temple campaign. Referring to the legal dispute over the Ayodhya site, Adityanath said the movement’s representatives had relied on evidence and expertise, while accusing Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Left of advancing false claims. The Supreme Court settled the title dispute in November 2019, clearing the way for construction of the temple while directing that five acres be allotted for a mosque at an alternative site.

The chief minister also linked Singhal’s legacy to a broader campaign around cultural and religious identity. He said the movement initiated by Singhal was not confined to Ram Janmabhoomi and called for supporters to remain united in pursuing what he described as the restoration of national pride.

Adityanath also used the occasion to contrast present-day Ayodhya with the city during earlier governments, highlighting infrastructure and solar-energy projects undertaken there. He said Ayodhya had moved from what he described as neglect and darkness to becoming a major centre of development and religious tourism.

His speech included criticism of calls to declare the cow the national animal. Adityanath argued that such a designation was unnecessary because the cow already occupies a revered place in Hindu belief, describing it as a mother rather than merely an animal.

BJP deploys chief ministers to defend poll chief

The BJP deployed 12 chief ministers across state capitals on Sunday to rebut Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, stepping up its defence of the Election Commission before Congress protests planned nationwide on Monday.

The coordinated press conferences followed Gandhi’s demand that Kumar resign or be removed after disclosures that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised repeated objections over decisions linked to electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision process.

The Bharatiya Janata Party said its chief ministers challenged what it described as baseless attacks on the Election Commission and accused Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders of attempting to discredit constitutional institutions. In states not governed by the BJP or its National Democratic Alliance partners, state party presidents or opposition leaders addressed the issue.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accused Gandhi of seeking to create distrust in institutions, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said opposition parties had spread confusion over the revision of electoral rolls. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also attacked the INDIA bloc and demanded an apology from Gandhi.

The political mobilisation came as Congress general secretary K C Venugopal held a virtual meeting with more than 1,000 District Congress Committee presidents to prepare for demonstrations demanding Kumar’s removal. Congress units have been asked to organise district-level protests, widening an opposition campaign that has focused on the independence and internal functioning of the poll body.

Gandhi on Thursday cited the reported objections of Sandhu and Joshi while renewing his allegations of “vote chori”, or vote theft. He accused Kumar of committing “treason” and alleged that decisions affecting elections had been taken despite objections within the three-member commission. He also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were shielding the CEC. The BJP has rejected those charges.

The controversy followed disclosure of at least 14 formal objections raised over 10 months by Sandhu and Joshi concerning electoral-roll administration, voter registration and deletion, appeals involving restored voters and oversight of the commission’s technology systems. Some objections questioned whether actions had been taken without approval of the full commission.

The Election Commission has responded that differences expressed during its internal deliberations were resolved and that final decisions were unanimous. It said the Special Intensive Revision order covering states and Union Territories had been approved unanimously and rejected suggestions that the commissioners had been excluded from the decision-making process.

Under the 2023 law governing the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners, the commission’s business should, as far as possible, be transacted unanimously. Where commissioners differ, decisions are determined by the majority. The provision has become central to the dispute because the reported objections concerned whether several administrative steps had received collective approval.

Sandhu and Joshi have not publicly joined the political dispute. Their written objections, however, have given opposition parties fresh grounds to question Kumar’s handling of the commission. The poll body has maintained that internal disagreement should not be equated with dissent from final decisions reached by all three commissioners.

Congress has broadened its demand beyond Kumar’s resignation, seeking scrutiny of decisions taken during his tenure and arguing that the disclosures warrant investigation. BJP leaders have countered that the Election Commission’s clarifications answer the questions raised and accused the opposition of targeting the institution after electoral setbacks.

The confrontation has also drawn other opposition parties. Several INDIA bloc constituents have demanded accountability from the CEC, while discussions among opposition leaders are expected to continue over a coordinated response. Their allegations remain contested by the Election Commission and the BJP, and no finding has established Gandhi’s broader claim that election outcomes were rigged.

AAP seeks Verma arrest over road inspection altercation

Aam Aadmi Party leaders on Sunday demanded the arrest of Delhi Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma after a video appeared to show him slapping a young man during a road inspection in Tilak Nagar.

The footage, circulated on social media, shows Verma lowering the mobile phone held by the man before appearing to strike him across the face. The man then moves towards the minister as a security guard intervenes, while people gathered at the site protest against the apparent assault.

The confrontation occurred during an inspection of road construction work in west Delhi, where Tilak Nagar AAP MLA Jarnail Singh was questioning the quality of the surface. Singh alleged that portions of the road could be pulled up easily and accused the Public Works Department of poor construction.

The man involved was identified as Saheb Singh, who said he handles social media work for Jarnail Singh. He said he had accompanied the MLA after the PWD asked them to attend the inspection and was filming the exchange when the confrontation occurred.

Saheb Singh alleged that he had shown Verma how the road surface was crumbling and was struck while recording the inspection. He sought disciplinary action against the minister and said a police complaint had been made. He also alleged that people accompanying Verma threatened him after the incident. There was no immediate independent confirmation of that allegation.

Verma disputed the AAP's account of what led to the confrontation and accused the party of circulating the video without the full context. He alleged that Jarnail Singh had been pressuring PWD engineers to connect him with the contractor carrying out the road work and had sought a commission, an allegation the AAP MLA denied.

The minister also alleged that people accompanying the MLA used abusive language about his family and said the altercation followed the provocation. While defending his account of the events leading up to the clash, Verma acknowledged that the incident should not have happened.

The competing claims turned the road inspection into a political dispute between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition AAP. Neither the allegations about commissions nor the counterclaims surrounding the confrontation had been independently established by Sunday evening.

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal accused Verma of assaulting a man for highlighting alleged corruption in road construction and said he would visit Tilak Nagar on Monday to inspect the road. The party demanded that Verma be arrested and removed from the government.

Jarnail Singh said he had challenged the quality of the work in the minister's presence and accused Verma of becoming angry when defects were pointed out. He shared footage of the road surface being lifted and said his colleague was recording events when the confrontation took place.

AAP's Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj also attacked Verma over the episode, arguing that a minister could not use force against someone questioning public works. The party sought police action on the basis of the video and the account given by Saheb Singh.

Verma, a BJP legislator from the New Delhi constituency, is a Cabinet minister in the Delhi government. Official government records list Public Works, Legislative Affairs, Irrigation and Flood Control, Water and Gurudwara Elections among his portfolios.

The Public Works Department is responsible for construction and maintenance of a range of Delhi government infrastructure, including roads, bridges, flyovers and public buildings. The inspection at Tilak Nagar concerned ongoing road work, placing the quality of the construction at the centre of the argument before the physical confrontation captured on video.

The video does not by itself establish the full sequence of events before the apparent slap. Accounts from Verma and AAP differ over what triggered the exchange, with the minister alleging abuse and intimidation and AAP leaders saying questions about road quality prompted his reaction.

Congress revives 2006 claims against Gyanesh Kumar

Congress has intensified its attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar by circulating an account of a 2006 controversy in which his name was reported to have figured in suicide notes left by a Malaysian project official.

The party’s intervention adds a two-decade-old episode from Kumar’s tenure in Keralam to the political pressure surrounding his stewardship of the Election Commission. Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, who has separately demanded Kumar’s resignation, also amplified the controversy on social media.

The case concerns Lee Been Seen, a Malaysian national who headed operations in Keralam for PATI-BEL, a joint venture involving Malaysian company PATI and Bhageeratha Constructions. The venture was working on a road package connected with the World Bank-assisted Kerala State Transport Project. Lee died by suicide in Kuala Lumpur in November 2006 after returning from Keralam.

Contemporary accounts said Lee left two notes, including one addressed to his wife and another to a director of PATI. The notes were reported to have described difficulties encountered with government officials, including alleged harassment and delays in payments due to the company. Kumar, then secretary of Keralam’s Public Works Department, was reported among officials named in connection with those allegations.

The episode has returned to political attention after former Keralam finance minister and senior CPI leader T M Thomas Isaac raised it while criticising Kumar’s record. Isaac said allegations involving bribery and demands for money by officials had circulated at the time and that Kumar’s name was among those mentioned. He acknowledged that he had not personally read Lee’s suicide notes.

That qualification is significant because the renewed political claims do not amount to a finding of wrongdoing against Kumar. Available accounts establish that allegations were made and an inquiry followed, but do not establish that Kumar was convicted or found criminally liable over Lee’s death or the accusations surrounding the road project.

The controversy nevertheless produced administrative action in 2006. Kumar was shifted from the PWD and the state vigilance machinery was asked to examine alleged financial irregularities connected with the project. Former officials have said the inquiry did not reach a definitive outcome, citing jurisdictional and other difficulties.

Jacob Punnose, who served as Additional Director General of Police for Intelligence at the time, has said the police did not obtain the suicide note and that legal constraints prevented Keralam authorities from accessing it. He also said Malaysian police did not approach them as part of an investigation. Former Vigilance ADGP Sibi Mathews has questioned how Kumar subsequently secured clearance for central deputation while facing a vigilance inquiry.

The resurfacing of the episode comes as opposition parties have stepped up pressure on Kumar over the Election Commission’s handling of electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision process. Congress leaders have sought his resignation and accused him of taking decisions that they say undermine established electoral procedures. The Election Commission has rejected suggestions that institutional differences demonstrate improper decision-making and has maintained that its final decisions are collective.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has separately accused Kumar of acting unlawfully over changes connected with Form 6 used for voter enrolment, alleging that requirements concerning parental details were introduced without the statutory process necessary to amend the form. Election Commission officials have maintained that the declaration was introduced through instructions and that Form 6 itself was not amended.