DK Shivakumar: 'CEC Should Voluntarily Vacate the Very Chair'

A charred sleeper bus on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida has claimed nine lives, triggering questions over systemic safety lapses and passenger transport norms. An inspection of the ruined vehicle revealed serious violations, including missing working fire extinguishers, illegal interior partitions, and blocked emergency exits designed to fit extra berths. The bus was also found transporting highly inflammable materials, such as nail polish bottles and paper cargo, within its luggage hold for logistics fees. Inquiries revealed that the vehicle had accumulated around 16 pending challans with fines amounting to one lakh rupees, yet continued operating without regulatory intervention. While the driver and conductor have been arrested, scrutiny remains focused on the bus owner, traffic police, and transport officials responsible for enforcement on the ground. The tragedy echoes repeated fire incidents involving sleeper buses across states, underscoring persistent negligence regarding fire-safety regulations and passenger protection mandates.

Four individuals, including Central Reserve Police Force personnel and local police personnel, have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha following allegations of gang rape at a farmhouse. According to Amroha Superintendent of Police Lakhan Singh Yadav, a complaint was lodged by the survivor stating that she was lured under the pretext of visiting a religious site before being assaulted. The accused named in the case include CRPF personnel Mohit and Lalaram, alongside two others identified as Sanjay and Pramod. Following the complaint, police lodged a case and took all four accused into custody for detailed interrogation, with procedures underway to present them before the court. Action has also been initiated against local police officers for negligence, while the farmhouse where the incident took place is under scrutiny. Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, criticised the administration over the involvement of security personnel in the alleged crime.

The Congress Working Committee will meet on 29 September to formulate its strategy regarding controversies surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The meeting will bring together party general secretaries and state in-charges to deliberate on a future course of action, which may include nationwide protests against the Election Commission of India. Meanwhile, party leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address a press briefing on the issue following media revelations concerning electoral decisions, including Form 6 modifications. Several opposition parties have raised demands for the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation or arrest, while the Bharatiya Janata Party has defended the Election Commission, maintaining that internal deliberations reflect institutional democracy.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar faces scrutiny following a media report highlighting objections raised by two Election Commissioners regarding the SIR exercise, changes to Form 6, and control over electoral data. Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray, and M.K. Stalin, demanded the removal or arrest of the poll chief and the scrapping of the process. In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party rejected the allegations, stating that the Supreme Court upheld the legal validity of the SIR process and that internal deliberations reflect a functioning democracy.