Delhi Jantar Mantar Fortified Amid Massive Protest, AAP Leader Detained

The Election Commission of India has instructed states and union territories to undertake a special drive for the enrollment of eligible citizens who were left out of the electoral roll following the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Under this initiative, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct house-to-house visits to ascertain reasons for non-inclusion, focus on first-time young electors, and facilitate their addition to the voter list. The drive aims to prioritise voter additions over deletions, amid ongoing demonstrations and scrutiny at Jantar Mantar regarding omissions during previous roll revisions.

A major political controversy erupted in Bengaluru as Congress leaders, including Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and several cabinet ministers, staged a protest outside the Election Commission office. The demonstration focused on the alleged misuse of Form 7 during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, with Congress alleging that bulk applications were submitted to wrongfully delete voter names from electoral rolls, specifically targeting minority and Scheduled Caste voters across constituencies. A memorandum was submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer demanding strict action. In response, the Election Commission directed the scrutiny of applications and warned of action against false declarations. The Bharatiya Janata Party hit back, defending Form 7 as a legitimate legal provision for roll revision while challenging Congress to substantiate claims of wrongful voter deletions, calling the stir an illegal protest.

A detailed investigation conducted by Paris authorities has cleared the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha in the controversy surrounding the Eiffel Tower visit. The probe concluded that there was no explicit request or written document from the religious organisation asking to exclude or remove female staff during the delegation's visit. Officials noted the incident resulted from a collective dysfunction and misinterpretation of an initial request. A visit by a hundred-member delegation had coincided with the opening of a temple on the outskirts of Paris, following which allegations surfaced that female employees were sidelined or replaced. According to sources cited during the broadcast, an incident involving a lift operator being asked to step aside due to space constraints had triggered the wider controversy. While the probe has officially cleared the organisation of any wrongdoing, authorities continue to look into how the misrepresentation occurred.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has expanded the free bus travel scheme for women across the state under the rebranded name Vetri Payanam. The expansion includes express buses, limited stop services, and deluxe buses operating across corporations, municipalities, town panchayats, and hill areas. Previously, the benefit was restricted solely to ordinary city buses. The scheme was originally introduced under the DMK regime as the Vidiyal Payanam scheme. The Chief Minister launched the extended services at Koyambedu and Ambattur bus depots in Chennai, where he boarded buses and interacted with women passengers. The initiative aims to provide daily financial relief to working-class women commuting across Tamil Nadu. The DMK has pointed out the rebranding of the existing programme, while discussions also surfaced regarding TVK's Annapoorani Super Six LPG cylinder initiative.