Nagaland Governor La Ganesan, who served as Governor of Manipur and West Bengal earlier, died at the age of 80 in Chennai on Friday. He had been hospitalised on August 8 and passed away at 6.23 pm at Apollo Hospitals. Born in Tanjore in 1945, Ganesan hailed from an orthodox Brahmin family.
The Voter Adhikar Yatra, led by Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, began in Bihar on 17 August to protest the irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists conducted by the Election Commission. The leaders aim to raise awareness about citizens' right to 'one man, one vote', help those wrongfully removed from the electoral roll, and mobilize people to take a stand against 'vote chori'. The first leg of the yatra saw Gandhi encountering several 'dead' voters who had been disenfranchised, and he accused the BJP and ECI of conspiring to suppress the voices of the poor, Dalits, minorities, and even veteran soldiers. Despite facing resistance from the police, the politicians are determined to fight for the fundamental right of every Indian citizen.
The ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra, led by opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, has gained traction in Gaya district of Bihar. The yatra aims to bring awareness to alleged irregularities in the ECI's review of the voter list and garner support for the upcoming Assembly elections. Congress leaders have called out the ruling party for manipulating the mandate and have vowed to continue their fight against "vote chori" until the ECI retracts its decision to conduct the review. The yatra, covering 1,300 kilometers and 25 districts, has set its sights on addressing issues of employment, housing, and education in Bihar.
District Collector Shiv Narayan Sharma has announced the launch of the "Har Ghar Tiranga" campaign in Anantapur district as part of the government's Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. The ten-day campaign, from August 5 to 15, will involve various activities such as flag hoisting, patriotic songs, rallies, and workshops at the village, mandal, and district levels. The Collector has urged citizens to actively participate and make the campaign a success.
A government school teacher in Bareilly, Dr. Rajneesh Gangwar, has been booked under IPC sections for allegedly insulting religious sentiments after reading a poem discouraging students from joining the Kanwar Yatra. The case quickly took a political turn, with opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav questioning the intentions of the BJP government and right-wing groups branding the teacher as having "jihadi" and "anti-Hindu" leanings. The teacher maintains that his poem was meant to promote critical thinking and the case is politically motivated.
Shocking CCTV footage has surfaced showing the Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) of Boudh Town Police Station and other officers violently attacking a night watchman on a public road. The incident, which reportedly occurred after midnight near a lodge, has sparked widespread outrage and reignited concerns about police brutality in the district. The victim has filed a formal complaint, alleging that the officers were drunk and subjected him to torture without provocation.
The Supreme Court raised concerns about traffic congestion on national highways and questioned the justification for collecting toll taxes if commuters are stuck in traffic for 12 hours. This came amidst a plea against the Kerala High Court's decision to suspend toll collection at a particular stretch of NH 544 due to poor road conditions and excessive traffic. The apex court also criticized the NHAI for referring to a court ruling that only suggests proportionate reduction of taxes, stating that for a 12-hour wait, commuters should be compensated more significantly.
A heated argument between an army jawan and toll staff turned violent at the Bhuni Toll Plaza, leading to the NHAI imposing a hefty penalty on the toll collecting agency and initiating the process of their termination. The local police have also taken action, arresting six individuals. The NHAI has strongly condemned the incident and expressed their commitment to ensuring safe travel on National Highways. The incident occurred due to the failure of the agency to manage the situation and maintain staff discipline.
Amidst accusations of bias and manipulation in voter list revisions by the opposition, the INDIA bloc is reportedly planning to move an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The opposition alleges that the Commission's Special Intensive Revision in Bihar aims to unfairly influence election outcomes in favor of the ruling party. However, Kumar denies these claims and challenges the opposition to provide proof or apologize for baseless accusations that harm the Election Commission's credibility.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera criticized Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for speaking and acting like a BJP member, while general secretary Jairam Ramesh pointed out the ECI's blatant partisanship and incompetence in handling the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar. The opposition party raised questions regarding the ECI's failure to respond to their concerns and for arguing against sharing CCTV footage of polling booths, which they claim is crucial evidence for ensuring fair elections. This comes after the ECI's updated rules on retaining such footage before destroying them, which has raised further doubts about voter privacy and the electoral process in India.
The Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, is set to present the revised Income Tax Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha today, replacing the earlier version that was tabled back in February. The fresh draft includes technical corrections and incorporates feedback from the Select Committee of Parliament, chaired by BJP MP Baijayant Panda. The Bill proposes a modern, digital-first, faceless assessment system and aims to replace the complex language of the 1961 Act with clearer terms.