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BEST credit society poll: Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS lose all 21 seats, BJP highlights how ‘Thackeray brand’ has failed

OpIndia Staff
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BEST credit society poll: Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS lose all 21 seats, BJP highlights how ‘Thackeray brand’ has failed

The Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) alliance faced a big defeat in the elections of the BEST Employees Cooperative Credit Society Ltd. Though the two parties fought together, they failed to secure even a single seat among the 21 seats they had contested.

The counting of votes began on Monday, 18th August, and went on through Tuesday (19th August) night. In the end, the rival panel led by Shashank Rao, who is linked to the BJP, came out on top, winning 14 of the seats.

The Sena (UBT) and MNS had also constituted a joint committee by the name of Utkarsh. They had put up a total of 21 candidates, 18 from UBT, two from MNS, and one from the Association of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, who were also in the alliance.

MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande had previously accused opponents of employing funds to lure voters in the election. Meanwhile, UBT leaders indicated that the election mattered to them in that it provided the two parties with an opportunity to demonstrate to people in Maharashtra that they were collaborating. They also perceived it as a test of what they could achieve when they worked together.

The BJP, though, didn’t let the opportunity slip to take a swipe at the Sena (UBT) and MNS. Describing the defeat as a outright rejection of the “Thackeray brand,” BJP leaders asserted that the employees had opted for a panel that stood really with workers. Shashank Rao stated that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar have always stood for BEST workers, which proved beneficial for their side.

BJP MLC Prasad Lad had also introduced the Sahakar Samruddhi panel for the co-op polls, which went on to win. Within minutes of the results coming out, Rao wrote on X, “The Thackeray brand proved to be zero… we have shown them their position.”

Constitution (130th) Amendment Bill sent to Joint Parliamentary Committee, HM Shah says leaders cannot ‘run governments from jail’

OpIndia Staff
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Constitution (130th) Amendment Bill sent to Joint Parliamentary Committee, HM Shah says leaders cannot ‘run governments from jail’

On 20th August, Constitution (130th) Amendment Bill that ensures prime ministers, chief ministers, and ministers at both central and state levels cannot continue to hold office while in jail was sent to Joint Parliamentary Committee. In a series of posts on social media platform X, Union Minister Amit Shah asserted that the Modi government is committed to ending political corruption and upholding public morality.

Purpose of the bill

In his posts, Shah explained the rationale behind the bill and said that it was designed to address the decline in ethical standards in public life. He noted that while the Constitution’s framers never imagined such a scenario, recent years have witnessed “astonishing situations” where chief ministers and ministers have refused to resign even while running governments from jail.

He noted that the law has three key provisions. First, no one arrested and imprisoned will be allowed to govern as prime minister, chief minister, or minister. Second, those arrested will have 30 days to secure bail from the courts. If they fail to do so, on the 31st day, they will automatically lose their constitutional office unless formally removed earlier. Third, if they are later granted bail through due legal process, they may return to office.

Prompted by Kejriwal’s case and Supreme Court concerns

The legislation emerges amid growing judicial and political debate over whether incarcerated leaders can effectively govern. In 2024, the Supreme Court of India, in hearing Arvind Kejriwal’s bail plea, raised the critical question of whether the Delhi Chief Minister could continue to discharge constitutional duties while in jail.

The court considered whether special provisions might allow him to sign government files or conduct official business from custody. In case this bill was in force during his six-month stint in jail, he would have automatically lost his office for remaining in detention beyond the stipulated period.

BJP vs Congress legacy

In a sharp attack on the opposition, Shah contrasted the Modi government’s position with Congress’s past record. He recalled how Indira Gandhi, through the 39th constitutional amendment, granted herself immunity from legal proceedings. He said, “Congress made prime ministers above the law, whereas we are bringing our own prime minister, ministers, and chief ministers under the ambit of law.”

He further accused the Congress-led opposition of resisting the bill only to protect leaders who cling to power despite being in jail. He said the ruling party and its allies stood for probity in politics. HM Shah cited the example of LK Advani who had resigned merely on allegations, whereas Congress leaders institutionalised the practice of shielding convicted or accused politicians.

Personal reference and political vendetta

In one of his posts, HM Shah also referred to his own past, when he was arrested in a false case. He said, “I had resigned even before being arrested, and after being granted bail, I did not return to any constitutional post until the court declared me innocent,” while recalling that the case was dismissed as politically motivated.

Opposition unity questioned

HM Shah criticised the behaviour of the opposition in Parliament and said they had “shed all shame” in blocking a bill intended to bring integrity into politics. He accused Congress and the I.N.D.I Alliance of standing by corruption and pointed out how the party had once brought an ordinance to protect Lalu Prasad Yadav, which Rahul Gandhi theatrically opposed at that time. “Today the same Rahul Gandhi is embracing Lalu Yadav on stage,” Shah said, calling it a display of double standards.

He further clarified that the bill will now be examined by a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed discussion. He said it was now up to the people to decide whether it was right for a jailed leader to continue running a government from prison.

The unholy convergence: How the US Treasury Secretary, Asim Munir, and Rahul Gandhi aligned to target Mukesh Ambani and undermine India’s growth story

Amit Kelkar
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The unholy convergence: How the US Treasury Secretary, Asim Munir, and Rahul Gandhi aligned to target Mukesh Ambani and undermine India’s growth story

India today stands at the cusp of an economic transformation that is reshaping the global order. With its GDP growth outpacing that of every major economy, India has not only emerged as the fastest-growing large economy in the world but also the next great hope for global supply chains, manufacturing, digital innovation, and consumer markets. 

Much of this story has been powered by its corporate giants, such as Reliance Industries, Adani Group, Tata, Infosys, Wipro, among others, who have invested heavily in core sectors, employed millions directly and indirectly, and given India the scale and ambition to dream of becoming the world’s third-largest economy.

And yet, in the span of a few weeks, a worrying convergence has emerged. Three seemingly unrelated actors: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir, and India’s own Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, have all directed their fire at the same target: India’s most successful business elites, particularly Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited.

Placed in isolation, each of these attacks may seem like a political or rhetorical attack. Put together, however, they reveal something far more sinister: Is it a coordinated undermining, whether by design or coincidence, of the very backbone of India’s economic rise?

Scott Bessent targets India: tariffs, Russian oil, and the attempt to discredit Ambani

When US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on CNBC this week, the remarks he made were astonishingly blunt. Not only did he accuse India of profiteering from Russian crude oil imports, he went further to claim that “India’s richest families”, a pointed reference to Mukesh Ambani and others, but directed at Ambani since he owns refineries in India that process crude oil for reselling. Bessent accused he and others were personally benefiting at the cost of the West’s sanctions regime.

“We have planned to up the tariffs on India, these are secondary tariffs for buying the sanctioned Russian oil,” Bessent declared. Before 2022, he argued, India bought less than 1% of its oil from Russia. “Now, I believe, it’s up to 42%. So India is just profiteering… they made $16 billion on excess profits, some of the richest families in India.”

On the surface, this may sound like a moral rebuke of India’s opportunistic energy policy. But scratch deeper, and the hollowness of the argument becomes clear.

Why Bessent is wrong

First, India has been consistent in its position that it will purchase oil from the cheapest available source to safeguard its energy security. At a time when inflation, supply chain disruptions, and the West’s sanctions threatened global energy affordability, India’s choice to buy discounted Russian oil was not profiteering; it was pragmatism.

Second, Washington’s selective outrage is glaring. China, for instance, also ramped up purchases of Russian crude, from 13% of its oil imports pre-Ukraine invasion to 16% today. Yet Bessent rationalised that China had a “diversified” oil basket, hence no punitive tariffs were needed. Why then single out India?

Third, Reliance and other refiners have bought Russian crude under legitimate long-term contracts. Much of this oil is refined into petroleum products and re-exported, ensuring global supply stability. In fact, this was the very intent behind the G7’s $60-per-barrel price cap: to keep Russian oil flowing while cutting Moscow’s windfall revenues. By that logic, India’s role was complementary to the West’s own objectives.

But instead of recognising India’s stabilising contribution, Bessent chose to vilify its corporates, framing them as profiteers. The irony is rich: American oil companies have made record profits since 2022, yet it is India’s Ambanis and Adanis who are branded as villains.

This rhetorical attack is not just baseless; it is dangerous. By naming “India’s richest families,” Bessent sought to sow distrust within India, to pit the people against the very companies that power their jobs, digital services, telecom access, energy security, and retail supply chains. In effect, Washington is trying to de-legitimise India’s growth story by targeting its corporate face.

Asim Munir’s threat: Quranic curse

If Scott Bessent’s rhetoric was an attempt at economic delegitimisation, Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir took things to a far darker level: explicit physical threats.

At a private dinner in Tampa, Florida, Munir boasted to his diaspora audience about authorising a social media post that paired Mukesh Ambani’s photograph with Surah Al-Fil, the Quranic chapter describing the destruction of enemy elephants by divine intervention.

“Ek tweet karwaya tha with Surah Fil and a picture of [industrialist] Mukesh Ambani to show them what we will do the next time,” he bragged.

The symbolism was chilling. In Islamic tradition, Surah Al-Fil is about miraculous annihilation. By linking it to Ambani, Munir was not making a casual remark. He was issuing a coded religious threat, a promise of divine-sanctioned destruction against India’s most successful businessman.

And he didn’t stop there. Munir went on to warn that Pakistan would start from India’s east, and then move westwards. This was not mere bluster; it was an admission of a strategy: to target India’s economic heart through its corporates.

In another metaphor, Munir compared India to a “Mercedes speeding down a highway” and Pakistan to a “dump truck full of gravel.” His message was clear: even if Pakistan is weaker, it can still crash into India’s shining economy, causing devastating collateral damage.

This marks a dangerous shift in Pakistan’s doctrine. From sabre-rattling about Kashmir and nukes, its generals are now openly fantasising about “economic decapitation” of India, going after Ambani and his peers as symbolic targets.

Rahul Gandhi’s rhetoric: Domestic distrust as a political strategy

The third actor in this convergence is not foreign but domestic. Rahul Gandhi, for years, has relentlessly hammered away at Ambani and Adani in his speeches, Parliament interventions, and international tours. From dubbing Modi’s administration a “suit-boot ki sarkaar” to coining the “Ambani-Adani nexus” slogan, Gandhi has sought to frame India’s corporates as corrupt cronies of the government.

At first glance, Rahul Gandhi’s attacks on Ambani and Adani may appear to be routine opposition politics, but the timing and amplification of his rhetoric have repeatedly overlapped with hostile foreign campaigns against India’s business houses. In early 2023, for instance, when Hindenburg Research released its short-seller attack on the Adani Group, Gandhi seized on the moment, echoing its claims in Parliament and across media platforms, effectively turning what was meant as a financial gambit into a full-blown political storm.

Soon after, when OCCRP, funded by George Soros’s Open Society, published follow-up reports, Gandhi again rushed to cite them, even though India’s Supreme Court later dismissed the allegations as unsubstantiated. Adding to this pattern, during his US tour, Gandhi shared a platform with Soros-backed activists notorious for their anti-India rhetoric, further blurring the line between legitimate domestic critique and active participation in the international effort to delegitimise India’s corporate champions.

According to an unverified but widely-circulated report attributed to Sputnik India, Israeli intelligence agency Mossad believed the timing was no coincidence. Mossad allegedly traced a web of communications suggesting coordination between Hindenburg, certain Western activist networks, Chinese economic interests, and a “key face from India’s opposition dynasty”: Rahul Gandhi.

By repeatedly branding Ambani and Adani as corrupt, Gandhi has created a climate of distrust within India. Investors and ordinary citizens alike are told to doubt the very companies building infrastructure, telecom networks, retail chains, and energy systems. Instead of celebrating the engines of India’s rise, Gandhi frames them as liabilities.

This, intentionally or not, complements the narrative pushed by Bessent and Munir: that Ambani and Adani are illegitimate profiteers who deserve to be punished or even destroyed.

The convergence: An attack on India’s growth trajectory

Consider the sequence: Washington’s Treasury Secretary openly accuses India’s richest families of profiteering from Russian oil and threatens secondary tariffs; Pakistan’s Army Chief invokes Quranic imagery to personally target Mukesh Ambani while hinting at an attack on the Jamnagar refinery while India’s own Opposition leader has been relentlessly repeating the narrative that Ambani and Adani are crony beneficiaries, fuelling distrust at home. Taken together, this is no longer mere coincidence; it is a clear convergence of forces working, intentionally or otherwise, to undermine India’s economic backbone.

The net effect of these three strands is the same: to delegitimise India’s corporates, weaken investor confidence, and slow the momentum of the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

If successful, this convergence could derail India’s developmental trajectory just as it is about to achieve its biggest leap, overtaking Germany to become the world’s third-largest economy.

Why India’s industrialists are national assets

It must be remembered: Ambani’s Reliance is not just a private company. It is India’s largest employer outside the government, a pioneer in telecom and digital infrastructure (Jio’s revolution), a critical player in energy security, and a massive investor in green technologies. Similarly, Adani’s infrastructure and ports are central to India’s connectivity and logistics. Tata, Infosys, Wipro power India’s tech and global service leadership.

To attack these corporates is not to attack individuals; it is to attack India’s growth story itself.

India’s economic rise has been fuelled as much by private enterprise as by state policy. Without Jio’s 5G revolution, India’s digital economy would not have boomed. Without Adani’s port infrastructure, India’s global trade integration would have lagged. Without Tata’s global acquisitions, India’s corporate presence abroad would have been weaker.

This is precisely why India’s adversaries have chosen to target them. Undermine their credibility, and you slow India’s momentum.

The real agenda: Sowing distrust

Scott Bessent’s remarks about “India’s richest families” are not about Russian oil. They are about sowing suspicion inside India, making the Indian middle class question whether Ambani is profiting at their expense.

Asim Munir’s threats are not about military targets. They are about creating fear in India’s business class, deterring them from ambitious projects that could catapult India ahead.

Rahul Gandhi’s jibes are not just about Modi. They are about normalising distrust of India’s corporate champions, painting success as inherently corrupt.

All three, in their own ways, converge on the same outcome: slowing India’s rise.

Protecting India’s growth story

India must recognise that its corporates are part of its national power. Protecting them from smear campaigns, rhetorical delegitimisation, or physical threats is as important as protecting their borders.

This does not mean corporates should be above accountability. But it does mean that baseless allegations by foreign leaders, coded threats by hostile generals, and opportunistic political rhetoric by domestic opposition must all be exposed for what they are: attempts to derail India’s growth trajectory at the very moment it is poised for greatness.

As India races to become the world’s third-largest economy, the world is watching. Some cheer, others fear. And those who fear will do everything in their power to tarnish, intimidate, and weaken the engines of India’s rise.

Ambani, Adani, Tata, Infosys, and several others are not just companies. They are India’s future. To undermine them is to undermine India itself. And that is something no Indian, across political lines, should ever allow.

No change in oil imports by India, Russia offering additional 5% discountas BPCL, Indian Oil continue to buy Russian crude despite Trump’s petulance

Shraddha Pandey
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No change in oil imports by India, Russia offering additional 5% discountas BPCL, Indian Oil continue to buy Russian crude despite Trump’s petulance

India is not succumbing to Donald Trump’s tariffs, pressure, and arm-twisting tactics meant to discourage India from buying Russian crude oil. Amidst straining India-US ties, Bharat Petroleum and Indian Oil Corporation have bought Russian oil for September and October delivery.

While US President Donald Trump levied 25% tariff and doubled the same as ‘punishment’ for buying Russian crude oil, New Delhi made it clear that its trade decisions will not be made or altered at the whims of White House.

Even the brief pause in India’s purchase of Russian oil in July was due to narrower discounts. However, with discounts for Russia’s flagship Ural crude widening to $3 per barrel, Indian refiners have resumed Russian oil purchases. As per a Reuters report, Bharat Petroleum and IOCL have also purchased other Russian crude oil grades from Varandey and Siberian Light.

“If West criticises, you’re doing everything right”: Russia backs India against Trump’s anti-India tirade

As India ramped up Russian oil purchases even in the face of mounting American pressure, Russia has expressed strong support for its iron brother India.

Evgeniy Griva, the Russian deputy trade representative, said on 20th August 2025, that despite the pressure on Russia and its economy, there is an increase in cooperation between India and Russia. He said that especially when it comes to the Rupee-Ruble payments between India and Russia, the cooperation has increased, and highlighted that despite the blackmailing, the cooperation in the financial sphere is safe.

Griva made the remarks on Wednesday, August 20, during a joint press conference with Roman Babushkin, Charge d’Affaires of the Russian Embassy in Delhi. Babushkin slammed the US for imposing ‘sanctions’ on India. He said that the Trump administration’s move reflects a lack of trust and respect for India’s sovereignty. Babushkin minced no words and said that if Washington truly considered India its friend, it “wouldn’t have behaved like that”.

Calling the sanctions on the Russian economy as illegal, Babushkin said, “Non-United Nations sanctions and secondary sanctions are illegal. They weaponise the economy. Despite the tremendous sanction pressure on Russia, the Russian economy is growing steadily. It means that you cannot exclude from the global economy such a big and important country like Russia with its tremendous energy, industrial and human potential.”

During the press briefing, Roman Babushkin dubbed sanctions as tools of “unlawful competition”. He also criticised America for its double standards.

“As we all know, the sanctions are a tool of unlawful competition. It’s always about double standards. A lack of trust, blackmail and pressure, as well as disrespect for national interests. Friends don’t behave like that,” Babushkin said.

Meanwhile, Evgeniy Griva highlighted, “We see that after such pressure an increase in cooperation, and especially in the financial sphere, for example, because payments in Ruble-Rupee became safer when you can expect that there would be some blackmailing. So, just the trend is that more pressure, more cooperation. “

The Russian official further pointed out that India and Russia have seen stable growth in trade and have reached levels where it can be predicted that the usual growth in trade would be 10 per cent annually.

“We have really very stable growth in our trade… Now we have reached the level and we can predict that, and focus on the usual growth in trade will be approximately 10 per cent annually. Besides that, we see the tendency that now Indian exports towards Russia are growing bigger and faster”, Griva said.

He mentioned that despite crude oil being the main item of Russia’s export, export of other commodities is also increasing. “I wanted to highlight that despite the political situation, we can predict that the same level of oil import, crude oil import will be approximately the same, and it’s absolutely positive trend, because for Russia it’s the main supply”, he said.

In addition, Griva informed that Indian traders are getting approximately 5% discount on Russian oil purchases.

“As for discount (on crude purchase), it’s a commercial secret. I think, because it’s usually just dialogue between businessmen and approximately usually 5% (is the discount). It’s fluctuating, but usually it’s plus-minus 5%,” said Evgeniy Griva.

Griva mentioned that Indian exports are also increasing to Russia in areas such as machine tools, pharma and electronic devices.

During the press conference, Russian diplomat Roman Bubushkin called the Western powers “neocolonial”, saying that they prioritise only their benefit. He stressed that any unilateral action against India over buying Russian oil would lead to supply chain disruption, pricing imbalance and destabilise global energy markets.

“Russia is the largest producer of oil, and India is the largest consumer. Any kind of unilateral action leads to disruptions in supply chains, imbalance in pricing policies and destabilisation of global markets, endangering the energy security of developing countries. Hypothetically, if India refuses Russian oil, it will not lead to equal cooperation with the West in general because it is not in the Western nature, which was clearly demonstrated in recent years. They behave like neocolonial powers that think of their own benefit. This pressure is unjustified and unilateral,” he said.

The Russian Chargé d’Affaires Roman Babushkin went on to say that if Indian goods are facing difficulties in entering the US markets, as the Indo-US trade deal talks have derailed and Trump is on a tariff-imposing spree, Russia is ready to offer a wider trade corridor to India.

“If Indian goods are facing difficulties entering the US market, the Russian market is welcoming Indian exports to the most extent possible. Don’t worry about that,” Babushkin said.

Speaking on the US trade Adviser, Peter Navarro saying that India should stop buying Russian oil to avoid secondary tariffs, Roman Babushkin said they do not expect that to happen.

“If the West criticises you, it means you are doing everything right…We don’t expect that to happen (India to stop buying oil from Russia). We know about the challenging circumstances for India. This is the true strategic partnership we are enjoying. Whatever happens, even during challenges, we are committed to removing any problems…The recent phone call by President Putin to PM Modi ji, explaining and sharing the information about recent developments in Ukraine, means India matters a lot to Russia. We are capable of finding any solution for mutual satisfaction. The deepening of our partnership will help us grow together…”

Notably, Peter Navarro, senior counselor for trade and manufacturing to President Trump, recently wrote an opinion piece in the Financial Times newspaper wherein he claimed that India’s purchases of Russian crude oil is funding Moscow’s war against Russia and that New Delhi needs to stop this. He asserted that India needs to stop cosying up to Russia and China if it wants to be treated as the US’s strategic partner.

Navarro decided to sermonise to India on how it should act to be treated as the US’s strategic partner; however, the White House advisor did not advise Trump that he should stop cosying up to the state sponsor of anti-India cross-border Jihadi terrorism, Pakistan.

“India acts as a global clearinghouse for Russian oil, converting embargoed crude into high-value exports while giving Moscow the dollars it needs,” the Financial Times article headlined “India’s oil lobby is funding Putin’s war machine — that has to stop”, stated.

Interestingly, the remarks by Russian diplomats come as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is in Russia co-chairing the Russia-India Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC), a key platform for bilateral cooperation across trade, energy, finance and defence. During his visit, he will meet Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The Embassy of India in Russia shared his arrival in Moscow on Tuesday evening in a post on X. It said, “Hon’ble EAM @DrSJaishankar arrives in Moscow on an official visit to Russia.”

It is interesting to note that while Trump has accused India of ‘fuelling the Russian war machine’, the US and European Union continue to purchase not only Russian oil but also several non-essential items.

Trump administration has been trying hard to paint India as the financer of Russia’s military action against a NATO-backed Ukraine. However, during his meeting with the US President in Alaska on 16th August, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that US-Russia bilateral trade has expanded by over 20 per cent in the past few months, exposing Trump’s persistent claims that the US has been pressuring Moscow to end its war in Ukraine.

As if India’s refusal to give in to the US’s pressure tactics and not lending credence to Trump’s ‘I stopped India-Pakistan war’ claims was not embarrassing enough for the US President, the growing India-Russia-China bonhomie shows that Trump’s petulance and anti-India tirade have backfired spectacularly.

Land acquisition delays stall Indo-Bangladesh border fencing in West Bengal, Government tells Rajya Sabha

OpIndia Staff
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Land acquisition delays stall Indo-Bangladesh border fencing in West Bengal, Government tells Rajya Sabha

On 20th August, the Government of India said in a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha that fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border is pending over 450 km, mostly due to delays in land acquisition in West Bengal. Rajya Sabha MPs Shambhu Sharan Patel and Neeraj Shekhar asked the Ministry of Home Affairs about the extent of fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, delays in land acquisition, and whether lack of fencing has contributed to increased infiltration and cross-border crimes.

Reply by Ministry of Home Affairs

In its reply, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, stated that out of the total 2,216.7 km Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, 1,647.697 km has been fenced. A remaining 569.004 km stretch is pending, of which 112.780 km is classified as non-feasible and the remaining 456.224 km is feasible for fencing and other infrastructure works.

Land acquisition bottlenecks

Rai acknowledged that land acquisition is a major obstacle. While land for 77.935 km has been handed over, acquisition for the remaining 378.289 km is incomplete. Out of the remaining area, 148.971 km is yet to be initiated by the West Bengal government. For the balance 229.318 km, the process is at various stages. For instance, 31.019 km is awaiting State Cabinet approval, 181.635 km is paid for but not handed over, 7.085 km is awaiting valuation by the state, and 9.579 km is pending payment by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Source: Sansad/PIB

The minister added that the Centre is holding regular meetings with the state government over the matter, conducting review visits and releasing payments on time, including for the 181.635 km that has already been cleared.

Infiltration and cross-border crimes

Rai further provided statistics on infiltration and seizures from 1st January 2023 to 31st July 2025 in West Bengal.

Source: Sansad/PIB

During that period, 3,964 infiltrators were apprehended. Seizures included 13,863 kg of narcotics, over 20,000 cattle, more than 724,000 bottles of Phensedyl, 175,000 Yaba tablets, 375.8 kg of gold, and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) worth ₹55.4 lakh.

Hindu student killed by Muslim students in Ahmedabad school, parents protest, say not the first incident of attacking Hindus

લિંકન સોખડિયા
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Hindu student killed by Muslim students in Ahmedabad school, parents protest, say not the first incident of attacking Hindus

In a disturbing incident in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, a minor Hindu student was brutally stabbed by a Muslim student studying in the same school on Tuesday (19th August). The victim succumbed to stabbing injuries during treatment in a hospital on Tuesday night. The culprits and the victim are students of the Seventh-Day Adventist Higher Secondary School in Khokhra. As per reports, a group of Muslim students attacked the Hindu boy, and one of them is accused of stabbing.

The incident reportedly resulted from an old rivalry between the victim and the culprits.

Outraged by the incident, the victim’s family, members of the Sindhi community and some Hindu organisations gathered outside the school and staged protests. Some protestors vandalised the school property and assaulted the school staff. Police were called to take control of the situation.

The victim’s family accused the school administration of negligence. They alleged that the school administration did not even call an ambulance to take the victim to a hospital after the incident. When the victim’s family reached the school after getting information about the incident, they saw the victim lying unconscious on the ground in a pool of blood. The family added that they took the victim to the hospital in an autorikshaw, and no one from the school staff even helped to take the injured victim to the autorikshaw. The aggrieved parents said that if the school had taken the victim to the hospital sooner, he would have survived. The family called for accountability for the incident from the school administration.

‘Muslim students fed mutton to the victim in the name of paneer’, says family

The victim’s grandfather told OpIndia that a few days ago, a Muslim student quarrelled with the victim when the latter was coming down the stairs after school. The Muslim student later reconciled by apologising to the victim. On the day of the incident, some Muslim boys, with their faces covered, attacked the victim with a knife. The grandfather alleged that despite seeing the victim being seriously injured, the school authorities did not bother to take him to the hospital. The grandfather accused the school security of being lax, which was why the Muslim students managed to carry a lethal weapon inside the school premises without being caught.

The grandfather said that the victim and his entire family were vegetarians. He alleged that the Muslim students used to bring mutton to the school and feed it to his grandson by lying that it was paneer. According to the grandfather, the Ahmedabad police caught the culprits in the night from the Shah Alam area.

Two arrested, case lodged

As per reports, two people have been arrested so far by the police in connection with the incident, and an FIR has been registered. Police also called a forensic team to examine whether the blood stains were washed by the school administration after the incident. If the team concludes that the blood stains were removed, then those responsible will be booked for removing evidence. The police are examining the CCTV footage of the school to dig out information. So far, statements of 9 people including the teachers and security guards have been recorded by the police. Besides, the District Education Officer issued a notice to the school authorities seeking the details of the incident.

‘Not the only incident of Muslim students attacking Hindu students’, parents say

Several parents of children studying in the same school told OpIndia that many incidents of Muslim students troubling Hindu students have surfaced in the past. A woman among the parents alleged that earlier, alcohol and drugs were caught in the school, but the matter was brushed under the carpet. She also accused the school administration of corruption.

Another parent said that about 2 months ago, some Muslim students in the school fought with her son. But the school authorities got the matter resolved by getting the parents involved and took no action against the culprits.

School should be shut down: ABVP

Members of some Hindu organisations also joined the protest against the school. Leaders of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) said that students roaming inside the school carrying sharp weapons raises serious questions about the capability of the school authorities. They added that if a school, which charges lakhs of rupees for school fees, cannot even ensure the safety of the students, it should be shut down.

Sindhi Central Panchayat president Kamal Mehtani said, “This is a sad incident. Unfortunately, such an incident happened in an educational institution. Such incidents can happen with other students as well. A small child was stabbed over a small issue. We demand that they be caught immediately and given strict punishment. The school management should also be held accountable. Their job is not just to collect fees.”

From revenue surplus in 2023 to deep in debt in 2025: How Congress govt’s ‘khata khat’ appeasement schemes have ruined Karnataka economy

Shriti Sagar
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From revenue surplus in 2023 to deep in debt in 2025: How Congress govt’s ‘khata khat’ appeasement schemes have ruined Karnataka economy

Karnataka’s financial situation has taken a turn to the worse within two years. Having had a revenue surplus budget of 2023 under the BJP government, the state is now facing debt, growing fiscal deficits, and decreasing development project funds under the Congress rule.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its recent state finance audit report for the 31st March, 2024, year, has sounded a dire warning: The Congress government’s five “guarantee” schemes launched with great pomp are imposing unsustainable pressure on the state economy.

CAG’s recent report raises concern 

The CAG report, which was tabled in the Karnataka Assembly this week, is the first government audit to test the impact of the Congress government’s guarantee of five welfare programmes: Gruha Lakshmi, Gruha Jyoti, Anna Bhagya, Shakti, and Yuva Nidhi.

The audit says that these guarantees alone had a budgetary provision of ₹36,538 crore in 2023-24, which was equal to a whopping 15% of the state’s overall revenue expenditure.

The fallout is already evident. While the revenue of Karnataka increased by just 1.86% in the last year, expenditure increased by as much as 12.54%, due to these schemes. This imbalance has left the state with a revenue deficit of ₹9,271 crore, undoing the recovery that Karnataka had experienced following the COVID-19 slowdown in 2022-23.

The fiscal deficit of the state also increased from ₹46,623 crore during 2022-23 to ₹65,522 crore in 2023-24. In a bid to fill the gap, the government borrowed excessively from the market, ₹63,000 crore, almost two and a half times of what it had borrowed last year. The CAG has warned that this will result in a larger repayment burden and an exploding interest expenditure soon.

In contrast, capital spending on infrastructure plummeted by ₹5,229 crore. This has brought most projects to a halt and raised the number of unfinished works by a whopping 68%. The CAG outrightly commented that this type of compression in productive capital generation will hurt the future growth prospects of Karnataka.

Meanwhile, the Congress government has contended that the schemes minimise inequality, stimulate local economies, and promote human capital development. However, the CAG cautioned that unless other subsidies are reduced or rationalised, the guarantees will “strain the financial economy of the state.”

Since rolling out these schemes, Karnataka has moved from relative stability to a situation where debt and fiscal stress loom large over the financial horizon.

BJP’s balanced ‘surplus’ budget in 2023

The current scenario is just the opposite of February 2023, when BJP Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had presented a surplus budget. There was expectation from many that the BJP, being up for assembly elections, would go big with populist commitments. However, Bommai government took everyone by surprise by balancing populist announcements with financial responsibility.

The budget hit every department without bursting the state’s finances. Farmers, youth, and women were at the centre of the schemes announced. Agriculture received a substantial increase in allocations, and the zero-interest loan limit for farmers was raised. As anticipated, no new taxes were levied, and liquor prices remained out of bounds.

Education was the largest beneficiary with an allotment of more than ₹37,000 crore. Bommai also announced free education, free bus passes, and student subsidies for women and students.

Infrastructure was also on the list in Bommai’s budget. The Upper Bhadra water project was allotted ₹5,300 crore, and the Kalasa Banduri project got ₹1,000 crore. As sensitive as issues of water are in Karnataka, these allocations figured prominently in the BJP’s plans. Bengaluru also saw pledges of enhanced mobility and improved traffic management through infrastructure funding.

Opposition still claimed that Bommai might have done more with populist initiatives, particularly given the aggressive guarantees of free power and monetary rewards by the Congress. Yet, in spite of pressures, the BJP government was able to table a budget that was people-oriented as well as financially prudent. The state even ended up having a revenue surplus that year. This delicate balancing act is being unraveled as the current figures eloquently depict.

How Siddaramaiah’s freebies are sinking Karnataka’s economy

As soon as the Congress took office in 2023, under the stewardship of CM Siddaramaiah, it launched its five guarantee schemes. They were the keystone of Congress election campaign and are believed to have helped the party to a landslide victory. Their cost to the economy is, however, now brutally evident.

Just two months after the Congress took charge, in July 2024, Siddaramaiah’s economic advisor, Basavaraj Rayareddy, confessed that the state just doesn’t have funds for development projects, as a huge chunk of money is being reserved for these guarantees.

He disclosed that cost of about ₹65,000 crore is being incurred on these schemes. “People want development. But believe me, there is absolutely no money. Since I am the financial advisor, I managed to get funds for the lake development project here,” Rayareddy shared.

MLAs from all over Karnataka are finding it impossible to source funds for projects in their constituencies. Even Congress leaders have discreetly conceded that the guarantees are crowding out the funds that are required for roads, irrigation, and infrastructure.

BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi blamed the Congress government for concentrating on Bengaluru with whatever meagre money is left, leaving the rest of the state in a lurch. He also said that most projects initiated under the BJP government, such as the Basaveshwar and Ammajeshwari irrigation projects in Athani, have completely stalled.

Congress’s freebies have even resulted in internal strife. There are some Congress leaders who claim that the schemes failed to provide the electoral returns anticipated, and there are doubts about whether such lavish expenditure was worth the price.

The financial strain has been acknowledged on several occasions by senior Congress leaders themselves. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar admitted in July 2023 that the government was finding it difficult to have funds for development because ₹40,000 crore had to be kept aside for party’s guarantees.

Freebies impacting state infrastructure development

On 24th June, 2025, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara openly stated that the state government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, doesn’t have sufficient funds to support large-scale development projects.

“We don’t have money, even Siddaramaiah doesn’t have funds now. We’ve already given everything to the people in the form of rice, dal, and oil, yes even oil,” the Home Minister said at a public event in Bagalkot district.

According to Parameshwara, the Congress-led government already spent heavily on welfare schemes, referring to the Congress government’s ‘guarantees’, thus leaving little room in the budget for new capital-intensive projects.

Earlier, Karnataka Minister for Small-Scale Industries and Public Enterprises Sharanabasappa Darshanapur said that the development of infrastructure in the state would be hit to some degree in the first year of the Congress government in power. He asserted that this would occur due to the guarantee schemes initiated by the Siddaramaiah government.

The minister highlighted that an amount of Rs 40,000 crore to Rs 50,000 crore will be the financial cost on the exchequer from these guarantee schemes.

Darshanapur expressed, “We require more than ₹50,000 crores every year for the execution of our five guaranteed schemes. This might impact development works partially.”

Electricity tariffs were hiked by ₹2.89 per unit to fund the ‘Gruha Jyoti’ scheme

While the corporation made a splash with the scheme, citizens have started to feel the sting. In order to finance the Gruha Jyoti scheme of free power, electricity rates were increased by ₹2.89 per unit for above-200-unit consumption. Rather than providing respite, many households have found themselves paying more in bills when consumption goes over the free slab.

Congress government also accused of diverting the funds meant for SC/ST development

The Congress government diverted around 37% of the funds allocated under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal-Sub-Plan (SCSP-TSP) for the implementation of its five guarantee schemes. BJP has said that the Congress party was diverting funds meant for the welfare of downtrodden communities.

The Congress government has reportedly decided to utilise Rs 7,881.91 crore of SCSP-TSP for ‘Gruhalakshmi’ scheme, Rs 70.28 crore for ‘Bhagyalakshmi’ scheme, Rs 2585.93 crore for ‘Gruhajyoti’ scheme, Rs 448.15 crore for ‘Annabhagya’ scheme, Rs 2,187 crore for the direct benefit transfer of ‘Annabhagya’ scheme, and Rs 1,451.45 crore for ‘Shakti’ scheme and Rs 175.50 crore for ‘Yuva Nidhi’ scheme.

KSRTC salary crisis: how ‘Shakti’ broke public transport

Earlier, on 5th August, workers of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) went on a strike against unpaid salary revisions and arrears.

They were demanding a 25% hike in salary and payment of arrears for 38 months, which totals ₹1,800 crore. The state government, however, proposed to settle arrears of just 14 months due to financial constraints.

What infuriated workers was that their salaries were being withheld even while the government was spending thousands of crores on the Shakti scheme, under which women get free bus travel. The Congress government owes ₹1,600 crore by the four state-owned transport corporations (KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, KKRTC) for carrying out Shakti.

With the companies already burdened with ₹6,330 crore in liabilities, the freebie has crippled their finances. Salaries have been halted, and employees are now out on the streets seeking justice. Thousands of commuters in Karnataka have meanwhile been left stranded as buses went off the roads.

Conclusion

Karnataka’s two-year experience is a lesson in caution. While welfare schemes can be a shot in the arm for political purposes in the short term, unfettered populism without fiscal prudence can weaken an economy. The BJP’s 2023 surplus budget demonstrated that welfare and growth can indeed be balanced, but the Congress government’s hasty guarantees reversed the gains in record time.

From revenue surplus to revenue deficit, from halted infrastructure to planned projects, and from fiscal prudence to piling debt, the economy of Karnataka today is suffering from the costs of populism-based politics. Unless some correcting actions are taken, such as rationalising subsidies and development-led priorities, the state stands to be pushed deeper into economic crisis.

The Govt is not backing ABC rules over stray dog problem: How activists, and media spun a false narrative over a Lok Sabha reply

Anurag
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The Govt is not backing ABC rules over stray dog problem: How activists, and media spun a false narrative over a Lok Sabha reply

On 19th August, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla asked in the Lok Sabha about the steps the Government of India was taking to control the growing menace of stray dogs. He asked if there is a national policy in place for the same. In response, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof SP Singh Baghel, gave a written reply.

The minister’s answer was straightforward. In the reply, the ministry said that stray dog management falls under the jurisdiction of state governments and urban local bodies. They are bound to carry out sterilisation and vaccination under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. These rules, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, are in line with World Organisation for Animal Health standards.

The ministry further added that the Centre provides limited financial support, that is, Rs 800 per dog and Rs 600 per cat for sterilisation and vaccination programmes, grants for shelters and veterinary hospitals, and assistance for anti-rabies vaccines. He also referred to advisories issued on multiple occasions that urged states to strengthen sterilisation drives.

Notably, the reply or the question did not mention the Supreme Court’s 11th August order directing Delhi-NCR authorities to remove stray dogs and put them in shelters in far-off areas. The process, which is supposed to happen in a phased manner, has been initiated. However, the matter has been referred to a larger bench which did not stay the 11th August judgment immediately and reserved the order on 14th August.

Furthermore, the reply by the ministry did not contain any new policy or announcement. It was a procedural status update and nothing more. The reply was also published by Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Activist spin on social media

Yet, the answer was spun into a narrative by a self-styled dog lover activist on social media. In her post on multiple platforms including X and Instagram, she declared it as “Good News” and claimed that the “Central Government comes out in support of their ABC Rules”. She further claimed that the government had “reiterated commitment to humane sterilisation” amid the Supreme Court order. Other self-styled dog lovers amplified this message, projecting a fresh policy stance while no such thing existed.

How media reports distorted the reply

Mainstream media also joined in. Times of India ran a piece suggesting that the government has cleared its stand which “validates the viewpoint of protesting animal rights activists” against the Supreme Court’s 11th August order. This is a false link. The reply in Parliament makes no mention of the apex court’s order.

Source: Times of India

Even the government’s broadcaster DD News interpreted it wrongly and dressed the procedural note as the Centre’s “resolve” to humane sterilisation. The report inserted details of the Supreme Court’s reasoning, which again were absent from the Lok Sabha record.

Source: DD News

Deccan Herald also exaggerated by saying “Centre directs states” when in reality only advisories that were issued earlier were mentioned in the reply.

Source: Deccan Herald

The staggering cost of a failed programme

Assuming India has around 5 crore stray dogs, and the Centre wants 70% of them sterilised under ABC Rules, that amounts to 3.5 crore dogs. At Rs 800 per dog, the total cost comes to a staggering Rs 28,000 crore. This is taxpayer money being funnelled into a programme that has already failed to control the dog population for over two decades.

Not to forget, this calculation does not even include the unbelievable burden of providing anti-rabies vaccines to tens of lakhs of bite victims every year. Why should citizens who do not wish to live surrounded by stray dogs be forced to pay for it? If NGOs and self-styled dog lovers insist that dogs remain on the streets, why is the financial burden not placed squarely on them instead of the public exchequer?

The real picture

The real picture is clear. The minister’s answer was a dry, bureaucratic explanation of existing schemes and responsibilities. There was nothing new, no confrontation with the Supreme Court, and no fresh policy. Yet, activists and sections of the media turned it into a manufactured headline, feeding a narrative that the Centre had “chosen sides” in the stray dog menace debate.

This is how a simple parliamentary reply, meant to reiterate existing procedures, was opportunistically twisted into a propaganda-filled narrative-setting message.

Blackmail, fake rape cases, extortion and more: How Akhilesh Dubey built a 1500 crore criminal empire in Kanpur, syndicate exposed after BJP leader’s complaint

Rukma Rathore
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Blackmail, fake rape cases, extortion and more: How Akhilesh Dubey built a 1500 crore criminal empire in Kanpur, syndicate exposed after BJP leader’s complaint

Ravi Sateeja, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, had raised a complaint after a person named Akhilesh Dubey initiated a false POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) case against him. Sateeja submitted that the Dubey concocted allegations to extort Rs 50 lakh for a settlement. The matter pertained to Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

The police investigation revealed no incidence of rape, however, Dubey continued to demand money from him. Afterward, the probe led to the discovery that exposed the criminal empire established by the lawyer-turned-land mafia. It was revealed that he had seized government properties worth Rs 1500 crores in the city.

Dubey was running schools, guest houses and commercial ventures on these properties. The total market value of these properties surpasses Rs 2500 crores. Nevertheless, senior officials could not muster the the courage to take action against him. He used to even draft charge sheets for the police.

Notably, several IPS (Indian Police Service)-PPS (Provincial Police Service) officers are also part of the syndicate, having laundered their illicit earnings into land and various companies through Dubey. The truth was revealed when Kanpur Police Commissioner Akhil Kumar arrested him. Now, five FIRs have been filed against Dubey in the last seven days.

Rs 2 lakh rupees for every fake case

“Advocate Tonu Yadav enticed me with financial incentives and introduced me to Akhilesh Dubey. I lodged a fabricated rape allegation against Ravi Sateeja on his behest. I received between Rs 50,000 and 2 lakh for each case. He assured me that the police would take no action. The women in our neighborhood are also involved in this scheme with Dubey,” revealed the young woman who lodged a false rape case against Ravi Sateeja at the Barra police station, reported Dainik Bhaskar.

She added, “Tonu sent over 10 women from the colony to Chhattisgarh when the SIT (Special Investigation Team) commenced their inquiry. My younger sister also eloped with a boy.” She is currently in police custody and is being interrogated. The woman even informed the police that Dubey operates multiple syndicates for the purpose of managing girls and extorting money.

“I reside in a temporary house in Usmanpur Kachhi Basti. There are two of us sisters. We earned our living by working as help in houses. Lawyer Tonu Yadav, also known as Shailendra, has an office in the colony. I became acquainted with him around 6-7 years ago. He introduced me to Dubey,” DCP (Deputy Commissioner of Police) South Deependra Nath Chaudhary said quoting the woman.

A former Miss Uttar Pradesh is also part of his gang alongside over 12 girls. All of them file false rape cases for him. Their activities are not limited to Kanpur and target individuals from other districts and even other states. Dubey instilled fear through this gang and created a massive empire through blackmail. Meanwhile, the police supported Dubey at every stage.

The same was affirmed by Chaudhary who revealed that the Miss Uttar Pradesh even married two men, trapped them in false cases and extorted crores of rupees after she was inducted in the gang with promises of financial incentives and career opportunities by Dubey. She was even given a new name “Vishkanya” and she became his closest ally. The cops are now searching for her.

She started residing on his campus and received protection from a leader who was associated with Dubey. The mafia even appointed her as the district president of the women’s wing within his organization.

Close ties between Dubey and police

The investigation uncovered that Dubey’s closeness to police officers increased as a result of his involvement in writing Fard (land records). He established connections with constables, inspectors and even Superintendents of Police. He falsely accused individuals of rape and extorted money from them, exploiting his relationship with the cops.

Dubey had numerous properties registered in his name and even unlawfully seized someone’s house. He acquired land valued at over 1500 crores. “The inquiry conducted thus far has uncovered that Dubey’s primary tactic involved filing false rape allegations. He accused influential individuals, extorted money and resolved property conflicts,” the authorities stated.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed by the Police Commissioner to probe into fake rape cases. During the course of the inquiry, 54 false rape cases were revealed in order to implicate others. 10 to 12 of these cases were specifically connected to Dubey.

Dubey never appeared in court to argue a case and maintained his own court within his office where he would deliver verdicts. His role primarily involved handling paperwork for police officers related to their investigations. The documentation for significant cases was processed in his office. He used to take advantage of this authority and would alter the names of individuals.

This created an atmosphere of fear, allowing him to exert control in Kanpur for the past 30 years. The Police Commissioner’s PRO (Public Relations Officer) also worked for Dubey.

Dubey held his daughter’s wedding at the Taj Hotel in Agra which was attended by 40 to 50 IPS officers along with several PPS officers, inspectors and sub-inspectors. Senior IPS officers were greeting the baraatis at the event. Officers were even serving food to them.

Dubey even launched a news channel to amplify his power. He established a syndicate of lawyers and included a number of police officers. He began to partner with prominent builders in ventures involving schools, guest houses, shopping malls and land. His powerful network extended its reach into every department, from the office of the Divisional Commissioner to the District Magistrate as well as the Kanpur Development Authority, Municipal Corporation and Police Department.

Dubey’s neighbour also submitted an application to Akhil Kumar stating that she was a partner in a hotel. He subjected her to severe torture to occupy control of the property. He physically assaulted her, employed his henchmen to loot her, demanded a ransom and issued threats to her life.

The complainant highlighted that other partners fled but she didn’t and hence Dubey tried to tarnish her character through the distribution of an obscene booklet. She felt helpless as the police were also under his influence.

Court grants 14 days judicial remand

The police apprehended Akhilesh Dubey, Ayush Mishra, and Shailendra Yadav alias Tonu Yadav in connection with the extortion of Rs 50 lakh by falsely implicating Ravi Sateeja in a bogus rape case.

The court granted one-day judicial remand for Dubey and his accomplice Mishra under the charges of extorting money through threats of an offense that could lead to death or life imprisonment along with criminal conspiracy. According to the court’s order, the remand was sanctioned on 7th August and is valid until 20th August.

Therefore, an extra day of judicial remand had been granted under the newly applied sections. The hearing is scheduled to take place through video conferencing on 20th August and the investigating officer is required to bring the case diary.

Dubey similarly lodged a bogus rape case at the Kalyanpur and Naubasta police stations to trap an advocate in response to the complaint over the occupation of King Yayati’s fort. A final report was released by authorities after the inquiry. Afterward, a demand for Rs 10 lakhs was put forward in the name of protest.

Consequently, a case was initiated at the Kotwali police station accusing ten people, including Dubey of extortion, abuse and death threats. The court presided over by Chief Judicial Magistrate Suraj Mishra granted a 14-day judicial remand in the matter.

Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘voter-deletion’ claims collapse as UP district officials confirm names belong to dead, duplicate or still-registered voters

OpIndia Staff
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Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘voter-deletion’ claims collapse as UP district officials confirm names belong to dead, duplicate or still-registered voters

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also joined the chorus of the INDI Alliance leaders against the Election Commission of India. Recently, he accused the election body of removing the names of the backward and the most backward class voters, which form Yadav’s party’s vote base, from the electoral roll in Uttar Pradesh in collusion with the ruling BJP.

During a demonstration in Parliament on Monday (18th August), Yadav distributed copies of affidavits he claimed to have filed with the Election Commission alleging targeted deletion of voters from the voter list in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking to the media, Yadav claimed that he filed around 18,000 affidavits with the poll body pointing out discrepancies in the voter lists in constituencies such as Amapur, Bakshi Ka Talab, Jaunpur Sadar and Kursi.

He also posted copies of the receipts received in response to the affidavits, alleging that the Commission had wrongly denied receiving any complaints/affidavits regarding vote deletion. “The Election Commission is claiming that they have not received the affidavits provided by the Samajwadi Party in UP; they should check the acknowledgment receipt issued by their own office as proof of receipt of our affidavits. This time, we demand that the Election Commission provide an affidavit stating that the digital receipt sent to us is authentic, otherwise, not only the ‘Election Commission’ but also ‘Digital India’ will come under suspicion. If BJP goes, truth will prevail!,” Yadav wrote on X on Sunday (17th August).

Akhilesh Yadav got fact-checked

However, Yadav’s allegations of targeted deletion of votes were refuted by the District Magistrates of various districts in Uttar Pradesh. Responding to Yadav’s allegations, DM Jaunpur said that a complaint was received via email alleging erroneous deletion of names of five voters in the Jaunpur Assembly Constituency 366 in the Jaunpur district. The DM said that the complaint was baseless as the names of the five voters had passed away before 2022. Their names were removed after their death was confirmed by their family members, locals and the local councillor.

DM Barabanki also countered Yadav’s accusations of malicious vote deletion and clarified that the complaints about the deletion of the names of 2 voters of the 266-Kursi Assembly constituency in Barabanki district were false. He added that the names of the voters are registered in the voter list.

Similarly, DM Kasganj also rebutted the allegations of deletion of the names of 8 voters in the 101 Amanpur Assembly Constituency of Kasganj District. The DM clarified on X that the names of 7 of these voters are still registered in the voter list. He said that their names were listed twice and therefore, only the duplucate entries were removed.

Regarding the deletion of the name of the eighth voter, the DM said that his name was removed after his wife filled Form 7 seeking the removal of his name following his death.

The District Election Officer (DEO), Lucknow, also contradicted the allegations of the deletion of the names of 13 voters in the 169-Bakshi Ka Talab assembly constituency of the Lucknow district. The DEO wrote on X that the names of all the voters existed in the voter list except for two voters.

One voter was removed in 2012 as per the rules, as he no longer resides in the area, and the name of the other voter, who was a woman, was removed after her death.

The allegations levelled by Akhilesh Yadav are part of a combined attack launched by the opposition parties against the Election Commission. The parties have been opposing the routine revision of electoral rolls by the election body. The opposition’s attacks began last month when the Election Commission conducted a Special Intensive Revision in the poll-bound state of Bihar. The INDI Alliance leaders have been using all tricks in the book, from moving the Supreme Court to creating public uproar, to cast aspersions on the Election Commission.

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