Social media and a few news outlets have been buzzing with the claim that the BJP-led Uttarakhand government has given only ₹5,000 as compensation to families affected by the recent Uttarkashi flash flood. The truth, however, is quite the opposite.
An unexpected cloudburst hit the village of Dharali in the district of Uttarkashi on 5th August, triggering a devastating flash flood that covered the entire village. NDRF and district administration rescue efforts have been on since then.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami have visited the affected regions in the aftermath of the tragedy, interacting with survivors and assuring them that the government would spare no effort in assisting them in rebuilding their lives. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also contacted CM Dhami to discuss the situation.
On Saturday, 9th August, the Chief Minister declared a compensation package of ₹5 lakh per affected family. On X (formerly Twitter), he assured that compensation would be provided to the affected and that the administration had already begun evaluating the damage to homes, agricultural lands, and other belongings. He also assured that payments for the losses would be out soon.
धराली (उत्तरकाशी) में आई आपदा में पूर्ण रूप से क्षतिग्रस्त मकानों के लिए ₹5 लाख की तत्काल सहायता राशि प्रदान की जाएगी। साथ ही स्थानीय लोगों के मकान, जमीन, खेती व अन्य नुकसान का आकलन शुरू कर दिया गया है, जिसके मुआवजे का वितरण भी हम शीघ्र शुरू करेंगे। इसके अतिरिक्त, आपदा में…
In spite of this open declaration, within 24 hours, reports started surfacing in the media that villagers had been given only ₹5,000 each and started protesting against the state government.
Sources informed OpIndia that this ₹5,000 is an immediate relief amount distributed under normal disaster management rules by organisations such as the NDRF and SDRF. It is designed to give immediate relief for necessities upon the occurrence of a calamity. The ₹5 lakh that CM Dhami has promised is a distinct, far greater amount that will be released after verification and assessment of damage is done.
A video from Dharali during CM Dhami’s visit further contradicts the negative reports. In it, a woman is seen tearing a piece from her sari’s pallu to tie a rakhi on the Chief Minister’s wrist, offering him her blessings. Locals are also seen engaging with him warmly, reflecting trust and appreciation rather than resentment.
धराली आपदा अकस्मात थी। मुख्यमंत्री @pushkardhami जी ने लेकिन हृदय जीत लिया। जब हेलीकॉप्टर को भारी बारिश में उड़ने की अनुमति नहीं थी तब वे निरन्तर प्रभावित इलाक़ों का दौरा कर रहे हैं। लोगों के बीच में हैं। हमें अपनी नकारात्मकता के चश्मे से ही राजनीति की हर बार नहीं देखना चाहिए। CM… https://t.co/pAeYAqiSnppic.twitter.com/gilCpj5pQ9
State government officials maintain that the administration has been in high alert mode since the instant the calamity occurred. Rescue forces were sent there without delay, and the CM has remained in touch with the district authorities and NDRF units to track progress. He has personally gone to the affected area to see to it that relief reaches each of the affected families.
However, some segments of the media have promoted a campaign portraying the government as callous or complacent, dwelling only on the ₹5,000 interim relief and not on the overall compensation scheme that is already on the go.
The reality is that the Uttarakhand government has had an active and multi-dimensional response, ranging from immediate rescue efforts to sizeable financial assistance and a rehabilitation strategy. While the journey will be long, the government has made it amply clear that it will support the victims at every step.
Rescue work in Uttarkashi entered its fifth day on Saturday, 9th August, with helicopters flying in and out of the disaster-hit area. Choppers were used to airlift stranded villagers and drop food packets to places still cut off. On the ground, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, backed by a dog squad and thermal imaging devices, searched through the debris in Dharali bazar, where a massive mudslide on Tuesday flattened hotels, homestays, and shops.
Officials said five people have been confirmed dead so far, two bodies have been recovered, and 49 others are still missing. Over 1,000 residents have already been rescued from parts of Dharali that remain isolated because of the disaster. The administration is now assessing the damage to houses, farmland, and other property so that more compensation can be given.
“Our first job was to get everyone to safety, and that’s almost done,” Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said. He added that electricity, phone lines, and roads are being restored, while community kitchens are providing food, clothes, and other essentials to those who lost everything.
Iran has sharply opposed a newly announced US-brokered peace accord between Armenia and Azerbaijan, declaring it will block a planned transport corridor running through the Caucasus. The project, unveiled at the White House and named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), has been described by Tehran as a direct threat to Armenia’s sovereignty and regional balance.
Iran’s strong warning
Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said the passage would be obstructed “with or without Russia” and denounced it as “political treachery.” Speaking to state-affiliated Tasnim News, he accused Washington of treating the Caucasus “as a piece of real estate” and warned that the route would not become a gateway for American influence but “their graveyard.”
The corridor is set to pass close to Iran’s border, linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan enclave under Armenian law but with exclusive US development rights. Velayati argued this would allow NATO to position itself “like a viper” between Iran and Russia.
Regional reactions
Iran’s foreign ministry stressed that while it welcomed peace initiatives, projects near its borders must respect sovereignty and avoid “foreign interference.” Russia also welcomed the deal cautiously, supporting stability but warning against external involvement. Moscow invoked the “unfortunate experience” of Western-led interventions in the Middle East as a cautionary tale.
Turkey, by contrast, hailed the agreement as a chance to enhance regional connectivity. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, voiced Ankara’s support. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described the route as a vital bridge linking Europe to Asia via Turkey.
Prospects for a final peace
The deal is being seen as a roadmap to end decades of hostility between Armenia and Azerbaijan, who have fought repeatedly over Nagorno-Karabakh since the late 1980s. Last year, Armenia ceded several villages to Azerbaijan in what Baku celebrated as a historic step.
Ahmad Shahidov of the Azerbaijan Institute for Democracy and Human Rights told Al Jazeera that a final peace declaration is expected in the coming weeks, with no outstanding territorial disputes left between the two neighbours.
The corridor, however, risks becoming the latest fault line in a region where the interests of Washington, Moscow, Tehran and Ankara intersect uneasily.
The Congress party, led by Rahul Gandhi, is leaving no stone unturned to mislead the Indian public through his dubious ‘vote chori’ conspiracy theories. The objective has been to tarnish the integrity of the Election Commission and rationalise the party’s unbeaten streak of losing elections.
Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi has recently accused the Election Commission of contributing to the creation of fake voters. At a press conference on Thursday, 7th August, he produced statistics from Karnataka’s Mahadevapura Assembly constituency in Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency, saying that several voter entries in the voter list had “house number 0” and that numerous voters were listed at the same address. He called it a major conspiracy to steal elections in favour of the BJP.
However, it has now come to light that Rahul Gandhi’s constituency, Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, also has the same kind of entries in its voter list. This is the seat that Rahul currently represents in Parliament, which his mother, Sonia Gandhi, held before him for multiple terms.
According to a report of Times Now Navbharat, the Rae Bareli Assembly constituency voter list under the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat has a huge number of “house number 0” voters, the very anomaly Rahul had pointed out in Karnataka.
Multiple voters at the same address
The report also shows that there are a number of instances where numerous voters are registered at the same location in Rae Bareli. For example, for one polling station, “House Number 8” has 27 voters registered. There are two other booths with “House Number 80” and “House Number 4”, each having 18 registered voters.
This is parallel to Rahul’s allegation in Mahadevapura, where he had accused 80 individuals of being registered at a single address. He had then held this up as evidence of extensive electoral cheating. The revelation of parallel trends in his constituency has raised questions: if Rahul is convinced that such entries are evidence of fraud elsewhere, then is the reverse also true in his election victory?
Why do ‘House number 0’ entries exist?
Election officials and analysts have observed that “house number 0” in the voters’ roll does not necessarily indicate voter fraud. In most villages, people have no records of their official house numbers, so they fill in a “0” as a placeholder in the voters’ list. This happens in both rural and urban India.
Also, several voters with the same address are not uncommon in India. Joint families, paying guests, or rental accommodations tend to result in lots of individuals being enrolled under a common address. The voter list is updated and edited regularly by the Election Commission to eliminate such stale entries.
The Mahadevapura case
Rahul’s strongest complaint was that a house in Mahadevapura had 80 duplicate voters enrolled. But when local Booth Level Officer (BLO) Muniratna was approached, he informed that there was no duplication.
This house, according to him, is mostly tenanted out, and the tenants keep changing every year. No family has resided there permanently for the last 14 years. Most individuals use their rental contract as an address to vote, but end up leaving the place. The BLO revealed that the list of individuals who are no longer staying at that location has already been submitted to the Election Commission, and names will be struck off.
As per the India Today factcheck report, a large number of voters are indeed registered with the address in question— House No. 35 in Muni Reddy Garden. However, the report shows that there is no scam in it, because it is a rental house, and various tenants who lived there at various times used the address to register themselves to the voter list.
The house is at present occupied by a food delivery worker named Dipankar. The present occupant of the house is originally from West Bengal and moved here one month ago.
The house in question is owned by one Jayaram Reddy, who claims to be a BJP voter-supporter. As per IndiaToday report, “He (Reddy) admitted that several tenants had lived there over the years and enrolled themselves as voters, but most had since moved out. Despite this, he said some return during elections to cast their votes.”
“He confirmed that the voter list shows 80 people at the address, even though the house could not physically accommodate them. He claimed many had relocated to other states or districts, including Odisha, Bihar, and Mandya, but acknowledged that “a few of them” still return during polls to vote,” the report adds.
However, the claims of ‘fraudulent’ voter registration or “vote chori” as alleged by Rahul Gnadhi, seem unfounded since BLO Munirathna has clarified that several migrant workers living in small houses along the IT corridor use rental agreements to obtain voter IDs. “These occupants are typically job seekers working as security guards, housekeepers, or domestic helpers. After acquiring voter IDs, many vacate the premises, but their names remain on the electoral rolls,” the India Today reported.
Many these voters who have moved from here, refuse to have their names removed saying that they need the voter ID and return to cast votes during elections. Contrary to Rahul Gandhi’s insinuation that these 80 ‘fraudulent’ voters live together in 10 sq. ft. house, although these people have their voter IDs registered at the same address, these voters, mostly security guards, house helps etc, are not living together at the same time. They came, stayed for some time and moved to other places for some or the other reason.
This does not imply any ‘fraud’ and also does not prove that they may or may not be essentially voting for the BJP. Clearly, Rahul Gandhi and his media cheerleader Rajdeep Sardesai have labelled migrant voters as ‘fraudulent voters’. Moreover, the SIR exercise conducted by EIC in Bihar, is specifically aimed at addressing issue of migrant voters. But Rahul Gandhi and Congress party have been opposing the move.
As reported earlier, Rahul Gandhi while alleging ‘vote chori’ had zeroed in on Mahadevapura, one of eight Assembly segments under Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency, claiming that over 1 lakh votes out of 6.5 lakh were either duplicated or linked to fake addresses.
As an example, Rahul Gandhi cited the case of one Gurkirat Singh Dang, whose name allegedly appeared on voter rolls at four different booths. From this single instance, he extrapolated a sweeping claim of “thousands” of such cases, without presenting any independently verified evidence. What Gandhi fails to acknowledge, however, is the very real and common phenomenon of intra-city and inter-state migration, particularly in urban hubs like Bengaluru, where people frequently shift residences for work, education, or housing constraints.
In such cases, it’s not unusual for individuals to be enrolled at their new address without having formally applied for the removal of their names from earlier rolls. This administrative overlap can result in multiple entries, but it does not automatically mean that the person voted more than once, let alone that they were part of any coordinated fraud. To conflate registration anomalies with actual voting malpractice is not just misleading; it grossly misrepresents how electoral rolls evolve in dynamic urban settings.
Moreover, Gandhi also conveniently overlooked the fact that parties receive voter rolls well in advance and are free to raise objections during the verification phase. If such large-scale discrepancies truly existed, why weren’t they flagged before polling day? Clearly, Congress is manufacturing outrage by alleging ‘vote chori’, while the party’s media allies are amplifying its conspiracy theories.
The political twist
What makes the story politically charged is the irony: Rahul Gandhi has been strongly criticising the Election Commission and the BJP for voter list tampering, but the same trends are evident in his constituency.
In Bihar, the Election Commission is already conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise to purify the rolls of voters. Rahul has also attacked that process, but although invited by the EC to lodge written complaints, he has not yet lodged any formal evidence.
The scandal raises a fundamental question: are these “irregularities” evidence of intentional fraud, as Rahul asserts, or merely a function of administrative loopholes and India’s twisting voter registration system? For the present, the same problems Rahul highlighted in other seats appear to be present in Rae Bareli too, and that has triggered a new round of political debate.
Rahul Gandhi targets common man to amplify his ‘vote chori’ conspiracy theory
On Thursday (7th August), Rahul Gandhi conducted a press conference wherein he claimed that a man named Aditya Srivastava was voting in 3 different States simultaneously.
“He is Aditya Srivastava. His name is in the electoral rolls of Maharashtra, Karnataka (Bengaluru Urban) and Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow). His name appears 4 times. Same photo and same address,” the Congress leader alleged.
“And there are thousands of such people. 11,000 votes have been stolen like this,” he claimed. Rahul Gandhi defamed Aditya Srivastava by suggesting that the latter is somehow a part of a vote fraud scheme.
On Friday (8th August), the victim debunked the lies peddled by the Congress leader during a telephonic interview with India TV.
Aditya Srivastava hails from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. As such, his first voter ID was registered in that city. In 2016, he began living in Mumbai and had transferred the voter ID to his new address in Maharashtra.
He had cast his vote from Mumbai during the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Later, he shifted to Bengaluru for work in 2021 and re-transferred his voter ID to new address in Karnataka.
Aditya Srivastava had voted from Bengaluru during the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He had updated all details on the website of the Election Commission of India as per the facility provided by the nodal election body.
The common man lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for leaking his personal details to the world. He clarified that he never cast his vote in multiple States at one time.
Aditya Srivastava even dared Rahul Gandhi to show call records and CCTV footage from polling booths, which can prove that he cast votes in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka at the same time.
He pointed out that his EPIC number (10-digit unique identification number) on his voter ID cards has remained consistent during all constituency transfers, and there is no evidence of fraud.
A team from India TV visited the Mumbai address of Aditya Srivastava. The tenant confirmed that he left the apartment back in 2021. This coincides with the victim’s own testament of leaving the city in the same year.
OpIndia had previously reported how claims of Rahul Gandhi about Aditya Srivastava are not supported by publicly available data on Voter’s Services Portal on Election Commission.
Election Commission debunks lies of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
On Friday (8th August), the Election Commission of India (ECI) debunked the lies peddled by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as part of his campaign to undermine the integrity of the nodal election body.
At the very onset, the Election Commission of India made it clear that the Supreme Court had turned down Congress’ petition for providing machine machine-readable voter list in 2019. As such, the nodal election body is under no compulsion to entertain this demand of the grand-old party.
It pointed out why CCTV footage is destroyed after 45 days and the rationale behind its preservation in specific case.
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 8, 2025
The Election Commission of India stated, “Any aggrieved Candidate can file an election petition (EP) to challenge his election in the concerned High Court within 45 days. If an EP is filed, CCTV footage is retained; otherwise, it serves no purpose unless someone intends to breach voter privacy. For example, reviewing CCTV footage from 1 lakh polling stations would take 1 lakh days-that’s approximately 273 years-with no legal outcome.”
While responding to the claim of ‘committing mass fraud’, ECI pointed out how almost no appeals were made by the Congress party across 36 States and Union Territories, following the 2024 Lok Sabha election. This was despite the fact that the grand-old party had the legal sanction to challenge the nodal election body.
The Election Commission further stated, “Many such allegations are being made by Shri Rahul Gandhi and are being reported by the media, despite no written complaint ever being submitted by him. In the past as well, he has never personally sent a self-signed letter. For example, he raised the Maharashtra issue in December 2024. Subsequently, an advocate from AICC wrote to ECI. Our reply, dated 24 December 2024, is publicly available on ECI website. Yet, Shri Rahul Gandhi claims that ECI never responded.”
The nodal election body has therefore requested the Congress leader to submit his specific claims and objections against voters and sign the Declaration/Oath as per Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
“If Shri Rahul Gandhi does not sign the Declaration, it would mean that he does not believe in his analysis, resultant conclusions and is making absurd allegations. In which case, he should apologise to the nation,” it concluded.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence has told the National Assembly that the country has suffered a financial blow exceeding Rs 1,240 crore or PKR 4.1 billion after shutting its airspace to Indian-registered aircraft. According to a report in Dawn, the ban came into effect on 24th April after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty on 23rd April in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 26 innocent Hindus. Following the suspension of the treaty by India, Islamabad withdrew overflight permission for all Indian-registered aircraft and those operated, owned or leased by Indian carriers.
Revenue plunge and reduced air traffic
As per reports, 100–150 Indian aircraft used to pass through Pakistani airspace. The Pakistan Airports Authority saw its overflying charges collapse between 24th April and 30th June. Pakistan’s transit air traffic reduced by almost 20% following the ban. While the defence ministry of Pakistan claimed “sovereignty and national defence take precedence over economic considerations”, losing PKR 4 billion in revenue is a major loss for a country already in a major financial crisis.
Losses worse than previous standoff
In 2019, PAA’s average overflight revenue was $508,000. At that time, there were airspace restrictions were imposed by both sides following military standoff in response to the deadly Pulwama attack. The airspace remained closed for around five months and was reopened in July 2019. However, the revenue in 2025 was $760,000 before the ban. That means the current ban is proving more costly than the previous India–Pakistan airspace restrictions. The ban has been extended twice and will remain in force until the last week of August.
Continuing restrictions on both sides
Notably, not only Pakistan, but India has also banned all Pakistani-operated, owned or leased aircraft, including military flights, since 30th April. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol confirmed India’s ban will remain until at least 23rd August 2025, citing “prevailing security protocols and strategic considerations.”
Just days ago, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of creating fake voters, citing anomalies such as “House Number 0” entries in voter lists. He showcased data from Mahadevapura in Karnataka’s Bangalore Central constituency, calling it a grand conspiracy.
But now, a Times Now Navbharat report has revealed an embarrassing twist, the same pattern exists in Rahul Gandhi’s own constituency, Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. The voter list there also has a large number of entries with “House Number 0” and even clusters of dozens of voters registered at the same address.
Voters with “House Number 0” found in Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituency too
In Rae Bareli’s Assembly voter list, one address has 27 names, while two others have 18 each, eerily similar to the cases Rahul himself cited as proof of “electoral fraud” elsewhere. For years, Rae Bareli has been a Gandhi family stronghold, first Sonia Gandhi, now Rahul. The discovery raises the obvious question: if these patterns mean fraud in BJP-won seats, do they also mean fraud in Rahul’s own victory?
Experts point out that “House Number 0” in rural voter rolls often happens simply because homes have no official numbering, not necessarily due to foul play. Likewise, multiple voters at one address are common in joint families, shared housing, or rented accommodations, especially in semi-urban and rural India. The Election Commission regularly conducts corrections to update such records.
Ironically, Rahul has opposed the Commission’s SIR (Summary Intensive Revision) process, meant precisely to clean up such anomalies, and has refused to file a written complaint despite being asked.
Multiple voters registered at one address in Rae Bareli: Did Rahul Gandhi commit electoral fraud?
In his press conference, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the voter list contained 80 voters registered at a single address, linking it directly to electoral fraud. But in his own Rae Bareli constituency, a similar pattern has emerged just like the ones he cited while accusing others. At one booth, House No. 8 had 27 registered voters. At two other booths, House No. 80 and House No. 4 each had 18 registered voters.
It is a political irony that the very “fraud” he alleges is also present in his own constituency. In India’s vast electoral system, such situations are not uncommon. In both rural and urban areas, joint families or multiple tenants often result in several voters sharing the same address. The Election Commission routinely updates and corrects its rolls to address such issues.
In Bihar, the detailed SIR (Summary Intensive Revision) process for voter lists is part of this corrective mechanism. Rahul Gandhi, however, has opposed this reform and is actively campaigning against it. When the Election Commission asked him to file a complaint, he has refused to submit one in writing in any case.
What’s the truth behind Rahul Gandhi’s claim of 80 voters at a single address?
Meanwhile, his most dramatic allegation, that one house in Mahadevapura had 80 “fake voters” has also crumbled. Local Booth Level Officer Muniratna told the media that this address is a rented property where tenants change frequently. People register to vote using rental agreements, then move away, leaving outdated entries. The EC has already listed such names for removal.
In short, Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to paint the voter list issue as a BJP conspiracy may have backfired spectacularly, showing that the very “evidence” he cites against others exists in his own backyard.
The government of India has welcomed the upcoming meeting between American president Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. A statement issued by the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said that “India welcomes the understanding reached between the United States and the Russian Federation for a meeting in Alaska on 15th August 2025.”
The statement said that the meeting holds the promise of bringing to an end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and opening up the prospects for peace. The spokesperson also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that ‘This is not an era of war’.
“This meeting holds the promise of bringing to an end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and opening up the prospects for peace. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said on several occasions, ‘This is not an era of war’,” the spokesperson said.
“India, therefore, endorses the upcoming Summit meeting and stands ready to support these efforts,” the statement added.
Notably, US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday, August 15, 2025, in Alaska. The meeting is expected to focus heavily on efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account, “The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska. Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The meeting was later confirmed by a Kremlin spokesperson, saying that the location was “quite logical” given Alaska’s relative proximity to Russia. Alaska was originally owned by Russia, but the country sold the region to USA in 1867.
In July 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stunned markets by slashing India’s gold import duty from 15% to 6%, a surgical strike aimed at dismantling the country’s most entrenched smuggling racket. While the move targeted a national menace, investigative reporting by Palak Shah of Business World reveals it also dealt a body blow to Kerala’s shadow economy, long fuelled by illicit gold.
For decades, Kerala’s four international airports, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kannur, served as prime entry points for smuggled bullion from Gulf nations. The state’s deep diaspora links, proximity to gold hubs like Dubai, and a political climate tolerant of illicit trade created what Shah calls “a smuggler’s paradise.” Between 2020 and 2023, over 3,100 smuggling cases were recorded, but seizures barely dented the estimated 200–400 tons of gold worth $15 billion entering India annually through illegal channels.
High duties made smuggling hugely profitable, up to ₹9 lakh per kg, even after carrier payments. These profits didn’t just enrich gangsters; they lubricated Kerala’s informal economy, funding unaccounted real estate deals, jewellery networks, and hawala operations. In one notable case, a major unlisted jewellery chain allegedly operated with 4,000 shadow investors, far beyond SEBI’s regulatory limits, prompting money laundering suspicions.
Sitharaman’s duty cut collapsed this model almost overnight. Profits per kg fell to ₹3 lakh, carrier fees plunged, and Gulf gold trade to Kerala shrank. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs confirmed a sharp decline in seizures post-duty cut. Air traffic data shows fewer Gulf passengers, with Gulf Air even cancelling Calicut flights in 2025 due to reduced demand, a sign the smuggling pipeline had been choked.
While legal gold trade surged, the World Gold Council reported an 18% year-on-year jump in Q3 2024, the abrupt disappearance of illicit liquidity hit Kerala’s economy hard. The state’s Gross State Domestic Product growth fell to 6.19% in 2024–25, the slowest in South India, with real estate, construction, and luxury retail all showing marked declines.
According to Shah’s findings, the slowdown exposed Kerala’s dangerous dependence on black money. Property transactions dropped 18%, luxury housing prices corrected by 25%, and construction growth lagged the national average. With Gulf remittances also down 10% in 2024, the state’s twin cash pipelines, legal and illegal, both weakened.
The gold duty cut was more than a fiscal tweak; it was a strategic strike that crippled a criminal ecosystem linked to terror financing and political corruption. As Shah notes, it has forced Kerala to confront an uncomfortable truth: much of its apparent prosperity rested on an illicit trade that could vanish with the stroke of a pen.
Adding to the murky picture are explosive allegations linking Kerala’s political elite to the very smuggling racket Sitharaman’s policy helped cripple. Swapna Suresh, one of the prime accused in the 2020 Kerala gold smuggling case, claimed in 2023 that she was offered ₹30 crore to keep Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s name out of the case. In a Facebook Live broadcast, she alleged being threatened by the CM himself to leave the country, with CPM state secretary Govindan Master allegedly directing party intermediaries to intimidate her into silence. According to Suresh, she was told to relocate to Haryana or Jaipur with state-backed assistance, including a flat and fake passports to facilitate her exit.
Suresh has repeatedly named CM Vijayan, members of his family, and three cabinet ministers in connection with the smuggling and related hawala transactions. In earlier testimonies, she alleged that in 2016 a bag containing cash was sent to the CM while he was in Dubai, detected during airport scanning under consular protocol. She also claimed that under orders from then principal secretary M. Sivasankar, heavy metal-laden biryani vessels were moved from the UAE Consulate to the CM’s official residence, Cliff House. These claims, which surfaced ahead of the 2021 assembly elections and resurfaced with renewed force in 2024, have kept the political dimensions of Kerala’s gold smuggling scandal very much alive, even as the central government’s fiscal strike has eroded the racket’s economic foundations.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has once again pressed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to either back his allegations of “vote theft” with a formal declaration or apologise for making what it termed “absurd” claims against the poll body.
Gandhi’s allegations of vote theft
At a press conference on 7 August, Gandhi accused the ECI of choreographing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to benefit the BJP, which he claimed appeared “immune to anti-incumbency.” Presenting Congress’s internal findings, Gandhi alleged that in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura seat alone, 100,250 votes were stolen through duplicate names, fake addresses and bulk registrations at single properties. He pointed to discrepancies between Congress’s expected and actual tally in the state, claiming the party lost seven seats under suspicious circumstances.
Election Commission’s response
The poll body said Gandhi must sign declarations prepared by the Chief Electoral Officers of Maharashtra and Karnataka if he believed his own analysis. “If Rahul Gandhi does not sign the Declaration, it would mean that he does not believe in his conclusions. In that case, he should apologise to the nation,” sources said. Officials also reminded that the Congress-led Karnataka government itself uses electoral rolls to frame its caste census policy.
Congress and allies stand by claims
Karnataka Minister G Parameshwara confirmed the state unit would file a complaint with the poll body on Gandhi’s behalf. “There is a difference in the voter list, which the commission should accept,” he insisted, while suggesting Rahul Gandhi need not personally provide the documents. Meanwhile, NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar lent weight to the Congress leader’s concerns, revealing that before the Maharashtra Assembly polls, two individuals had offered him and Gandhi a “guarantee” of 160 seats out of 288, which they both rejected.
BJP dismisses allegations as baseless
The BJP accused the Congress of playing the blame game. Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia argued that the Congress routinely blames EVMs, VVPATs, the public, or the ECI when it loses elections. “If you want to seek a remedy in law, Mr Rahul Gandhi, you must follow due procedure. Baseless allegations in the media are not proof,” Bhatia said, demanding a formal complaint rather than public statements.
The row has added fresh fuel to the ongoing political battle, with the ECI holding firm that Gandhi must either substantiate his charges through official channels or retract them before the nation.
Producer Amit Jani, who backed the controversial film Udaipur Files, has alleged that he has received repeated death threats, just a day after the film was released across India.
Threat claims after release
In a post on X on Saturday, Jani claimed he was receiving persistent calls from an unknown number. According to him, the caller, identifying himself as Tabrez from Bihar, threatened to kill him either by shooting or by a bomb attack. Jani urged authorities to register a case and arrest the accused immediately.
Security already in place
Only last month, the Central government had extended Y-category armed security cover to Jani in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, after he petitioned the Supreme Court citing life threats. The protection detail, which consists of 8 to 11 personnel including commandos, was sanctioned following the Court’s direction allowing him to seek police protection.
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The film finally released on Friday, 8 August, following a clearance from the Delhi High Court a day earlier. It had originally been slated for release on 11 July but was repeatedly delayed owing to censorship hurdles and legal battles. The Supreme Court had also instructed the Delhi High Court to deal with challenges to the government’s approval of its release.
Based on Udaipur murder case
Udaipur Files depicts the 2022 murder of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Lal was brutally killed in his shop by two men after he allegedly shared a social media post supporting former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, whose remarks on Prophet Mohammed during a television debate had sparked a national controversy.
Police reports state that the accused, Mohammad Riaz Attari and Ghaus Mohammad, posed as customers before attacking Lal with knives and slitting his throat. They filmed the murder and posted the video online, boasting of their act. The crime shocked the nation and drew attention to the dangers of radicalisation and communal tensions.
Initially investigated by Rajasthan police, the case was later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and is currently under trial before a special court in Jaipur.
Cast and production
The film features Vijay Raaz in the lead role and has been directed by Bharat S Shrinate and Jayant Sinha. Amit Jani, now at the centre of the security row, has produced the project.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has taken sharp aim at the government’s handling of Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack. Speaking in the Lower House on 29th July, Gandhi accused the ruling BJP of showing weak political will and putting unnecessary restrictions on the armed forces.
The heated debate in Parliament saw the Opposition accusing the government of lacking strategic clarity, while the BJP hit back, accusing Congress of politicising national security and disrupting proceedings. Gandhi, however, insisted that the Opposition had always stood with the armed forces and the government on matters of national security.
“Even before Operation Sindoor began, the Opposition committed itself to stand like a rock with the government and the forces,” he said.
“Political will” and “Freedom of Operation”
Gandhi’s criticism focused on two key points: political will and freedom of operation for the armed forces.
“There are two words: ‘Political Will’ and ‘Freedom of Operation’. If you want to utilise the Indian Armed Forces, you need 100% political will and full freedom of operation,” he said, pointing to the 1971 war as an example.
He recalled how then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had told General Sam Manekshaw to take as much time as needed to prepare and act, and how that decision led to a decisive victory where 1 lakh Pakistani soldiers surrendered, resulting in the creation of Bangladesh.
Gandhi contrasted that with Operation Sindoor, claiming that the government tied the hands of the military. “You went into Pakistan and told our pilots not to attack their air defence. It was bound that the aircraft would be downed. You tied the hands of our pilots,” he alleged.
He was quick to clarify that the Indian Air Force (IAF) had done no wrong, blaming instead the “political leadership” for restricting them from hitting military targets.
Background of Operation Sindoor
Operation Sindoor was India’s swift and strong military retaliation after the Pahalgam terror attack on 22nd April, in which 26 tourists were killed in Kashmir.
On the night of the attack, India launched 24 precision missiles targeting nine terrorist bases across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. These included terror launchpads, training centres, and safe houses. According to Indian government sources, more than 70 terrorists were killed and at least 60 others injured.
One of the worst-hit sites was the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp in Bahawalpur. The strikes were meant to send a strong message that India would not tolerate attacks on civilians and would respond with precision and force.
IAF Chief counters claims of “Tied Hands”
Rahul Gandhi’s claim that the government restricted the military was directly contradicted by Indian Air Force Chief Air Marshal AP Singh.
Addressing the 16th Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru, the IAF chief credited the success of Operation Sindoor to strong political will and full operational freedom given to the armed forces.
“I was present at the meetings. There was very clear political will, and there were no restrictions imposed. If there were any, they were self-imposed by the defence forces,” he said.
According to him, the military had full freedom to plan and execute the attacks on terror bases and Pakistani air bases. He praised the coordination between the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the role of the Chief of Defence Staff and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Air Marshal Singh revealed that during the operation, Indian forces shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and an AWACS aircraft in the air, destroyed a few American F-16s undergoing maintenance, and hit another large aircraft on the ground.
Addressing doubts over the operation’s success
The IAF chief also addressed the scepticism around Operation Sindoor, saying it was “unfortunate” that some people in India doubted the operation’s success. He explained that since the targets were deep inside Pakistan, over 100 km from the border, getting definitive proof was challenging.
However, he pointed to satellite images and pictures from Pakistani media and social media showing massive damage to the terror bases and air force facilities. He also compared the operation to the 2019 Balakot air strikes, saying that this time the military had much more evidence of success.
Rahul Gandhi’s broader attack on the government’s strategy
Rahul Gandhi didn’t limit his criticism to the military aspect. He also questioned the government’s foreign policy and strategic messaging.
He accused the government of telling Pakistan, “we don’t want to fight” after the operation and mocked what he called the “new normal”, that the mastermind of the Pahalgam attack was having lunch with the US President even before the operation ended.
Gandhi challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to directly call out former US President Donald Trump for claiming that he brokered the ceasefire 29 times. “If Trump is lying, let the PM stand here and say: ‘Donald Trump, you are a liar.’ If he has the courage of Indira Gandhi, let him say it here in Parliament,” Gandhi said.
He also warned that India had failed in its biggest foreign policy challenge, keeping Pakistan and China apart and accused the government of underestimating the China-Pakistan partnership.
Congress leaders join in the criticism
Several Congress leaders have echoed Gandhi’s scepticism about Operation Sindoor. Kothur Manjunath, the MLA from Kolar City in Karnataka, asserted that the action has proven ineffective and failed to deliver justice to the family of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. “If terrorists can enter our country, kill our people, and escape unscathed, isn’t that a glaring security failure? What was our army doing at the border? Did they have any plan at all?” he asked.
?"Operation Sindoor was a show-off; nothing was done."
Karnataka Congress MLA Kothur Manjunath questioned the effectiveness of Operation Sindoor and the government's claims.
Congress veteran Prithviraj Chavan accused the government of using the name ‘Sindoor’ for emotional or religious gain. Congress leader Udit Raj also levelled similar allegations and accused, “During discussions with intellectuals, it was pointed out that Sindoor is associated with a specific religion, and it would have been better if a different name was chosen.”
Delhi: When asked about the name "Operation Sindoor" for the operation targeting terrorists
Congress leader Udit Raj says, "During discussions with intellectuals, it was pointed out that Sindoor is associated with a specific religion, and it would have been better if a different… pic.twitter.com/ef58ZH3mph
Controversial Congress MP Imran Masood went even further, suggesting that the results of the operation should be made public. He referred back to the Balakot air strike, saying, “The world mocked us. People said we only killed three crows.” His comments aimed to downplay India’s earlier efforts against cross-border terrorism and added fuel to the ongoing debate.
Accusations of spreading conspiracy theories
The ruling BJP has accused Congress, and Rahul Gandhi in particular, of echoing the narratives of Pakistan and China by questioning the success of Operation Sindoor.
They pointed to how Congress leaders raised doubts similar to those made by Pakistan after the Balakot strikes, and accused the Opposition of undermining the armed forces for political gain.
Government sources have also said that by constantly questioning the operation and suggesting that “nothing much was achieved,” Congress is damaging India’s position on the global stage and giving ammunition to enemy propaganda.
