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Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces deployed personnel and barricaded Connaught Place to stop unauthorized gatherings ahead of a planned Tiranga rally at Central Park.
The Cockroach Janata Party has announced a protest at Central Park in Connaught Place, New Delhi, on 16 October, following the five-day judicial remand of its leaders Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka to Tihar Jail.
CPI(M) MP John Brittas has accused Delhi Police and CRPF personnel of assaulting and detaining him during protests in Connaught Circus. He said he was forcibly taken into a police vehicle while speaking to the media and was released after a senior officer intervened. Meanwhile, Congress leader Salman Khurshid told India Today that the party would pursue its campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) on multiple fronts. He said recent revelations warranted judicial scrutiny and defended Rahul Gandhi's remarks about the Chief Election Commissioner.
High drama unfolded in the national capital as Congress and INDIA bloc allies staged a flash protest marching towards Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged unilateral changes to Form 6 and voter disenfranchisement claims.
Opposition leaders from the INDIA bloc carried out a protest march from Parliament toward the Election Commission of India headquarters in New Delhi over voter list deletions under the Special Intensive Revision exercise.
The Supreme Court declined to pass an interim order suspending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar while hearing petitions alleging unilateral decision-making within the Election Commission of India. The top court sought official records of the decisions under challenge and clarified that it never approved modifications made to Form 6 during the Special Intensive Revision exercise. Legal experts, including former Union Law Minister Dr Ashwini Kumar, former Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court Sanjiv Banerjee, and Senior Advocate Sanjiv Sen, analysed the constitutional limits of residual powers under Article 324 and statutory procedures under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The bulletin also covered five days of ongoing student demonstrations in Pune demanding transparency and accountability from the Maharashtra Public Service Commission over alleged paper leaks and exam irregularities, alongside reports of an emergency descent involving a British Airways flight bound for Chicago.
Protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process have taken place in Delhi and Mumbai. In Delhi, an earlier demonstration involving the Aam Aadmi Party and Left parties ended after around 1,100 protesters were detained. In Mumbai, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led by Abhijeet Dipke, held a gathering at Shivaji Park, drawing public figures including Shabana Azmi, Vishal Bharadwaj and Naseeruddin Shah. The protests come as opposition parties plan district-level demonstrations and the Election Commission begins a special voter registration drive across 20 states.
In an India Today reality check titled 'Delhi Through Her Eyes' on To The Point, anchor Preeti Choudhry and five female journalists investigate street harassment and women's safety across the national capital.
The INDIA bloc has unveiled an escalating campaign demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Following a meeting of the Congress Working Committee and an all-party opposition conclave in New Delhi, the coalition announced a phased programme of action protesting against the Election Commission. Speaking on the broadcast, Congress leader Pawan Khera asserted that targeting only the Chief Election Commissioner is insufficient, alleging that the poll body is directed by top political leadership. He affirmed that the opposition would contest upcoming state elections rather than boycotting them. TMC Lok Sabha MP Sougata Roy defended seeking the resignations of the Prime Minister and Home Minister, pointing to legislative amendments altering the appointment process of election commissioners, and noted plans to pursue constitutional impeachment procedures.
AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi addressed a range of political and socio-economic issues concerning minorities, electoral representation and governance at the India Today South Conclave. Owaisi argued that successive governments have treated religious minorities as a vote bank while failing to ensure proportional representation and independent political leadership. He also criticised both the BJP and parties that identify themselves as secular, questioning their record on political representation and justice. Owaisi raised concerns over the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, describing it as a "backdoor NRC" that could lead to voter disenfranchisement. He also opposed the Uniform Civil Code, arguing that constitutional pluralism must accommodate India's diversity. On parliamentary delimitation based on population, he warned that it could deepen the political divide between northern and southern states and affect minority representation. Meanwhile, former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa criticised the Election Commission's response to questions over SIR and changes to Form 6. He likened the poll body's concessions to "applying a Band-Aid to a fracture", arguing that they did not address concerns over the fairness of the exercise. Lavasa and former CEC OP Rawat also questioned the procedure followed for issuing different versions of Form 6 and the absence of recorded minutes of constitutional decision-making.
Opposition parties staged nationwide demonstrations in Delhi, Srinagar, Patna, Ranchi and Jaipur, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In Delhi, security personnel used water cannons as protesters attempted to march towards the Election Commission headquarters. The Congress accused the Election Commission of deleting voters' names and manipulating portal data, while the BJP defended the revision, citing Supreme Court oversight and describing the allegations as part of a "toolkit campaign". Meanwhile, tensions within the INDIA bloc deepened as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav skipped an all-party meeting amid seat-sharing differences with the Congress ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The disagreement also triggered exchanges between leaders Imran Masood and Shivpal Singh Yadav. In Delhi, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of concerns over the safety of women and children in public spaces. Former police officer Dr Kiran Bedi suggested measures including parental accountability and electronic GPS anklet monitoring for people released on bail.
A political dispute has erupted between the BJP and Congress over claims of internal dissent within the Election Commission of India. Speaking on To The Point, Congress spokesperson Adil Singh Boparai demanded the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation and alleged that decisions involving statutory Form 6 were taken without proper authorisation. He termed the move an "act of fraud and forgery". BJP spokesperson Radhika Khera rejected the claims as political posturing, saying administrative file notes and internal deliberations are routine. Separately, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped at Delhi's Astha Kunj Park after visiting Kalkaji Temple. Three men posing as policemen allegedly assaulted her male friend and took them to a secluded area. The DDA later announced tighter park security.
A political controversy has erupted following reports of 14 internal objections raised by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over decisions involving Form 6 voter registration, electoral database centralisation, software concerns in Goa, and voter restoration appeals in West Bengal. While the Election Commission stated that internal deliberations represent institutional checks and balances, the Opposition demanded the resignation and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and the BJP defended the process as democratic functioning. In Delhi, students and alumni of Lady Shri Ram College protested to demand improved street lighting, CCTV surveillance, functional pink booths, and enhanced policing following an alleged gang rape at Aastha Kunj Park and an encounter near the campus. Additionally, Tamil Nadu witnessed a political confrontation between TVK and DMK over an alleged sexual assault case involving granite baron R Veeramani.
This special broadcast examines key developments concerning crimes against minors and women across India.
The Election Commission's voter-roll revision in West Bengal, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh has triggered a political row over mass exclusions, delays and possible disenfranchisement. Meanwhile, three people were arrested after two Class 10 students were assaulted by alleged moral vigilantes in Bihar's Jamui.
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