A political dispute has erupted between the BJP and Congress over claims of internal dissent within the Election Commission of India. Speaking on To The Point, Congress spokesperson Adil Singh Boparai demanded the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation and alleged that decisions involving statutory Form 6 were taken without proper authorisation. He termed the move an “act of fraud and forgery”. BJP spokesperson Radhika Khera rejected the claims as political posturing, saying administrative file notes and internal deliberations are routine.
Separately, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped at Delhi’s Astha Kunj Park after visiting Kalkaji Temple. Three men posing as policemen allegedly assaulted her male friend and took them to a secluded area. The DDA later announced tighter park security.
The Congress held protests across India seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and arrest amid reports of dissent within the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision. The show also examines the default bail granted to an American and six Ukrainians accused in a drone-training case, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks at the UN.
Devotees marked the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi Visarjan, bidding farewell to Ganpati Bappa and offering prayers for a peaceful, prosperous, and devoted festival. Dressed in traditional Indian attire for the final day of the celebrations, participants expressed hope for the deity's return the following year, invoking the customary festive chant requesting an early return. The bulletin concluded the festive coverage as part of News Without Annoyance, extending festive greetings and weekend wishes to viewers across the nation.
In an interview with Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court Aryama Sundaram evaluated the legality and administrative flaws of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Sundaram noted that while the constitutional concept of the policy was upheld, its actual rollout remains subject to legal challenges. He stated, 'The correctness of the actions being implemented thereunder are always subject to judicial review.' Addressing mass voter deletions and tribunals overwhelmed by appeals, he stressed that courts cannot be expected to quickly fix deep administrative failures, pointing out that resolving pending disputes could take a decade due to lack of adequate machinery. Emphasizing that free and fair elections are the fulcrum of democracy, Sundaram remarked that the execution of the process was critical, stating that both the executive and the Election Commission have failed to properly handle implementation.
A special intensive revision of Delhi's electoral roll has triggered widespread controversy following the deletion of 47.57 lakh voters and notices sent to over 33 lakh others out of 97.54 lakh draft roll voters. The affected individuals include former diplomats, bureaucrats, judges, and politicians. Former diplomat G. Parthasarathy stated his details were not mapped to the 2002 roll and criticised the execution as casual, calling for accountability among senior officials. Notices were also issued to prominent figures, prompting the Election Commission to instruct booth-level officers to designate VIPs on their verification apps and extend home verification to elderly and specially-abled citizens.
