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The Election Commission announced a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 17 states and UTs. The poll body also promised to give political parties readable PDF copies of final voter lists. These moves follow massive protests over the Special Intensive Revision exercise that excluded over 13 crore voters recently.
The Supreme Court asked Sanjay Raut to explain his conduct regarding an opposition plea on electoral roll irregularities. On Thursday, the bench made his participation provisional. The court also sought responses from the Election Commission. Chief Justice Surya Kant warned, "Nobody can browbeat us," while hearing the petition from opposition leaders.
Karnataka's sting operation row escalated on Thursday as Union minister H D Kumaraswamy demanded an independent probe. He accused Chief Minister D K Shivakumar of orchestrating videos to force Siddaramaiah out of office. Shivakumar denied these claims, and the state Cabinet did not order a separate Special Investigation Team for now.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday accused Congress of committing four unforgivable crimes against India. He said, "Indira Gandhi locked democracy behind bars." Singh claimed Rahul Gandhi now attacks constitutional institutions to fuel chaos. He urged the opposition to respect the public mandate instead of using youth for political disruption.
A 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy will join Ravan at a Delhi Ramlila this year. The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee said the insect represents filth and supports the Swachh Bharat campaign. Committee president Ashok Goel said, "Burning the cockroach effigy is meant to reinforce the message of the victory of cleanliness."
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday accused the Congress and its allies of using youth protests to fuel anarchy. He claimed they want a regime change like Bangladesh to topple the government. Singh said, "The youth of the country are being made pawns in the politics of anarchy."
The United States is reportedly considering using its GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb against Iran. CNN reported on October 14 that officials discussed using this massive weapon against nuclear sites. However, many experts doubt if this bomb can destroy deeply buried facilities, as it is designed for surface targets.
The Karnataka government will approach the Supreme Court against the High Court order striking down enhanced reservation quotas. Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the state decided to challenge the verdict. The High Court recently set aside a 2022 law that increased quotas for SCs and STs beyond the 50 percent ceiling.
The Centre is likely to convene a special Parliament session later this month to push the Women's Reservation and Delimitation Bills. The government is holding discussions to secure the support needed for these bills after failing to get the required two-thirds majority for the constitutional amendment during April’s special sitting.
The BJP on Thursday attacked Rahul Gandhi after Prashant Bhushan called for regime change. Bhushan said, "Yes, we want regime change," during a press conference about electoral roll protests. The BJP claimed these protests are a smoke screen for an anarchic agenda to seize power and threaten national unity today.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge teased Rahul Gandhi about former party leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Ghulam Nabi Azad. During a meeting with youth workers, Gandhi called those who left cowards. Kharge said, "They were all your friends," prompting Gandhi to explain that political friendships are often hard to judge correctly.
Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi visited a Ropar mining site late Thursday night to expose illegal sand mining. He arrived in a truck at 1 am and saw machines working. Channi said, "The revenue did not reach the state exchequer but instead benefited Aam Aadmi Party leaders."