Swachh Bharat: Nagarjuna, Hrithik join Modi's cleanliness drive

A special investigation on The Crime Scene examines the horrific fire aboard a double-decker sleeper bus on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida that claimed the lives of nine passengers. While initially perceived as an accident, details from the FIR reveal severe negligence: the bus driver, Pawan, and conductor, Yogesh, were reportedly smoking beedis and cigarettes inside the cabin, ignoring smoke alerts and passenger pleas before fleeing the burning vehicle. The investigation uncovers critical safety violations, including sealed emergency exits replaced by extra sleeper berths, flammable interior materials, blocked walkways, and the absence of glass-breaking safety hammers. The bus, owned by an individual in Madhya Pradesh, was registered in Bihar, possessed a Rajasthan fitness certificate, and had accumulated over 1.7 lakh rupees in unpaid traffic challans. Further ground checks across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh reveal widespread flouting of transport regulations and safety codes across long-distance private sleeper buses.

Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra has filed a police complaint at the Parliament Police Station in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Ganesh Kumar. Speaking on the matter, Moitra alleged that decisions conveyed by the Election Commission were falsified by one individual without majority consent, arguing that statutory immunity under Section 16 of the CEC and EC Act 2023 does not apply. The Election Commission dismissed the allegations, asserting that unanimous decisions were taken. Meanwhile, opposition leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, and Akhilesh Yadav, have demanded the CEC's arrest, alleging irregularities in electoral rolls and calling for past elections to be declared null and void alongside holding fresh polls.

The opposition INDIA bloc is preparing to move an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. A draft is currently being circulated among Members of Parliament to collect the requisite signatures, requiring support from 100 Lok Sabha MPs and 50 Rajya Sabha MPs. Sources indicate that Parliament does not need to be in session to submit the notice, which is likely to be filed next week. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address a press conference at Indira Bhawan alongside senior party leaders to present findings concerning elections conducted in Maharashtra and Haryana.

The Election Commission of India faced questions from India Today regarding controversies surrounding modifications to Form 6 and the deletion of voter names in Goa. India Today questioned the poll body on why an audit was not conducted and why new questions were added to Form 6 for new voters, including requirements related to parents' inclusion in rolls, despite objections. The Election Commission stated that the electoral registration platform gives deletion rights to officials via Form 7 without a rollback provision, leading to issues in Goa where 97 names were omitted from the final list. However, officials offered no response to queries concerning Form 6 modifications.