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“Women Have Been Resilient Since Time Immemorial”: Kubbra Sait’s Powerful Take On Empowerment And Breaking Stereotypes.
Kubbra Sait challenges the conventional narrative around women’s resilience, identity and empowerment in a thought-provoking address.
Actress Kubbra Sait, known for her fearless opinions and unapologetic individuality, recently delivered a powerful message on women’s empowerment at an event where she was honoured for being a voice for women. Challenging the idea that women need to be taught strength or resilience, the actress offered a refreshing perspective on empowerment and the freedom to live life on one’s own terms.
Speaking at the event, Kubbra said:
“To be associated with any platform that goes out there and represents women is nothing but an honour. And it’s not because we’re in dire times and women need help. I think women have been resilient since time immemorial. If anything, we have fought for what we wanted, since time immemorial. It may have been documented or otherwise, but somehow, we’ve come to believe that it’s been a man’s world.
We saw even in our last panel how men have given us the opportunity to become the women we want to be. And it’s just wonderful to hear that, especially in that political voice.
But I think, to answer your question, I’m very grateful to receive an award for being a voice for the empowerment of women. But I think I’ve just had the opportunity to live life, explore it fully, be unafraid to make mistakes, and try to be a better version of a human being for myself.
Jammu Police booked an Army officer’s wife over alleged research for suspected Chinese operatives. The investigation highlights concerns about AI-assisted analysis of sensitive security subjects.
ChatGPT App
A case has been filed against the wife of a serving Army officer in Jammu for alleged espionage-related activities after she reportedly used artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT and Claude, to prepare analytical papers on sensitive national security issues for Chinese intelligence operatives, news agency Press Trust of India reported on Sunday.
The woman, a resident of Telangana who completed an information technology internship with the United Nations in 2023, currently works as a freelance researcher. She has not been arrested but was questioned after an FIR was registered and is cooperating with investigators, officials told PTI.
Officials said she was allegedly asked to prepare papers on security, defence and geopolitical issues, including Line of Control dynamics in Jammu and Kashmir, critical infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh and the deployment of drones.
The case was registered at Gandhi Nagar police station in Jammu on Friday under provisions of the Official Secrets Act concerning espionage and the unauthorised handling of protected official information. Provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to criminal conspiracy and offences against national sovereignty were also invoked. A deputy superintendent of police has been assigned to lead the investigation.
Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of personnel from a central intelligence agency and the police intercepted the woman at Jammu Tawi railway station on October 14, when she was reportedly preparing to board a train to Pathankot. She was taken to a nearby military station for questioning, officials told PTI.
Her mobile phone was seized and sent for a detailed forensic examination.
The woman married a serving Army officer of the rank of Major in October 2023. She completed a Master of Advanced Studies in European and International Governance in Geneva in 2022 after earning a master’s degree in International Relations from a university in Bengaluru in 2021.
She had also completed an online internship with the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi and written several research articles, officials said.
Questioning indicated that she had interacted with several foreign nationals during her UN internship, including a Chinese national with whom she allegedly remained in contact through WhatsApp.
Officials claimed that she was also in contact through social media in 2024 with a Malaysian national who ran a consultancy and was allegedly working for Chinese intelligence agencies.
During questioning, the woman maintained that her material was based entirely on open-source research, supplemented by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude.
Preliminary data extracted from her phone showed documents on sensitive subjects, including the India-Italy defence meeting at the Manekshaw Centre, the Indian Army Chief’s visit to the United States, the India-Russia defence pact, the Kalai-II Hydroelectric and Kamala projects in Arunachal Pradesh, the Cold Start doctrine, India-Seychelles relations, projects in Assam and India-China relations, officials told PTI.
A 68-year-old retired woman from Kanjurmarg East was allegedly cheated of ₹60.5 lakh in a digital arrest scam by fraudsters posing as police officers. They threatened her with arrest in a money laundering case and forced her to mortgage 52 tolas of gold for a ₹25 lakh loan and transfer funds through RTGS. East Region Cyber Police have registered a case against three unidentified accused.
68-Year-Old Retired Woman Duped Of ₹60.5 Lakh In Digital Arrest Scam; Forced To Mortgage 52 Tola Gold | File Pic
A 68-year-old retired woman from Kanjurmarg East was allegedly duped of ₹60.5 lakh in a digital arrest scam after cyber fraudsters posing as police officers threatened to arrest her in a money laundering case. The accused allegedly forced her to mortgage 52 tolas of gold to raise funds and transfer the money to bank accounts provided by them.
According to the FIR, 68 year old the victim, a retired employee of Maharashtra Credit Cooperative Society, received a call on September 28, 2026, from a person identifying himself as Ajay Sharma from the Data Protection Department. He allegedly told her that 20 people had filed complaints against her and asked her to contact the Panchavati Police Station in Nashik.
When she explained that she could not visit the police station because of a leg problem, the caller allegedly instructed her to lodge a complaint online and provided another mobile number. A person answering the call introduced himself as Sub-Inspector Sandeep Rao from the Panchavati Police Station and gave a purported police badge number.
Rao allegedly claimed that her Aadhaar card had been misused and that she was facing money laundering cases. He further threatened that an arrest warrant had been issued against her, claiming that 247 senior citizens had already been arrested. The accused allegedly asked her not to disclose the matter to anyone and instructed her to delete certain numbers from her mobile phone.
On September 29, the woman allegedly received a WhatsApp video call from another number. The caller asked her about the gold she possessed, including jewellery belonging to her, her daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law. The accused then instructed her to withdraw the gold kept in a bank locker and send photographs of all the jewellery.
The fraudsters allegedly directed her to visit a Muthoot Finance branch in Vikhroli and mortgage the gold to obtain a loan. On September 30, representatives of the finance company visited her residence, verified her documents and photographed her before taking her to the branch. The gold weighed approximately 52 tolas, but the company reportedly sanctioned a loan of ₹25 lakh, after deducting applicable charges.
The loan amount was credited to her Punjab National Bank account in Bhandup. The accused subsequently instructed her to visit the bank, collect RTGS forms and transfer the money to bank accounts they provided.
According to the FIR, the fraudsters threatened that she would face digital arrest and that her life could be in danger if she failed to transfer the money. Under fear and pressure, she allegedly transferred money through RTGS transactions on October 1, 3 and 6, 2026, taking photographs of the transaction receipts and sending them to the accused for verification.
Three siblings travelling on an IndiGo flight were delighted to spot Rahul Dravid and get his autograph. The encounter, shared on Instagram, has garnered over 2.4 million views. The caption, “Indiranagar ka goonda, in real life he’s actually very sweet,” references Dravid’s viral advertisement, where his unexpected angry outburst became a popular internet meme
Rahul Dravid Wins Hearts With Sweet Gesture On IndiGo Flight; Viral Video Gets 2.4 Million Views – WATCH |
An unexpected encounter with cricket legend Rahul Dravid turned into a memorable experience for three siblings travelling on an IndiGo flight. What began as an ordinary journey soon became a special moment after they spotted the former India head coach and managed to get his autograph.
The interaction was captured on camera and shared on Instagram by the account @bhai.saaabb. The video has since garnered over 2.4 million views, with cricket fans appreciating Dravid’s humble demeanour away from the cricket field.
Rahul Dravid Obliges Fan With Autograph On IndiGo Flight
The siblings were travelling on an IndiGo flight when they noticed Dravid on board. Excited by the unexpected sighting, one of them approached the former cricketer to request an autograph, while another recorded the interaction.
Dravid reportedly obliged the fan, signing an autograph and exchanging a few polite words. His warm response made the encounter even more special for the siblings, who later crossed paths with him again.
After landing, the group spotted the cricket icon on the airport bus, giving them another opportunity to capture the moment. The unexpected double sighting made their journey particularly memorable.
Sharing the clip on Instagram, the account captioned it, “Indiranagar ka goonda, in real life he’s actually very sweet.”
Why Rahul Dravid Is Called ‘Indiranagar Ka Goonda’
The caption references one of the internet’s most recognisable memes featuring Dravid. The phrase originated from a popular advertisement in which the usually composed cricketer showcases an unusually aggressive side of his personality.
Rahul Dravid said, “my mother is still not really convinced about that Indiranagar Ka Gunda Ad. I think she still believes that I shouldn’t have been smashing the glass. It’s probably one of the most embarrassing things I have done (smiles)”. https://t.co/gJn78zNm4C
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will represent India at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 19–20. The discussions will focus on trade, investment, connectivity, innovation and regional cooperation. India will highlight digital infrastructure, supply-chain resilience and opportunities for economic collaboration.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh To Visit Tajikistan For SCO Meeting On October 19–20, Regional Trade & Investment On Agenda | ANI
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Tajikistan’s Dushanbe to represent India at the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is set to be held on October 19-20.
The meeting will focus on strengthening multilateral cooperation among SCO member states, especially in the areas of trade, economy, investment, connectivity, innovation and cultural-humanitarian exchanges.
The meeting is also expected to review the progress of ongoing cooperation initiatives and consider decisions relating to the Organisation’s financial and institutional functioning, according to the Ministry of Defence statement.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to represent India at the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). https://t.co/L6mBxWlzWD
“India remains actively engaged in various SCO mechanisms and continues to contribute to regional cooperation through initiatives in areas such as start-ups and innovation, digital public infrastructure, and people-to-people exchanges. The meeting will provide an opportunity for India to exchange views with other SCO Member States on advancing practical and mutually beneficial cooperation within the Organisation,” the Ministry of Defence mentioned in a statement.
The previous CHG meeting was held in Russia’s Moscow on November 18 last year, where External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar represented India.
SCO membership and regional engagement
The SCO comprises 10 member states — India, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It has two observer states – Afghanistan and Mongolia and 15 dialogue partners – Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka.
In September, India highlighted the three pillars of ‘Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity’ for international trade at the 25th meeting of Ministers of the SCO Member States Responsible for Foreign Economic and Trade Activities held in Tajikistan’s Dushanbe, according to an official statement.
The meeting reviewed ongoing cooperation among SCO member states in the areas of economic and trade activities and exchanged views on measures to further deepen trade and economic cooperation within the SCO framework.
India stresses trade and connectivity
In his intervention on behalf of India, Additional Secretary, Commerce, Yashvir Singh underscored the significant economic potential of the SCO and the importance of translating this potential into tangible outcomes through increased intra-SCO trade, lower trade costs, resilient supply chains, and enhanced connectivity.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke criticised the government over the Tiger Shroff firing incident, saying police should target criminals instead of cracking down on students and activists.
‘Priorities Completely Misplaced’: CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke Slams Govt After Firing At Tiger Shroff (Photo: PTI/X)
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday (October 18) took a dig at the government over the firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai’s Juhu area, accusing the authorities of misplaced priorities. Dipke said that the police should focus on criminals instead of cracking down on students and activists.
“Instead of cracking down on students and activists, the police should focus on actual criminals. This is what happens when the Govt and police have their priorities completely misplaced,” the CJP founder said in his X post.
Instead of cracking down on students and activists, the police should focus on actual criminals.
This is what happens when the Govt and police have their priorities completely misplaced.
Shroff was shot at in Mumbai by a group of assailants. The actor’s driver, who was with him when the firing took place, was injured in the incident. According to police, the incident was reported in Juhu.
The actor suffered minor injuries. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met Shroff at his residence on Sunday night, hours after the shooting incident. Photographs from the meeting between the two showed that the actor sustained injuries on his arm, shoulder and chest. Luckily, there were no bullet injuries.
Terming the incident as ‘concerning’ and ‘condemnable’, Shinde assured that anyone who attempts to disrupt law and order in Maharashtra will not be spared. The Maharashtra Deputy CM revealed that their first priority is the safety of citizens, both celebrities and non-celebrities.
Addressing the media, he shared, “This incident is deeply concerning and condemnable; I strongly condemn it. I have spoken with the Mumbai Police Commissioner, and Tiger Shroff has also spoken with him. The Mumbai Police Commissioner has formed several teams to track down and apprehend those responsible, and we will respond to them in their own language.”
“Our current priority is to keep Mumbai and its citizens safe. Whether it is a celebrity or an ordinary citizen, ensuring their safety is the responsibility of both the police and the government. There will be no laxity in this regard, and no gang, whoever they may be, will be spared,” he went on to add.
Tata Trusts disbursed Rs 1,556.31 crore in FY26, focusing on establishing a network of 40 to 50 not-for-profit hospitals funded by patients who can afford care.
Noel Tata
Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata said the Trusts will put more weight on building institutions directly rather than only funding them. In the Trusts’ FY26 annual report, Noel said the need was “not simply to support an existing effort, but to build institutions and models that can become enduring public assets in their own right”. He did not directly refer to the governance and strategic differences between the Trusts and Tata Sons.
Noel cast the shift as a return to the founders’ purpose. “Our founders did not set out to build the largest group of companies. They believed that enterprise carried with it a responsibility to society, and that the true measure of progress was an improvement in the quality of people’s lives,” he said.
Tata Trusts disbursed Rs 1,556.31 crore:
According to Tata Trusts Annual Report, in the year to March 2026, Tata Trusts disbursed Rs 1,556.31 crore and is now working toward a network of 40 to 50 not-for-profit general hospitals, Chairman Noel Tata said in the Trusts’ Annual Report for 2025-26.
Tata said patients who can afford to pay would help fund care for those who cannot. The report gives no investment figure, locations, or timeline for the hospitals.
Noel Tata said the Trusts want to build institutions and models that become “enduring public assets” and be judged on what changes as a result of their work. He wrote that measuring philanthropy by people reached or money spent is no longer enough.
According to the Annual Report, institutional grants and direct project spending came in at Rs 1,353.32 crore, and individual grants at Rs 202.99 crore.
Further, rural upliftment took the largest share at Rs 457.62 crore, followed by education (Rs 270.26 crore), cancer care (Rs 178.46 crore), institutions (Rs 169.31 crore) and healthcare (Rs 105.97 crore).
Water and sanitation received Rs 59.04 crore and nutrition Rs 57.64 crore. Individual grants were mainly medical (Rs 143.30 crore) and education (Rs 59.38 crore).
Green hydrogen represents a significant opportunity for India to lessen reliance on imported fossil fuels and foster a clean-energy manufacturing sector.
(Representational image) Photo : PTI
Green hydrogen is emerging as a strategic opportunity for India to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, decarbonise energy-intensive industries and build a domestic clean-energy manufacturing ecosystem.
Green hydrogen could change where some of the world’s industrial work takes place and allow India to export the value of its renewable resources, according to Krishan Rattan, founding partner of global investment firm Terra Invest.
“India’s sunshine could become part of an industrial product bought on the other side of the world,” Rattan writes in a commentary published on the firm’s website. Renewable electricity can be converted into hydrogen and then into products that travel, such as ammonia or iron produced with hydrogen as a reducing agent.
Some of the most interesting trade, he expects, will involve shipping finished industrial products rather than energy itself. “I expect some of the most interesting trade to emerge where a product arrives ready to perform its industrial function,” he writes.
Rattan highlights the National Green Hydrogen Mission’s initial outlay of Rs 19,744 crore, including Rs 17,490 crore for the SIGHT programme supporting electrolyser manufacturing and hydrogen production. Linking a new industrial input with the ability to make the equipment behind it, he writes, “is how lasting industries begin”.
The commentary points to the International Energy Agency’s Global Hydrogen Review 2025, which describes demand concentrated in established industrial uses such as refining and chemicals, as the practical starting point: serve customers who already need the product, and build expertise from there.
The attack shattered the vehicle’s windows, sending broken glass flying inside the passenger compartment. Several passengers sustained injuries.
Delhi-Srinagar Bus Attacked Near Kurukshetra, Elderly Kashmiri Man Injured (Video screengrabs/Social Media)
Passengers travelling in a Delhi-Srinagar sleeper bus bearing a Jammu and Kashmir registration number were left frightened after the vehicle was allegedly attacked with bricks by a group of people in Haryana’s Karnal area, damaging the bus and leaving some passengers injured.
The incident, reported in the Karnal-Kurukshetra region near Neelokheri, has triggered a political uproar, with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and leaders of several political parties expressing concern and seeking action against those responsible.
The News18 team reached the bus and spoke to passengers and the driver, who described the incident as a terrifying experience.
According to the passengers and the driver, the trouble began near the ‘Divine Star’ dhaba in Neelokheri following an argument over giving way in the parking area. What initially appeared to be a verbal dispute allegedly escalated when a group of people began abusing and verbally harassing those travelling in the bus.
Passengers alleged that some of the people involved appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and allegedly used abusive language, including calling the passengers and driver “terrorists”.
The situation soon turned violent, with four to five people allegedly pelting the bus with bricks. The attack shattered the vehicle’s windows, sending broken glass flying inside the passenger compartment. Several passengers were reportedly hit by the shattered glass and sustained injuries.
‘JK-Number Buses Would Not Be Allowed‘
Speaking exclusively to News18, bus driver Waqar Chowdhary alleged that the attackers also threatened to stop Jammu and Kashmir-registered buses from operating on the route.
“They were saying that they would not allow JK-number buses to ply on this route,” Chowdhary alleged, adding that he was also called a “terrorist”.
Passengers said there was complete chaos inside the bus as the attack unfolded and that fear gripped those travelling in the vehicle.
They said the incident should not be viewed merely as a dispute between individuals and expressed concern over what they described as attempts to spread hatred against Kashmiris.
The passengers stressed that Kashmiris are an equal part of the country and urged people not to allow isolated incidents to be used to target an entire community or region.
Passengers Demand Stern Action
The passengers have demanded stern action by Haryana Police against those responsible for the attack, saying that the perpetrators must be identified and brought to justice.
They also urged the authorities to ensure the safety of passengers travelling between Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country, and said that such incidents should not become a means of maligning Kashmir and Kashmiris.
The passengers said that disagreements may occur anywhere, but violence, threats and alleged hate-filled abuse against people because of their place of origin cannot be justified.
What Did Police Say
According to the preliminary police account, the dispute reportedly began over parking and giving way near the dhaba before escalating into a confrontation and stone-pelting. Police have said that both sides had consumed alcohol.
The incident took place near the ‘Divine Star’ dhaba in the Neelokheri area. Police from Butana police station are investigating the matter, while the names of two people from Unispur village have reportedly emerged during the probe.
The bus suffered extensive damage, including shattered window panes and damage to its rear lights. A senior Kashmiri passenger was also reported to have sustained injuries.
Political Reaction
The incident has prompted strong reactions in Jammu and Kashmir, with CM Abdullah expressing concern and seeking strict action against those responsible.
Several political leaders have also called on the Haryana government and police to take action and ensure that those behind the attack are brought to justice.
The video appears to show two assailants shooting at Shroff’s vehicle before fleeing on a motorcycle alongside a third man.
A video circulating on social media shows several rounds being fired at Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai on Sunday evening. Police said the incident occurred around 7pm near Pushpa Park in Juhu, close to Jamnabai Narsee School, as Shroff was returning from playing football at a club.
The video appears to show two assailants shooting at Shroff’s vehicle before fleeing on a motorcycle alongside a third man. One of them can be seen firing repeatedly, while the second also appears to try to open fire. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the visuals.
Gunshots fired near #TigerShroff’s car… Glad he’s safe https://t.co/Zj4vXAWuN8
Soon after the shooting, two alleged operatives of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Anil Pandit and Harman Sandhu, claimed responsibility for the attack in posts on various social media platforms.
“We had called and explained to him (Tiger Shroff) but he did not understand. So today, we explained to him rather well that whoever in the Mumbai film industry does not abide by what we say or work with Salman Khan are next in line. Wait and watch,” they said in the post in Hindi, which was accompanied by a voice message.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mohit Kumar Garg said Shroff suffered minor abrasions, while his driver, Firdos, sustained a gunshot wound to his left hand. Both were taken to Nanavati Hospital for treatment. Shroff was later discharged, while his driver was admitted as he might require surgery for the gunshot injury, hospital sources told HT earlier.
Autorickshaw driver Umesh Chavan, 35, was taken to Cooper Hospital after being shot in the chest. A hospital spokesperson said he had a bullet entry wound “2 cm below his left nipple” and was admitted to the surgery department. Doctors said his condition was stable.
The stampede took place at Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity puja pandal, a prominent puja in central Kolkata, during the peak hours on Saturday evening.
Footwear lies scattered outside a Durga Puja pandal after the exit gate collapsed due to heavy crowd pressure, leading to a stampede-like situation, in Kolkata, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (PTI)
Durga Puja festivities in Kolkata turned tragic on Saturday after a stampede-like situation left at least 19 dead, while several others are said to be injured. The incident took place at Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity puja pandal, a prominent puja in central Kolkata, during the peak hours on Saptami evening, police said.
While the exact cause of the crowd crush is yet to be ascertained, eyewitnesses said that the surging crowd and rainfall worsened the situation.
“The incident took place around 7:30 pm. The crowd at the pandal was already swelling. As it started to rain more people entered the pandal. This resulted in a stampede. Several people were injured,” Dipali Das, a pandal hopper, told the media.
Another eyewitness alleged mismanagement and said that people pushing each other in absence of organisers, volunteers and police personnel.
“There were no puja organsier, no police and no volunteer. Everyone was pushing each other and shouting. Many fell ill,” said Saikat Banerjee, another pandal hopper.
As leaders expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Kolkata pandal stampede, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ₹2 lakh ex-gratia to next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for injured. “Stampede in Kolkata extremely distressing; my thoughts with people who have lost loved ones,” PM Modi said.
The stampede in Kolkata is extremely distressing. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM @narendramodi
The Chor Bagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity pandal was closed following the stampede. Police said several other crowded puja pandals were also shut afterwards.
Kolkata Police at the site after a stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal, in Kolkata, West Bengal. (ANI)
At least 19 people were killed and 25 were injured in a stampede at the Chorebagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata on Saturday evening, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said, adding that the state government will set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta high court to probe the case.
The stampede broke out at around 7.30 pm at Chor Bagan, a popular Durga Puja venue in north Kolkata, as crowds pushed through a narrow bylane on Saptami, the seventh day of the festival. Heavy rain had left the streets slippery.
Located less than 2 km from Howrah Bridge, Chor Bagan is among Kolkata’s oldest Durga Puja pandals. Eyewitnesses said people seeking shelter from the rain rushed towards the venue through the narrow lane. Within seconds, several people slipped and fell on top of one another, triggering a chain reaction.
Kolkata stampede: Latest developments
Seven people, including the organiser, a security agency representative and an event management company official, have been arrested in the stampede case.
The arrested have been identified as -Raj Kumar Sewda, Committee Secretary, Santanu Dubey, Vice President; Biplab Mukherjee, engaged in the construction of the bamboo structure; Koushik Saha, engaged in controlling the crowd and checking VIP passes; Pintu Dey, engaged in crowd control and management; Suman Chakraborty, from a private security agency; and Rajesh Pal, in charge of the private security at the pandal.
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that poor crowd management and inadequate police presence led to the stampede.
TMC also claimed that one of the puja organisers was the chief minister’s ‘bhaipo’ (nephew). It wrote on X, “A Bengal BJP MLA also happens to be the Chairman of this Puja Committee! Where is the accountability? Who is responsible for all these deaths?”
Adhikari announced a compensation of ₹25 lakh and a government job for the deceased’s families. The injured will receive ₹5 lakh each. The state government will cover all medical expenses for those undergoing treatment, he said.
The Bengal CM said the state government will set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta high court to probe the stampede.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Mamata Banerjee were among those who expressed condolences. Union home minister Amit Shah, who arrived in the state on Saturday for a two-day visit, cancelled all his engagements scheduled for Sunday and said he would visit the injured. Modi also announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh for each deceased family and ₹50,000 for each injured person.
Photographs from Tiger Shroff’s residence showed the actor with dressings on his shoulder and chest and a bandage on his right arm as he interacted with Eknath Shinde
Eknath Shinde said Tiger Shroff suffered injuries to his hand from gunpowder
The first pictures of Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff after the assassination attempt in Mumbai shows him with multiple dressings and a bandaged arm as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited his residence to enquire about his well-being.
In the pictures, Tiger Shroff was seen with dressings on his shoulder and chest and a bandage on his right arm.
His mother, Ayesha Shroff, was also present during Shinde’s visit late on Sunday night.
The meeting came hours after five rounds were fired in the incident in Mumbai’s Juhu area. Tiger suffered minor injuries, while two people, including his driver, were injured.
Shinde also issued a strong warning after the firing involving Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff, saying attempts to intimidate people would not be tolerated and that the government would put an end to such “hooliganism”.
“Kisi ki bhi dadagiri Mumbai me nahi chalegi,” Shinde said, saying that no one would be allowed to establish their dominance through threats or violence in Mumbai.
“This is a major incident… five rounds were fired, but fortunately, he was safe. His driver sustained injuries, and the incident is condemnable,” Shinde told reporters after meeting the actor.
Shinde said Tiger Shroff suffered injuries to his hand from gunpowder and pieces of broken glass during the firing.
“I met with the actor; he has injuries on his left hand caused by gunpowder and shards of glass. Both he and his mother are quite shaken…” he said.
Shinde said he had assured the family that the government stood with them amid threats being directed at public figures.
“I have assured them that the state government stands with them in the face of the open threats being directed at public figures… No form of threat will be tolerated,” he said.
‘Such Gang Wars Were Quite Common In The 90s’
Referring to Mumbai’s history of gang violence, Shinde said such incidents were common during the 1990s but were eventually brought under control by Mumbai Police.
“Such gang wars were quite common in the 90s, but the Mumbai Police put an end to them in 1995…” Shinde said.
He made it clear that the government would not allow attempts to threaten or intimidate people to take hold in Mumbai again.
“These attempts to intimidate people will not be tolerated, and we will put an end to this hooliganism (Kisi ki bhi dadagiri Mumbai me nahi chalegi)…” he said.
#WATCH | Mumbai | Firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff | Maharashtra Dy CM Eknath Shinde says, “This is a major incident… five rounds were fired, but fortunately, he was safe. His driver sustained injuries, and the incident is condemnable. I met with the actor; he has injuries on his left hand caused by gunpowder and shards of glass. Both he and his mother are quite shaken… I have assured them that the state government stands with them in the face of the open threats being directed at public figures… No form of threat will be tolerated. Such gang wars were quite common in the 90s, but the Mumbai Police put an end to them in 1995… These attempts to intimidate people will not be tolerated, and we will put an end to this hooliganism…”
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Mohit Garg, unidentified individuals opened fire as Tiger Shroff was leaving a football club in Mumbai at around 7:00 pm on Sunday.
The actor narrowly escaped being shot. Two people, including his driver, sustained injuries in the incident. The driver was reportedly struck by bullets, while Tiger did not suffer any gunshot injuries.
The firing took place under the jurisdiction of Juhu Police Station. Police have initiated an investigation, and further details are awaited.
‘Today Tiger Shroff, Who Is Next?’
Following the attack, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) issued a statement condemning the firing and alleging that the government and police had failed to prevent repeated attacks targeting members of the film industry.
“Today it is Tiger Shroff. Who is next? When a celebrity is not safe in the heart of Mumbai, how can an ordinary Mumbaikar feel safe?” the association said.
AICWA cited several previous incidents, including the firing outside Salman Khan’s Bandra residence, the attack in which Saif Ali Khan was stabbed at his Bandra home, the firing outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s Juhu residence and repeated attacks on comedian Kapil Sharma’s cafe.
The association said the incidents showed that people from the film industry were being repeatedly targeted and alleged that gangsters were seeking to create fear among Bollywood personalities and extort money from them.
“This is not an isolated incident. Shots were fired outside Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra. Actor Saif Ali Khan was stabbed in an attack at his Bandra home. Shots were fired outside the Juhu home of filmmaker Rohit Shetty. Comedian Kapil Sharma’s cafe was attacked repeatedly. Now Tiger Shroff has been fired upon. One after another, people from the film industry are being targeted, and a deliberate atmosphere of fear is being created. The intent is plain: gangsters want to terrorise Bollywood personalities and extort money from them,” AICWA said.
“Despite repeated incidents, the government and the police have failed to stop these attacks and to protect the people of Bollywood. Gangsters have openly claimed responsibility in earlier cases, yet the network continues to operate. Statements are not enough. Bollywood needs real protection,” it added.
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release | 18 October 2026
“Today Tiger Shroff, who is next?” Firing in Juhu: AICWA says government and police have failed, demands strictest action against gangsters
Mumbai: The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) is shocked and deeply anguished by the firing on Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai’s Juhu area, in which one person was hit by a bullet. Tiger Shroff, whose life could easily have been lost in the attack, narrowly escaped.
This is not an isolated incident. Shots were fired outside Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra. Actor Saif Ali Khan was stabbed in an attack at his Bandra home. Shots were fired outside the Juhu home of filmmaker Rohit Shetty. Comedian Kapil Sharma’s cafe was attacked repeatedly. Now Tiger Shroff has been fired upon. One after another, people from the film industry are being targeted, and a deliberate atmosphere of fear is being created. The intent is plain: gangsters want to terrorise Bollywood personalities and extort money from them.
“Today it is Tiger Shroff. Who is next? When a celebrity is not safe in the heart of Mumbai, how can an ordinary Mumbaikar feel safe?” the AICWA said.
Despite repeated incidents, the government and the police have failed to stop these attacks and to protect the people of Bollywood. Gangsters have openly claimed responsibility in earlier cases, yet the network continues to operate. Statements are not enough. Bollywood needs real protection.
Mumbai’s streets are once again being stained with blood, and the situation is reminiscent of the underworld era of the 1990s. The law-and-order situation in the city is a matter of grave concern.
Today, it feels as if Bollywood is left to the mercy of God.
AICWA makes the following demands of Maharashtra’s Hon’ble Chief Minister and Home Minister, Shri Devendra Fadnavis:
1) Take the strictest possible action against the gangsters behind these attacks, in the only language they understand.
2) Arrest the shooters and also those who ordered the firing, without delay, and break the extortion network.
3) Provide adequate security and protection to film personalities and their families.
4) Fix accountability for the repeated failure to prevent these attacks.
5) Restore the confidence of Mumbai’s citizens and the film fraternity in law and order.
“Mumbai will not be allowed to go back to the underworld days of the 1990s. Bollywood will not work in the shadow of fear,” the AICWA added.
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit those injured in the Kolkata Durga Puja pandal stampede on Sunday. The state has cancelled all Durga Puja events following the tragedy, which claimed 19 lives and injured 25 people. Adhikari also urged opposition parties not to politicise the incident.
West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari (L) & Union Home Minister Amit Shah (R) | ANI & File Pic
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said he and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit those injured in a stampede in a Durga Puja pandal here on Sunday morning.
Adhikari said the state government has cancelled all events associated with the ongoing Durga Puja festival in view of the tragic accident that claimed 19 lives so far and left 25 people injured.
“The Union Home Minister and I will visit the injured persons at the hospital on Sunday morning,” he said.
#WATCH | Kolkata’s Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja stampede incident | West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari says, “This is a tragic incident. 19 people have lost their lives, 17 of whom died on the spot… 25 people have been injured; 24 of them are out of danger, while one remains in critical condition. The government is making every possible effort… we are working even through the night, and we have also announced compensation. 13 members from the affected families met with me and expressed their trust in the government… The Union Home Minister’s scheduled programs have been cancelled. We stand with all the affected families. The families of the deceased will receive a compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job. The government will cover the entire cost of medical treatment for the injured, and they will also be provided with compensation of Rs 5 lakh each. I will write to the Chief Justice of the Kolkata High Court requesting the formation of a ‘fact-finding committee.’ This committee will include the STF and forensic teams… and we will conduct an investigation accordingly…”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the incident extremely distressing. He has announced interim compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those who died.
At least 19 people, including 13 women and a child, died, and 25 were injured in a stampede at a popular Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata on Saturday evening.
“Today (17/10/26), at around 19:40 hrs, a stampede occurred at the exit gate of the Sarada Park (Chor Bagan) Puja Pandal in the Girish Park Police Station area due to heavy crowds of pandal visitors amid rain. All injured persons were rescued and taken to MCH (Medical College and Hospital),” the Kolkata Police said in a statement in the evening.
“Reinforcements from the Control Room, Fire Brigade, Kolkata Police, DMG team and ambulances with medical teams were deployed. The Puja Pandal is now closed to visitors,” they added.
Eight of those injured are critical.
The police have detained 12 people, including organisers of the Chorebagan Durga Puja.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal visited the hospital to assess the situation.
“We will check the CCTV footage to see if the crowd was being properly controlled. We will determine who is responsible: the organising committee, the police, private security, or anyone else. There’s no question of sparing anyone,” the Chief Minister said in a video statement.
Adhikari also announced the formation of a high-level committee to review safety arrangements at major Durga Puja pandals across the state.
He also announced that his government will provide Rs 25 lakh and a Group D government job for the family of each victims.
The tragedy took place on Saptami, or the seventh day of the 10-day Durga Puja festival.
Narrow Entry, Exit Gates
A witness told news agency ANI that many people lost consciousness during the stampede.
Another witness blamed narrow entry and exit gates for the tragedy.
“The entrance was very narrow, and the exit gate was also narrow. There was no lighting in the area….My daughter and granddaughter are hospitalised,” he said.
After the stampede, the pandal organisers halted entry to the premises and switched off the lights.
“It is not clear as of now how this incident happened. For now, our emphasis is on rescue work, and our primary task is to take the injured to the hospital. Police personnel, along with teams from the State Fire Services and State Disaster Management Department, are on the spot. It is not clear whether the victims were trampled under crowd pressure or not,” Bikash Das, a Puja organiser, was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.
PM Modi, Amit Shah, Mamata Banerjee React
Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the incident extremely distressing. He has announced interim compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those who died. The injured will receive Rs 50,000 each.
“The stampede in Kolkata is extremely distressing. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected,” he said on X.
The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is in West Bengal, has deferred his political events scheduled for Sunday.
“I have just received the extremely distressing news of multiple casualties after the stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal. I have spoken with Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari about this matter. I pray for the peace of the souls of those who have lost their lives in this tragic accident and extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved family members. The administration is making arrangements for the best possible medical treatment for the injured. I am postponing all my scheduled programs in West Bengal tomorrow to visit the injured in the hospital. I pray to Ma Durga that all the injured individuals recover swiftly,” he wrote on X.
Deeply anguished by the tragic stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, which has claimed several precious lives.
My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.
I urge the West Bengal Government to ensure immediate rescue and medical assistance, adequate compensation to the families of the deceased and the injured, and a thorough investigation to prevent such tragedies in the future.
I appeal to all Congress leaders and workers to extend every possible assistance to those affected during this difficult hour.
The truck reportedly broke through police barricades before running over pilgrims on the road and crashing into the temple’s outer wall and gate.
The incident occurred at around 1:30 AM
At least 12 people have died and several others have been injured after an out-of-control truck crashed into devotees gathered near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior late Saturday night, breaking through a police checkpoint and damaging the temple’s gate and outer wall.
According to Gwalior Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dharmveer Singh, the incident occurred at around 1:30 AM when a paddy-laden truck travelling from the Chhinor direction lost control on a steep slope where heavy vehicles are restricted.
The truck reportedly broke through police barricades before running over pilgrims on the road and crashing into the temple’s outer wall and gate.
#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh | Early morning visuals from the spot where a truck ran over several people near Sheetla Mata Mandir in Gwalior, claiming the lives of 11 people and leaving 29 people injured https://t.co/zyoabIhQ8a
“This is a tragic incident where pilgrims were travelling to Sheetla Mata Temple in large numbers. The road coming from the Chhinor side has a steep slope where heavy traffic is restricted. Around 1.30 AM, a truck loaded with paddy was stopped there. It broke through the police barricades, suddenly lost control, came down, and crashed into the outer wall and gate of the temple. The devotees who were on the road were crushed underneath it, leading to this accident,” Singh said.
“Two police personnel who were on duty at the spot were also injured, and their treatment is ongoing,” he added.
The SSP said 39 people had been taken to hospital following the incident, of whom 12 died. At least five to six patients were critically injured, while others sustained minor injuries.
#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh | Several dead and multiple people injured after a truck ran over several people near a temple in Gwalior
Visuals from the hospital where the injured have been taken https://t.co/9h5R7cNgJW
“According to the information received so far, a total of 39 people have been taken to the hospital, out of which 12 people have died. 5 or 6 patients are critically injured with fractures, while the rest sustained minor injuries and are currently receiving treatment,” he said.
Gwalior Collector Ruchika Chauhan also detailed the incident, saying that after receiving the information regarding the accident, ambulances and other vehicles were dispatched for the relief operation. She said that 29 people have sustained various injuries.
“Today, at around 1.30 AM, information was received that a truck coming from the direction of Chhinor towards the temple lost control and veered continuously to the left. Immediately, news of the accident started coming in, and ambulances and other vehicles were dispatched. 11 people have lost their lives in this incident, and 5 to 6 patients are critically injured. Around 29 people have sustained various injuries,” she said.
Chauhan noted that authorities had launched an investigation into how the truck managed to pass through the barricades and police checkpoint established along the road during Navratri.
“A stopper and a police checkpoint were present on that road during Navratri, so how the vehicle managed to get inside is a matter of investigation. We have also sent an RTO team to inspect the truck mechanically and find out what issue occurred and how it veered to the left,” she said.
Actor Imran Khan’s central argument is that an OCI cardholder is “not an ordinary foreigner” and that his status cannot be curtailed without a reasonable opportunity of being heard.
Actor Imran Khan and his girlfriend Lekha Washington were detained in Mumbai on October 2.ANI File
Actor Imran Khan, in his challenge to a Leave India Notice, has told the court that he went near Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan on October 10 only “being curious about what was happening on the ground as far as student protesters were concerned”.
When police told him the area was restricted, his “curiosity ended”, and he complied with the directions “and proceeded towards his parked vehicle”, reads his writ petition in the Bombay High Court against the notice directing him to leave the country by October 28.
It argued that Khan, an American citizen, was detained only after media reporters surrounded him and there was commotion.
The protest was part of an ongoing wave of demonstrations mainly in New Delhi and other places like Mumbai over alleged electoral fraud by the ruling BJP “in collusion” with the Election Commission. Both the EC and BJP have rejected the allegations.
‘Resident Of India Since Age 2’
Imran Khan, known mainly for his role in the 2008 romcom ‘Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na’, has said in his petition that no protest as such was being held when he came to the spot. A US citizen by birth, he has been a resident of India since the age of 2 and holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, the petition stresses.
India does not allow full dual citizenship.
Foreign citizens are not allowed to participate in political activity in India, though OCI-holders otherwise are given greater rights, such as limitless stay and the right to own property, among others.
Imran Khan’s mother Nushat Khan, a psychologist who lives in Mumbai, is a daughter of director-producer Nasir Hussain and a cousin of superstar actor Aamir Khan. His father, Anil Pal, is a software engineer based in the US, where Imran was born in 1983.
Another argument in the petition is that he was not issued a show-cause notice before being asked to leave. However, after the petition was filed, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Mumbai, did issue him one. His lawyer then told NDTV: “We are currently examining the contents of the show-cause notice… We will take this point up before the court when the matter comes up for hearing.”
He has argued in the petition that the Leave India Notice was “arbitrary”, gave no reasons, and was passed without a hearing.
What Happened That Day, As Per Imran Khan
The petition explains what happened on the day he was detained. It says Imran Khan travelled with his family via the Bandra-Worli Sea Link at around 4.30 pm and reached the vicinity of Nana Chowk around 5 pm. He found the road to the maidan barricaded and asked police about the closure, since “apart from police personnel and members of the media, no protesters were present at the location”, it says.
“[Khan] has no association, affiliation or connection whatsoever with any organization or institution involved in organizing or mobilising the protest,” the petition adds.
Media personnel recognised him as he walked back to his car, it says, and quotes his remarks to a news agency: “I don’t have demands. I am here as a citizen, as a person who lives in this city. I am here to see why the freedom of movement is being restricted, why people’s voices are being oppressed and suppressed.”
At about 5.19 pm, police “suddenly and in an unprovoked manner” detained him and his family and later took them to Yellow Gate police station, and he was later allowed to leave.
The Gamdevi area police registered an FIR that night, naming Khan among the accused. The petition challenges the FIR’s allegation that the accused, including Imran Khan, gathered at the maidan at 3:30 pm and incited a crowd of 350-400, which “appears to be not factually correct”.
Refiners began reducing their exposure while the bill was still moving through Congress, before Trump signed the Russia and Iran Sanctions act into a law.
That threat remains because the act’s secondary sanctions have only been deferred, experts said, leaving Trump free to use the law against these countries whenever he chooses. (AP Photo)
Washington’s decision to hold off tariffs of up to 100% that a new US sanctions law would have triggered against India for buying Russian oil offers only temporary relief, people familiar with the matter said, as Indian refiners have already cut their Russian purchases and are paying more for the oil that replaced them.
Imports of discounted Russian crude have fallen by a third since July, industry executives said, and India’s crude import bill rose 31.6% in September from August even though volumes grew only 14.2%, according to the petroleum ministry’s Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC).
Refiners began reducing their exposure while the bill was still moving through Congress, before US President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (Graham Act) into law on September 18, company executives and industry experts said on condition of anonymity. They expected geopolitical conditions and the approaching US midterm elections to make it difficult for Washington to enforce the act from October 18, but stepped up imports from the US and other suppliers anyway.
Imports of Russian crude have dropped to about 1.8 million barrels a day from around 2.7 million at the July peak, they said.
Russian oil made up a negligible share of India’s crude imports until 2021-22. Its share rose to nearly a third in 2025-26, as Moscow, hit by Western sanctions, offered steep discounts.
Refiners have replaced it with crude from the US, West Africa, South America and traditional West Asian suppliers, which costs more, partly because of higher freight and insurance charges, they said.
Rising Costs and Import Bill
In absolute terms, the import bill rose 31.6% in just one month to $15.4 billion in September from $11.7 billion in August, while volumes rose to 21.7 million tonnes from 19 million tonnes (a 14.21% increase), PPAC data show. In this period, average crude oil price of Indian basket increased by 28.71% from $90.19 a barrel in August 2026 to $116.09 per barrel in September 2026.
Over April-September 2026-27, the crude import bill rose 46.4% to $90.6 billion, a period that also captured the surge in global oil prices after shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted.
Temporary Relief and Trade Leverage
Experts attributed the higher bill to volatile global oil prices, driven by worsening geopolitical tensions, and to the threat the Graham Act posed to major energy importers such as India and China. That threat remains because the act’s secondary sanctions have only been deferred, they said, leaving Trump free to use the law against these countries whenever he chooses.
The experts said the waiver offers no long-term assurance either for India’s energy security or for its trade talks with the US, in which New Delhi is seeking a comparative tariff advantage for Indian goods over competing countries. Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday that the first tranche of the trade agreement would be put into operation once India secured a “competitive advantage” over its peers.
Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a New Delhi-based trade think tank, said the US Trade Representative’s continued monitoring of Russian energy purchases would allow “Washington to review the waiver and retain the tariff threat as leverage in future negotiations”.
“Under its October 9 agreement with Russia, the US decided to buy Russian diesel to ease domestic shortages and high fuel prices. Punishing other countries for buying Russian energy while doing so itself would invite accusations of double standards. Washington had also agreed not to raise tariffs on China until January 10 under a deal reached during President Xi Jinping’s US visit last month. With US spared, and China shielded, targeting India alone could derail ongoing bilateral trade negotiations,” he said.
One of the primary conditions of the bail to Abhijeet Dipke would be to ensure there is no breach of peace on his end for a period of one year.
CJP founder and leader Abhijit Dipke released after bail. (Raj K Raj/HT)
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke was granted conditional bail on Saturday, a day after he was detained on his way to Connaught Place and subsequently arrested. Dipke has been released by the special executive magistrate subject to a conditional bail bond.
One of the primary conditions would be to ensure there is no breach of peace on his end for a period of one year.
He was produced before the Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg today. More conditions of the bail will be clear once the order is out.
Abhijeet Dipke had issued a ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march call for Friday, October 16 at 5pm. He was served a Delhi Police notice asking not to join the march just hours before. The notice cited prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS.
Dipke, however, departed for Connaught Place on Friday evening and was detained shortly after. AISA activist Neha Bora was also detained near Mandi House. Both AISA and CJP later claimed that Dipke and Bora’s whereabouts were unknown.
According to news agency PTI, Dipke was arrested on Saturday morning for allegedly violating a peace bond furnished by him on October 10.
Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar recalls fearing for his life during an assault, describing the panic and how his colleague took over the controls.
Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar recounts his terrifying experience. (Photo: social media)
Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar has spoken about the terrifying moments he experienced during an assault, revealing how he briefly feared for his life while trying to protect himself and the passengers.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News Arabia, Machchhar recalled being hit hard on the head, slipping in and out of consciousness and realising that he needed to act if he wanted to survive.
Describing the experience, the captain said his survival instinct took over as he struggled to process what was happening. He also spoke about a fellow pilot who began praying during the ordeal and another colleague whose intervention in the cockpit helped save the day.
‘I Realised I Wouldn’t Survive’
Recounting the moment he feared he might not make it, Machchhar said he knew he could not remain passive and had to do something to change the situation.
“أدركت للحظة أنني لن أنجو”.. قائد طائرة فلاي دبي يروي لأول مرة حصرياً لسكاي نيوز عربية لحظات مؤثرة عاشها عقب الاعتداء عليه
“Yes, there was a moment when I realised. I told myself to do something. I’m not saying I accepted my death. It was like, do something, otherwise…” he said during the interview.
The captain explained that his instinct to survive was not just about himself but also about the passengers on board. He said the seriousness of the situation became clear when he realised that immediate action was needed.
‘I Was In And Out Of Consciousness’
Machchhar recalled being struck hard on the head during the assault. He said the impact felt extremely strong and left him drifting in and out of consciousness.
“I was doing my job, there was a hard hit on my head. I felt it was something very strong hit. I was in and out of consciousness,” he recounted.
The captain also described the confusion and panic that followed when the door opened. He remembered being face down as people screamed and the situation around him unfolded in chaos.
“When the door was open, it was a completely different scene. I remember being face down, and of course, the panic which was there, the screaming which was there,” he said.
Fellow Pilot Began Praying During The Ordeal
Machchhar also recalled the reaction of another pilot, who began praying during the incident. He said he chose not to look towards his colleague while he was praying, out of respect for the moment.
The captain’s account offered a glimpse into the different ways people responded to the frightening situation, as he tried to focus on his own responsibilities amid the unfolding crisis.
A Mumbai-based frontend developer struggling after a layoff seeks help online, prompting users to share job advice, personal experiences and messages of hope
A Mumbai-based developer’s candid Reddit post about struggling after a startup layoff has sparked a wave of supportive responses online (Image-AI)
A Mumbai-based frontend developer has opened up about the emotional toll of losing his job at a startup, revealing how unemployment and fears surrounding a career gap have affected his confidence.
With around two years of professional experience, the techie said he was struggling to cope with the setback and had started viewing himself as a failure, prompting him to seek advice and support from Reddit users.
In a post that gained traction online, the developer revealed that his last working day was the previous day. He admitted that the uncertainty surrounding his professional future was becoming increasingly difficult to manage, particularly as he struggled to clear job interviews.
“Yesterday marked my last day. I’m already feeling suicid*l,” he wrote, explaining that he had worked as a frontend developer at a startup for two years before losing his job.
The developer also spoke about the emotional impact of being unemployed in his mid-20s, saying the gap in his career was affecting his confidence. Despite having attended five interviews during his job search, he felt disheartened after failing to clear two of them.
“I don’t know what to do ? The gap in my career is killing makes me feel like a failure,” he wrote.
Seeking assistance from the online community, the developer said he was open to opportunities in Mumbai and elsewhere for frontend developer positions. He mentioned having 2.2 years of experience and stated that his salary expectation was Rs 6 lakh per annum (LPA).
Laid-Off Developer Receives Encouragement From Reddit Users
The post prompted several users to share their own experiences of unemployment, layoffs and difficult job searches.
“Bro listen. I got fired from a startup on 25th September and I’m still unemployed. Don’t worry, it’s just bad phase for us. The best thing to do right now is to take a short break and regroup. Think about how you will upskill and make yourself better. And you’re not a failure, you’ve been hit with a wave and it’ll pass soon too!” said one user.
“Bro until death all defeat is psychological. Every single person who made on his own knows this. Keep grinding, applying and one day you would be glad to do so,” said another.
“Bro when I was laid off I had emis 1.7L in monthly emis and 40k in monthly expenses I am the breadwinner in my family as well that means my family had 0 income whatsoever. All I did was went into attack mode and gave every interview possible I planned the min salary I needed to survive and then applied to 1000s of companies and gave regular interviews.
There were times where I was interviewing for companies offering 60-70lpa and everything felt like I would clear the interviews but then I would fail in the final round for extremely weird reasons but that is life I didn’t stop and finally ended landing a job. If you want I can help you out by guiding you as well don’t lose hope and keep trying. Just a bit of advice keep convincing yourself that you can do it and you will do it,” said a third.
‘Job Is Just A Small Part Of Life’: Users Share Different Perspectives
While several users focused on finding employment, others encouraged the developer to reconsider how much importance he was placing on his professional identity.
“Is your life only valuable so long as you are a corporate slave? Enjoy this gap brother. Start truly living. I understand financial pressure can be massive but you need to sit down and re evaluate what life actually is. Your purpose in life isn’t to make websites,” said a fourth.
“Hi man job is just a small part of life don’t give up.I am also jobless and have been preparing for government IT roles.Do checkout your eligibility and apply,” said another.
“I had a gap of 8+ years. Had thousands of rejections at almost all stages for both private and public enterprises despite having a decent education and score. Some rejections were so bad/brutal that they literally broke me for years. Trust me you are doing really good. If its mental health issues that is affecting you, try NIMHANS. Do not quit trying under any circumstances. Best of Luck,” one user wrote.
Uddhav Thackeray backed Prashant Bhushan’s regime change call while addressing a journalists’ gathering. He said the Opposition would resist any curbs on voting and protest rights.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray
If the BJP-led Centre is taking away people’s right to express themselves through voting and protests, then such a regime needs to be changed and the Opposition is standing up for it, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday.
He backed senior advocate Prashant Bhushan’s “regime change” call.
“Police are assaulting youth and women, tearing their clothes. Such a regime needs to be buried,” Thackeray said referring to alleged violence against those taking part in protests called by the Cockroach Janta Party and other parties in the national capital.
Addressing the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Patrakar Parishad, Thackeray asked if thousands of police personnel have been deployed in Delhi to “play dandia”, a reference to the Navratri season underway as well as the use of sticks and batons on protesters.
Referring to media reports of a cockroach effigy being burnt as part of Dussehra celebrations, Thackeray, in a swipe at the BJP, said those who claim to have brought Ram are scared of cockroaches.
“We are here to change the regime,” Thackeray asserted.
DMK MPs adopted four resolutions demanding the Chief Election Commissioner’s removal, cancellation of SIR and restoration of ballot voting. The party will petition the President over alleged electoral irregularities and voter exclusion.
DMK President MK Stalin held a meeting at the party heaquarters on Saturday.
The DMK on Saturday demanded the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a return to ballot papers. It also accused the Congress and TVK of double standards on the revision exercise.
DMK MPs adopted four resolutions at a meeting chaired by party president MK Stalin at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai. They decided to submit a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu seeking action over alleged electoral irregularities.
The party alleged that the SIR had been rushed through in Bihar, Tamil Nadu and other states, excluding genuine voters. It accused the Election Commission of acting in a partisan manner and sought an inquiry into what it called Kumar’s unilateral decisions.
RESTORE PRE-SIR VOTER LISTS
The DMK demanded that future elections use the electoral rolls that existed before the revision. Besides replacing EVMs with ballot papers, it sought 100 per cent counting of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.
The party said it had opposed the SIR since July 2025 through all-party meetings, legal challenges and statewide protests.
It extended support to youth and student organisations protesting against the exercise, while accusing the Congress and TVK of political opportunism. It also alleged secret ties between the TVK and BJP-led Union government.
STALIN BACKS DETAINED PROTEST LEADERS
The resolutions came a day after Stalin demanded the release of Cockroach Janta Party leader Abhijeet Dipke and AISA chief Neha Bora. Delhi Police had preventively detained them ahead of Friday’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protests.
Stalin questioned their whereabouts and accused the Centre of suppressing peaceful dissent.
“Detaining them without disclosing their whereabouts is blatantly illegal and deeply inhumane. The union government must release them immediately and stop suppressing peaceful protests,” he wrote on X.
He said attempts to crush the movement would only strengthen it.
The Delhi Police has issued an NOC allowing the Congress to hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1 as part of the INDIA bloc’s campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The rally is part of the bloc’s joint action plan, which also includes ‘Save Democracy’ marches and a demand for ballot paper-based elections instead of EVMs.
The Delhi Police has issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) allowing the Congress to hold a one-day rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on November 1, a senior police officer said on Saturday.
The clearance paves the way for the party to begin preparations for the rally, which Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced last month as part of the INDIA bloc’s campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said the Congress had approached the Delhi Police for the requisite NOC after securing confirmation about the ground’s availability from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
“Ramlila Maidan, CBD Ground and Burari Ground have been designated as protest sites. The Congress approached the MCD to check the availability of Ramlila Maidan for its proposed rally,” Singh said.
“The MCD informed the party that the ground would be available from October 25 to November 3. After receiving the availability certificate, the Congress approached the Delhi Police. Following discussions with the party’s representatives and an assessment of the security requirements, we decided to issue the NOC. The certificate has been issued today,” he said.
Singh said the Congress would now submit the certificate to the MCD, the agency that owns the ground, following which the party could begin preparations for the rally.
He added that the ground would remain booked for the period between October 25 and November 3. Other parties or organisers seeking to book the venue can follow the same procedure, he said.
The Delhi Police said it was coordinating with the organisers, traffic police and other concerned agencies to ensure appropriate law-and-order arrangements, effective traffic management and the smooth conduct of the proposed rally.
On September 30, the INDIA bloc finalised a joint action plan over the SIR row, which included rallies and ‘Save Democracy’ marches. Kharge said all the parties had agreed that elections should be conducted using ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
They allegedly entered Ashabari, a border village in Sepahijala’s Kalamchoura police station area, while pursuing suspected smugglers
Image for representational use. Credit: iStock Photo
TwoBangladesh police personnel, who allegedly crossed into Tripura’s Sepahijala district while chasing suspected smugglers, were handed over to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Friday, an officer said.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Imran Hussain and Constable Rohit Dewan were posted at Brahmanpara police station in Bangladesh’s Cumilla district, state police spokesperson Rajdeep Deb said.
They allegedly entered Ashabari, a border village in Sepahijala’s Kalamchoura police station area, while pursuing suspected smugglers, he said.
The two were apprehended by locals and subsequently handed over to the BSF for further action, he added.
The victim’s father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, and mother, Soni Devi, met with senior officials at the CBI Headquarters in Delhi and shared information regarding various aspects of the case
Parents of Ankita Bhandari meet senior officials of the CBI. Credit: X/@CBIHeadquaters
Parents of Ankita Bhandari, the 19-year-old resort receptionist whose body was found near Rishikesh in 2022, met senior officials of the CBI, which is probing the alleged role of a “VIP” in the murder case, officials said.
The victim’s father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, and mother, Soni Devi, met with senior officials at the CBI Headquarters in Delhi and shared information regarding various aspects of the case, a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
Special Directors Manoj Shashidhar and Sampat Meena assured them of a fair and impartial investigation, with all aspects of the case being thoroughly examined, it said.
अंकिता भंडारी के माता-पिता ने सीबीआई के वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों से भेंट की
सीबीआई अधिकारियों द्वारा निष्पक्ष एवं न्यायसंगत ढंग से प्रकरण की विवेचना करने का आश्वासन https://t.co/BBysKzloko
— Central Bureau of Investigation (India) (@CBIHeadquarters) October 16, 2026
The CBI has also registered a case against unknown persons to probe the alleged role of a “VIP” in the murder of Bhandari, officials said.
According to sources close to the victim’s family, Ankita’s parents also made a written request to the CBI director for a narco test of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore and Urmila Sanawar, whose audio purportedly referring to a VIP’s role had gone viral.
Narco test has no direct evidentiary value in courts.
BJP leader Anil Baluni, who is an MP from Uttarakhand’s Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency, was present with the victim’s family when they met the CBI officials.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had recommended a CBI inquiry into the case at the demand of Ankita’s parents after an actress, who claimed to be the wife of a legislator, circulated audio and video clips purportedly indicating the involvement of a ‘VIP’ in the murder.
Ankita’s parents had demanded a CBI inquiry into the case under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge. Her father has claimed that his daughter was murdered because of a ‘VIP’, whose identity is still unknown.
Calls for a CBI probe into the 2022 killing have intensified ever since Urmila Sanawar, an actress who claimed to be the wife of a legislator, alleged the involvement of a ‘VIP’ in the murder.
She released videos and audio recordings on social media, which she claimed captured conversations with the MLA and pointed to the role of a “powerful” figure in the murder case.
This comes after Reliance issued a statement to Elon Musk’s recent remarks about the Indian market and its role in Starlink’s entry into the country.
SpaceX chief executive officer Elon Musk’s swipes at New Delhi on October 7 triggered a back-and-forth between him and the government. (REUTERS File)
Starlink on Monday responded to Reliance Industries Limited’s statement over Elon Musk’s remarks on Indian markets, saying that it has worked closely with the country’s regulators with all the requisite government approvals.
In a post on X, Musk’s company said it was ready to “connect India with high-speed internet”.
“We have worked closely with regulators, industry and operators in India for 5+ years, and built a network of dedicated systems, gateways, and other infrastructure all in-country to exclusively serve Indian traffic safely and securely – and all with the requisite government approvals. Starlink is ready to connect India with high-speed internet,” it said.
We have worked closely with regulators, industry and operators in India for 5+ years, and built a network of dedicated systems, gateways, and other infrastructure all in-country to exclusively serve Indian traffic safely and securely – and all with the requisite government approvals.
Starlink is ready to connect India with high-speed internet.
This comes after Reliance Industries on Friday issued a statement to Musk’s recent remarks about the Indian market and its role in Starlink’s entry into the country, saying it has never feared competition and that every player must abide by Indian laws and policies.
Reliance said the government applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign, adding that Jio’s own satellite services were also awaiting clearances.
“In light of recent remarks about Reliance and the Indian market, we wish to place the facts on record. Like every Indian enterprise, Reliance has grown in an India that welcomes investment and innovation, homegrown or international, that improve the lives of the people,” it said in the statement.
What Reliance said
Reliance said it welcomed competition in satellite communications, including from Starlink, while emphasising that all players must follow the country’s laws.
“That openness rests on the rule of law. As the Government of India has stated, it applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign. Jio’s own satellite services await clearances. At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best. Jio itself entered India’s crowded telecom market in 2016 as the newest player, with not a single customer. In just ten years, Jio has earned the trust of over 530 million customers and given Indians some of the best digital infrastructure and most affordable data in the world,” Reliance’s statement read.
We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink, Reliance Industries further said, adding that every player, Jio included, “must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land,” the company stated.
The accused, Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, was arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The Trump administration has made cracking down on cases of suspected electoral fraud a key policy focus. (Photo for representation) (Getty Images via AFP)
US immigration agencies have arrested Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, an Indian citizen, for allegedly voting illegally in the 2024 US general election after making a false citizenship claim. Chaudhari has been charged with one count of false information in voting and one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to register to vote. According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count if convicted.
“Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation. Under President Trump’s leadership, this administration will never allow the votes of American citizens to be cancelled out by non-citizens illegally voting in our elections. Only American citizens should be electing American leaders,” said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
The Trump administration has made cracking down on cases of suspected electoral fraud a key policy focus. President Trump and his allies have consistently contested the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost to Joe Biden.
Trump has also claimed that a DHS review, state voter rolls and public records identified approximately 278,000 non-citizens registered to vote in federal elections. The White House has pushed Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require voters to provide proof of citizenship and photo identification to vote in federal elections.
However, these efforts have largely stalled. Legal experts have raised concerns that burdensome documentation requirements could lead to thousands of Americans, particularly minorities, losing their ability to vote.
As the Opposition questioned why the US envoy had announced Jaishankar’s meetings, Rahul Gandhi said “Rubio has summoned his employee to Mumbai”.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at UNGA. (X/@DrSJaishankar)
The government on Friday sought to address the opposition’s criticism of external affairs minister S Jaishankar travelling to Mumbai to meet US secretary of state Marco Rubio next week and said it has been a practice over the past decade for foreign dignitaries to be hosted outside New Delhi.
Congress leaders had earlier criticised the government after US ambassador Sergio Gor said at a public event that “we expect…Jaishankar to be joining us [in Mumbai]” for Rubio’s visit. Rubio is set to travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar, and the capital is not part of his itinerary.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh had questioned why the US envoy had announced the external affairs minister’s meetings, with Gandhi saying “Rubio has summoned his employee to Mumbai”.
Responding to questions on the opposition’s criticism that the external affairs minister had been “summoned” to Mumbai by the US, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Jaishankar is set to host the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s deputy prime minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Mumbai between October 19 and 20 before holding talks with Rubio.
Noting that Jaishankar will also attend a celebration in Mumbai of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the US as the guest of honour, Jaiswal said: “It has been the practice for the last decade or so that we have hosted foreign dignitaries outside Delhi.”
In this context, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted his Spanish counterpart in Baroda, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad, and the Mauritius PM in Varanasi, while the external affairs minister hosted the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Goa, the Botswana foreign minister at Kevadia in Gujarat, and the Heart of Asia conference in Amritsar.
Jaiswal said UAE PM’visit is an opportunity to review all aspects of India-UAE cooperation under their comprehensive strategic partnership. “The two delegations will assess and take forward initiatives in the areas of energy, trade and investments, fintech, defence and connectivity,” he said.
They will also have a detailed discussion on the situation in West Asia and global and multilateral issues.
Rubio’s visit will allow both sides to review India-US ties and discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral comprehensive global strategic partnership. “Discussions are expected to cover key areas of bilateral cooperation, including energy, trade and investment, defence, critical and emerging technologies, and other areas of mutual interest,” Jaiswal said.
LK Advani Health: The 98-year-old leader is under observation in the hospital’s pulmonary department, with a team of doctors monitoring his condition.
LK Advani Health: BJP leader LK Advani.
Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani was admitted to Apollo Hospital in New Delhi on Friday evening with a chest infection. The 98-year-old leader is under observation in the hospital’s pulmonary department, with a team of doctors monitoring his condition.
Hospital officials said LK Advani was brought to the hospital at around 7.30 pm. Medical tests are underway. LK Advani was last admitted to Apollo Hospital in May this year due to age-related health complications. He was discharged after a few days.
One of the key architects of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s rise in Indian politics, LK Advani served as the party president for three terms- from 1986 to 1990, 1993 to 1998 and 2004 to 2005. On September 25, 1990, Advani launched the Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath in Gujarat, a political campaign that brought the Ram Temple movement to the centre of national politics. The yatra was halted on October 23 that year when he was arrested in Samastipur, Bihar.
During the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani served as Union Home Minister from 1998 to 2004 and Deputy Prime Minister from 2002 to 2004. The Kargil conflict in 1999 and the terror attack on Parliament in December 2001 took place during his tenure as Home Minister.
The BJP criticised Prashant Bhushan for advocating “regime change” during a press conference related to protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Assam’s Chief Minister Sarma accused the protesters of attempting to undermine the elected government and described their actions as anti-national.
The BJP, on Thursday, launched a sharp attack on senior advocate Prashant Bhushan after he openly called for a “regime change” in the country during a press conference amid the ongoing protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Bhushan, who was flanked by All India Students’ Association (AISA) activist Neha Bora and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, said the struggle was now “really for a regime change”, prompting BJP leaders to accuse the protesting group of pursuing a political agenda.
Taking to X, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged that the protests were part of an attempt by forces unable to win the people’s mandate to overthrow the elected government.
“Their gameplan is clear, anti-national forces who cannot win the people’s mandate are now on the streets to effectively engineer a REGIME CHANGE operation. Their only mission is to overthrow the Govt by anarchist means and grab power by book or crook,” Sarma wrote.
He further asserted that India’s democracy was robust and that the government enjoyed the people’s mandate.
“But India is not just another country – our democracy is robust, it runs on the will of the people and that will is firmly with the Govt and Adarniya @narendramodi ji who has been blessed thrice by the people of Bharat,” he said.
“Together, the people of Bharat will fight these forces and give them a strong answer to their anti-national plans,” Sarma added.
This is what I told you few days back.
Identify these faces- Their gameplan is clear, anti-national forces who cannot win the people’s mandate are now on the streets to effectively engineer a REGIME CHANGE operation. Their only mission is to overthrow the Govt by anarchist means and grab power by book or crook.
But India is not just another country – our democracy is robust, it runs on the will of the people and that will is firmly with the Govt and Adarniya @narendramodi ji who has been blessed thrice by the people of Bharat.
Together, the people of Bharat will fight these forces and give them a strong answer to their anti-national plans.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also targeted Bhushan over his remarks, claiming that the statement had exposed the protesters’ real intentions.
“Game over, bro. The agenda is EXPOSED! It was never about protest. It was all about ‘Regime Change’!” Gupta posted on X.
Game over, bro.
The agenda is EXPOSED!
It was never about protest. It was all about ‘Regime Change’!
कुर्सी की भूख ऐसी कि युवाओं और किसानों को मोहरा बनाने से लेकर जाति-भाषा के नाम पर समाज को बांटने और देश की संवैधानिक संस्थाओं की साख पर हमला करने तक, हर हथकंडा अपनाने को तैयार हैं।
कांग्रेस + AAP + CJP की राजनीति का असली चेहरा यही है।
Expressing solidarity with the detained individuals, Banerjee named Dipke, Ashutosh and Saurav, saying they represented the courage and aspirations of India’s youth. She added that intimidation, detention and alleged misuse of power would not crush the spirit of democracy.
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee | ANI
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the BJP-led government of imposing an “undeclared Emergency” after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke and All India Students’ Association (AISA) chief Neha Bohra were detained by Delhi Police ahead of the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest at Connaught Place.
WHAT IS DELHI POLICE UP TO?
Abhijeet Dipke has been detained for holding the Indian National Flag. Let that sink in. In Independent India, our youth are being detained for peacefully asserting their democratic rights.
This is nothing short of an undeclared Emergency. A government that fears dissent is now trying to intimidate an entire generation into silence. This is the conduct of a fascist regime that cannot tolerate a voice it cannot control.
Abhijeet, Ashutosh, Saurav — you represent the courage, conscience and aspirations of India’s youth. You cannot silence an entire generation by suppressing its voice.
Your Didi stands firmly with you. No intimidation, no detention and no abuse of power can crush the spirit of democracy.
WAKE UP, INDIA! The fight for democracy, freedom and the right to dissent will continue.
In a strongly worded post on X, Banerjee criticised Dipke’s detention, alleging that he had been picked up for holding the national flag and peacefully exercising his democratic rights.
“Abhijeet Dipke has been detained for holding the Indian National Flag. Let that sink in. In Independent India, our youth are being detained for peacefully asserting their democratic rights,” she wrote.
Calling the situation an “undeclared Emergency”, the Trinamool Congress chief accused the government of attempting to intimidate young people and suppress dissent. She also described the government’s conduct as that of a “fascist regime” intolerant of voices it could not control.
Expressing solidarity with the detained individuals, Banerjee named Dipke, Ashutosh and Saurav, saying they represented the courage and aspirations of India’s youth. She added that intimidation, detention and alleged misuse of power would not crush the spirit of democracy.
“WAKE UP, INDIA! The fight for democracy, freedom and the right to dissent will continue,” she said.
His remarks came after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was detained ahead of a proposed Tiranga march in Delhi on Friday.
Actor Prakash Raj
Actor and activist Prakash Raj on Friday backed calls for regime change but said it must come through elections and constitutional means, contrasting India with Bangladesh and Nepal, where mass protests ousted governments in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
“We want the regime down, and we will bring it down democratically in this country,” Raj said, outlining an electoral fight from Uttar Pradesh to the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
“We are not Nepal. We are not Bangladesh. We have Ambedkar. We have Gandhi. We have Bhagat Singh. We have a Constitution. We have a right to vote,” he added.
His remarks came after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was detained ahead of a proposed Tiranga march in Delhi on Friday.
The outfit has been protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Raj accused the Centre of using force to silence protesters and said its refusal to engage had fuelled demands for its removal. “You have pushed us because you are not talking to us. You’re using force,” he said.
Rejecting suggestions that peaceful protests and calls for electoral change amounted to anarchy, he said citizens were exercising their constitutional rights to question, demonstrate and vote.
“We are not armed. We are armed with the Constitution. We are armed with the right to protest,” he said.
Raj also questioned the detentions ahead of the Tiranga march on Friday, invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign encouraging people to display the national flag.
ABVP staged protests across several states accusing Congress of weakening democratic institutions. The student group insisted that governments must change only through elections.
Stock photo used for illustration
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held protests across several states and major cities on Friday, accusing the Congress of undermining democratic institutions, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s student wing said governments are formed and changed through elections and not through what it described as mob rule.
The ABVP organised the protests under the slogan ‘Stop Anarchy, Embrace Democracy’ at several places, including Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha.
It alleged that attempts by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress-Left grouping to weaken public confidence in constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission and the Supreme Court, must not be allowed to succeed.
“India is a democracy, not a mobocracy. Governments are formed and changed through the people’s mandate, not through demonstrations of street power,” the ABVP said, according to PTI.
The organisation said attempts to emulate political developments in Bangladesh and Nepal to pursue what it called a politics of anarchy and regime change in India were unacceptable.
ABVP national general secretary Virendra Singh Solanki said, “India’s democracy rests on the people’s trust, the right to vote and the independence of constitutional institutions. The authority to change governments rests solely with the people, who elect and replace governments through their votes.”
The Supreme Court voided a temporary trustee’s gift of temple land to the Tamil Nadu government. The ruling affirmed that custodians must protect temple assets for the deity and worshippers.
Stock photo used for illustration
The Supreme Court has ruled that a state government cannot legally accept temple property gifted by a temporary trustee, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said the state, as a custodian, cannot unilaterally take over or allow its officers to take over property belonging to religious or charitable institutions that it is required to protect.
The ruling came in a case concerning the ownership of land belonging to the Nagapalayam Mariamman-Ponnachiamman Temple in Tamil Nadu. The one-acre-and-10-cent plot, comprising Survey Nos. 36/4, 36/5 and 41/2 in Kodumudi village of Erode district, belonged to the temple and was administered by its trust.
On August 30, 2017, the tehsildar issued a certificate stating that S Bhoopathy, the temple’s temporary trustee, had given the land to the government. Through a gift deed executed on the same day, the trustee transferred the land to the Tamil Nadu government, represented by the district collector and the tehsildar. The tehsildar accepted it for the construction of a taluk office.
M Periyasamy and three others challenged the gift deed, arguing that the transfer of trust property violated Section 34 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959, and was therefore void and illegal.
According to PTI, the Supreme Court said the state had a legal obligation to act as the custodian of the land. “However, the State not only accepted the gift of temple property but also continued to defend it before the High Court and before this Court, until the Chief Secretary of Endowments was called upon to place his stand on affidavit. Therefore, we deem it appropriate to direct the State to pay costs quantified at Rs 1,00,000 within eight weeks to the Temple,” the bench said.
The court said India’s religious institutions hold considerable wealth, including land, buildings and jewellery, accumulated over centuries through offerings from ordinary devotees and endowments from kings and commoners.
“That wealth, once given, ceases to belong to the donor, to the priest, to the trustee, or to the State; it vests in the deity, and every hand through which it subsequently passes holds it only in trust for the deity and, through the deity, for the community of worshippers it was meant to serve. Every custodian holds it only in trust for the deity and the worshippers it serves,” the bench said.
The Supreme Court declared the gift deed executed in favour of the Tamil Nadu government null and void under Section 41(1) of the 1959 Act. It also held that the deed’s registration had no legal effect.
However, the court said the lease in favour of the government would not be cancelled. If it had expired, it must be renewed. The monthly rent was increased to Rs 31,000 with effect from March 8, 2019, when the land was handed over for construction.
AISA chief Neha Bohra was released after the authorities completed the required detention formalities under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act.
Abhijeet Dipke was arrested following action under Sections 126 and 170 of the BNSS
The Delhi Police has put Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke under preventive arrest and released All India Students’ Association (AISA) chief Neha Bora early Saturday morning after taking them into preventive custody ahead of the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest march at Delhi’s Connaught Place on Friday.
Dipke was arrested following action under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in connection with the apprehension of a breach of peace. He will be produced before the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) court later in the day.
Bora was released after completing formalities related to her detention under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act.
CJP legal head Ratna Singh alleged that Dipke’s location is “unknown” and claimed that lawyers haven’t met him.
Abhijeet is arrested & will be produced before SEM court.
“Abhijeet is arrested & will be produced before SEM court. His location still unknown, lawyers haven’t met,” Singh wrote on X.
‘Illegal Detentions Being Used To Instil Fear’
After being released from detention, Neha Bora alleged that protesters were being detained without valid reasons and kept in custody for hours, saying such actions were being used to instil fear among ordinary citizens.
She said, “For a very long time in this country, it has been the case that people are detained without any valid reason and made to sit [in custody] for hours. This has become even more apparent now, as it is happening daily within the ongoing movement. We see protesters being apprehended and detained, only to be released the following morning or evening. Today, I personally witnessed an example of why such illegal detentions occur, what their purpose is, and how they are being used to instil fear in the minds of ordinary citizens.”
Bora also demanded the immediate release of Abhijeet Dipke and other detained protesters.
“Abhijeet should be released. I wasn’t even aware he had been detained. All other protesters who have been illegally detained should also be released immediately. These are ordinary citizens who are simply demanding accountability and the right to vote. There is no justification for such illegal detentions or for holding people at a police station overnight.”
The CJP and AISA on Friday had raised concerns over the whereabouts of their leaders Abhijeet Dipke and Neha Bora, alleging they were denied access to lawyers and associates after being detained by Delhi Police during protests in the national capital.
Nanavaty, the Director of Self-Employed Women’s Association of India, was conferred the award by Clinton, former US secretary of state, at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.
Under Reema Nanavaty’s leadership, SEWA has grown to become the single largest union of informal sector workers in India. Credit: X/@giwps
Washington: Indian social worker Reema Nanavaty was on Thursday honoured with the Hillary Rodham Clinton Award that recognises leaders working for peace and security.
Nanavaty, the Director of Self-Employed Women’s Association of India, was conferred the award by Clinton, former US secretary of state, at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.
Under Nanavaty’s leadership, SEWA has grown to become the single largest union of informal sector workers in India.
She focuses on women’s economic empowerment by building women-owned enterprises and women-led supply chains in energy, agribusiness, food processing, waste recycling, and textiles.
Nanavaty led critical efforts to rebuild lives and livelihoods of earthquake-affected rural women and rehabilitation programs in crisis-torn Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
She also initiated SEWA’s food security program that covers one million households and spearheads the ‘Hariyali’ Green Energy and Livelihoods Initiative to provide women access to renewable energy.
In 2013, the Government of India honoured Nanavaty with the fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri.
The other recipients of the Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for 2026 are fashion designer and Tory Burch Foundation founder Tory Burch; and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank and former chief adviser to Bangladesh’s government.
The opposition party slammed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and said the damage he had done under ‘Modi-Shah’s instructions’ will not be undone by now doing a ‘U-turn’ via notification.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with party leaders Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal Credit: PTI Photo
The Congress on Thursday took a swipe at the Election Commission after it emerged that the poll body will provide “readable” electoral rolls to parties for the first time, saying the “U-turn” was “too little, too late”.
The opposition party slammed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and said the damage he had done under “Modi-Shah’s instructions” will not be undone by now doing a “U-turn” via notification.
“Gyanu, it’s not enough bro. You must resign and turn approver. The damage you have done under Modi-Shah’s instructions will not be undone by now doing a U-Turn via notification,” Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal said.
“We have been demanding machine readable voter rolls since 2025. Transparency is the bare minimum, not something that absolves you of past crimes,” he said on X.
The massive “vote chori” that has disenfranchised 13 crore Indians is an “act of treason”, he claimed.
“You must step aside and there must be a wholesale reform in the electoral process, beginning with a reversal of the dubious SIR and a change in the EC’s appointments process,” Venugopal said.
“Too little, too late,” he added.
The Election Commission on Thursday ordered holding the annual special summary revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in 17 states and Union territories, including those where assembly polls are due “early next year”.
The final rolls in these states and Union territories will be published on January 4.
A senior EC functionary explained that SSR is an annual exercise mandated under election law. It is specially held in poll-bound states.
US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal raised concerns over reports that 13 crore names were removed from India’s voter rolls during the SIR exercise.
India’s Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra rebuked a US lawmaker over ‘interference’ in electoral processes. (@AmbVMKwatra/X)
India’s ambassador to America Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Thursday criticised US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal for her “unacceptable interference” on India’s electoral processes and in the country’s internal affairs.
Jayapal, an Indian-origin Democratic representative from Washington state, expressed concern over reports that around 13 crore names had been removed from India’s electoral rolls during the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
“The remarks by [Jayapal] on India’s electoral and political processes are unacceptable interference in India’s internal affairs,” Kwatra said on X.
“India is a vibrant democracy, with robust, independent constitutional institutions and a longstanding record of free and fair elections. Always open to constructive conversation with the Congresswoman to dispel her misconceptions,” he wrote.
Jayapal said she was “deeply concerned” as she alleged efforts to remove 130 million people from voter rolls in India, drawing a comparison with efforts by US President Donald Trump’s administration to undermine voting rights.
“I am deeply concerned about the actions of the Indian government to purge 130 million people from the voting rolls. This appears to be a similar playbook to what the Trump Administration is doing here at home to undermine voting rights in a democracy,” she wrote on X.
About the SIR controversy
The controversy centres on the ECI’s SIR, a nationwide exercise to verify electoral rolls and remove entries considered ineligible. The ECI says the revision is necessary to update voter lists by identifying deceased voters, duplicate registrations and people who have permanently shifted or cannot be traced.
Opposition parties have questioned the scale of the exclusions, claiming over 13 crore people were removed by chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar to favour PM Narendra Modi’s BJP in winning elections.
The poll panel rejected the opposition’s description of the entire figure as confirmed voter deletions, saying eligible electors could apply for inclusion in the rolls.
The controversy intensified after The Indian Express reported in September that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months on issues linked to the revision, registration procedures and digital electoral-roll systems. The report said the commissioners had raised concerns about decisions taken by Gyanesh Kumar without their knowledge.
What Trump is doing on voter rolls
Trump’s administration has stepped up efforts to check voter-registration records and identify people it believes may be ineligible to vote.
The White House says the aim is to protect election integrity and maintain public confidence in elections. Federal law prohibits non-US citizens from voting in federal elections.
The administration has sought access to state voter-registration records and has tried to use federal databases to check voters’ eligibility. These efforts have faced legal challenges, with critics arguing that inaccurate records could lead to eligible citizens being wrongly identified as ineligible.
Rathore justified his assertion by citing geographic proximity, stating that India would support Pakistan simply because it is a neighbouring nation
Social media users also weighed in heavily on the controversial clip, with critics taking aim at the state BJP chief for proposing diplomatic alignment with a historic adversary over a global superpower. File pic/PTI
A major political controversy has erupted after Rajasthan BJP president and Rajya Sabha lawmaker Madan Rathore claimed that India would stand with Pakistan if a war broke out between Islamabad and the United States. Speaking at an event, Rathore justified his assertion by citing geographic proximity, stating that India would support Pakistan simply because it is a neighbouring nation.
A video recording of the speech rapidly surfaced on social media platforms, triggering fierce backlash from opposition parties and igniting an intense political debate nationwide.
Opposition Hits Out at ‘Affinity’ for Terrorist State
The remarks drew immediate, sharp criticism from the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, with leaders questioning the ruling party’s core foreign policy stance. Senior Congress coordinators pointedly asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah shared Rathore’s perspective on supporting Islamabad during a conflict.
Opposition spokespersons accused the BJP of displaying an underlying affinity for a country repeatedly linked to state-sponsored cross-border terrorism against Indian citizens and military personnel.
AAP Joins Attack Over Shared Ideological Claims
Joining the chorus of criticism, representatives from the Aam Aadmi Party circulated the viral video footage across multiple digital platforms. AAP leaders alleged that the statement laid bare an unexpected ideological alignment between the ruling party’s leadership and Pakistan.
Social media users also weighed in heavily on the controversial clip, with critics taking aim at the state BJP chief for proposing diplomatic alignment with a historic adversary over a global superpower.
Dipke alleged that police and IB personnel had surrounded the house where he was staying and were monitoring people coming and going.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke with legal head Ratna Singh address a press conference on Friday. (PTI photo)
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday claimed that Delhi Police and Intelligence Bureau (IB) personnel were tracking his movements and said he could be detained ahead of the proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march at Connaught Place on Friday.
Addressing a press conference in Jhandewalan late Thursday, Dipke alleged that police and IB personnel had surrounded the house where he was staying and were monitoring people coming and going.
“Delhi Police and IB personnel have surrounded the house where I am currently staying. IB personnel and Delhi Police officers are roaming around all four lanes surrounding the house,” he said.
Delhi: CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke says, “Delhi Police and IB personnel have surrounded the house where I am currently staying. IB personnel and Delhi Police officers are roaming around all four lanes surrounding the house. Whenever I go out, vehicles without number plates follow me. When I returned just now, IB and police personnel were circling the house, talking to the watchman and gathering updates. So, Delhi Police may pick me up tonight or tomorrow morning…”
“Whenever I go out, vehicles without number plates follow me,” Dipke alleged, adding that police and IB personnel had spoken to the watchman and gathered information about the house.
He claimed that Delhi Police could detain him on Thursday night or Friday morning, ahead of the planned march.
‘Ready To Go To Jail For Waving Tricolour’
Dipke said the party would go ahead with its call to wave the national flag at Central Park in Connaught Place on October 16.
“Tonight or tomorrow morning, the Delhi Police people can pick me up. If one has to go to jail for waving the Tricolour in this country, then we are ready for it,” he said.
The CJP founder also criticised the authorities for closing Central Park ahead of the proposed gathering, alleging that restrictions had been imposed to prevent the march.
He referred to an earlier protest call on October 10, claiming that transport services and internet access had been disrupted and barricades put up across Delhi.
“We had earlier given the call for a protest on 10th October. You shut down all of Delhi, shut the buses, shut the metros, shut the railways, shut down the internet, put up barricades. Now we said that on the 16th we will wave the tricolour at Connaught Place, in Central Park, so you shut Central Park,” the CJP founder said.
Delhi has deployed 6,000 police personnel and CAPF units ahead of CJP’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march, with traffic curbs and Central Park closure announced.
Security personnel and police prepare for the CJP protest in Central Delhi (File Image)
Delhi is gearing up for another protest on Friday (October 16) in the wake of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march at Connaught Place. With barricades, body cameras, a massive security deployment and widespread traffic curbs, authorities are gearing up for heightened security in central Delhi amid the CJP’s planned protest.
The Delhi Police has reportedly deployed 6,000 police personnel in the area. Meanwhile, several companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will also provide support to the police.
The CJP has appealed to people to join the protest carrying the national flag. The security deployment has been made at strategic locations.
Central Park To Remain Closed:
Central Park in Connaught Place will remain closed to the general public on October 16 and 17, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) said in a public notice. In an official communication, the civic body said the closure was being imposed due to “administrative reasons”.
“It is hereby informed that the CENTRAL PARK, CONNAUGHT PLACE, shall remain closed for the general public, on 16th October 2026 & 17th October 2026, due to administrative reasons,” the NDMC’s public notice said.
The development came after the NDMC on Thursday denied permission for CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke’s proposed protest at Central Park in Connaught Place on Friday against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Dipke’s Reaction:
Reacting to the NDMC notice regarding the closure of Central Park on October 16 and 17, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke took to X and wrote, “If we announce 100 places, will Narendra Modi shut down all 100 places?”
Police Urge People Not To Join CJP’s Protest:
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has urged people to stay away from the CJP’s proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march at Connaught Place but said it could facilitate a select group of people to wave the national flag and sing the national anthem at a suitable place.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the police cited prohibitory orders in force in Connaught Place and adjoining areas, while indicating that a limited number of people could be allowed to participate in the symbolic display of patriotism.
Ankita Bhandari’s father has insisted that if President Droupadi Murmu agrees to meet them, they will request her to review the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim until the CBI investigation into his daughter’s murder concludes.
Ankita Bhandari parents seek to meet President Murmu, raise appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim Governor.
The father of Ankita Bhandari, Virendra Singh on Thursday, reiterated their demand that if President Droupadi Murmu meets them, then they will urge her to reconsider the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim’s Governor till the time the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe is completed in his daughter’s murder case.
Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh, was killed on September 18, 2022. Her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later. Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two accomplices have been convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Want Convicts To Be Hanged, Demands Ankita’s Father
In an exclusive conversation with Times Now Digital, when asked that the three convicts in the case have already been sentenced to life imprisonment, her father said that they are not satisfied with the judgement and want them to be hanged.
The controversy into Ankita’s murder case traces back to 2022 when the 19-year-old resort receptionist in Uttarakhand was found dead. Her body was recovered from a canal.
The case involved allegations that she was being pressured to provide sexual favours to guests at a resort run by Pulkit Arya, the son of a former BJP leader.
The case gained renewed attention after an FIR was registered against an unidentified VIP in January 2026, following allegations and viral audio and video clips referring to the involvement of a VIP.
The Central Bureau of Investigation subsequently registered the case through its Special Crime Branch after Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recommended a CBI probe on January 9, 2026.
The CBI has since taken custody of records related to the case, including the Special Investigation Team report, the police FIR and other documents. The agency is also expected to record the statement of Dr Anil Prakash Joshi, who had filed the FIR.
In this case, the resort owner Pulkit Arya, manager Saurabh Bhaskar, and Ankita Gupta have already been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Our Main Issue Is Appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam As Sikkim Guv: Ankita’s Father
In another statement, Virendra Bhandari narrated his ordeal of how they have been living without Ankita in the last four years, adding that they keep remembering her and have not celebrated Raksha Bandhan since then.
Her family made a fresh appeal for justice on Thursday while raising concerns over the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Governor of Sikkim.
Speaking to reporters after an early-morning police action in the national capital, Ankita’s parents demanded that the gubernatorial appointment be kept on hold pending a thorough investigation into the unresolved allegations surrounding the case.
Ankita’s father Virendra expressed deep concern over the recent political appointment and issued an ultimatum to the authorities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met and addressed the medal winners of the recent Asian Games. In his speech, he pointed out how India has won medals in sports they never managed before.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed India’s Asian Games display |Courtesy – screengrab (PM Narendra Modi Youtube Channel)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Indian contingent for their display in the 2026 Asian Games, where the country finished fourth in the medal tally for the second consecutive edition. This time around, India won 85 medals, which included 21 golds in the continental event, which took place in Japan’s Aichi and Nagoya.
PM Modi pointed out that in the last 12 years, India has put a lot of work into its sporting ecosystem. Meanwhile, he credited the country for winning medals in sports, they had never stood on the podium before while also hailing the double golds in cricket, Kabaddi, and Hockey. He made the remarks while meeting the medal winners at the Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi.
“The recent Asian Games have been memorable for us in many ways. Both our men’s and women’s hockey teams are present here; both teams have won gold medals and our women’s hockey team, in particular, has ended a long 44-year wait by bringing home the gold. In cricket, both our teams have won medals for the second consecutive time, repeating their own previous record. In kabaddi, both our men’s and women’s teams have won gold. Similarly, we secured five gold medals in archery. We saw a spectacular performance in shooting, and major successes in boxing and wrestling. Our athletes set new records, and we even secured a medal in weightlifting after 28 years.
“For the first time since 1982, India has achieved success in the marathon. This is truly heartening. I would like to especially commend our daughters. Out of the 85 medals India has won, 38 have been secured by our women athletes, including 11 gold medals. These medals are not just mere numbers; they represent a powerful image of a New India. Today, India is winning medals in sports where we had never previously won anything in the history of the Asian Games, such as in Mixed Martial Arts, Soft Tennis, and certain sailing events. Our athletes have created history by winning medals in these disciplines for the first time…Over the last 12 years, India has also worked with great patience, diligence, and dedication to support its sportspersons and its sports ecosystem,” said the Prime Minister.
“More than 36,000 crore rupees have been allocated to expand the Khelo India initiative and strengthen sports federations. Today, over a thousand Khelo India centers have been established across the country. Stadiums, mini-stadiums, and multi-purpose sports halls have been developed. Sports infrastructure including athletic tracks, football grounds, hockey fields, and swimming pool, is being built in cities and towns of all sizes. Under this scheme, athletes are also receiving direct support; they are provided with an ‘out-of-pocket’ allowance. Furthermore, under the ‘TOP’ (Target Olympic Podium) scheme, athletes receive 50,000 rupees per month,” he added.
PM Modi also pointed out that sports was one of the areas where Indian youth were leaving a mark for the world.
“Our success at the Asian Games is also a reflection of the nation’s changing spirit. It serves as an example of how the youth of our country today are eager to reach every pinnacle of achievement. There is no milestone that stands taller than the determination of India’s youth, and no goal that lies beyond the capability of our young power. An infinite horizon of possibilities lies ahead, and it is the youth of India who are charting their own path. This is why, in a remarkably short span of time, India has emerged as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. Our young people are establishing companies in the space sector and working on satellite technology. They are developing new technologies for the defense sector and pioneering innovations in Artificial Intelligence,” PM Modi stated.
Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Rekha Arya has filed an FIR against her husband, Girdhari Lal Sahu, alleging criminal conspiracy, assault, fraud, threats and caste-based abuse. She claimed an audio recording suggested a plot to kill her and alleged forged documents were used to remove her as a company director. Arya also expressed fears for the safety of herself and her minor children.
Uttarakhand Minister Rekha Arya Lodges FIR Against Husband Girdhari Lal Sahu, Alleges Conspiring To Murder, Physical Assault | IANS & X @AjitSinghRathi
Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Rekha Arya has lodged an FIR against her husband, Girdhari Lal Sahu alias Pappu Girdhari, at the Cantt Police Station in Dehradun under Sections 120B, 323, 420, 467, 468, 471, 495, 498A, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and Sections 3(1)(d), 3(1)(dh) and 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
In her complaint to the police, Cabinet Minister Rekha Arya has levelled serious allegations against her husband. She stated that she recently received an audio recording in which Girdhari Lal Sahu was allegedly heard speaking to a woman and conspiring to kill her. She further stated that she continues to face a threat to her life and the lives of her minor children, adding that he could carry out a serious incident at any time.
Watch: Uttarakhand Minister Rekha Arya says, “Today, I have brought an audio recording before you. This audio has shaken me and raised questions about my relationship and my commitment to my married life. Does being truthful and honest lead to such consequences? After hearing this audio, despite the pain I am experiencing, I had to make the decision to file a police complaint to protect and ensure the safety of my children…”
In the complaint, Arya alleged that Girdhari Lal Sahu had deceived her at the time of their marriage by claiming that he was unmarried. She said that a few years after the marriage, she discovered that he had already been married and had children from his previous marriage. However, by then, she had children of her own and, following advice from family members and keeping her children’s future in mind, chose to remain silent.
She further alleged that her husband’s behaviour towards her had changed over the past few months, during which she came to know about his alleged illicit relationships with other women. When she objected to these relationships, her husband initially admitted his mistakes and apologised to her both verbally and in writing. However, she alleged that he continued the same activities despite the apologies.
ये है वो दो ऑडियो, जिन्होंने मंत्री रेखा आर्य के दर्द और असुरक्षा की भावना को बाहर ला दिया है। जिन्हें लेकर मंत्री फूट फूट कर रोने लगी और अपने पति गिरधारीलाल साहू के ख़िलाफ़ देहरादून के गढ़ी कैंट थाने में मुकदमा दर्ज कराया है।
@BJP4India @INCIndia @rekhaaryaoffice https://t.co/wueFZZeO3S
American singer Mary Millben warned that alleged US donors could abandon Abhijeet Dipke’s CJP movement if it failed. Dipke rejected foreign interference and challenged the Centre to investigate funding allegations. The exchange follows reports citing an intelligence assessment raising questions about overseas social media activity and financial transparency.
American Singer Mary Millben Targets Abhijeet Dipke Over CJP Protests, Questions Movement’s Future | X
The war of words between American singer Mary Millben and Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has intensified, with Millben warning that US donors could pull out if the movement fails.
In her latest post on X on Thursday, Millben warned Dipke that US donors would “drop you like a hot cake” if the movement failed, adding that “lawlessness never wins”. She urged him to use his US education and talent constructively and suggested that he meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to become a positive voice for India. The singer also asserted that Modi did not need American support, claiming he had the backing of 1.5 billion Indians and predicting that he would win again in 2029.
Dipke questions foreign interference
The latest exchange follows Millben’s alleged claim on Tuesday that the CJP was receiving funding from the United States. Responding to her remarks, Dipke questioned the right of foreign nationals to interfere in India’s domestic affairs.
“We are more than capable of dealing with our own issues. We don’t need outsiders interfering in our country’s affairs,” Dipke said.
Intelligence assessment raises funding concerns
The exchange comes amid growing scrutiny of the CJP’s activities, funding and organisational structure. This week, The Free Press Journal (FPJ), in an exclusive two-part series, reported on an intelligence assessment that flagged concerns over possible foreign interference in the agitation. The assessment referred to Pakistan-linked accounts, more than 4,000 social media posts and profiles, and over 500 accounts allegedly operating from outside India.
The report even raised concerns over the movement’s funding and logistics, citing fragmented fundraising, cash transactions and material donations in the absence of a central treasury or bank account. The assessment further noted that the CJP’s leaderless, internet-driven structure posed challenges for agencies seeking to trace funding, identify those coordinating protests and establish accountability.
A 30-foot cockroach effigy will be burnt alongside Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad at a Pitampura Ramlila in Delhi. Organiser and BJP MLA Ashok Goel said the effigy promotes cleanliness and carries no political message. The announcement comes amid Cockroach Janata Party protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
Delhi Ramlila To Burn Giant Cockroach Effigy, Organisers Say It’s About Cleanliness, Not Politics | AI Representational Image
A 30-foot-tall “cockroach” effigy will go up in flames alongside those of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad at a Ramlila in the national capital this year.
The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises Ramlila in Pitampura, said the insect represents “filth and dirt” and the initiative is part of the “Swachh Bharat” and “Swachh Delhi” campaigns.
Committee denies political motivation
Ashok Goel, the committee president and a BJP MLA, told PTI that the decision is not politically motivated.
Burning the cockroach effigy is meant to reinforce the message of the victory of good over evil and cleanliness, he said.
The “cockroach” will also feature among the ‘asuras’ in Ravan’s army, Goel said.
Cockroach Janata Party protests in Delhi
The decision comes against the backdrop of the Cockroach Janata Party’s protests in the national capital, first against ex-education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and now for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
In June and July, the group sat in protest at Jantar Mantar for over a month and marched to Parliament on July 20, eventually forcing Pradhan to resign as minister.
CJP’s Abhijeet Dipke asked public to assemble at Central Park, Connaught Place, at 5 pm on October 16. Police’s “11 persons” offer came after court refused to restrain CJP from holding the protest in the centre of the national capital, but asked the police to “regulate” it.
Urging people at large not to join the protest, the Delhi Police on Thursday said it could “facilitate a group of 11 persons” to carry the national flag and sing the national anthem “at a suitable place” at Central Park in Connaught Place as part of the October 16 march call by the Cockroach Janta Party against alleged electoral fraud.
The offer came hours after the Delhi High Court refused to restrain the CJP from holding the protest in the centre of the national capital, and instead took on record the police’s assurance that it would “regulate” the gathering.
Building on that “regulation” and citing the court proceedings, the police on Thursday evening appealed to the general public not to join the assembly, saying prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were in force in Connaught Place and adjoining areas. “It may be noted that contravention of provisions of Section 163 BNSS will attract suitable legal action against the violators,” the statement said.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has asked the public to assemble at Central Park at 5 pm on October 16 with the “tiranga” (tricolour), the national flag. Dipke also wrote on X on Thursday evening: “If we announce 100 places, will (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi shut down all 100 places?”
The police statement noted that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had also urged people to join this protest and reach there in large numbers.
Citing “the current security and law and order situation”, the police said the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) had informed the department that Central Park would remain closed on October 16 and 17 “for administrative reasons”.
“The NDMC itself has apprised Delhi Police that the park has been closed for tomorrow and the day after; and has asked not to let any kind of gathering happen near that area,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Neha Yadav said at a press conference.
Further, the police cited representations from trader and market associations in Connaught Place and surrounding areas. These associations sought protection “from unruly elements and unlawful assemblies, which is adversely affecting their business, particularly in this festive season”.
On the flag, the police said that displaying and carrying the national flag, and singing the national anthem, “are to be done in prescribed manner while according due respect, dignity and decorum”.
Security personnel detain a protester at Connaught Place on Thursday. Photo: ANI
The matter had reached the Delhi High Court on a petition by a vendor. The bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma, however, declined to stop the protest. It recorded the police’s assurance that it would take “all possible measures under the law” to regulate the gathering.
The police statement referred to the order. It said the force had been directed to address the petitioner’s apprehension “by taking all measures to control and regulate the activities of the protestors and also by taking all possible measures, under the law, to maintain peace and tranquillity”.
During the hearing, the vendor’s lawyer argued that traders would be “on the streets” if they lost another weekend to closures in central Delhi.
“In the heart of Connaught Place Central Park, a protest is called. It seems we are being targeted. This is not a site (for protest). They have already started shutting down. This is the Dussehra weekend. This protest has to be stopped,” the lawyer said.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, appearing for the authorities, told the court that steps had already been taken to regulate the protests.
Friday’s call follows the detention of hundreds of people who intended to reach Jantar Mantar for the CJP’s October 10 protest over alleged electoral fraud. Protests have been going on for days now by Opposition parties led by Rahul Gandhi too. Jantar Mantar was denotified as a protest venue amid this. CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka are in jail on trespass charges after raising the flag there earlier this week.
At a press conference in Delhi on Thursday, Dipke linked the crackdown to Prime Minister Narendra Modi “protecting” Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. “For the past 10-15 days, students’ organisations and the youth of Delhi have been out on the streets, being dragged away. When the Opposition joined them, they were detained too, including the Leader of the Opposition [Rahul Gandhi] and former chief ministers like Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Pinarayi Vijayan. And all this for whom? For one man, Gyanesh Kumar,” Dipke said.
Babita Khateek built a permanent Lalitpur home after receiving Rs 2.5 lakh in PMAY assistance. The house ended decades of insecurity and strengthened her voice in family decisions.
The new house brought immediate relief from the difficulties that had defined the family’s earlier living conditions.
For nearly four decades, a leaking roof, crumbling walls and the constant fear of her house collapsing were part of everyday life for 57-year-old Babita Khateek. Every monsoon brought fresh worries as rainwater seeped into her home, while the possibility of poisonous creatures entering the house made nights particularly frightening for her family.
Today, the resident of Govind Nagar in Uttar Pradesh’s Lalitpur district lives in a permanent house built with financial assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The transition from a dilapidated kutcha house to a pucca home has not only improved her family’s living conditions but also strengthened her confidence, dignity and standing within the household.
In Bundelkhand, a region long associated with economic hardship and limited livelihood opportunities, Babita’s journey illustrates how access to secure housing can bring meaningful changes to the lives of women and their families.
FOUR DECADES OF HARDSHIP UNDER A FRAGILE ROOF
Babita moved to Govind Nagar after marrying Harprasad Khateek around 40 years ago. The couple began their married life in a dilapidated kutcha house, where they raised their five children while struggling to make ends meet.
The family depended on goat rearing for its livelihood, but the income was barely enough to meet everyday expenses. Building a permanent house remained beyond their financial means.
With four sons and a daughter, the family faced considerable difficulties living in the fragile structure. During the rainy season, water would leak through the roof, making it difficult to sleep comfortably. There was also the constant fear of the house collapsing or poisonous creatures entering the living space.
Despite these hardships, Babita continued to hope that one day her family would have a secure home.
That opportunity came in 2019, when she applied for assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, along with other women in her neighbourhood.
Her application was approved, and she received Rs 2.5 lakh in financial assistance under the scheme. Combining this amount with some money the family had managed to save, she was finally able to construct a permanent house.
For Babita, the completion of the house marked the end of a struggle that had lasted much of her adult life.
A permanent home brings security and confidence
The new house brought immediate relief from the difficulties that had defined the family’s earlier living conditions. The leaking roof and fears associated with the old structure were replaced by the security of a permanent home.
But Babita says the change went beyond physical comfort.
Having a house of her own strengthened her sense of dignity and gave her greater confidence in family matters. She began participating more actively in household decisions and felt that her opinions were being given greater importance.
“My respect, dignity and self-confidence have increased. My opinion has also become important in family decisions,” Babita says.
The house has also become the setting for some of the family’s most important occasions.
Babita arranged the wedding of her daughter, Sonam, in the new home. Two of her sons were also married there, turning the house into a place where the family could celebrate major milestones together.
Today, her family includes her four sons — Sachin, Arendra, Arun and Sanjay — along with daughters-in-law and grandchildren.
For a woman who once worried about providing her children with a safe place to sleep, being able to accommodate a growing family in a permanent home represents a significant personal achievement.
AN INTERACTION WITH THE PRIME MINISTER
Among Babita’s most memorable experiences was an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a video call when she was being handed the keys to her new house.
Recalling the conversation, she says the Prime Minister asked about her educational qualifications. She told him that she had studied up to Class 5.
He also enquired whether she had a cooking gas connection, to which she replied that she had a gas cylinder provided under a government initiative. She also mentioned receiving ration benefits.
Babita says the interaction left her feeling encouraged and recognised.
For someone who had spent decades struggling with inadequate housing and financial limitations, the opportunity to speak directly with the Prime Minister was an unexpected experience.
She credits the housing scheme with improving her living conditions and expresses appreciation for the assistance she received. She also hopes that similar benefits will continue reaching other women facing financial hardship.
A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
The benefits of permanent housing have extended beyond Babita herself.
As her children married and the family expanded, the availability of secure accommodation became increasingly important.
Babita says one of her daughters-in-law has also received assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, enabling the construction of another permanent house adjacent to the family home.
The arrangement has helped the extended family manage its housing needs while remaining close to one another.
For Babita, who once struggled to raise five children in a deteriorating kutcha house, the ability to see the next generation living in more secure conditions carries particular significance.
Her experience highlights how access to permanent housing can influence a family’s circumstances across generations, providing a foundation for greater stability.
HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
Babita’s journey also draws attention to the relationship between housing security and women’s empowerment in economically disadvantaged communities.
For families dependent on small-scale activities such as goat rearing, accumulating enough savings to construct a permanent house can take years, if it is possible at all.
Housing assistance can help reduce that financial burden and make secure accommodation accessible to households that might otherwise continue living in unsafe conditions.
In Babita’s case, the Rs 2.5 lakh received under PMAY, supplemented by her family’s savings, made it possible to replace a fragile structure with a permanent home.
The change has had practical and emotional consequences. Her family no longer faces the same difficulties caused by a leaking roof, while Babita says her confidence and involvement in household decisions have increased.
Her experience also demonstrates that the significance of housing extends beyond ownership or construction. A secure home can provide privacy, stability and a stronger sense of belonging, particularly for women who have spent years managing households under difficult circumstances.
Nirmala Sitharaman rebuked Akhilesh Yadav after he raised 12 questions about banking reforms. Their exchange has widened the IDBI Bank sale dispute into a broader political battle.
Akhilesh-Sitharaman face-off intensifies as SP chief raises 12 questions on banking
The political face-off between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over banking reforms escalated for a second day on Thursday, with Sitharaman accusing the SP leader of anticipating electoral defeat after he raised 12 questions about the banking sector under the BJP-led government.
In a post on X, Sitharaman alleged that Yadav had abandoned ground-level issues and resorted to what she described as “absurd and fact-free rhetoric” because he feared a crushing defeat in the upcoming elections.
“Akhilesh ji, facing the prospect of electoral defeat, you have resorted to such absurd and fact-free rhetoric,” she wrote, accusing him of staging a political exercise to divert public attention.
Sitharaman defended the Narendra Modi government’s record, claiming that it had transformed the banking sector after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government weakened it through what the BJP calls “phone banking”.
“There is no doubt about it that under @narendramodi ji’s government, the banks have undergone a complete transformation. They have been given a new lease on life,” she said, adding that financial inclusion had been achieved under the current dispensation.
The Finance Minister also invoked the Samajwadi Party’s record in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that people had not forgotten the party’s “misgovernance, corruption, and reign of goons” between 2012 and 2017.
AKHILESH RAISES 12 QUESTIONS ON BANKING
Sitharaman’s response came after Yadav posted a list of 12 questions on X, challenging the BJP government’s claims of banking reforms since 2014 and alleging that ordinary customers continued to face financial hardship.
“Has the BJP made banking even worse than usury?” the SP chief asked, accusing the government of failing to address problems affecting bank customers, pensioners, small borrowers and employees.
Among the issues raised by Yadav were penalties deducted from customers’ accounts, rising service charges, lower interest rates on savings, loan waivers for wealthy borrowers and the difficulties faced by ordinary people seeking loans.
He also questioned the impact of demonetisation on the banking system, alleged irregularities involving bank lockers and their charges, and flagged repeated Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements that he said created difficulties for elderly customers and pensioners.
Yadav further criticised digital banking services, alleging that customers often struggled to reach customer care representatives or obtain refunds for unauthorised deductions and banking fraud. He also questioned the alleged pressure on customers to purchase insurance policies and credit cards while opening bank accounts.
The SP chief raised concerns about working conditions for bank employees, loan recovery practices and the treatment of people holding zero-balance Jan Dhan accounts. He alleged that penalties had pushed some poor customers’ accounts into negative balances.
Taking a swipe at the government’s financial inclusion messaging, Yadav said the slogan “Your account, the fate-maker” should instead be changed to “Your account, the loss-giver”.
He challenged the BJP government to answer the 12 questions, arguing that doing so would open the door to further scrutiny of what he described as an ailing banking system.
IDBI BANK SALE SPARKED THE POLITICAL EXCHANGE
The latest exchange follows a dispute over the Union Cabinet’s approval of the proposed sale of a combined 60.72 per cent stake in IDBI Bank to Fairfax Financial Holdings, led by Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa.
Yadav had criticised the proposed Rs 52,878-crore transaction, accusing the BJP-led government of putting public assets up for sale as its tenure approached its end.
In response, Sitharaman had questioned the Samajwadi Party’s record during the UPA government, which it supported from 2004. She accused the previous government of weakening public sector banks through “phone banking” and crony capitalism.
BJP leader Smriti Irani shared an AI-generated Bhoothnath video targeting Rahul Gandhi’s objections to electoral roll revision. The satire advances the BJP’s case for removing deceased and bogus voter entries.
Smriti Irani targets Rahul Gandhi with an AI video
Senior BJP leader Smriti Irani has taken a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, sharing an AI-generated video featuring fictional versions of Gandhi and Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.
The video uses Bachchan’s ghost character from his 2008 film Bhoothnath to explain the BJP’s argument for revising voter lists and removing the names of deceased people and bogus entries.
Sharing the video on X, Irani wrote, “You can wake someone who is genuinely asleep, but not someone acting blind just to mislead the nation!”
You can wake someone who is genuinely asleep, but not someone acting blind just to mislead the nation!
The video depicts a fictional conversation between Rahul Gandhi and a police officer, with Amitabh Bachchan appearing as the ghost character inspired by Bhoothnath.
In the clip, the character portrayed as Gandhi points towards Bachchan’s character and tells the police officer, “Everyone knows that he is dead and can’t vote. He is just not letting it be proved that he has died by twisting rules.”
Bachchan’s character then explains why his name remains on the electoral roll, saying, “Some corrupt officer didn’t issue my death certificate; hence, I remained on the voting list. You will be surprised to know that some party cast a vote in my name.”
The case, infamous as the ‘blue drum killing’, came to light in March 2025 after Saurabh’s remains were recovered from a sealed blue drum filled with cement at a house in Meerut
Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla (File image credit: X/@talkwithgt)
A District Court in Meerut on Wednesday sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla to death for murdering Saurabh Rajput, the woman’s husband and a former Merchant Navy officer.
The verdict followed the duo’s conviction in connection with the case on September 30, 2026, following a 13-month trial.
The case, infamous as the ‘blue drum killing‘, came to light in March 2025 after Saurabh’s remains were recovered from a sealed blue drum filled with cement at a house in Meerut’s Indra Nagar. Subsequently, the deceased’s wife, Muskan and her lover Sahil, were arrested in connection with the murder.
The ‘Mahabharata’ Reference By Court
While pronouncing the sentence, the Meerut District Court made a special reference to a verse from the Hindu epic ‘Mahabharata’.
According to an Aaj Tak report, the judge arrived at the court smiling. As he began pronouncing the sentence, he referred to a verse from the Mahabharata, and said, “Dand bhi dharm hai (Even punishment is dharma)”.
Invoking the epic, he said, “Dand ko hi dharm bataya gaya hai, yani apradhi ko dand dena dharm hai (Punishment has been referred to as dharma, meaning a punishing a criminal is itself a righteous act)”.
On September 30, District and Sessions Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra had convicted Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla of murder after a 13-month trial.
After hearing arguments on the punishment, the court sentenced both convicts to death today, October 14.
Sidhu indicated that high-level political and trade exchanges were also on the agenda, confirming that Canada was preparing to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this year.
Canada Minister Maninder Sidhu. (Image: ANI)
Canada and India are holding security and law enforcement discussions as the two countries seek to improve bilateral relations amid continuing concerns over Khalistani extremism, Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu has said, signalling a parallel push to strengthen economic ties.
Sidhu, while speaking with ANI, confirmed that a security dialogue had taken place between senior officials of the two countries, emphasising that Ottawa’s priority was to ensure the safety of communities while allowing peaceful protests.
“I can confirm that a law enforcement dialogue is happening between both countries. As I said last week, a security dialogue took place between the highest authorities,” Sidhu said.
“We want to make sure that our communities are kept safe,” he added, referring to concerns around protests in both countries that had also been raised by the Canadian High Commissioner.
Underlining Canada’s position on freedom of expression, Sidhu said protests were an integral part of a mature democracy but should not involve violence. “In a mature democracy, you welcome protests, but without the use of violence. That’s very important in Canada. You are allowed to protest,” he said, reiterating the Canadian government’s commitment to a united country where all communities could feel secure.
“Of course, we want to continue keeping our communities safe, and we’ll continue having that dialogue,” he added.
The remarks come as New Delhi and Ottawa work to stabilise ties strained by disagreements over allegations of Khalistani extremist activities and India’s concerns about the use of Canadian territory by separatist elements. The security dialogue assumes significance as both governments look to address sensitive issues through official channels while exploring avenues for cooperation.
Mumbai: Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Maninder Sidhu, says, “I can confirm that we’re looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Modi this year…I’m also very much looking forward to hosting Minister Goyal again in Canada as we continue to build on our economic ties.”
On the improvement in India-Canada relations, he says, “What I can do is speak about how relations are changing under our new government. We took office in April last year, as you know, and since then, we’ve been building relationships with partners around the world. We’re having conversations behind closed doors about important issues for Canada. At the same time, my job as the Minister of International Trade is to continue finding opportunities. Prime Minister Carney has tasked me with creating more opportunities and increasing non-US exports by $300 billion by 2035. Last year, our non-US exports grew by 17%, amounting to $33 billion…”
Alongside the security engagement, Sidhu indicated that high-level political and trade exchanges were also on the agenda, confirming that Canada was preparing to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this year. “I can confirm that we’re looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Modi this year,” he said, adding that he was also keen to welcome Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal back to Canada to build on economic cooperation.
Speaking about the broader improvement in relations, Sidhu said the government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney had been working to rebuild partnerships since taking office in April last year. “What I can do is speak about how relations are changing under our new government,” he said, adding that Ottawa was continuing discussions on issues important to Canada while pursuing fresh trade opportunities.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta has questioned the Congress and the AAP over their opposition to SIR after losing Delhi.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta questioned AAP’s protests over SIR and asked the party to focus on Punjab’s law-and-order situation.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday hit out at Congress and Rahul Gandhi over the opposition’s protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, questioning why the exercise was being challenged now when it had been conducted under previous governments.
“Special Intensive Revision has been carried out several times, and the Election Commission has always conducted it, regardless of which party was in power at the state or central level. Why were there no objections then? Why are such objections being raised now?” Gupta said at a press conference.
Citing Delhi, she said the last SIR in the capital was conducted in 2002, when the Congress was also in power at the Centre.
Delhi: On the opposition’s protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), CM Rekha Gupta says, “…Special Intensive Revision has been carried out several times, and the Election Commission has always conducted it, regardless of which party was in power at the state or central level. Why were there no objections then? Why are such objections being raised now? Let me give an example from Delhi. The last SIR in Delhi was conducted in 2002, when the Congress was also in power at the Centre. But did the Congress win even a single seat in Delhi after 2015? Was SIR not conducted? Where did its seats go? The people have completely rejected the Congress, and that is what is troubling these political parties. I also want to ask the Aam Aadmi Party: when elections were held here after SIR and you formed the government, everything was fine. Now, when the people of Delhi have rejected you, you have suddenly remembered protests and demonstrations. You come to trouble Delhi as ‘protest kings.’ Why are you not focusing on Punjab? There was another murder there yesterday. Drug rackets are operating on a large scale, and ordinary people cannot raise their voices. If someone speaks out, they are murdered or forced to die by suicide. You are not paying attention to the state where your government is in power…”
“But did the Congress win even a single seat in Delhi after 2015? Was SIR not conducted? Where did its seats go?” she asked, attributing the party’s electoral setbacks to voters rejecting it.
“The people have completely rejected the Congress, and that is what is troubling these political parties,” she said.
Gupta accused opposition parties of raising objections after losing elections, arguing that the Congress’s electoral defeats in Delhi could not be blamed on SIR.
She also accused Rahul Gandhi of seeking attention through confrontations and said opposition leaders were more concerned about remaining in power than addressing public issues.
The remarks come amid an intensifying confrontation between the BJP and opposition parties over the Election Commission’s revision of electoral rolls. Congress and other opposition parties have alleged irregularities in the process and questioned the poll body’s handling of voter deletions. The Election Commission has defended SIR as an exercise to maintain accurate electoral rolls.
‘Anarchic Parties, Anarchic Leaders’
Gupta also targeted Rahul Gandhi over his violent confrontations with protesters and supporters. “These are anarchic parties and anarchic leaders. Sometimes he (Rahul Gandhi) assaults a reporter who is pregnant, sometimes he attacks the police, and sometimes he beats up their own party workers,” she said.
“They are concerned only with themselves. They want all the attention, want only their voices to be heard and want to remain in power,” she added.
Gupta also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying it had accepted the SIR process when it won elections and formed the government in Delhi but was now protesting after being voted out of power.
“You come to trouble Delhi as ‘protest kings’,” she said.
‘Why not focus on Punjab?’
Gupta then turned her attack towards AAP’s government in Punjab, questioning why the party was protesting in Delhi instead of addressing law-and-order concerns in the state.
“Why are you not focusing on Punjab? There was another murder there yesterday. Drug rackets are operating on a large scale, and ordinary people cannot raise their voices,” she said.
Her remarks came after anti-drug activist Parwinder Singh Jhota was shot dead in Mansa on Tuesday during a confrontation with a medical store owner over the alleged sale of intoxicating substances.
CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke has announced a ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ rally at Delhi’s Connaught Place on October 16 at 5 PM, urging people nationwide to organise similar marches. He claimed Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were jailed for waving the Tricolour, though their arrest followed an breach of restrictions at Jantar Mantar. Netizens also criticised Dipke’s call on X.
CJP’s Abhijeet Dipke Announces ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ Rally At New Delhi’s Connaught Place On October 16 | Video | File Pics
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke has announced a ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ rally at Central Park in Connaught Place, New Delhi, on October 16 at 5 PM, urging people across the country to organise similar marches in their respective cities.
In a video message, Dipke appealed to people who love the national flag to join the rally and wave the Tricolour, asserting that displaying it should not be treated as a crime.
“Hello everyone, as you all know, Sourav and Ashu have been put in jail for waving the Tiranga. So, I request all the patriots, all the people who love the Tiranga, On 16th October, at 5 pm, all of you come to Central Park, Cannot Place, with the Tiranga. We will wave our Tiranga there, and we will tell that waving a Tiranga is not a crime,” Dipke said.
Lehra do Tiranga 🇮🇳
16 Oct | Central Park, CP | 5 PM https://t.co/eFO1RfUBos
He also urged people unable to travel to Delhi to organise Tiranga marches in their own cities in the evening.
“And those who cannot come to Delhi, in their own cities, in the evening, take out the Tiranga March and tell these people, these Tana Shahs, that our Tiranga is our pride and waving it is not a crime,” he added.
Dipke further said he was prepared for the possibility of being arrested following the rally, but maintained that he would continue to wave the national flag.
“It is possible that after this, I will also be put in jail, but I am not worried about that. My Tiranga is my pride and I will keep waving it,” he said.
Netizen Questions Rally Call, Criticises Dipke
Dipke’s announcement drew criticism on social media, with an X user questioning the purpose of holding a rally at Connaught Place, where a large Tricolour is already displayed.
“Abhijeet Dipke is once again calling people to gather at Connaught Place on October 16 at 5 PM to hoist the Tricolour. Does this clown even know that a massive Tricolour has already been flying at CP for years? What exactly is he trying to prove with this pointless drama? Looks like he is desperately missing his buddies Ranka and Das and wants to join them behind bars. Delhi Police, if this man is so desperate to get arrested, stop entertaining his drama and let him face the consequences. Let him experience jail life too!” wrote Amit Kumar Sindhi on X.
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke has challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to investigate allegations of foreign funding and publicly disclose the findings. Speaking in Nagpur, Dipke also accused the Centre of restricting democratic protests. Meanwhile, American singer Mary Millben alleged that US-based donors were funding CJP, but provided no supporting evidence for her claims.
CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke Challenges Centre To Order Probe Into Alleged Foreign Funding |
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah over questions about its funding and alleged foreign support, with founder Abhijeet Dipke challenging the government to substantiate its concerns.
Agencies Flag Funding Concerns
The Free Press Journal, on October 14, had reported that central agencies flagged concerns over possible external interference, opaque funding and coordinated disinformation campaigns. In fact, media reports too have even attributed to senior advocate and former Solicitor General Harish Salve concerns about possible foreign funding and external interference linked to the CJP movement. He reportedly questioned whether external forces could be seeking to fuel political instability in India, drawing parallels with developments in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
CJP Founder Demands Public Probe
On Wednesday, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke was questioned about alleged foreign funding and support when he arrived in Nagpur. “The Home Minister should order a probe and make its findings public,” Dipke said, putting the onus on the government to establish the facts behind questions over the CJP’s funding and alleged foreign links.
Dipke visited Deekshabhoomi, the historic site where Dr B R Ambedkar embraced Buddhism along with thousands of followers on October 14, 1956, to pay tribute to the architect of the Indian Constitution on Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din.
While speaking to reporters during his Nagpur visit, Dipke questioned the action against protesters, claiming that even waving the national flag had become grounds for severe action, with people allegedly being sent to judicial custody for five days. Further accusing the Centre of curbing democratic protests and constitutional freedoms, Dipke referred to recent development as an “unofficial Emergency”. He further claimed that the restrictions he was referring to were unprecedented, arguing that even during the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975, such a situation had not occurred.
The Central Bureau of Narcotics destroyed 5,165 acres (2,070 hectares) of illicit cannabis cultivation in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district during a month-long Operation Parivartan. Using drones and ground surveys, teams reached remote sites at altitudes of up to 3,500 metres. CBN also held a public dialogue in Malana to promote alternative crops.
CBN teams used drones, ground surveys and trekking operations to destroy illicit cannabis crops across remote areas of Kullu district | X
In one of the major destruction operations conducted over one month in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, officers of the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) destroyed 5,165 acres (2,070 hectares) of illicit Cannabis (ganja) cultivation under “Operation Parivartan”.
Drone Surveys Identify Illicit Cultivation
The cultivation was identified with the help of ground surveys and drone technology, and the destruction operation was carried out with the support of the Forest Department and the Police Department.
Despite the difficult Himalayan terrain, CBN teams destroyed illicit cultivation up to a maximum altitude of approximately 3,500 metres, wherever cannabis was found growing. Officers trekked daily to remote locations to expedite the destruction of illicit cultivation.
👉 Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) strengthens Nasha Mukt Bharat vision by dismantling vast illicit cannabis cultivation in Himachal Pradesh
👉 CBN destroys 5,165 acres of illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation under “Operation Parivartan”
At the end of the operation, CBN officers held a public dialogue (Jan Samvad) with villagers of Malana village to promote alternative development strategies, including alternative crop development, which is a mandate of CBN as per the NDPS Policy 2012.
Congress leaders Supriya Shrinate, Pawan Khera and Kazi Nizamuddin criticised the police action, alleging that the authorities were targeting those demanding justice for Ankita Bhandari and questioning the alleged proposed appointment of Dushyant Gautam.
Delhi Police on Thursday detained Ankita Bhandari’s parents and several opposition leaders during a sit-in protest at India Gate, with Congress leaders accusing the police of manhandling demonstrators and demanding justice in the case.
The detentions took place around 4 am and they were released around 5 am
Congress leaders Supriya Shrinate, Pawan Khera and Kazi Nizamuddin criticised the police action, alleging that the authorities were targeting those demanding justice for Ankita Bhandari and questioning the alleged proposed appointment of Dushyant Gautam.
“The police are detaining women protesters. The way they are manhandling MPs while detaining them is extremely shameful. The government must understand that the tears of Ankita Bhandari’s parents will cost it dearly,” a protester said.
बेटी अंकिता के माता पिता इंडिया गेट से पुलिस हिरासत में!
Congress MP Pawan Khera alleged that the police action reflected a deterioration in democratic freedoms.
“This is brutality. You can see democracy coming to an end at India Gate. It is ending at 4 am,” Khera said.
Hitting out at newly appointed Sikkim Governor Dushyant Gautam, he further alleged that those protesting against the accused were being detained while the person facing allegations could be appointed to a constitutional post.
Khera said, “Barbarity is happening in this country. The one who has been accused will become the governor, and Ankita’s parents will go to jail? We are protesting against rapists, so we will go to jail, and the one who has been accused of rape will become the governor—this is democracy.”
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate condemned the detentions, alleging that the authorities were acting harshly against Ankita Bhandari’s parents, who, she said, had been seeking justice for four years.
“What kind of action is this? This is a ruthless action against helpless parents who have been demanding justice for four years. Instead of delivering justice to them, the government is appointing the main accused as a Governor and then treating the parents so brutally,” Shrinate said.
She also questioned the timing of the police action, alleging that women protesters were being picked up before 6 am.
The protesters demanded the cancellation of the appointment of Dushyant Gautam to the Governor’s position amid a probe into the alleged VIP angle in the case.
AICC in-charge of Delhi Pradesh Congress, MLA Qazi Nizamuddin, also criticised the police action, alleging that the authorities should be taking action against Dushyant Gautam instead of detaining Ankita Bhandari’s parents.
Nizamuddin said, “The family of Ankita Bhandari was holding a peaceful sit-in protest in front of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi boosted their morale. The police came late at night and arrested the women and us and took us away. Our fight will continue until Dushyant Gautam is behind bars.”
He added that the Congress would continue its campaign for justice and said the people of Uttarakhand would not tolerate the alleged treatment of Ankita Bhandari’s parents.
“The Congress party will continue this fight. The police should have arrested Dushyant Gautam. Today, with Rashtrapati Bhavan in front of us and the memorial and India Gate behind us, Ankita Bhandari’s parents are being forcibly detained along with all of us. Uttarakhand will never tolerate this, especially at this hour of the night, said Nizamuddin.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met with the parents of the late Ankita Bhandari during their sit-in protest at India Gate.
The grieving family staged a demonstration against the recent appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim, citing alleged links and calling for an immediate halt to his constitutional posting pending a central investigation.
Cheruvayal Raman died during treatment in Kozhikode at 74. His conservation of indigenous seeds leaves an enduring legacy for Keralam’s agricultural heritage.
Cheruvayal Raman dies at 74, leaving behind a legacy of rice conservation. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Cheruvayal Raman, the Padma Shri award-winning tribal farmer who devoted his life to preserving traditional rice varieties in Keralam, died at the age of 74 while undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital on Wednesday, family sources said.
A native of Kammanam in Mananthavady, Raman was widely known for protecting more than 45 indigenous rice varieties that were at risk of extinction. He followed traditional organic farming methods for decades and worked to pass on the region’s agricultural heritage to future generations.
Born on June 6, 1952, as Thalakkara Cheriya Raman, he began concentrating fully on farming at the age of 10 after completing his primary education at Kammanam Navodaya Lower Primary School.
His passion for agriculture was such that he turned down a government job at the Kannur DMO office in 1969.
Raman, who belonged to the Kurichya tribal community, also preserved traditional vegetables, medicinal plants and different varieties of trees on his farm.
He followed traditional methods to store paddy seeds, exposing the harvested crop to sunlight and dew for a week before keeping the seeds in heated bamboo containers and baskets made of straw. The method helped the seeds retain their ability to germinate for up to two years.
He followed a seed-exchange system to help other farmers. Those who received seeds from him had to return the same quantity after the next cultivation season instead of paying money.
Raman represented Keralam’s farming community at an international biodiversity conservation conference involving 11 countries in Hyderabad in 2011. In recognition of his contribution to conserving indigenous plant varieties and promoting environment-friendly farming, he was awarded the Padma Shri in 2023.
He had earlier received several honours, including the National Plant Genome Saviour Award in 2016.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan condoled his death, describing Raman as a guardian of Wayanad’s agricultural heritage who preserved traditional rice varieties for future generations.
“Through his life, he showed the world that farming was not merely a means of livelihood but also a responsibility towards the soil and nature,” Satheesan said in a condolence message.
Delhi Police filed an FIR against NSUI women workers, according to sources, as Rahul Gandhi backed a protester alleging police assault. The dispute now faces Supreme Court scrutiny through 22 petitions concerning detentions, assaults and transport restrictions.
Delhi Police files FIR against NSUI women workers in bus assault case, sources told India Today(Photo- PTI)
The Delhi Police has filed an FIR against women workers of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) in connection with a bus assault case, sources told India Today even as Congress MP Rahul Gandhi publicly backed a female protester who alleged that she was assaulted by a woman police constable during a demonstration.
The development comes amid a wider legal and political confrontation over the alleged assault and detention of protesters, journalists and lawyers in Delhi. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear public interest litigations (PILs) concerning these allegations, with 22 petitions listed before the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
The petitions also seek contempt action against the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Delhi Police over the closure of roads, metro services and railway facilities.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi addressed a press conference alongside protesters and introduced the woman who alleged assault as “our sherni”.
“I want to introduce our ‘sherni’. She was beaten, but she was not afraid. There was no hatred in her heart,” Gandhi said.
VIDEO | Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference with protesters, introduces a female protester as “our sherni”. He says, “I want to introduce our ‘sherni’. She was beaten, but she was not afraid. There was no hatred in her heart.”
The female protester alleges that she was assaulted by a woman police constable during a protest. She says, “Yesterday, all NSUI workers were protesting peacefully when we were detained in three buses. There were many of our colleagues, around 30-40 in each bus. In our bus, there were two girls and 20-30 other NSUI colleagues. There was a woman constable in the bus named Chanchal Yadav. After being detained, we tried to get off the bus again through the gate and continue leading the protest. We tried to stop the bus and sat down beneath it so that our protest could somehow continue. But Chanchal Yadav grabbed me tightly by the neck and pushed me, causing me to fall backwards onto the seat. She then scratched my face with her nails, leaving scratches across my face and near my ear. When I resisted her, she slapped me so hard and said, ‘Here, take another slap across your face.'”
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/bIyFWTfmBd)
The protester alleged that NSUI members had been detained in three buses during a peaceful demonstration. According to her account, each bus carried around 30-40 people, while her bus had two women and around 20-30 other NSUI members.
She alleged that a woman constable grabbed her by the neck and pushed her backwards onto a seat when protesters tried to get off the bus to continue their demonstration. She further alleged that the constable scratched her face and the area near her ear with her nails before slapping her.
Earlier, NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar visited Parliament Street Police Station on Wednesday to demand an FIR over the alleged assault on the organisation’s female members by Delhi Police personnel.
Jakhar said the Deputy Commissioner of Police had verbally assured the delegation that an FIR would be registered within 24 hours. He warned that the NSUI delegation would return to the police station if the assurance was not fulfilled.
“The assault on our female members is a serious matter that cannot be brushed aside. Our members were raising their voices, and they deserve justice, not violence,” Jakhar said, demanding a fair investigation and strict action against those responsible.
A Jaipur bomb disposal squad destroyed suspected RDX and detonators recovered from a reported Pakistan drone drop. The seizure prompted heightened surveillance and an investigation into the consignment’s origin and intended destination.
Jaipur bomb squad destroys RDX, detonators recovered in Sri Ganganagar
Security agencies breathed a sigh of relief after a bomb disposal squad (BDS) from Jaipur destroyed RDX explosives and detonators dropped by a drone from Pakistan near the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district.
The explosives were destroyed in a controlled operation under the supervision of the bomb disposal team and in the presence of security personnel. The suspected RDX, described as black RDX, was detonated in two stages, producing loud blasts that sent soil flying into the air and left a crater around five feet deep.
The detonator recovered with the explosive material had been destroyed separately before the RDX was detonated. Officials had also recovered a large detonator attached to the explosive consignment.
The operation was carried out after a joint search by security agencies uncovered packets containing weapons and suspected explosives in the border area.
ARMS, AMMUNITION AND EXPLOSIVES RECOVERED
The consignment was reportedly dropped by a drone from Pakistan in the 12 KND area near Rawla in Sri Ganganagar district. Initial information indicated that three packets had been dropped near Chak 4 KNM, around the W-Tail area.
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and the Border Security Force (BSF) conducted a joint operation following intelligence inputs about the suspected cross-border delivery.
The recovery reportedly included two pistols, four magazines, around 650 cartridges and approximately seven kilograms of suspected explosive material. Four pairs of pencil cells and two remote controls were also reportedly found in the packets.
Akhilesh Yadav and Nirmala Sitharaman traded charges after the Cabinet cleared Fairfax’s majority stake purchase in IDBI Bank. The Rs 52,878-crore transaction advances the privatisation drive but still requires regulatory approvals.
Akhilesh Yadav and Nirmala Sitharaman.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday launched an attack on the BJP-led government over the proposed sale of a majority stake in IDBI Bank to Canada’s Fairfax Financial Holdings, accusing it of putting the country’s assets up for sale. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit back, questioning the SP’s record during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which it supported.
Reacting to the Cabinet’s approval of the Rs 52,878-crore deal, Yadav took a swipe at the government on X, saying it appeared to be selling off public assets as it approached the end of its tenure.
“Now, all that’s left is for the government to sell itself… It seems like the BJP government, seeing its shop about to shut down, has planned to put up a ‘Season End Sale’ sign and sell everything off before making a quick exit,” Yadav wrote.
Sitharaman responded by questioning the Samajwadi Party’s record during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which it supported from 2004.
“Since 2004, your party’s support was extended to the UPA. Given the dire state in which the UPA left the banks, it’s surprising that you’re talking about banks today, when back then you didn’t even raise a single question with your allied parties!” she said in a post on X.
The Finance Minister accused the UPA government and its allies of weakening public sector banks through what she described as “phone banking” and “crony capitalism”. She said IDBI Bank had extended loans during the UPA years that the banking system was still struggling to recover, including the principal and interest.
Sitharaman credited the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government with reviving IDBI Bank and the wider banking system through capital infusion and transparent policies.
“It’s astonishing—now that the banks’ position has been strengthened, why are you feigning this false sympathy? Why these crocodile tears?” she asked.
CABINET APPROVED RS 52,878-CRORE IDBI BANK STAKE SALE
The political exchange followed the Union Cabinet’s approval of the sale of a combined 60.72 per cent stake in IDBI Bank to Fairfax Financial Holdings, led by Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved Fairfax subsidiary 10955230 Canada Inc as the strategic buyer for the government’s 30.48 per cent stake and Life Insurance Corporation of India’s (LIC) 30.24 per cent stake.
The transaction is valued at Rs 52,878 crore, with Fairfax set to pay Rs 81 per share. This is higher than the benchmark fair value of Rs 75.99 determined by two independent valuation agencies.
The proposed transaction would transfer control of IDBI Bank to Fairfax, subject to regulatory approvals and completion of the sale. The government and LIC will together retain a 34 per cent stake in the restructured entity, according to the government’s announcement.
The government described the transaction as the largest foreign direct investment in India’s financial sector to date.
SITHARAMAN CALLS DEAL A MILESTONE IN BANKING REFORMS
Earlier on Wednesday, Sitharaman said the CCEA’s approval marked another milestone in India’s economic reform programme. She said the government had supported IDBI Bank’s recovery and was now enabling its next phase of growth through foreign investment while retaining a minority stake.
In a post on X, the Finance Minister said the proposed restructuring would strengthen India’s banking system and help banking services meet global benchmarks.
She also linked the transaction to the government’s broader reform agenda, saying it reflected the resilience of the Indian economy and its commitment to building a financial sector that supports customers and entrepreneurs.
The proposed sale is part of the government’s effort to reduce its ownership of state-controlled enterprises and attract private capital into the banking sector.
DEAL AWAITS RBI, CCI AND OTHER REGULATORY APPROVALS
Although the Cabinet has approved Fairfax as the strategic buyer, the transaction is not yet complete. It requires approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and other statutory authorities.
The RBI will conduct a “fit and proper” assessment of Fairfax. The buyer must present its credentials and a roadmap for meeting the regulator’s requirements before the sale can be finalised.
Fairfax will also have to make an open offer to public shareholders unless the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) waives the requirement.
Under RBI norms, promoters can hold no more than 26 per cent of a bank. Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary Arunish Chawla said Fairfax would have up to 15 years to comply with the condition. A five-year lock-in period will apply to the promoter.
Fairfax currently holds a 40 per centstake in Kerala-based CSB Bank. It will have to either merge CSB Bank with IDBI Bank or exit its investment in the lender.
The new promoter will also have to retain IDBI Bank’s name, brand and customer relationships for at least three years, Chawla said.
Air India flight AI2030, carrying 293 passengers and 13 crew, was diverted to Jaipur around 9 am on Wednesday while en route from Frankfurt to Delhi.
Air India AI2030, operated with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft bearing Vistara’s livery, is seen at the isolation bay after making an emergency landing at the Jaipur International Airport following a hijack alert, in Jaipur, Rajasthan. (PTI)
Passengers aboard the Air India flight from Frankfurt to Delhi, which was diverted to Jaipur on Wednesday morning after the pilot issued a hijacking alert, recounted moments of confusion after being told the aircraft would make an unscheduled landing for “security reasons”. The flight eventually landed at Terminal 3 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport around 3.15 pm.
Flight AI2030, operated by a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, was carrying 293 passengers and 13 crew members. Passengers told HT that they were informed at around 9 am that the flight, which was scheduled to land in Delhi, would be diverted to Jaipur.
Passengers describe security checks in Jaipur
Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, 40, a German citizen of Indian origin, said passengers had to remain inside the aircraft for at least two hours after it landed in Jaipur around 9.30 am.
“There were some announcements that we will undergo a security check. Around 11.30 am, the captain said that we will have to deboard. When we deboarded, we saw a lot of security personnel. A few of us were asked to show our passports, including me,” he told HT.
Khalsa said he was accustomed to being asked for additional checks because of his name. “I am always profiled because of my name so this was not new to me,” he said.
He added that security personnel subsequently asked all passengers to wait while their check-in baggage underwent scanning. After waiting for another two hours, passengers boarded the aircraft again and departed for Delhi.
Khalsa also said an official in Jaipur had told him that there was a “bomb threat like situation”
‘We thought there was an engine failure’
Jannis, 25, a medical student who was travelling to Delhi for a holiday with his partner, said the crew informed passengers about the diversion as the aircraft was descending.
“While descending, the crew said that the plane was being diverted to Jaipur for security reasons. When we landed and got out, we saw a lot of firefighters so we thought there was an engine failure. Then we saw people in other uniforms and thought there may have been an actual security threat,” he told HT.
Jannis said his partner’s mother later sent them a news clip about a possible hijacking, leaving her worried about their safety. “She was really worried. We told her we were fine. After that, everything was smooth and professional,” he said.
Aircraft transmitted hijack alert
The aircraft was transmitting transponder code 7500, the internationally recognised aviation code for hijacking or unlawful interference, according to people aware of the incident. Air traffic control (ATC) received the alert, following which the flight was diverted to Jaipur.
The pilot was allowed to fly the aircraft back to Delhi, officials familiar with the matter said. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will investigate what triggered the squawk, which is suspected to have resulted from a technical glitch. Officials have yet to establish whether the issue lay with the aircraft or the ATC system.
Justice Joseph invoked concerns raised during the Constituent Assembly debates about the integrity of those responsible for conducting elections.
Justice Joseph made the remarks while delivering the inaugural address at a seminar titled “Independence of Election Commission of India: Compromised?” (HT photo)
Former Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph has stressed that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) must not enjoy any special privilege as an individual, arguing that authority should rest with the institution rather than the person holding the office. He called for stronger constitutional safeguards to protect the independence and integrity of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
“CEC by himself shall not enjoy any special privilege. It is meant to be an institution, not a person. Unfortunately, people holding high constitutional office in our country have, according to me, what they call a misguided impression that there is power concentrated on the person…If it is an institutional exercise of that power, you will have to think twice, he said, as per LiveLaw.
Justice Joseph made the remarks while delivering the inaugural address at a seminar titled “Independence of Election Commission of India: Compromised?”, organised by the Indian Association of Lawyers, Keralam. He argued that the appointment of Election Commissioners and the conditions governing their service should be protected through constitutional provisions rather than left to parliamentary legislation.
‘Has democracy been poisoned at its source?’
Justice Joseph invoked concerns raised during the Constituent Assembly debates about the integrity of those responsible for conducting elections. Referring to Constituent Assembly member Hriday Nath Kunzru, he warned that a lack of trust in the officials overseeing elections could undermine democracy itself.
“Dr. Hriday Nath Kunzru spoke about the integrity of the person who is holding that office. And if that integrity is not impeccable, then democracy will be poisoned at the source. Is this not what we see in the days that we have been passing through? Has the democracy not been poisoned at the hands of people who have not been acting in accordance with the vision of the Constitution? So, therefore, my dear friends, I would only say these are the times that the country should think about and take steps for protection of our democracy. And if such constitutional powers are vested in great institutions like the Election Commission of India, its integrity and independence should be ensured as well”, he was quoted as saying by Live Law.
He maintained that protecting the ECI’s independence was essential given the constitutional responsibilities entrusted to it.
ACP Vivek Bhagat said he was on official duty near Jantar Mantar when he heard the journalist making derogatory remarks about his Megh/Mehgwal caste.
Delhi Police has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against an independent journalist and others over allegations of casteist remarks, public humiliation and defamation against Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat. (LinkedIn)
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat, facing sexual harassment allegations from a woman journalist during a protest in Delhi earlier this month, has accused her of making casteist remarks against him and humiliating him in public.
Delhi Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the independent journalist and others at Parliament Street police station under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to obstructing a public servant and defamation, news agency PTI reported.
According to the FIR, Bhagat was on official duty near Jantar Mantar on October 3 when he allegedly heard the journalist making derogatory remarks about his Megh/Mehgwal caste and questioning his appointment as an ACP.
Bhagat alleged that he ignored the remarks and continued with his official duties. At around 3 pm, the journalist accused him of sexual harassment while police personnel were handling and detaining protesters. The complaint claims that she and her colleagues repeatedly confronted him.
The journalist and others staged a protest outside Parliament Street police station later that evening and raised slogans against the ACP, the FIR alleges.
Bhagat also claimed that the journalist and some members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ratna Singh, shared posts and videos containing similar allegations on X and Instagram. He said the alleged remarks and online posts caused him mental distress and damaged his reputation.
No FIR against ACP after journalist’s sexual assault allegation
The case follows a complaint filed by the journalist accusing Bhagat of sexual assault during the October 3 protest against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar near Jantar Mantar.
In her complaint, she alleged that she was recording the police detention of an All India Students’ Association (AISA) activist when Bhagat touched her inappropriately and pushed her after she questioned the absence of women police personnel at the spot, HT reported earlier.
Two other women journalists also accused police personnel of sexual harassment during the protest. Delhi Police forwarded all three complaints to the Crime Branch for an impartial enquiry.
On October 6, amid growing demands for an FIR against ACP Bhagat, Delhi Police arrested a man from Palwal in Haryana for allegedly sharing a fabricated video that falsely showed the officer misbehaving with the woman journalist, HT reported at the time.
Additional DCP (New Delhi) Manjeet Sheoran said the accused used AI tools to create fake CCTV footage showing Bhagat misbehaving with the journalist.
Delhi Police has not yet registered an FIR against Bhagat over the journalist’s sexual assault allegations.
ACP’s promotion order put on hold
Earlier this month, the Delhi government’s Home Department issued an order promoting 12 Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) officers to the rank on a temporary basis. Bhagat, a 2018-batch officer, was among those promoted.
The government later said it would modify the order concerning Bhagat after he requested that he not take up the new post until a full enquiry into the matter was completed, HT reported at the time.
A senior police officer said the request for promotion had been made well before the protest and the subsequent complaints.
Journalists, Opposition leaders criticise police response
The allegations against Bhagat led journalists and social media influencers to protest outside Parliament Street police station, demanding action on the women’s complaints.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the police response and questioned the delay in registering FIRs over the alleged harassment.
The Press Club of India said they were in “shock and dismay” over the alleged treatment of journalists covering the protest. It asked Delhi Police to act on the complaints and ensure that journalists could work without fear or intimidation.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma criticised Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party for their complaints about the Election Commission following electoral defeats.
Himanta Biswa Sarma Challenges Congress To Contest Elections On Ballot Papers, Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations against the Election Commission, urging the opposition party to introspect instead of questioning electoral institutions following its defeats.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma questioned why Congress raises concerns over elections primarily in states where it loses. He said electoral disputes should be resolved through constitutional and legal means and asked whether Rahul Gandhi would continue to contest elections as long as Gyanesh Kumar remains the Chief Election Commissioner.
On the recent Nagaon bypoll, Sarma claimed that Congress did not have polling agents at nearly 70 per cent of polling stations, alleging that the party was struggling to find people willing to take up the responsibility.
The Chief Minister also expressed his willingness to contest elections in Assam using ballot papers, challenging the opposition to test its allegations against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) through a ballot-paper election.
Sarma further criticised Congress’s protests in Delhi, alleging that people were being brought from Assam to participate in demonstrations. He said constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission and the Supreme Court, should not be subjected to political pressure or intimidation.
Reacting to reports of around 200 government officials meeting Rahul Gandhi, Sarma said such a meeting did not indicate that the entire bureaucracy supported Congress, pointing out that the Indian bureaucracy was much larger than the number of officials involved.
On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Sarma emphasised the need for regular voter-list verification to protect the integrity of elections. He said electoral rolls should be thoroughly reviewed and ineligible names identified through lawful procedures.
The Chief Minister also raised concerns over alleged foreign interference in India’s internal affairs, stressing that the country’s democratic institutions and national interests must be protected. He called on Rahul Gandhi to clarify his position on Sanatan Dharma and the Ram Temple, alleging that religious symbolism should not be used merely for political purposes.
Sarma also maintained that legal procedures must be followed in cases involving approvers and that no political leader could override established judicial processes.
A boat capsized in Bihar’s Vaishali. (Representative Image)
At least 11 people have died after a boat capsized in the Raghopur Diara area of Bihar’s Vaishali district. Most of the deceased are minors who were travelling on the boat to attend a feast.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah targeted Rahul Gandhi after the BJP won 90 of 104 seats in Gujarat local body elections. Shah claimed Congress had not won an election in Gujarat since 1985 and accused Gandhi of blaming SIR for the BJP’s success. He also predicted a fourth consecutive Congress defeat in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi & Union Home Minister Amit Shah | ANI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, October 13, hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following the BJP’s performance in the Gujarat local body elections, accusing the opposition party of repeatedly losing elections in the state and predicting another defeat for Congress in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing reporters, Shah said the BJP had secured a resounding victory in Gujarat, winning 90 of the 104 seats across three local bodies. In the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, which falls within his parliamentary constituency, the BJP won 38 of the 44 seats, he said.
LIVE: Amit Shah Responds to Rahul Gandhi I Gujarat civic polls I INDIA BLOC https://t.co/BT3fomHHun
Shah also pointed out that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which contested all 32 seats in the elections, forfeited its security deposit in every constituency it contested. He added that the BJP’s vote share in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation had increased by 10 percentage points compared with the previous election.
Taking a direct swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Shah said, “I want to make this point clear, and specifically convey it to Rahul ji, that the Congress party has not won a single election in 41 years. The last election they won was back in 1985; since then, they have faced continuous defeats in Gujarat.”
The Home Minister described the results as an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, asserting that the people of Gujarat continued to stand firmly behind the BJP.
Amit Shah Predicts Fourth Consecutive Congress Defeat In 2029
Shah also targeted Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing the Congress leader of attempting to undermine the BJP’s electoral success by attributing it to the revision exercise.
“I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that the people of this country have fully understood your strategy of shielding infiltrators under the guise of the SIR, and they will no longer fall for your ruses,” Shah said.
Delhi has reported 799 dengue and 294 malaria cases in 2026, according to the MCD. October recorded 202 dengue and 51 malaria cases till October 10. Civic inspections identified mosquito breeding in approximately 1.98 lakh houses, prompting legal notices, prosecutions and penalties. No dengue or malaria deaths were reported.
Delhi Dengue Cases Reach 799, Malaria Tally Hits 294 As Mosquito Breeding Found In 1.98 Lakh Houses | File Pic
Delhi has recorded 799 dengue cases and 294 malaria cases so far this year, with infections rising as the mosquito-borne disease season continues, according to an MCD report.
In the first week of October, Delhi reported 98 dengue cases and 23 malaria cases, while the second week saw 104 dengue cases and 28 malaria cases, according to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) report for the week ending October 10. The city also recorded three chikungunya cases during the week.
@GreaterNoidaW To prevent dengue & malaria fever, it is essential to know that both these mosquitoes are very few in numbers, are visible if one looks for them carefully & it is only they who bite in day .The breeding place can be in the drains in basement .See with a torch. https://t.co/S2A7zHKxyl
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian counterpart Mark Carney discussed strengthening bilateral ties during an October 13 phone call, focusing on trade, energy, technology and security. Canadian High Commissioner Christopher Cooter highlighted improving relations and upcoming ministerial visits, expressing hope for a free trade agreement during Modi’s proposed December visit.
India-Canada Relations Gain Momentum As PM Modi, Mark Carney Hold Talks, Free Trade Agreement In Focus | X – bitturohtak
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on Tuesday held a telephonic conversation and agreed to build on the positive momentum in India-Canada ties while working towards concrete outcomes across key areas.
“Had a warm and productive conversation with Prime Minister Mark Carney. We agreed to build on the positive momentum in India-Canada ties and work towards concrete outcomes across key areas of our Strategic Partnership, including trade, energy, technology, security and people-to-people ties,” PM Modi wrote on X after the phone call.
“Together, India and Canada are contributing towards a more stable and prosperous world,” he added.
Canadian envoy hails bilateral relations
Earlier in the day, Canadian High Commissioner to India Christopher Cooter termed the chemistry between Prime Minister Modi and his Canadian counterpart as “excellent” and said that the two nations never had as “good a relationship” as they do right now.
In an exclusive interview with IANS ahead of Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand’s official visit to India, Cooter spoke about the recent engagements between the leadership of both countries, including meetings between External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Anand. He also talked about the upcoming visit of Canada’s Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu.
“I think it is fair to say that we never had as good a relationship as we have right now. Starting at the highest level, the chemistry between our two Prime Ministers is excellent. They have met four times in just over a year. Officials are also meeting regularly. We recently had our National Security Advisor here for discussions with his Indian counterpart, and our Foreign Minister is coming here. This will be her 10th meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister over the past year,” the Canadian High Commissioner told IANS.
Marco Rubio will discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation with Indian officials during his visit.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited India earlier this year in May. (File Photo/REUTERS)
United States’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Mumbai and Jamnagar in October after finishing his trip to Uzbekistan. This would be his second official visit to India this year after he came for four-day visit in May.
During the visit, Rubio will meet with senior government officials to strengthen the strategic partnership between India and the US and also exchange views on regional and global dynamics, according to the US state department.
He will also discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation with Indian officials during his visit.
“Secretary Rubio will also meet with business leaders to promote opportunities for commercial investment and economic cooperation,” the state department said.
Before coming to India, Rubio will visit Uzbekistan and participate in the C5+1 Ministerial. There, he will hold bilateral engagements with senior officials from all C5 countries – Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic.
During his diplomatic visit to India in May, Rubio went to Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi. He focused on strengthening strategic ties, boosting cooperation under the Quad alliance, and advancing discussions on trade, defence and energy security.
US security council to visit India
Ahead of Rubio’s visit to India next week, a delegation of top officials from the US National Security Council is also expected to arrive in the country to lay the groundwork for a rejuvenation of the bilateral advanced technology partnership. According to people aware of the matter, the US delegation and its Indian counterparts will focus their efforts on the TRUST initiative, which was launched in February 2025 to drive cooperation on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, space, biotechnology and other crucial tech sectors.
The CJP earlier claimed Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde were arrested for the alleged breach.
The Delhi Police said they were placing the CJP leaders Das, Ranka and Shinde “under preventive arrest”. (Delhi Police/ANI Video Grab)
The Delhi Police on Wednesday said Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde have been placed under preventive arrest for allegedly entering the Jantar Mantar area without authorisation.
This came after the CJP claimed the three leaders were arrested for allegedly breaching barricades and entering Jantar Mantar, which was denotified as a protest venue on Monday. Das and Ranka were later sent to judicial custody for five days by a special executive magistrate (SEM) at Mandir Marg Police Station.
The CJP has been protesting against the Election Commission and seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
On Tuesday evening, the police said a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against 14 people, including Das, Ranka and Shinde, for the alleged breach at Jantar Mantar.
CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh earlier alleged there was a possibility of “judicial custody in Tihar Jail” for the three leaders. “They were not allowed to meet their lawyers till late at night. They were brought to Parliament Street PS at 3am in a private van,” she said.
She also posted a photograph of Das, Ranka and Shinde from Parliament Street Police Station. “Despite these illegal actions, their spirits are high,” she said.
In a separate post, Singh said, “FYI, 24 hours timeline will end soon”. On Monday, the CJP gave the Delhi Police 24 hours to provide a date for holding a protest, warning that the party would announce its next course of action if no response came within the deadline.
To be sure, the Jantar Mantar area has been cordoned off with police barricades since the last week of September, ahead of a planned CJP protest on October 10. Heavy security still remains deployed in the area and the entirety of central Delhi.
Experts say such absolute immunity poses significant constitutional questions regarding checks and balances
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, centre, with Election Commissioners SS Sandhu, left, and Vivek Joshi. (File image: PTI)
The Supreme Court of India has agreed to examine a petition challenging the constitutional validity of Section 16 of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, issued formal notices to the Union Government and the Election Commission of India seeking their responses.
The petition, filed by the non-governmental organisation Association for Democratic Reforms, challenges the legal provision that grants lifelong civil and criminal immunity to serving and former election commissioners for actions taken in their official capacity.
Challenging Section 16 of the 2023 Statute
The controversy centres on Section 16 of the 2023 statute, which explicitly bars courts from entertaining or continuing any civil or criminal proceedings against a serving or former Chief Election Commissioner or Election Commissioner for any act, deed, or statement executed during the discharge or purported discharge of official duties.
Petitioners argue that granting absolute legal protection shields electoral officials from democratic accountability, creating an unconstitutional shield against judicial scrutiny even in cases of alleged misconduct or misuse of office. The plea contends that such unbridled immunity undermines the principle of equality before the law and compromises the constitutional guarantee of free and fair elections.
Judicial Precedent and Tagged Petitions
During the hearing, the Supreme Court directed that the fresh plea be tagged alongside an earlier, similar petition filed by the NGO Lok Prahari, which also questioned the scope of lifetime protection extended to top election officials.
While the apex court previously agreed to examine the constitutional challenge raised in the Lok Prahari matter, it declined to pass an interim stay on the operation of Section 16. The bench noted that similar issues concerning electoral administration and official accountability require a comprehensive review, directing the Solicitor General’s office to prepare a unified framework of all pending petitions to streamline further proceedings.
BIMSTEC countries adopted the Delhi Declaration to deepen cooperation against terrorism and transnational crime. The move broadens regional security coordination, while adding stronger disaster and anti-trafficking measures.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting in Delhi on Tuesday. (@AmitShah/X via PTI photo)
BIMSTEC countries on Tuesday approved the Delhi Declaration, reaffirming their commitment to regional peace, security and development, with a focus on tackling “cross-border terrorism, terror financing and radicalisation”, narcotics smuggling and other threats affecting the region.
The grouping also strongly condemned “terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism” in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, a government statement said.
At the First BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting, the member countries said they faced shared and evolving security challenges and called for a cooperative response based on shared responsibility.
The statement said, “In the Delhi Declaration adopted at the First BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting, member countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation for regional peace, security, and development. The declaration emphasised combating cross-border terrorism, terror financing, radicalisation, drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, and organised crime.”
The grouping reiterated its “determination to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism” in a comprehensive and sustained manner, in line with the UN Charter and international law, and called for effective implementation of UN Security Council sanctions measures, including those of the 1267 Sanctions Committee.
It expressed condolences and solidarity with victims of terrorist attacks in member states, including India, and called for those responsible to be brought to justice under domestic and international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
The declaration also said security cooperation within BIMSTEC would be based on sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in internal affairs, non-aggression, peaceful co-existence, mutual respect and mutual benefit, and would complement other bilateral, sub-regional, regional and multilateral arrangements.
It prioritised information sharing, mutual legal assistance, extradition, capacity building and implementation of existing agreements and plans of action. The grouping also underlined the need to counter radicalisation, terror financing, money laundering, terrorist recruitment and the misuse of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes.
Recognising the Bay of Bengal region as a common security space, BIMSTEC said member countries faced shared threats such as terrorism, violent extremism, drug trafficking, organised crime, cybercrime, money laundering, financing of terrorism, human trafficking, arms smuggling, piracy, poaching, illegal human migration and misuse of cyberspace for terrorist activities.
The ministers approved the Convention against Trafficking in Persons, the BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Drug Control, and a memorandum of understanding on capacity building to combat money laundering and terror financing. The trafficking convention aims to strengthen cooperation in preventing trafficking, criminalising the offence, and protecting and rehabilitating victims.
The drug control plan focusses on combating the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals. The memorandum provides for an exchange of best practices and cooperation in financial crimes, financial intelligence, investigations, asset recovery, anti-money laundering measures, countering the financing of terrorism and countering proliferation financing.
The grouping also approved the BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Illicit Financial Flows and Their Prevention, and a plan to improve preparedness and coordination for natural disasters in the Bay of Bengal region through regional risk planning, joint exercises, early warning systems, disaster mapping, training centres, information sharing, research, technological innovation and tsunami risk reduction.
Security agencies seized suspected drone-dropped explosives and weapons near Rawla and arrested two Punjab residents. The operation has intensified scrutiny of alleged cross-border drone smuggling along the India-Pakistan border.
Pakistan-linked drone consignment with explosives, pistols and 600 cartridges seized in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar.
Security agencies have recovered 7.7 kg of plastic explosives, two pistols and 600 cartridges from a suspected drone-dropped consignment near the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district. Two men from Punjab have been arrested in connection with the seizure, officials said.
The recovery was made from a field in the 12 KND area near Rawla, where three packets containing explosives and weapons were allegedly dropped by a drone from Pakistan.
The seized consignment included two pistols, 600 cartridges, four magazines, a remote control, two devices described locally as “Kepler” and four batteries, in addition to the plastic explosives.
EXPLOSIVES PACKED IN IED FORM
Investigators found that the consignment also contained black RDX in an improvised explosive device (IED) configuration, according to the information available. The device could reportedly be activated by connecting a wire, raising concerns about the potential threat posed by the explosives.
A special bomb disposal squad has been called from Jaipur to handle the explosives. The material will be defused after the team arrives, officials said.
TWO PUNJAB RESIDENTS ARRESTED
The arrested men have been identified as Lakhwinder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, both residents of Punjab. They were allegedly staying in Rawla Mandi while posing as labourers and had arrived to collect the packets dropped near the border.
Investigators are also searching for two men who allegedly brought the suspects to Rawla on a motorcycle before they went to collect the consignment.
One of the arrested men is suspected to have been involved in a grenade blast in Punjab, according to the preliminary information. Further details about the alleged incident and the role of the two men were not immediately available.
Neha Bora, the young face of the anti-CEC protests, said the agitation, in collaboration with opposition parties, aims to protect democracy and will continue until Gyanesh Kumar is removed from office and the SIR exercise is halted completely.
Neha Bora said the protests will continue until CEC Gyanesh Kumar is ousted.
All India Students Association (AISA) president, Neha Bora, who has become the face of youth protest against the Chief Election Commissioner, said on Tuesday that the BJP has brought together all its critics, repeatedly labelling them “anti-national”, “Dimagi Naxals” and members of the “tukde-tukde gang”, arguing that these labels have united people across political and social groups.
In an interview with India Today TV, Bora said the protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had brought students, opposition parties and ordinary citizens together over concerns about democracy and citizens’ voting rights.
“When I say, ‘we the people versus the BJP’, this ‘we the people’ has actually been consolidated by the BJP,” Bora said, referring to the labels used against critics of the government.
She said people had been described at different times as “anti-national”, “Dimagi Naxals”, “andolanjivis”, members of the “tukde-tukde gang” and the “Khan Market gang”.
“All of these labels that the BJP has handed out to the common people from time to time, we are all united by the fact that we have been labelled by the BJP. And in one way, we are united because of the BJP,” she said.
Bora argued that these labels had brought together people who might otherwise not have been united, adding that the perceived threat to democratic rights had become a common concern.
“If there weren’t such a big threat to our very existence, to the very existence of Indian democracy, maybe we would not be united. But it’s thanks to the BJP that we are united,” she added.
‘WE THE PEOPLE VERSUS BJP’
Neha Bora’s remarks came amid protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR exercise, with opposition parties and student groups calling for joined and sustained agitation.
Asked whether the protests represented a united movement or separate efforts by different organisations, Bora said the demonstrations were part of a common fight.
“From yesterday’s rally and today’s press conference also, it is very clear that this fight is one fight. And this fight is also against one enemy. And that enemy is that of India. That enemy is that of democracy,” she said.
She described the movement as a fight to protect the principle of universal adult franchise and the ability of citizens to participate in a democratic system.
Bora also defended the participation of students and activists in the agitation, arguing that their role in national politics should not be measured solely by their association with major political parties.
‘WHY DON’T YOU LISTEN TO ELECTION COMMISSIONERS?’
Responding to the BJP’s argument that allegations of vote theft are raised by opposition parties after losing elections, Bora questioned why the concerns raised by two Election Commissioners appointed by the BJP were not being addressed. The Opposition renewed its protests after an Indian Express report claimed that the two Election Commissioners had dissented on multiple occasions over decisions related to the SIR exercise.
Bora referred to emails allegedly sent by Election Commissioners to the Chief Election Commissioner and other officials, claiming that decisions were being taken unilaterally and that some decisions were being deferred.
“It’s very funny that they are accusing the opposition or student activists like us, when the people who are talking about ‘vote chori’ and based on whose testimony there are wide protests in the entire country, are people who were appointed by the BJP, the Election Commissioners, along with Gyanesh Kumar,” she said.
Bora alleged that the communications raised questions about how decisions were being taken within the Election Commission.
“You might not, I mean, the BJP might have a problem listening to the opposition party because the BJP sees them as political rivals, or the students of this country, because they see the students as political rivals,” she said.
She added, “The fact of the matter is you don’t listen to us. Why don’t you listen to the very Election Commissioners that you appointed?”
‘REPRESSION MEETS ANGER AND MOBILISATION’
Bora also defended the scale of the protests, arguing that the continued participation of demonstrators despite alleged police action showed that the agitation had struck a chord beyond student groups.
Asked whether the campaign against the SIR exercise would have the same public resonance as the earlier student movement against examination irregularities, she pointed to the turnout at protests and videos showing demonstrators allegedly being assaulted.
“When repression starts to meet anger and mobilisation, that’s when the state should truly be afraid,” she argued.
The AISA chief further said that the movement had expanded from demands linked to examination irregularities and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to broader concerns about voting rights.
“And that is why there is large-scale resonance, not just among young people, but everybody in this country,” Bora said.
She also maintained that the right to vote was central to citizens’ participation in governance, from local bodies to Parliament, and alleged that irregularities in the electoral process could undermine that participation.
ON AISA’S ROLE IN THE PROTEST
Asked whether the visibility she had gained through the protests could lead her to join a larger political party such as the Congress, Bora said she intended to remain associated with the CPI(ML) Liberation.
She rejected the suggestion that mainstream politics was defined exclusively by established national parties, arguing that student leaders and ordinary citizens leading movements were also shaping national political discourse.
“Their job is not to switch sides, but to make the side that they stand with stronger,” she said.
Bora also defended the relationship between AISA and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), saying there was room for different organisations to work towards a common cause.
“If 500 more Cockroach Janata Parties also come about and thousand other organisations like AISA come about, there will still be space for people to come out, take leadership and save democracy,” she said.
The Mamata All India Trinamool Congress said the woman is a civic volunteer and a drug addict.
The police made no mention of an attack or a sharp object and said the woman has been detained.
A woman tried to attack Mamata Banerjee with a knife as the former West Bengal chief minister stepped out of her house in Kolkata on Tuesday evening, the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress has alleged.
The police, however, made no mention of an attack or a sharp object and said the woman has been detained.
In her police complaint, party general secretary Dola Sen said the woman, whom she identified as Tannishtha Saha, is a civic volunteer and claimed to be Banerjee’s niece. When the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress chief left her house in Kalighat at 6 pm, Saha let loose a volley of obscenities and tried to attack her.
Civic volunteers are contractual personnel engaged by the West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police to assist with traffic management, crowd control, and public safety duties.
The Mamata Banerjee faction of the Trinamool Congress claimed Saha was a drug addict. It questioned how someone could approach the residence of a Z-plus protectee and hinted at a conspiracy.
“She was hurling abusive languages (sic) and in an intoxicated manner tried to violently approach Smt. Mamata Banerjee and even lied down (sic) on the road to hurt the Hon’ble 8th Chief Minister of West Bengal,” Sen said in her complaint.
Posting a copy of the complaint, party spokesperson Saket Gokhale wrote on X, “A drug addict reached Mamata Banerjee’s residence today and tried to attack her with a knife. This is the condition in Bengal where even a Z+ protectee & 3-time CM is not safe. Was this a planned conspiracy by BJP because Didi is determined to finish them off in Delhi?”
Hours later, the police identified the woman as 38-year-old Anusua Saha, termed the incident an “altercation”, and said she has been detained.
“An incident occurred at the residence of the former chief minister when she was exiting the residence. One Anusua Saha confronted her, leading to a heated altercation. The woman was subsequently detained by the police personnel on duty. Meanwhile, a complaint was lodged by TMC members. Necessary action is being taken as per law,” the police said in a statement.
Earlier Attacks
Members of the Mamata Banerjee faction of the TMC have been attacked several times since the party lost power in West Bengal in May, after three successive terms, and also saw splits both at the state and national levels.
President Droupadi Murmu has appointed four new Governors for Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Odisha and Sikkim. Om Prakash Mathur has been moved to Kerala, while Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar will take charge in Tamil Nadu as part of a reshuffle involving six states.
President Droupadi Murmu Appoints Four New Governors In Six-State Reshuffle; Om Prakash Mathur Gets Kerala, Rajendra Arlekar Tamil Nadu | X
President Droupadi Murmu has appointed four new Governors to the States, naming Sudha Yadav as Karnataka Governor, Dhal Singh Bisen as Uttarakhand Governor, Braj Mohan Ram as Odisha Governor and Dushyant Gautam as Sikkim Governor, according to a statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday.
The President of India appoints six Governors across various States.
🔹 Shri Om Prakash Mathur — Governor of Kerala
🔹 Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar — Governor of Tamil Nadu
🔹 Shri Braj Mohan Ram — Governor of Odisha
🔹 Dr. Sudha Yadav — Governor of Karnataka
🔹 Dr. Dhal Singh Bisen — Governor of Uttarakhand
🔹 Shri Dushyant Gautam — Governor of Sikkim
— Central Secretariat Service Forum (@CSSforum_) October 12, 2026
Om Prakash Mathur, who was serving as the Governor of Sikkim, has been appointed Governor of Keralam, while Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the incumbent Governor of Keralam, has been appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu.
Sudha Yadav appointed Karnataka Governor
Heartiest congratulations to Dr Sudha Yadav avaru on her appointment as the Governor of Karnataka by the Hon’ble President of India. I warmly welcome her to Karnataka.
With her political experience and strong academic background, I hope her tenure will further strengthen the state’s constitutional values and contribute to Karnataka’s all-round development.
I wish her a successful tenure and look forward to her guidance in the service of the people of Karnataka.
@drsudhayadavBJP 🙏
— ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ.ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ | HD Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) October 12, 2026
Sudha Yadav, appointed Governor of Karnataka, is a former Lok Sabha MP from Mahendragarh in Haryana and a member of the BJP Parliamentary Board. She holds an MSc and a PhD in Chemistry from IIT Roorkee and served as a member of the National Commission for Backward Classes from 2019 to 2022.
She is a Yadav OBC leader from Haryana. Yadav entered electoral politics following the death of her husband, Sukhbir Singh Yadav, a BSF Deputy Commandant who was martyred during the Kargil War. She subsequently represented Mahendragarh in the Lok Sabha and held organisational responsibilities within the BJP.
Dhal Singh Bisen’s political career
आदरणीय डॉ. ढाल सिंह बिसेन जी को देवभूमि उत्तराखण्ड के राज्यपाल नियुक्त होने पर हार्दिक बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएं।
मध्य प्रदेश सरकार में पूर्व कैबिनेट मंत्री, पूर्व सांसद एवं भारतीय जनता पार्टी के वरिष्ठ नेता के रूप में आपका दीर्घ राजनीतिक अनुभव, जनसेवा के प्रति समर्पण एवं सार्वजनिक जीवन में योगदान उल्लेखनीय रहा है।
माँ गंगा एवं बाबा केदार से आपके सफल, यशस्वी एवं मंगलमय कार्यकाल की कामना करता हूँ।
Dhal Singh Bisen, appointed Governor of Uttarakhand, is a former Lok Sabha MP from Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh. He has served as an MLA and a Cabinet Minister in the Madhya Pradesh government, handling portfolios including School Education, Forest, Transport and Mines. He has also chaired the Madhya Pradesh Fourth State Finance Commission.
An Ayurveda practitioner by profession, Bisen has expressed an interest in Indian systems of medicine and their relationship with modern medical practices. He is an OBC (Bhoyar Pawar) leader.
Braj Mohan Ram appointed Odisha Governor
Heartiest congratulations to Shri Braj Mohan Ram Ji on his appointment as the Hon’ble Governor of Odisha.
I look forward to his guidance and support in our collective efforts towards building a prosperous, inclusive and developed Odisha. May his tenure further strengthen the spirit of service and the aspirations of our people.
My best wishes for a successful and fulfilling tenure.
Braj Mohan Ram, a Dalit leader from the Dhobi community, was appointed as the Governor of Odisha. He is a former parliamentarian from Jharkhand who represented Palamu in the Lok Sabha for three consecutive terms, winning elections in 1996, 1998 and 1999. He also served as an MLA in undivided Bihar.
His public and organisational work has included involvement with the Scheduled Caste Morcha and Dhobi Mahasangh. He has also been associated with efforts to establish educational institutions in Chandwa.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged steel producers to cut emissions, expand domestic specialty steel production and reduce import dependence. Speaking at the World Steel Association General Assembly, she highlighted the Rs 6,300-crore PLI scheme, rising domestic demand and the need for cleaner technologies and stronger global cooperation on excess capacity.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman calls for cleaner steel production, greater domestic manufacturing and reduced reliance on specialised imports | X – @nsitharamanoffc
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday urged domestic steel producers to focus on decarbonisation and boosting domestic production of specialty steel to reduce dependence on imports.
Addressing the World Steel Association General Assembly here, the Finance Minister mentioned that the government has introduced the PLI scheme for specialty steel, with an approved outlay of Rs 6,300 crore.
The scheme encourages investment in domestic manufacturing and technology upgradation, helping India produce more of the specialised steel that its economy needs.
Watch: Smt @nsitharaman’s address during the World Steel Association General Assembly in New Delhi.
“While much of the global industry is grappling with excess capacity and weak demand, India is experiencing a different trajectory, driven by domestic consumption and sustained investment,” she said.
“For two successive years, consumption has exceeded production, underscoring the strength of the domestic market, and the potential for further growth remains substantial,” the Finance Minister said.
Domestic Steel Demand Has Room to Grow
At approximately 109 kg per person, against the world average of 209 kg, India’s steel consumption has considerable room to rise, she said.
Demand for steel is driven by the government’s sustained public capital investment programme. Union government capital expenditure has risen sixfold, from approximately Rs 2 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs 12.2 lakh crore in FY27.
With construction and infrastructure accounting for about two-thirds of India’s steel use, this investment directly translates into demand for the metal, she said, adding that public investment gives the industry a sustained domestic market and the confidence to invest in capacity and modernisation.
Five Priorities for the Steel Industry
She outlined five priorities for the steel industry, including reducing production’s energy and carbon intensity while expanding capacity to meet India’s development needs.
Sitharaman said greater domestic production of specialty and high-grade steel would support strategic industries and reduce dependence on specialised imports.
She also stressed the need to pursue decarbonisation at a pace consistent with India’s development priorities, requiring credible emissions measurement, technology development and a fair sharing of transition costs.
Call for Multilateral Action on Steel Trade
On global trade, the Finance Minister said successive unilateral tariffs merely redirect surplus steel from one market to another.
A lasting solution to global excess capacity requires multilateral disciplines on subsidies that sustain uneconomic production, backed by transparent data, she said.
For India, Sitharaman said, the task is to build capacity for its own development at lower carbon intensity and regain the leadership in specialty metallurgy that the country possessed in ancient times.
She emphasised that, for World Steel Association members, India offers the fastest-growing major steel market, with a public investment programme and a green steel framework already in place.
A suspected IED blast rocked the Krishna Ghati sector near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Monday, with casualties reported but the toll unknown. Security forces heightened vigilance following the explosion. Separately, the Army detected and destroyed two rusted landmines in Mendhar, where around a dozen mines have been defused in the past week.
A suspected improvised explosive device (IED) explosion rocked a forward village along the Line of Control (LoC) in Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Monday, triggering heightened security measures, officials said.
The powerful blast reportedly occurred in Satwal-Naki area near the zero line, during the movement of a group of people along the Pakistan side of the LoC, officials said.
They said casualties were reported, but the exact number of people killed or injured was not known immediately.
It is also unclear whether the group comprised suspected terrorists attempting to cross the LoC, or Pakistan security personnel patrolling the area, officials said, adding the circumstances leading to the explosion are yet to be established.
Following the explosion, security forces sounded an alert across the sector and intensified vigilance along the LoC to assess the situation and prevent any possible security breach, officials said.
In a separate development, Indian Army troops on Monday detected two rusted landmines near the border fence in Basoni area of Mendhar sector.
A flood of farmers led by Mahendra Singh Tikait in 1988 and the security concerns following the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 pushed the Congress government to restrict mass protests at New Delhi’s iconic Boat Club lawns. In 1993, Jantar Mantar emerged as the capital’s new square for dissent. Nearly 33 years later, the BJP-led Centre has redrawn Delhi’s protest map.
Farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait’s 1988 protest at the Boat Club Lawns witnessed nearly five lakh protesters. (Image: India Today Group)
The lawns near India Gate once hosted some of independent India’s biggest protests, until a massive protest by farmers in 1988 and the post-Babri security climate prompted the Congress government to restrict gatherings there. Jantar Mantar became the new square for dissent. Now, the Bharatiya Janata Paty (BJP)-led Centre has redrawn Delhi’s protest map again after nearly 33 years.
For decades after Independence, it was the Boat Club lawns in the heart of New Delhi where India’s discontent came face to face with politicos. From political rallies to farmers’ agitations, the mass stretch along what was then Rajpath offered space for lakhs of people within sight of the country’s most powerful institutions.
But that proximity, once the source of its political symbolism, eventually became its biggest liability. The lawns near India Gate, Parliament and the government’s administrative nerve centre began to be viewed as a security and crowd-control challenge.
The 1988 mass protest by farmers led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Mahendra Singh Tikait and the 1993 Babri Masjid protests made Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao’s Congress government prohibit large gatherings at the Boat Club, pushing Delhi’s protest culture towards the narrower, more manageable stretch of Jantar Mantar.
Now, that history has acquired renewed relevance this time by the BJP. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi-led Centre, has denotified Jantar Mantar as Delhi’s designated protest site, shifting the permitted venues to Ramlila Maidan, Burari and the CBD grounds. The decision has now redrawn the geography of dissent in the national capital.
The journey from Boat Club to Jantar Mantar, and now to the newly designated grounds, is a reminder that the protests in the capital have always had a state trying to the limits of public assembly.
WHEN BOAT CLUB AS DESIGNATED PROTEST SITE BECAME TOO BIG TO CONTROL
Before Jantar Mantar became synonymous with demonstrations, the Boat Club lawns were Delhi’s principal protest square. Their expansive grounds allowed large crowds to assemble, while their location placed protesters within sight of Parliament and the executive establishment.
The site’s defining moment came in October 1988, when BKU leader Mahendra Singh Tikait led a massive farmers’ mobilisation in the capital. According to a report in The Indian Express estimated the gathering at around five lakh people. Farmers arrived with tractors, bullock carts, cattle, charpoys and cooking arrangements, transforming central Delhi into an encampment. Tikait was considered the most powerful Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh.
Their demands included higher sugarcane prices and relief on electricity and water dues. The agitation, which lasted several days, disrupted traffic and brought the machinery of the government face to face with an unusually large rural mobilisation. Then the Rajiv Gandhi-led government was confronted with a movement whose scale made it difficult to ignore.
The episode demonstrated the political power of a mass occupation, but it also exposed the administrative challenges of allowing prolonged gatherings in a sensitive area. Om Prakash Mishra, a former IPS officer who served in the Delhi Police, told The Hindu that the Boat Club lawns offered room for both protesters and police to manoeuvre, including space for retreat in the event of police action. Yet the scale of the Tikait agitation raised concerns about the disruption that such gatherings could cause around the capital’s power centres.
THE 1993 BABRI AGITATION: THE YEAR WHEN CAPITAL’S PROTEST MAP CHANGED
The 1988 occupation did not immediately end the Boat Club’s role as a protest venue. Political rallies continued there, including demonstrations against price rises. But the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid movement and the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992 intensified security anxieties in the capital.
In February 1993, the PV Narasimha Rao government moved to prevent large gatherings at the Boat Club, with authorities citing security and public-order concerns. The traditional protest ground was effectively closed to the kind of mass mobilisation it had witnessed for decades.
In 1993, after the Babri issue, the BJP had a rally scheduled. According to the New York Times, more than 1 lakh troops, policemen and paramilitary troops were deployed to form a human wall to prevent protesters from reaching the Boat Club ahead of the rally.
Jantar Mantar emerged as the alternative. Then PM Rao did not issue a formal ordinance or an official declaration naming it Delhi’s designated protest site. Instead, the shift took shape through police and administrative practice. From around 1993, Jantar Mantar Road became the principal permitted venue for demonstrations in central Delhi, with larger gatherings often directed elsewhere.
The location offered a compromise. It remained relatively close to Parliament and the government’s offices, keeping protesters within reach of the political establishment. But its narrower stretch and limited entry and exit points made crowds easier to contain and regulate than the vast Boat Club lawns.
Over time, Jantar Mantar acquired the identity of Delhi’s dissent square. Protesters travelled from across the country to demand justice, press for policy changes and draw attention to grievances that had gone unheard. Many demonstrations at Jantar Mantar faded without much notice, but some became defining moments in the country’s political life.
Old Monk’s manufacturer told the Bombay High Court that Maharashtra’s sales bar has caused losses beyond Rs 500 crore in a dispute over labelling. The case now turns on whether the FSSAI will accept revised labels or insist the product be described as rum-like.
FSSAI refuses to budge on ‘rum-like’ label, company flags Rs 500 crore loss. ( AI Image)
Old Monk has claimed losses exceeding Rs 500 crore after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) refused to allow sales of the popular rum in Maharashtra unless its manufacturer changes the product label to describe it as “rum-like” instead of “rum”.
The dispute came up before the Bombay High Court on Monday, where Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the FSSAI, said the regulator would permit sales only if the manufacturer agreed to the proposed labelling change.
Advocate Venkatesh Dhond, representing Mohan Rocky Springwater Pvt Ltd, the manufacturer of Old Monk, told the court that the restriction on sales from its unit in Thane district had resulted in corporate losses of more than Rs 500 crore. He added that the excise department had lost around Rs 350 crore in revenue, while approximately 300 workers were left idle.
Dhond also pointed out that the product continued to be sold in other states, while its sale remained prohibited in Maharashtra.
The manufacturer is challenging the FSSAI’s prohibition order. In earlier hearings, the High Court had declined to grant an immediate interim stay on the ban. In an attempt to resolve the dispute, the company had agreed to submit revised draft labels that removed the contested age descriptors and prominently disclosed the presence of “added flavour”.
However, the revised labels were not approved by the regulator, and discussions between the two sides failed to resolve the impasse. The company subsequently requested the bench of Chief Justice MC Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna to hear the matter on merits. The court agreed to take up the case for final hearing on October 23.
The Karnataka High Court has struck down the state’s 2022 increase in SC and ST reservation. The ruling revives the 50 per cent quota ceiling debate as the government weighs an appeal.
Image used for representational purposes only
The Karnataka High Court on Monday struck down provisions of a 2022 state law that raised reservation for Scheduled Castes from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for Scheduled Tribes from 3 per cent to 7 per cent, saying the increase breached the 50 per cent ceiling on quotas. The court said the changes took the total reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes from 50 per cent to 56 per cent.
A bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K S Hemalekha held that Section 3 of the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Act, 2022, violated Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution. It also struck down Section 4, which provided for enhanced reservation for SCs and STs in state government services, as unconstitutional for violating Articles 14 and 16.
The bench said, “Section 3 of the Act, insofar as it takes the aggregate reservation beyond the ceiling of 50 percent, is struck down as it violates Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution.” The 50 per cent ceiling was laid down by the Supreme Court in the 1992 Indra Sawhney versus Union of India case and has since been upheld in several decisions.
The verdict came on two petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the law. One petition was filed by Mahendra Kumar Mitra, state president of the Dr Ambedkar Scheduled Castes Federation. The other was filed by Sagar H R, Prajwal Kumar D and Purushotham Gowda G M, civil engineering graduates who had applied for appointment as Assistant Engineer (Civil) in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.
The Act was passed during the BJP government led by then chief minister Basavaraj Bommai. It received the governor’s assent on January 11, 2023, and was published in the Karnataka Gazette a day later. The legislation followed recommendations and reports on the representation of SCs and STs, including those linked to the Justice (Retd) Nagamohan Das Commission and the committee headed by former high court judge Justice Subhash B Adi.
Reacting to the ruling, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said the judgment was a serious development with far-reaching implications for social justice, educational opportunities and public employment in Karnataka. He said, “We respect the judiciary and the constitutional framework within which it operates. At the same time, this judgment raises fundamental questions about the political responsibility of the previous BJP government and the continued inaction of the BJP-led Union government.”
IMF Raises India’s Growth Estimate: India remains the world’s fastest-growing major economy at 7.0% for both 2026 and 2027.
India’s GDP growth for 2027-28 is projected at 7%, up from the July estimate of 6.7%.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised India’s GDP growth forecast to 7 per cent for 2026-27, up from 6.4 per cent in July. The revision in estimate comes on the back of a “stronger-than-expected momentum, supported by resilient domestic demand and robust services activity”. This comes just a week after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hiked its GDP growth estimate to 7.1 per cent for this year.
“India stands out with upward revisions, reflecting sustained momentum and growing evidence of stronger growth potential supported by favourable demographic dynamics, a large and expanding domestic market, and continued structural reforms,” the IMF said in an update to its flagship World Economic Outlook report.
GDP growth for 2027-28 is also projected at 7 per cent, up from the July estimate of 6.7 per cent. Significantly, the upward revision in India’s growth forecast comes despite geopolitical uncertainties such as the US-Iran war and the Russia-Ukraine war, both of which have implications for an energy-dependent country like India. “India’s growth remained robust, underpinned by domestic demand and services, despite higher oil prices,” the multilateral agency added.
According to the IMF’s forecasts, the average price of crude oil — across Brent, Dubai Fateh, and West Texas Intermediate — will be $95.74 per barrel in 2026, up 41 per cent from 2025. In 2027, the oil price is assumed to decline around 9 per cent to $87.39.
India To Be World’s Growth Engine
It is worth mentioning that India’s growth will remain the world’s driver as the sharply higher growth forecast for the country is in contrast to the global economy. In 2026, the IMF sees the world growing by 3.1 per cent, only slightly higher than 3 per cent in July. Meanwhile, global growth in 2027 is seen unchanged at 3.4 per cent.
Last month, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and other global agencies like S&P and Fitch also raised India’s FY27 GDP growth projection to around 7 per cent. This was prompted by robust June quarter economic activity and resilient domestic demand despite the Middle East conflict.
A joint petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several opposition leaders against alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has 14 “errors”, the Supreme Court said, including a shortfall of Rs 220 in court fees.
A joint petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several opposition leaders against alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has 14 “defects”, the Supreme Court said, including a shortfall of Rs 220 in court fees.
Other errors cited by the Supreme Court are missing authorisations from nine petitioners and an illegible photocopy of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s identity card.
Rahul Gandhi’s petition was filed today as thousands of people gathered in central Delhi and marched to the Supreme Court to challenge Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of electoral irregularities. While the INDIA bloc leaders marched, their legal team filed a petition against the poll panel chief over alleged “vote chori” (vote theft).
Among the objections listed by the registry were the failure to attach certain “vakalatnamas” (written legal documents), a requirement to submit a clear copy of the identity card of Mallikarjun Kharge, and other discrepancies, including “small fonts” and the non-submission of “coloured copies” for two particular documents. The Supreme Court registry also noted problems involving dim or illegible text, missing pages, vernacular pages and discrepancies in numbering of certain pages.
The petition was filed by Gandhi, Kharge, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, D Raja, Mahua Majhi of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, MA Baby and Indian Union Muslim League leader ET Mohammed Basheer.
The petition names the Election Commission of India (ECI), poll body chief Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as respondents.
The petitioners will now have to address the “defects” for it to be listed for hearing in the top court.
What The Petition Says
The petition demands ten forms of relief regarding the SIR and other decisions taken by the Election Commission. NDTV accessed the details of the petition which has been listed as ‘Rahul Gandhi v. Election Commission of India’ on the Supreme Court website.
The ten INDIA Bloc demands in the petition are a directive to produce all records related to the SIR, examination of the constitutional validity of SIR decisions, action against responsible officials, redressal of the petitioner’s grievances, and a demand for an audit by an independent committee, among others.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Imran Pratapgarhi and Deepender Singh Hooda, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and others INDIA bloc leaders proceed in a bus towards the Supreme Court to file a petition against Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged poll irregularities during ‘March for Democracy’, in New Delhi, Monday. Photo Credit: PTI
While the Leader of Opposition reached the Supreme Court in the evening, an hour or two earlier, the Congress legal team filed a petition at the top court, demanding ten forms of relief.
Monday’s march brought together a large number of Opposition leaders and supporters, who gathered in central Delhi before proceeding towards the Supreme Court. The Opposition’s decision to approach the Supreme Court followed an unsuccessful attempt to secure a meeting with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
Three more Kalvari class submarines will be constructed at MDL with French Naval Group support to arrest declining force levels end-2030.
INS Vaghsheer, the sixth of Kalvari (Scorpene) class, launched from MDL on April 20, 2022.
In order to maintain the force levels of diesel-attack submarines, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put the proposal to build three additional Kalvari class (evolved Scorpene class) submarines at Mazagon Dockyards Limited with support of French Naval Group on the front-burner.
The estimated cost for construction will be around ₹33000 crore and a modified proposal is being put up before Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
With Pakistan expected to acquire eight Type 039 Yuan class submarines, equipped with air independent propulsion (AIP), by 2028-2030, the Indian Navy domination of the Indian Ocean Region will be challenged by both its western neighbor and its backer China. This is because the Indian Navy’s Shishukumar (HDW) and Sindhughosh (Kilo class) are heading towards the end of their shelf life and the submarine force levels will decline by the end of this decade.
While India already has six Kalvari class submarines in its arsenal, the decision to construct three more of its class was put on backburner as national security planners were putting Project 75 (I) or submarines with AIP on a priority as part of their long term vision.
Even though the Kalvari class was approved in 2004, the newly evolved Kalvari or Scorpene class will have NATO standard torpedoes, incorporate heavy weight torpedoes developed by DRDO and will have 800 km range SCALP submarine launched missiles. Not only will the new order revive submarine building in MDL but also upgrade the technical skills of shipyards engineers and workers. The additional three submarines at present will be powered by Lead Acid Batteries (LAB) but can be replaced by Lithium Ion Batteries (LIB) during upgrade. The LIB are far more efficient than LAB and will pose a serious threat to AIP submarines of Pakistan in terms of speed and stealth.
What is more significant is that after building the upgraded Kalveri class, India will be able to lease out submarines to friendly countries like Indonesia or even construct for them under 100 per cent TOT transfer from Naval Group. Another reason for the revival of the Project 75 proposal is the fact that the Project 75 (I) has been delayed due to validation of AIP developed by the DRDO even though Germany’s TKMS is ready to provide the AIP for the Project 75 (I) class submarines.
Police said two youngsters who were in the car at the time of the accident have been arrested and charged with abetting.
Mini Cooper crash in Kochi killed 3 on Sunday. (HT Photo)
The Keralam police arrested two more persons on Monday in connection with the Mini Cooper car crash case, while the family of one of the victims demanded that murder charges be invoked against 19-year-old Suhail Sajeev, who drove the luxury car that rammed into a scooter and killed three persons.
In the early hours of October 11, a speeding black Mini Cooper, driven by Suhail, rammed into the back of a scooter while navigating a curve on the road leading to the Cochin International Airport near Nedumbassery. Suhail, who the police confirmed was drunk at the time, was apprehended by locals and handed over to the police. Iyas, Devika and Gopika, all in their early 20s, travelling on the scooter, succumbed to injuries at nearby hospitals.
Two absconding boys nabbed
Officials at the Nedumbassery police station, where the FIR was registered, said two youngsters who were in the car at the time of the accident have been arrested and charged with abetting. They had escaped from the scene of the car crash following the incident and were apprehended from Alappuzha district.
Earlier, Suhail and his friend Ninav had been arrested by the police and produced before a magistrate who remanded them to the Borstal school in Thrikkakara where remand prisoners between 18 and 21 are lodged. Suhail has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Police are likely to file an application in court demanding their custody for questioning.
‘Drank at 3 bars, drove at 120 km/hr’
Police have found that Suhail and his friends had visited at least three bars in Kochi on October 10 and consumed alcohol before going to the airport to pick up their friend. The Mini Cooper, that Suhail was driving, was speeding at 120 km/hr at the time of the crash, officials have found.
Delhi Police has identified three alternatives – Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi.
Ramlila Maidan has a history of hosting public agitations, such as this one in 2014. (HT Archive)
With Jantar Mantar de-notified as a designated protest site, Delhi Police has identified three alternatives – Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi. But the venues come with their own challenges, from distance to the national seat of power, to booking costs, a lack of shade and competition for space during the festive season.
While Ramlila Maidan is the closest to central Delhi, it is a paid venue that is already in demand for seasonal events. CBD Ground is surrounded by residential and commercial developments, while Burari Ground lies on the outskirts of the Capital, raising questions about whether demonstrations there can attract the same public and political attention as those held at Jantar Mantar.
Author and city chronicler Sohail Hashmi said the shift from the Boat Club lawns near India Gate to Jantar Mantar was itself questionable, and moving protests even farther from the seat of power would make it harder for citizens to be heard.
“It was an open space for people to gather and present their demand to government… Tens of thousands of people could assemble near the seat of power. In Washington, people can gather right outside Capitol Hill. Why should we be moving people away?” he said.
Ramlila Maidan: Closest, but costly
Located around 4km from Jantar Mantar, Ramlila Maidan is the closest of the three designated venues to Lutyens’ Delhi and has a long history of hosting political rallies and public agitations. But access there comes at a cost, and its availability will be severely limited during the festive season.
A senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official said booking the 12-acre venue costs ₹50,000 a day, along with a refundable security deposit of ₹55,000. Applicants must also obtain a no-objection certificate from the Delhi Traffic Police.
“Half of the Ramlila Maidan is being used for parking space for heavy vehicles and the remaining half is open for booking. We do not offer a small section or parts of Ramlila Ground to be booked. People can only book the entire section,” the official said.
The requirement to book ir could prove a hurdle for smaller groups that do not need such a large space. Unlike the tree-lined stretch at Jantar Mantar, the open maidan also offers little shade, potentially making prolonged demonstrations difficult in hot weather.
The venue is already in demand: MCD data shows it was booked 27 times between January 2024 and September 2026. With preparations under way for Ramlila performances and fairs, finding an available slot could become more difficult during the festive season.
CBD Ground: Congestion all around
Spread over 12 acres, CBD Ground in Shahdara is maintained by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). A famous venue for weddings and other large events, it sits amid densely residential and commercial areas, raising concerns about traffic management and the impact of demonstrations on nearby neighbourhoods.
BS Vohra, who heads the East Delhi RWA Joint Front, said the ground was unsuitable for protests because of the surrounding buildings and the potential disruption to local traffic. “How can a protest site be made in such an area? There is a hotel and two malls nearby, dozens of wedding venues and so many residential enclaves. There is some open area in the middle, but how can protests be held there? Even now, you’d find Ramlila and wedding tents in the ground,” he said.
Vohra added that protests often require barricades and traffic restrictions, which would be impossible to implement in such a densely populated area.
A DDA official said CBD Ground was also a paid booking facility. “We will wait for Delhi Police to clarify how protests can be carried out and whether there will be free areas,” the official said.
The IMF attributes improved outlook to resilient domestic demand and robust services activity, despite higher energy costs and disruptions in the global economy.
The IMF attributed the improved outlook to resilient domestic demand and robust services activity, which have helped India sustain economic expansion despite higher energy costs and disruptions in the global economy.
India’s economy is projected to grow 7% in the year 2026, up from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) earlier estimate of 6.4%, as resilient domestic demand and strong services activity continue to support growth despite elevated oil prices and geopolitical uncertainties.
In its October World Economic Outlook (WEO), the IMF also raised India’s growth forecast for 2027 to 7% from 6.7% projected earlier, signalling that the country’s economic momentum could remain strong over the next two financial years.
The IMF (International Monetary Fund) projects India’s GDP growth at 7.0% for 2026 and 2027.
IMF also says, “The global economy remains resilient, but that resilience is becoming more fragile and more uneven. Growth is projected at 3.1% in 2026 and 3.4% in 2027, while inflation is expected to reach 4.7%, driven largely by higher energy and food prices.”
The upward revision follows stronger-than-expected economic performance in the first quarter of FY27, when India’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 7.8% year-on-year. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also raised its GDP growth forecast for FY27 to 7.1% from 6.7% earlier.
India continues to stand out among major economies at a time when the global growth outlook remains uneven, with rising energy costs, geopolitical tensions and trade-related uncertainties weighing on several countries.
Why IMF Has Raised India’s Growth Forecast
The IMF attributed the improved outlook to resilient domestic demand and robust services activity, which have helped India sustain economic expansion despite higher energy costs and disruptions in the global economy.
Favourable demographic trends, a large and expanding domestic market, and continued structural reforms are also expected to support India’s medium-term growth potential.
The latest revision reflects the stronger-than-anticipated performance of the Indian economy and follows upward adjustments to growth projections by other institutions.
According to the IMF’s projections, India’s economy expanded 7.8% in FY26. Growth is expected to moderate to 7% in FY27 before remaining at the same level in FY28.
However, higher crude oil prices remain a key risk for the economy, given India’s dependence on imported energy. A sustained increase in oil prices could push up domestic inflation, widen the current account deficit and increase pressure on the rupee.
IMF Global Growth Outlook: World Economy To Grow 3.1% In 2026
The IMF expects global economic growth to slow from 3.5% in 2025 to 3.1% in 2026, before improving to 3.4% in 2027.
IMF said, “The global economy remains resilient, but that resilience is becoming more fragile and more uneven. Growth is projected at 3.1% in 2026 and 3.4% in 2027, while inflation is expected to reach 4.7%, driven largely by higher energy and food prices.”
The outlook highlights diverging growth trajectories across economies, depending on their exposure to higher energy prices and their ability to benefit from the global technology upturn.
China’s economic growth is projected to slow to 4.5% in 2026 from 5% in 2025, before easing further to 4% in 2027. Higher oil prices, weak domestic demand and persistent structural challenges are expected to weigh on the Chinese economy.
The relative resilience of India’s growth outlook is particularly notable as several emerging economies that depend heavily on energy imports face pressure from rising commodity prices.
The IMF has warned that further disruptions to oil supplies, renewed trade tensions and tighter financial conditions could pose risks to the global economic outlook.
Inflation To Rise To 5% In FY27: IMF
Despite the stronger growth outlook, the IMF expects inflationary pressures in India to increase during the current financial year.
India’s consumer price inflation is projected to average 5% in FY27, compared with 2% in FY26, before easing to 4.4% in FY28.
The IMF’s FY27 inflation forecast is slightly below the RBI’s estimate of 5.2%. Meanwhile, India’s retail inflation rose to 5.5% in September, its highest level under the new CPI series.
Higher energy and commodity prices could add to inflationary pressures, potentially complicating the RBI’s monetary policy decisions even as economic growth remains robust.
According to the advisory, traffic movement may be affected at major junctions and stretches across New Delhi and Central Delhi. Details here
The traffic police said diversions would be implemented dynamically, depending on the situation on the ground.
The Delhi Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory warning of possible disruptions across several parts of the national capital on Tuesday, October 13, in view of the prevailing law and order situation amid protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
According to the advisory, traffic movement may be affected at major junctions and stretches across New Delhi and Central Delhi during the day. Police said dynamic route diversions and restrictions may be implemented depending on ground conditions to manage traffic.
Motorists have been advised to avoid non-essential travel through the affected areas, follow diversion signs and instructions issued by traffic personnel and cooperate with the Delhi Traffic Police to ensure smooth movement.
List Of Roads And Junctions Where Traffic May Be Affected
The following stretches and junctions may witness traffic disruptions on Tuesday:
Round About Panchkuian
Round About Mandi House
Dr Dinesh Nandini Dalmia Chowk (W-Point)
Ram Charan Aggarwal Chowk (A-Point)
Minto Road/Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg
Guru Nanak Chowk
Chemsford Road–Outer Circle Connaught Place T-Point
Bharion Road–MGM (Ring Road) T-Point
Lodhi Road Flyover
Round About Neela Gumbad
Sardar Patel Marg–Panchsheel Marg Crossing
Under Bhikaji Kama Place
Under Moti Bagh Flyover
Ring Road–San Martin Marg T-Point
Round About Ashoka Road–Jantar Mantar Road
Round About Rail Bhawan
Jai Singh Road–Sansad Marg Crossing
Outer Circle Connaught Place–Barakhamba Road T-Point
Rahul Gandhi has invited all INDIA bloc MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for high tea at his Delhi residence on Tuesday.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, LoP Rahul Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and others during a press conference Photo : PTI
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has invited all Opposition MPs from both Houses of Parliament for high tea at his residence in New Delhi on Tuesday, October 13.
As per the message, a joint press conference of INDIA bloc leaders will be held on Tuesday afternoon, followed by the tea meet. The joint press conference is expected to provide an opportunity for INDIA bloc leaders to present their collective position.
All Opposition members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been invited to Gandhi’s residence at 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, New Delhi, at 4 pm.
The meeting comes amid the Opposition’s ongoing efforts to coordinate its response to issues concerning electoral rolls and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
In a show of strength, INDIA bloc leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Saugata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Supriya Sule, Sanjay Raut, Mahua Majhi, among others marched to the Supreme Court of India to file a petition against the alleged irregularities in the election process on Monday.
The INDIA bloc leaders converged at the Constitution Club and headed towards Barakhamba Road junction in air-conditioned buses. From the junction, they started their march to the Supreme Court. A large number of supporters had already reached the Barakhamba Road junction at Connaught Place. They marched towards the Supreme Court with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra leading the protest with AISA chief Neha Bora.
As they were stopped at the Bhagwan Dass Road, several leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra, Tejashwi Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav climbed atop a vehicle, and the procession moved towards the top court after crossing barricades as their supporters raised slogans against the central government and the Chief Election Commissioner and waved flags.
The Supreme Court will hear Rahul Gandhi’s challenges in the ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ defamation case and disproportionate assets complaint on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the SIR issue may be mentioned.
‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ Defamation Case Among Two Rahul Gandhi Cases Before SC Today (File Image) Photo : PTI
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear two matters involving Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (October 13), including his plea challenging the Bombay High Court’s refusal to quash a defamation case over his 2018 “Chowkidar Chor Hai” remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, the second case is related to Gandhi’s appeal against an Allahabad High Court order directing the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to verify a disproportionate assets complaint against him.
The defamation matter stems from the Congress MP’s remarks during the political controversy in 2018 over the Rafale fighter jet deal. A BJP functionary, Mahesh Shrishrimal, had filed a complaint alleging that the statements made at a rally in Rajasthan hurt the sentiments of party supporters.
Gandhi had challenged the summons issued by the magistrate in 2019, seeking to have the defamation proceedings quashed. However, the Bombay High Court rejected his plea, observing that there was no apparent illegality or error in the magistrate’s order.
Following Gandhi’s request, the High Court stayed the operation of its order for six weeks, allowing him time to approach the Supreme Court.
In May 2019, Gandhi tendered an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court in connection with the “Chowkidar Chor Hai” slogan. However, his apology was not for using the political slogan itself, but for wrongly attributing the phrase to the Supreme Court.
The second matter concerns Gandhi’s challenge to the Allahabad High Court’s direction to the CBI and ED to verify allegations of disproportionate assets made in a complaint against him.
MPSC aspirants ended their Pune protest after the Maharashtra government announced an inquiry panel into alleged recruitment irregularities and paper leaks. The immediate fallout saw chairman Vivek Bhimanwar go on leave while the state accepted several reform demands.
MPSC aspirants have ended their 10-day protest. (Photo : PTI)
Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) aspirants late on Sunday night ended their 10-day protest after the state government set up a committee to look into alleged irregularities in the recruitment body, including paper leaks. The protesters had been demanding an enquiry, reforms in the commission and the removal of MPSC chairman Vivek Bhimanwar.
Soon after the government’s assurance, Bhimanwar said he had gone on leave until the enquiry was completed. One of the aspirants’ representatives, Vivekanad Patil, said the agitation had been called off for now after the government agreed to most of their demands.
A state government delegation led by minister Shivendra Raje Bhosale met the protesters and told them that their demand for an enquiry committee had been accepted. The panel will have former judge Dilip Bhosale as chairman, senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe as secretary, IPS officer Laxmi Gautam, former IAS officer Ganesh Patil and retired judge PD Naik.
The aspirants, who had been protesting at SM Joshi Bridge in Pune, said their main demand was Bhimanwar’s removal.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who had joined the protest, suggested that since resignation could take time, the government should keep Bhimanwar away from the chairman’s post until the inquiry was over. The suggestion led to confusion at the protest site, with some aspirants agreeing and others saying they would not withdraw unless Bhimanwar was removed.
Amid the uncertainty, it was decided that Bhosale would speak to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He returned after about 15 minutes and told the protesters that the government had agreed to their demand. He then appealed to them to end the agitation.
After that, Patil said the protest was being withdrawn for the time being.
Bhosale also told the protesters that several other demands would be addressed. These included withdrawal of cases against some representatives of the agitation, recruitment to 70,000 posts over three years, an increase in the number of seats in the Group C examination scheduled for January, and background checks on the MPSC chairman and secretary before their appointment.
Pawar welcomed Mundhe’s inclusion in the committee and said, “We hope the committee will have the freedom to work properly.”
Earlier in the day, he had asked the government to clarify its stand on Bhimanwar by Sunday evening, saying, “The next course of action will be announced on Sunday evening.”
He also said nearly 25 lakh students were directly or indirectly affected, and urged Fadnavis to prioritise the aspirants’ concerns “over his friendship with MPSC chairman Bhimanwar.”
“Representatives of the protesting students have submitted a draft outlining proposed reforms to cleanse the commission, and the students have endorsed the document.”
He also alleged that the government was ignoring the protesters because many of them came from poor families, and said the agitation could take a different turn if students, their family members and other citizens joined in large numbers.
In a post on X, Bhimanwar said, “The state government has announced a judicial enquiry into the MPSC paper leak case. Throughout my entire life, I have always prioritised ethics. Therefore, I have decided to go on leave during this period instead of continuing to serve in the post until this inquiry is completed.”
Jharkhand CJP leaders alleged they were followed in plain clothes while travelling to Delhi for anti-SIR protests. The claims have sharpened the party’s resolve to continue demonstrations in Delhi and Jharkhand.
Leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Jharkhand on Sunday alleged that men in plain clothes followed them while they were travelling to Delhi to join the anti-SIR protests. They also claimed they were warned that they could be detained after their train entered Uttar Pradesh.
CJP Jharkhand coordinator Khusboo Choudhary said she abandoned her journey after suspecting that she was being followed, while party leader Moin Khan alleged that several members also got off before reaching Delhi. Khan, however, said at least 15 CJP members from different districts of Jharkhand managed to reach the national capital and joined protests at various locations.
Choudhary told PTI that she boarded a train from Ranchi to Delhi on the night of October 8 but decided not to continue after what she described as suspicious activity around her. “Soon after boarding the train, I noticed around eight people following me and recording videos of me. Later, during ticket verification, the TTE warned me that men in plain clothes were following me and that I could be detained once the train entered Uttar Pradesh,” she alleged.
She said she boarded the train around midnight and reached Bokaro station at about 3.30 am, where she got off and took another train back to Ranchi. Choudhary said the experience had strengthened her resolve to join the protests in Delhi, and added that the party would also begin demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Jharkhand.
Khan, a core member of the Jharkhand CJP committee, alleged that several party members also had to cut short their journeys after noticing that they were being followed by men in plain clothes. “We could see them constantly watching us. The TTE informed us that the men had obtained details of our seating arrangements and were repeatedly asking about us,” Khan alleged. He said several members decided not to continue their journey and got off at Koderma railway station before returning to Ranchi. He added that at least 15 CJP members from different districts of Jharkhand reached Delhi and joined protests at various locations, and said the party would organise demonstrations in Jharkhand in the coming days.
Police detained more than 200 protesters across Delhi as groups tried to march to Jantar Mantar. The crackdown widened the row over the Election Commission, with student groups alleging illegal detentions and violence.
Visuals on social media showed protesters being dragged into police buses, while some journalists covering the demonstrations were also detained despite showing press identification cards. (Photo-PTI)
More than 200 protesters were detained in Delhi on Sunday as demonstrations called by the Cockroach Janata Party entered a second day under heavy security. Protesters raised slogans and tried to march towards Jantar Mantar from different parts of the city, while police stopped them at several points and took many into custody.
Visuals on social media showed protesters being dragged into police buses, while some journalists covering the demonstrations were also detained despite showing press identification cards. The protests were part of a continuing campaign by the CJP and opposition parties seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Members of student groups including the Students’ Federation of India, All India Students’ Association and Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, along with CJP supporters, were detained while trying to reach Jantar Mantar from areas including Connaught Place. Detentions continued into the evening, with protesters being picked up from different locations even after 6.30 pm.
The SFI organised a women’s march around 6.30 pm and later alleged that several women protesters were detained from Connaught Place. It claimed that female protesters were detained by male police personnel and said their detention after 6 pm was illegal. In a series of posts, the organisation alleged that police vans and buses carrying detained women did not have any female police personnel inside and were instead occupied by male officers. It also claimed that some women were being held in dark buses with male police personnel around them, and said its women comrades had been freshly detained.
Videos circulating on social media showed protesters marching through Connaught Place’s Inner Circle and raising slogans demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. The demonstrators were heard shouting, “Gyanesh Kumar isteefa do, isteefa do”. Security personnel were seen moving towards the protesters and trying to disperse them. Several demonstrators resisted as police held them by the arms and pulled them towards waiting buses, with some seen being dragged on the road while continuing to raise slogans.
The day saw a series of flash protests, with different groups gathering at different locations and times to try to reach Jantar Mantar. Connaught Place and RK Ashram Marg were among the main spots where protests and detentions took place. AISA protesters marching from RK Ashram Marg metro station were detained, and AISA president Neha Bora was detained near Vijay Chowk in the afternoon. Visuals showed Bora raising slogans before police moved towards her. She was seen running as police chased her, and was later stopped. Women police personnel were then seen holding her by the arms, while other security personnel held her arms and legs and dragged her away. She was also seen clinging to barricades as fellow protesters tried to stop police from taking her away.
The SFI alleged that hundreds of its activists were detained and taken to Surajmal Stadium in Nangloi. It said its national president Adarsh M Saji, Delhi secretary Sooraj Elamon, Central Executive Committee member Abhijith Manilal and several others were detained. Police sources said CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas was among those detained. The SFI also alleged that its leaders were assaulted inside cage-like police vans. Student groups and protesters described the vehicles as resembling small jails, saying they had compartments with latch-fitted partitions and mesh-covered doors and windows. The SFI further alleged that Brittas was attacked by Delhi Police personnel and later left injured by the roadside. It also claimed that Father Biju Xavier, vicar of Sacred Heart Church in Delhi, was “arrested” while recording alleged police violence on his mobile phone.
The CJP said several protesters were detained near Rajiv Chowk metro station and Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. Videos shared by the party showed protesters trying to form human chains before police stepped in to detain them. The party alleged that doctors and other demonstrators protesting peacefully near Gurdwara Bangla Sahib were also taken into custody. In another development, videos on social media showed KYS members protesting on boats near Nigambodh Ghat with posters and slogans demanding the chief election commissioner’s resignation. KYS members were also seen protesting near Connaught Place. The Revolutionary Workers Party of India was also among the groups that held demonstrations at different locations during the day.
Elon Musk renewed his attack on Mukesh Ambani, accusing his supporters of “absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole” over Starlink’s proposed entry into India’s satellite internet market, while arguing that greater competition would benefit consumers.
Elon Musk, in his latest post, described those defending the existing market as “Ambani’s army of Internet shills”. (Photo: Reuters)
New day, new post. Elon Musk is not done taking shots at Mukesh Ambani. For the past few days, the SpaceX chief has kept up his online offensive over Starlink’s proposed entry into India, taking digs at the Reliance chief and questioning the resistance to competition. On Sunday, he was back at it, branding those defending the existing market “Ambani’s army of Internet shills” and accusing them of “absurd hypocrisy”, while arguing that greater competition would benefit consumers.
In a fresh post on X, Musk described those defending the existing market as “Ambani’s army of Internet shills”, questioning their argument that Starlink could neither compete with the low prices offered by Reliance Jio nor pose a serious competitive threat.
“The ridiculous arguments by Ambani’s army of Internet shills make no sense. On the one hand, they say Starlink couldn’t possibly compete with the amazing low prices offered by Ambani’s de facto monopoly in India and then, in the same breath, they essentially claim that Starlink would be too strong of a competitor! This is absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole,” Musk wrote.
Arguing that competition would expand consumer choice, Musk said Starlink’s entry could reduce the profits of existing players without threatening their businesses. He also maintained that SpaceX would have to make its services affordable if consumers found them too expensive.
“The reality is that competition would greatly benefit the average citizen in India by giving them more choices, as it always does. Ambani’s profits will be lower, but he is not going out of business,” he said.
“Obviously, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX will need to make pricing affordable,” Musk added.
Musk was responding to a post by Aaron Burnett, CEO of Mach33 Financial Group, who questioned the narrative that India’s internet services were widely available and inexpensive.
Burnett argued that the perception largely reflected mobile internet usage, while fixed broadband penetration remained low.
He cited monthly mobile data usage of around 30-40 GB in India, compared with home fibre consumption of nearly 300 GB, and argued that an affordable alternative could significantly increase fixed broadband adoption.
Musk’s latest remarks come amid his repeated criticism of the delay in Starlink’s commercial launch in India.
In an earlier post on X on Friday, he sarcastically addressed Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” and accused him of seeking to protect a monopoly.
“Dear Prime Minister Ambani, Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India. Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?” Musk wrote.
Musk said several areas in India, as in other countries, still lack internet access, limiting children’s access to education and small businesses’ ability to reach global markets. He argued that Starlink could improve their lives by bridging this connectivity gap.
Minutes after his late Friday post, Musk issued another statement highlighting Starlink’s role in saving lives during natural disasters worldwide when other communication systems fail.
The SpaceX CEO added that the service could similarly help save lives in India, including those of “men, women and children”. “So you would also be helping save men, women and children throughout India,” he added.
Notably, the latest exchange follows Musk’s posts on Saturday sharing reports alleging links between Reliance-funded entities and political campaigning and donations.
These included an Al Jazeera report from 2022 on a Reliance-funded firm’s role in boosting BJP campaigns on Facebook and an archived Indian Express report from 2024 on Qwik Supply, which reported donations of Rs 385 crore to the BJP and Rs 25 crore to the Shiv Sena through electoral bonds.
Reliance has not publicly responded to Musk’s allegations.
The posts came after Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said that India does not permit monopolies in any sector and that three companies, including Starlink, had secured satellite communications licences.
“Let me set the record straight. For us, the Department of Telecommunications, we are technology agnostic… Our job is to be able to provide the bouquet of services to every single customer. It is for the customer to choose in a free market which service he or she prefers, and within that service bouquet, which company’s service he or she prefers,” Scindia said at a briefing at the India Mobile Congress in Delhi.
The Union minister also informed that licences have been granted to three players: Elon Musk’s Starlink, Reliance Jio’s Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb. Amazon’s Project Kuiper has also expressed interest but will have to follow the established procedure.
The Chief Justice of India has reportedly declined Rahul Gandhi’s request for a meeting, with sources saying the matter should be pursued through the judicial process instead.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has reportedly declined a request from Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and a delegation to meet him over their concerns regarding alleged “vote chori” and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, according to a CNN News18 report citing top sources.
Sources said a detailed response has been sent to Gandhi explaining the decision. According to the report, the CJI has indicated that instead of submitting a memorandum, Gandhi and the delegation should approach the court by filing a petition.
The sources said the matter is already sub judice and should therefore be dealt with through the judicial process rather than through administrative intervention.
The development comes ahead of the Opposition’s planned march to the Supreme Court on Monday. Gandhi had announced the march in a post on X, calling on young people, opposition parties and civil society groups to join.
“Tomorrow, we will march to the Supreme Court as Indians, united beyond party, gender, caste, community and state,” Gandhi said.
He also appealed to various groups to participate, saying, “Youth, all opposition parties, civil society groups, all those who believe in democracy and stand by the Constitution of India, will walk with us.”
Gandhi had said the delegation would submit a memorandum to the Chief Justice, outlining its demands.
“We will submit a memorandum to the Chief Justice on behalf of the nation, demanding an end to vote chori, halting of SIR and the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar,” he said.
The Congress leader also urged people to join the protest, saying, “We will march together, with love, brotherhood and patriotism.”
Delhi Police released a video showing officers informing CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke about his grandmother’s death while he was in detention.
News18
Delhi Police on Sunday released a video showing officers informing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke about the death of his grandmother while he was in detention in the national capital.
The police said Dipke was told about the death and the timing of the funeral and was offered help to travel to his hometown in Maharashtra to attend the last rites. Deputy Commissioner of Police Neha Yadav said officers also offered assistance with flights, phone calls and other arrangements.
According to Yadav, the officers approached Dipke soon after receiving information about his grandmother’s death and repeatedly asked whether he wanted to speak to his parents. She said he declined the assistance offered by the police.
When police informed Dipke about his grandmother’s demise and gave him the option to go, he said, “I will stay here.”
Police Response To Dipke’s Mother’s Allegations
The Delhi Police released the video after Dipke’s mother, Anita Dipke, accused the force of giving false information about whether her son had been told about the death. She said the family had been unable to establish contact with him and had delayed the last rites while waiting for him to return.
The police, however, maintained that Dipke had been informed about his grandmother’s death as well as the scheduled funeral. It said he was also offered assistance to travel home on humanitarian grounds.
Dipke’s paternal grandmother, Savitribai Shankarrao Dipke, 85, died at her home in Santuk Pimpri village in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district at around 11.30 am on Saturday. She had reportedly been suffering from age-related health problems and a prolonged illness. Her last rites were scheduled for 10 am on Sunday.
VIDEO | Delhi Police releases video of informing CJP’s Abhijeet Dipke of his grandmother’s death; officials say offered assistance for his travel to hometown.
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) https://t.co/laTMhjkXRf
Dipke, along with CJP co-convenor Saurav Das and party leader Ashutosh Ranka, was detained on October 10 after arriving in Delhi from Mumbai. The three were travelling to the capital for the party’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar, where CJP planned to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
DCP Yadav said the proposed sit-in at Janpath had not been granted permission because the organisers had allegedly failed to follow prescribed procedures. She also cited the group’s previous conduct and the prevailing security and law-and-order situation.
Opposition parties will march to the Supreme Court on Monday over alleged electoral irregularities. Ahead of the march, CJI Surya Kant rejected Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge’s request for a meeting to submit a memorandum.
Opposition’s ‘Chalo Dilli’ march to the Supreme Court on Monday
Opposition parties are set to march to the Supreme Court on Monday against the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Congress called it “Chalo Delhi – March for Democracy” and said they would converge at 1.30 PM at Connaught Place-Barakhamba Road junction. Ahead of the planned march, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has not agreed to meet the Opposition leaders. Leaders of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge — had written to the CJI for a meeting with him between 4 and 5 PM on Monday to hand over a memorandum, demanding an end to ‘vote chori’, CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, halting of SIR and switching back to paper ballot.
CJI Says No Meeting With LoPs On Monday
According to sources, the CJI has denied the request for a meeting on Monday. “Response of Hon’ble CJI to the letter received from Leaders of Opposition has been sent in their official mail,” a source told Times Now.
The CJI’s office cited the matter’s pendency before the Supreme Court on the judicial side, with CJI Surya Kant himself heading the Bench hearing it, they said. The office also conveyed that no directions could be issued following an administrative meeting on the issue.
The sources said Gandhi and Kharge could approach the court by filing a petition if they wished to be heard on the matter.
Opposition Announces ‘Chalo Delhi’ March
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that the march to the Supreme Court would be by Indians united beyond parties, gender, caste, community and state. “Yesterday, the nation’s young came out in Delhi to peacefully protest. They came with love in their hearts, not hatred or anger. They were beaten, both by cops and BJP goons. This is not the India we want.”
Yesterday, the nation’s young came out in Delhi to peacefully protest. They came with love in their hearts, not hatred or anger. They were beaten, both by cops and BJP goons.
This is not the India we want.
Tomorrow, we will march to the Supreme Court as Indians, united beyond party, gender, caste, community and state.
Youth, all opposition parties, civil society groups, all those who believe in democracy and stand by the Constitution of India, will walk with us.
We will submit a memorandum to the Chief Justice on behalf of the nation, demanding an end to vote chori, halting of SIR and the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.
Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Ajit Doval and Mohan Bhagwat cannot silence India’s voice. These cowards cannot intimidate us. They will have to step aside.
We will march together, with love, brotherhood and patriotism.
Daro mat.
Tomorrow, all of India will march to the Supreme Court.
कल दिल्ली में देश का युवा शांतिपूर्ण विरोध के लिए सड़कों पर उतरा। उनके दिलों में नफ़रत या गुस्सा नहीं, मोहब्बत थी। लेकिन उन्हें पुलिस और BJP के गुंडों, दोनों ने पीटा।
ऐसा भारत हम नहीं चाहते।
कल, सोमवार 12 अक्टूबर को, हम भारतीय होने के नाते सुप्रीम कोर्ट तक मार्च करेंगे। पार्टी, महिला-पुरुष, जाति, समुदाय और राज्य की हर दीवार से ऊपर उठकर, हम सब एक साथ चलेंगे।
देश का युवा, तमाम विपक्षी दल, सिविल सोसाइटी और लोकतंत्र में विश्वास रखने वाले, भारत के संविधान के साथ खड़े सभी लोग हमारे साथ चलेंगे।
हम देश की ओर से मुख्य न्यायाधीश को एक ज्ञापन सौंपेंगे। हमारी माँग है – वोट चोरी बंद हो, SIR पर रोक लगे और ज्ञानेश कुमार इस्तीफ़ा दें।
नरेंद्र मोदी, अमित शाह, अजित डोभाल और मोहन भागवत भारत की आवाज़ को दबा नहीं सकते। ये कायर हमें डरा नहीं सकते। इन्हें पीछे हटना ही होगा।
हम सब साथ चलेंगे – मोहब्बत, भाईचारे और देशभक्ति के साथ।
“Tomorrow, we will march to the Supreme Court as Indians, united beyond party, gender, caste, community and state. Youth, all opposition parties, civil society groups, all those who believe in democracy and stand by the Constitution of India, will walk with us,” he said in his post.
Tomorrow, 12th October, India marches peacefully as one to the Supreme Court.
Students, civil society organisations, Opposition parties: Please join us to defend our democracy.
An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Chennai diverted to Hyderabad after a mid-air fire scare, as a passenger alleged lapses in the crew’s emergency response. A passenger shares his terrifying experience during the incident.
Overhead Bin Catches Fire, Crew Fumbles: IndiGo Passenger Recounts Mid-Air Scare On Delhi-Chennai Flight (Screengrab)
A routine journey from Delhi to Chennai turned frightening for passengers aboard IndiGo flight 6E 6115 on October 11, 2026, when flames reportedly erupted from a bag near row 16, filling the cabin with smoke and triggering panic. A passenger named Gaurav Mishra, an IT professional seated in row 14, recounted how travellers rushed to douse the fire thousands of feet above the ground, raising concerns over the cabin crew’s emergency response. In an exclusive interview with Times Now Digital, Mishra narrated his harrowing ordeal during the incident.
“On October 11, 2026, my journey aboard IndiGo flight 6E 6115 from Delhi to Chennai turned into a terrifying experience when, at around 2:50 p.m., while I was seated in row 14, flames suddenly emerged from a bag in row 16. A few passengers, including myself, immediately stepped in to control the fire. We were thousands of feet up in the air, and panic spread throughout the cabin as smoke filled the aircraft, terrifying passengers, including children and elderly people. The flight was almost packed,” Mishra said.
VIDEO | Hyderabad: Smoke detected in Chennai-bound Indigo flight from Delhi; plane diverted to Hyderabad, lands safely. Inside visuals from the plane.
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) https://t.co/RSt6vbeTpB
The IT professional said that they all rushed to douse the flames coming from the cabin above row 16, but what was more troubling was the emergency response. The passenger alleged that the crew member who brought the extinguisher was unable to operate it, forcing a colleague to intervene.
“Passengers had already begun fighting the fire, as captured in the video, with their limited understanding of a mid-air fire situation, before cabin crew members arrived with a fire extinguisher. There was no problem with the extinguisher itself. However, the crew member who brought it was allegedly unable to operate it, and a colleague had to step in,” Mishra said.
The flight made an emergency landing in Hyderabad at approximately 3:20 p.m. for inspection. Passengers later boarded another flight and continued their journey to Chennai that evening.
