Vote theft: Rahul Gandhi to lead protest in Bengaluru on Friday
Rahul Gandhi
will lead a protest demonstration in Bengaluru on Friday on 'vote theft,' highlighting his charge that elections had been rigged in
Mahadevapura assembly segment
of Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat, last year.
'Karnataka will be the launchpad for our resistance. We will expose this fraud, street by street and booth by booth,' Gandhi said at a press conference in Delhi on Thursday.
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AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretaries RS Surjewala & KC Venugopal, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Dy CM DK Shivakumar will join him in the protests at the Freedom Park after 10.30 am.
The Dy CM has not disclosed what proof Gandhi would submit to the chief electoral officer (CEO) during his meeting with him Friday afternoon.
The CEO's office has informed the Congress that its delegation could meet the CEO between 1 pm and 3 pm to submit the memorandum to the
Election Commission of India
(ECI).
Live Events
Gandhi, who is also the Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, has alleged voter theft in Maharashtra and Karnataka in support of his demand for release of machine-readable
digital voter rolls
and CCTV footage. He recently said he has 100% proof of the ECI allowing cheating in a seat in Karnataka. He said he just looked at one constituency, but the same 'drama' of addition of thousands of new voters had been going on in constituency after constituency.
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Business Standard
24 minutes ago
- Business Standard
SC tells EC to publish Bihar's deleted voters list with reasons by Aug 19
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publish, before 19 August, the names of voters excluded from the draft electoral roll after the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar. The Court said the reasons for the omission of about 65 lakh voters must be provided, and the names should be searchable online using Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers. It directed that a soft copy of the deleted voters list be available on district electoral officers' websites. 'The list of 65 lakh voters, whose names appeared in the 2025 list but are not included in the draft list, shall be displayed on the websites of district electoral officers. The information would be booth-wise but can be accessed by referring to EPIC numbers. The lists shall also be published on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer, Bihar,' the Court said. The apex court also told the ECI to accept Aadhaar cards as an acceptable document for establishing identity. 'Your list of 11 documents seems citizen-friendly, but Aadhaar and EPIC are readily available… Your notice can say that those who have not submitted so far can submit their Aadhaar and EPIC also,' Justice Bagchi said. A Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi is hearing petitions challenging the EC's 24 June directive ordering an SIR of Bihar's electoral roll. The directive requires voters not listed in the 2003 electoral roll to submit documents proving their citizenship. Those born after December 2004 must also furnish the citizenship documents of both parents, with additional requirements if a parent is a foreign national. Apart from the above directions, the Bench on Thursday also ordered the ECI to publicise the deleted voters list via newspapers, electronic media, and social media. A printed booth-wise list of deleted voters, with reasons for deletion, must also be displayed at panchayat and block development offices, the Court said. All these directions must be complied with before Tuesday. 'For a migrant worker who has been deleted as dead, even if he is illiterate, his neighbours or friends would alert him… It is only fair to have a procedure that does not block a person from exercising his right to adult franchise. There are civil consequences involved here,' Justice Kant told Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the ECI. The Court said voters have a right to know, and a high degree of transparency is required to inspire confidence. 'People have a right to know. A high degree of transparency is required to inspire voters' confidence. Put up the names of excluded electors with reasons out there in the public domain for all to see,' Justice Bagchi told the ECI. On Wednesday, the top court had observed that while the exclusionary argument against Aadhaar is understood, the option of 11 documents in Bihar's SIR to prove citizenship is 'voter-friendly rather than restrictive'. It had earlier said that if there was 'mass exclusion' of voters in the SIR exercise in Bihar, it would 'step in'. The petitioners include the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Yogendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha, Congress leader K C Venugopal, and Mujahid Alam.
Hans India
24 minutes ago
- Hans India
Bihar SIR row: SC asks Election Commission to upload data of voters omitted in draft list
New Delhi: In a bid to "boost voter confidence", the Supreme Court, in an interim order passed on Thursday, directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to upload district-wise data of about 65 lakh electors in poll-bound Bihar whose names were omitted in the draft electoral rolls following the initial phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi ordered that the details of these electors, whose enumeration forms were not submitted, should be uploaded on the official websites by Tuesday (August 19), along with the reasons such as death, permanent migration, duplication, or being untraceable. The information uploaded on the websites of the District Electoral Officers and the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar should be searchable using EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) numbers, added the Justice Surya Kant-led Bench. It said that the poll body would give wide publicity to the list uploaded on the official websites through newspapers, electronic, social media and other means of communication. Further, the apex court also directed the ECI to specify in public notices that excluded individuals, when submitting their claims for inclusion in the final list, may also furnish their Aadhaar cards. The directions were passed by the bench while hearing a batch of pleas challenging the June 26 order issued by the ECI directing SIR in Bihar. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) had moved an application before the top court seeking two directions directions to the poll body: first, to publish a constituency and booth-wise list of omitted electors with reasons such as death, permanent migration, duplication, or being untraceable; and second, to disclose the names of electors whose enumeration forms have been "not recommended" by the Booth Level Officers (BLOs). In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the ECI opposed the ADR's application, stating that the statutory scheme under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, does not mandate creating or publishing such a list. The poll body said that it was not required to prepare or share any separate list of names of people not included in the draft electoral rolls, or publish the reasons for non-inclusion of anyone in the draft electoral rolls for any reason. It added that any eligible voter whose name is missing can file Form 6 along with a declaration to lodge a claim for inclusion in the draft electoral rolls during the claims and objections period, i.e., between August 1 and September 1. The above process implicitly indicates that the applicant is not deceased, permanently shifted, or untraceable, the poll body said. As per the ECI, exclusion of a name from the draft rolls is not equivalent to deletion from the electoral rolls. "The draft roll simply shows that the duly filled enumeration form of existing electors has been received during the enumeration phase," it submitted.
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
If Mahatma Gandhi wasn't India's first choice for banknotes then how did he become Rupee's forever face?
Walk into any shop in India, hand over a crumpled banknote, and you'll see a familiar face smiling back, bespectacled, serene, and instantly recognisable. Mahatma Gandhi doesn't just appear on our currency; he has become a quiet constant in our daily exchanges, silently passing through millions of hands each day. But the story of how he ended up there is far from straightforward. In fact, in the first flush of independence, Gandhi's portrait was rejected for Indian notes. Independence Day 2025 Before Trump, British used tariffs to kill Indian textile Bank of Azad Hind: When Netaji gave India its own currency Swadeshi 2.0: India is no longer just a market, it's a maker Midnight on 14 August 1947 brought independence, but not yet a new currency. For a brief period, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) continued issuing colonial notes bearing King George VI. Behind closed doors, discussions began on what a truly Indian banknote should look like. The early idea was simple, replace the King's portrait with that of the Father of the Nation. Designs were prepared with Gandhi's image. Then came a surprising turn. As the RBI recounts, the 'final analysis' shifted towards a non-personal symbol, the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. It was felt this emblem, drawn from India's ancient heritage, better captured the idea of a modern republic. So, in 1949, the new Re. 1 note appeared with the Lion Capital watermark, and Gandhi's portrait was shelved. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo In the following decades, Indian notes became miniature showcases of the country's identity and ambitions. Tigers, deer, and peacocks symbolised natural heritage. The Konark Wheel, Brihadeeswara Temple, and Hirakud Dam spoke of cultural pride and industrial progress. The Aryabhatta satellite hinted at a future in science and space. Currency in the 1950s and 60s was not about a single leader, it was about the nation as a whole. Gandhi's First Appearance (1969) It wasn't until Gandhi's birth centenary in 1969 that he made his first official appearance on a banknote. This commemorative design showed him seated, with Sevagram Ashram in the background, a gentle nod to his life of simplicity and service. The issue was special and short-lived, not yet a permanent feature of Indian currency. Live Events The real turning point came in 1987. The Rajiv Gandhi government reintroduced the Rs 500 denomination, and for the first time on a regular note, Gandhi's portrait appeared on its obverse. Still, he wasn't on every note. That came in 1996, when the RBI launched the Mahatma Gandhi Series, redesigned notes with improved security features and, for the first time, Gandhi's smiling face on all denominations. In 2016, the 'New Series' kept Gandhi firmly in place while refreshing colours, sizes, and themes. From Rs 10 to Rs 2,000, he had become inseparable from the rupee. Other Faces, Other Ideas Over the years, there have been calls to share this space. Some have suggested Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel, or even religious figures like Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. In 2016, the government clarified that a high-level committee had decided 'there is no need to change Mahatma Gandhi's photo on the currency notes.' Others have been honoured in different ways, Dr B. R. Ambedkar, for instance, was commemorated with special Rs 125 and Rs 10 coins. In 2022, a proposal from the Aam Aadmi Party to add Lakshmi and Ganesha sparked debate, with supporters citing prosperity and detractors warning against politicising or communalising currency design. The Inescapable Mahatma For all the discussion, Gandhi remains unshaken on our notes. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, 'Gandhi was inevitable… we may ignore him at our own risk.' On the rupee, his presence is more than decoration, it's a reminder of the values he championed: truth, non-violence, and unity in diversity. Every time we pass a note across a counter, we're not just exchanging money. We're handing over a piece of history, one that almost didn't have Gandhi's face, but now, perhaps fittingly, cannot be imagined without it.
