- 16 hours ago
The Supreme Court of India examined petitions challenging decisions by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant clarified that the apex court had not approved modifications made to Form 6 for enrolling new voters and directed the Election Commission of India to submit official records of its decisions. While declining an interim suspension against the Chief Election Commissioner without examining records, the bench noted that unlawful actions could face annulment. The Election Commission defended adding a parentage declaration to Form 6 under statutory residual powers, even as legal experts questioned whether changing statutory forms bypassed mandatory central government approval, parliamentary oversight, or created voter disenfranchisement amid reports of voter exclusions in West Bengal, Telangana, and Delhi. Alongside nationwide political protests over the electoral revisions, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar faces a vigilance inquiry ordered by Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala into a 2006 road project connected to the suicide of Malaysian engineer Lee See Been.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today, your primetime destination news.
00:04Newsmakers, talking points, our big talking point tonight.
00:07Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is now under the Supreme Court lens.
00:13Were modifications made to crucial forms that decide eligibility of citizenship without proper process?
00:22That's the big question.
00:23Among my special guests, Justice Madan Lokur, former Supreme Court judge, joining that debate.
00:29Also, Kheralam's Home Minister, Ramesh Chenitala, joins me on the probe against Gyanesh Kumar.
00:35And we'll have Israel's ambassador to the UAE on the fly Dubai crash that was averted, the near crash.
00:43But first, as always, it's time for the Nine Headlines at night.
00:48The Chief Justice of India questions who modified Form 6, sparking off a major political controversy.
00:59Nope. Notice issued to poll body seeking response.
01:04Political war of words intensifies after the CGI's comments on Form 6.
01:10India blocked to hold a protest march towards the EC tomorrow.
01:15Multiple demonstrations announced, demanding Gyanesh Kumar's removal.
01:23Amidst the mass deletion of voters charged by Chief Minister D.K. Shif Kumar in Karnataka,
01:29the poll body clarifies says form, not a single Karnataka voter deleted.
01:35India today, though, tracks down voters whose names have been deleted.
01:41B.J.P.'s list of U.P. Rajasabha candidates sparks Cabinet VJIG buzz.
01:48Once again, Union Minister Hardi Puri B.L. Verma dropped from the Rajasabha candidate list.
01:57Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman speaks at India Today's Munich Security Conference.
02:03Flags weaponization of tariffs.
02:05Finance Minister highlights that multilateralism and trade deals is the only way forward.
02:13Maharashtra's government job aspirants out on the streets since five days alleged irregularities in MPSC examinations.
02:22Kauklut Janata Party's Abhijit Dikke also joins their stir.
02:30The Supreme Court sets aside Bombay High Court's order directing the Maharashtra FDA to pay 5 lakhs in compensation
02:36to a Pune sweet shop over a license suspension.
02:40Tukaram Munde claims its vindication of his attempt to clean up Mumbai's restaurant.
02:49Chilling new details emerge on the fly.
02:51Dubai incident.
02:52Omani co-pilot confesses to UAE investigations that his goal was to crash the flight into the Tel Aviv airport
03:00in a 9-11 type attack.
03:02The Israeli ambassador to UAE hails the Indian pilots' heroic efforts.
03:10Another scare in the skies.
03:12British Airways London to Chicago flight drops around 19,000 feet within minutes.
03:18Flight later diverted back to London's Heathrow Airport.
03:27But our top story today.
03:29The Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kand on Monday,
03:33made it clear that the Supreme Court was not the one that had approved the modifications in Form 6,
03:40which is meant to ensure eligibility for new voters.
03:44While the court refused to pass any interim order demanding which suspending the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
03:52as demanded by the plaintiffs, it has sought the records of the decisions taken by the Election Commission.
03:59The Election Commission has earlier claimed that the addition of declaration to Form 6 was upheld by the Apex Court
04:06and no changes have been made since.
04:09Just what does this controversy mean even as the heat gathers on the Chief Election Commissioner?
04:15It's our top story tonight.
04:32The SIR controversy is no longer confined to voter lists.
04:36It has spilled onto the streets, into Parliament and now into the Supreme Court.
04:46The Apex Court on Monday heard a plea seeking the suspension of CEC Gyanesh Kumar,
04:52alleging that he took key decisions by passing the other two election commissioners.
04:58The court refused to pass any interim order suspending the CEC
05:01and said it can't pass order based on news report.
05:05But it has sought the records of the decisions under challenge.
05:09The top court said it can always annulth decisions and said there will be consequences if there is illegality.
05:17The top court also said it has not approved changes to Form 6
05:21and will examine immunity to CEC and Election Commission.
05:27The top court's observations have given opposition more ammunition.
05:31The EC in a press statement on September 26th had claimed
05:35that the declaration attached to Form 6 has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
05:41The Supreme Court's observations come a day after a sitting Supreme Court judge,
05:46Ujwal Bhuyan, warned against mass voter deletion under SIR.
05:53Justice Bhuyan, speaking at Nalsar in Hyderabad, said,
06:09He said taking away voting rights on a large scale would strike at the heart of the Constitution
06:14and stressed that voting rights cannot be separated from citizenship.
06:20And these judicial observations come amid days of protests.
06:34Delhi has been witnessing demonstrations since October 2nd.
06:40For the last three days, there have been clashes between police and protesters
06:44and multiple detentions.
06:46The protests in National Capital have been led by All India Students Association and NSUI.
06:52Mumbai too saw major protests with demonstrators demanding action against the CEC.
07:03What began as a battle over voter rolls have now become a wider confrontation
07:08over the Election Commission, voting rights and the credibility of the electoral process.
07:16Bureau report, India Today.
07:21So, with all eyes on the Supreme Court, in our big story on the Election Commission
07:27and Gyanesh Kumar, my first guest is former Supreme Court judge,
07:31Justice Madan Lokur.
07:32Appreciate your joining us, Justice Lokur.
07:35How do you read what the court said today?
07:38Because Justice Surya Khan, the Chief Justice, has waded into the Form 6 controversy,
07:44the form for new voters, saying any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us.
07:52Let's be clear, when the record is produced, we would like to see who has modified.
07:57Now, the Election Commission, on the other hand, in its press note, had said that the Supreme Court
08:03had made it very clear that they had the residual authority to put in additional documents
08:09and those documents were cleared by the courts.
08:13How do you see this?
08:14That the ECI justified adding the new declaration form,
08:19defending the inclusion of a new declaration form annexed to Form 6,
08:23but today the court seems to distance itself from its own order of May.
08:30Yes. Well, thank you first, Rajdeep.
08:34You see, it's like this.
08:36The Form 6 is a statutory form, right?
08:41And it can't be changed on the whims and fancies of somebody.
08:45There is a procedure for changing something that is statutory.
08:49Now, in this particular case, it appears that, you know,
08:54the Form 6 was not changed by the full commission, all right?
08:58It appears to have been changed only by the Chief Election Commissioner.
09:03And if that is so, and the Supreme Court has made it very clear today
09:07that they did not endorse the change.
09:11Now, if that is so, then, you know, the change in Form 6 is totally unjustified.
09:17And as one of the, you know, election commissioners has said,
09:21it is illegal and unauthorized.
09:25So, I frankly don't see any controversy in all this.
09:30No, sir, but because the election commissioners who said it,
09:33one of them who said, Sandhu, who said illegal and unauthorized,
09:36the changes that were being made, subsequent to that,
09:40all decisions were reportedly passed unanimously by the election commission.
09:45So, while they may have raised questions, objections to the way Form 6 had been changed,
09:50why didn't any of them speak up when this was done before the Bengal elections,
09:55ahead of phase 2 of SIR?
09:58Yeah, well, that's a question which is difficult to answer.
10:01I think the election commissioners should have spoken up at the appropriate time.
10:08You know, writing letters is all right.
10:10You can say, you can keep going on writing letters.
10:13But when something happens, something of moment happens,
10:16you know, a decision of moment takes place,
10:19I think it is imperative for the election commissioners
10:22to have spoken up at that point of time and said,
10:24listen, what's all this going on?
10:26You know, we've not authorized this.
10:28But why they didn't speak up at the appropriate time is anybody's case.
10:33I hear you.
10:34But how do you respond to those who say that there was no change in Form 6?
10:39Only a declaration was added where you had to map your parents' ancestry
10:45and show that they had also voted in the previous SIR of 2002-03.
10:50This is not to be seen as a new form.
10:54Is the justification that EC sources are giving
10:57and therefore the claim is that they did not hide anything from the court?
11:02Yeah, well, it's a change.
11:05Okay?
11:06So the basic question is, could a change have been made?
11:09I mean, you can say it's an inconsequential change.
11:11It can be justified as an inconsequential change.
11:14But the fact is, it was a change.
11:16So could the change have been made?
11:18I think the answer to that is in the negative.
11:21It can't be made.
11:21You see, I can understand that a full stop is missing.
11:25So you put in a full stop.
11:27Okay?
11:27That is something inconsequential at the end of the sentence.
11:31But if you are going to add, you know, one requirement,
11:35however small you may think it to be,
11:39the fact is, it is a change.
11:41And that cannot be done.
11:42So what you are saying is the May, correct me if I am wrong,
11:46the May 2026 judgment of the Supreme Court upheld the SIR framework.
11:51It upheld the Bihar Annexure deed declaration.
11:55But it did not separately examine later the changes that were made online to Form 6,
12:03that were made mandatory,
12:05which asked for your parents' and grandparents' details from the last SIR.
12:10And you believe that this should have been done only after requisite government approvals.
12:17This could not, this is a statutory change you are making.
12:20It's not part of the residual authority of the Election Commission.
12:24Am I correct?
12:25That's right.
12:26And today, it appears that the Chief Justice has clarified
12:31that they did not, you know, endorse any change in Form 6.
12:35So are you saying that the Election Commission should have informed the Supreme Court?
12:40Because the Election Commission will say they have these residual powers
12:44and those residual powers give them a fair degree of flexibility and autonomy
12:49to decide what form should be, what forms and documents are required.
12:55Yeah, you see, residual powers doesn't mean that you do whatever you feel like doing, you know.
13:01Supposing they said that we have the residual power and we are going to abolish Form 6
13:05and we are going to come out with Form 6A.
13:07Can that be justified on the ground of residual power?
13:11I mean, there is a procedure for doing things.
13:15You know, you can't say that I have the residual power,
13:17so therefore I will do whatever I feel like doing.
13:19If I want to change Form 6, if I want to change 10 paragraphs in Form 6, I do that.
13:23If I want to add 20 paragraphs in Form 6, I do that.
13:27That's not residual power.
13:29And either way, they should have got central government approval
13:32when you make changes of this kind.
13:35Yeah, I think all these required...
13:37And notified by Parliament.
13:38Yeah, that's right.
13:40You know, there is a procedure that has to be followed.
13:43You can't say I have done it, you know, because I have residual power.
13:46I mean, residual power doesn't mean you do whatever you feel like doing.
13:50So where does that leave all those who were left out of the voting,
13:54for example, in Bengal on logical discrepancies
13:57or because they could not fill up Form 6?
14:01Where does that leave those during the SR exercise phase 3
14:05who have found it difficult to map where their parents and grandparents,
14:09whether they were part of the electoral rolls and provide proof of that?
14:12Do you believe that all of that needs to be re-looked at, reviewed?
14:17Yes, because they have been wrongly excluded.
14:21Right?
14:22Now, what is the consequence of their wrongful exclusion?
14:26That is something which the Supreme Court will have to decide.
14:30Okay?
14:31What view they take and what submissions are made on this regard is difficult to...
14:37No, because how far Justice Lokur can the courts go?
14:40This is in petitions that are calling for the suspension and prosecution
14:44of Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner.
14:47How far can the courts go?
14:49They've asked today, please tell us who did these modifications.
14:54If the Election Commission says that we did it jointly, then what happens?
14:58How far can the court go in this matter?
15:02Well, I think it has to go the whole hog.
15:04I mean, there's no question about it.
15:06Whole hog?
15:06Which means...
15:08Yeah.
15:09Which means that, you know, investigate what exactly has happened.
15:13You know, on the one hand, you know, things have been done.
15:17You don't know the consequence of what has been done.
15:21You know the consequence, but you don't know the impact of it.
15:24Right?
15:25And on the other hand, you know, you turn around and say that, listen, whatever we did was perfectly legal.
15:31I mean, you know, the Election Commission is not above the Constitution of India.
15:41So, if they have done something which is not permissible under the Constitution, which is not permissible under the law...
15:48Right.
15:48Well, the Supreme Court will have to do something about it.
15:51Okay.
15:52I'm going to leave it there, Justice Lokur.
15:56All of this, of course, is coming against the back of other Supreme Court judges, also former Rohingya, Nariman, and
16:03sitting Justice Bhuya, also raising several questions over the entire SIR exercise.
16:09So, clearly, this is now not just about a political party anymore, but the judiciary itself seems to be raising
16:18uncomfortable questions, which you're saying the Election Commission has to answer.
16:23It cannot run away from.
16:25Yes.
16:25Yes, Rajdeep.
16:26This is not a political question.
16:29This has got nothing to do with politics.
16:31The Election Commission is an independent body, constitutional body, and it has to answer the questions that are put to
16:39it.
16:39By the Supreme Court.
16:41There's no politics involved in this.
16:43Let me leave it there, Justice Lokur.
16:45Good to have you on the show.
16:46Thank you very much.
16:50So, who decided the changes in Form 6?
16:53And can they be called changes or not?
16:56The EC claim they're not even changes.
16:58When was the parents' declaration added?
17:02Form 6 changes, are they a violation of the law?
17:05Is it time for the EC and the CEC in particular to come clean on whether the due process was
17:13followed or not?
17:15Big questions.
17:18Let's take those big questions then to our special panel of judges and lawyers.
17:22Justice Lokpal Singh, former judge, Uttarakhand High Court.
17:25Siddharth Luthra, senior advocate, Supreme Court.
17:28Eklavia Devedi is advocate on record at the Supreme Court, standing counsel for the Election Commission of India.
17:34Justice Singh, let me come to you first.
17:36How do you see what is now happening in the courts of the country where today the Supreme Court, Justice
17:43Surya Khan, made it very clear that they had not authorized the modifications made by the Election Commission.
17:49Has the Election Commission, in your view, got much to answer for for the way in which the SIR exercise
17:56is being conducted?
18:02Honourable Chiefs of India has categorically stated that the Supreme Court has not permitted to the ECI to change in
18:09the Form 6, though the change has been made as per the news reports.
18:15So what has been done by the Election Commission of India, that at the time of revision of the votes,
18:24that they have to mention their parentage and their parentage, whether they were the part of the last SIR or
18:33not.
18:34So this is the additional grounds taken in the form.
18:39So it comes within the residual power of the Election Commission of India.
18:45You believe it comes within the residual power of the Election Commission of India?
18:51Because I had Justice Lokur who says it's not within the residual power of the Election Commission of India.
18:57You believe it comes within their powers?
18:59I am of the firm view, yes, yes, it is within the residual power of the Election Commission of India.
19:06Because it cannot be, there cannot be a straight jacket formula that only these are to be the grounds taken
19:13and these are the format of the voting.
19:17Okay.
19:18So they have rightly done it.
19:20Okay.
19:23Siddharth Lutra, your view on this, do you believe that the Election Commission of India has much to answer for?
19:29Or do you believe that the Election Commission, as Justice Singh is saying, this is within their residual powers to,
19:36in a way, have fresh documents or modifications made to Form 6 for new voters?
19:42I think it is not within their residual powers.
19:45I believe that they've exceeded their authority.
19:48And my view is you can't have a situation which the Election Commission, though a statutory body, constitutional body, proceeds
19:57to deprive people of a constitutional right, which is the right to vote.
20:00The right to vote is not only a statutory right, it's also a constitutional right.
20:05And therefore, my belief, really, is that they've exceeded their jurisdiction.
20:10If at all this had to go through a statutory process, and the Election Commission has gone beyond what it
20:16could have done.
20:17That's the first part.
20:18The second part, I really believe, is it's an interesting remark that the Chief Justice has made that they never
20:24approved the change.
20:25So when the matter is being overseen by a court, and the court says it has not approved the change,
20:31and these forms were required to be placed before the court because they were overseeing the process,
20:37I think that's a second issue which arises that, is the Election Commission and its members therefore in breach of
20:45the orders of the Supreme Court?
20:46So there are two issues that arise here.
20:49The first, the absence of power in authority, and I don't think the residual power allows them to do it.
20:54Secondly, are they not in breach of Supreme Court directions?
20:58Both things will have to be adjudicated.
21:00No, but just the second part.
21:02In May, Mr. Luthra, the Supreme Court made it very clear.
21:06It validated the constitutionality of the exercise.
21:09It even validated the documents at that time that were being asked for for the Bihar elections by the Supreme
21:16Court.
21:16In fact, they said the document regime passes the legality test.
21:20And the SIR, they said, secures free and fair elections.
21:24It is authorized by statute.
21:26So SIR itself, the constitutionality of that, unquestioned by the Supreme Court, it now comes down to the modifications that
21:35have been made to the eligibility criteria.
21:39So there are two parts of it.
21:41One is, should the exercise be done at all or not?
21:44That is the one part.
21:45The other is, while doing the exercise, can you change the rules of the game?
21:49I think the court is now talking about not having approved the second part, the change in the form.
21:55The first part, of course, as we know, they've approved the SIR.
21:58And that is something which has already happened.
22:01And therefore, I believe that nobody can actually change the norms of the forms in the middle of an ongoing
22:08process.
22:09And if it's done without the requirement of law, then clearly the Election Commission and its members have a lot
22:16to be answered for.
22:17You know, I want to bring you in, Mr. Duvedi, for a moment, because the Election Commission, you are an
22:22advocate on record for the Election Commission.
22:24In its press note on Form 6, on September 26, 2026, Election Commission of India defends the inclusion of a
22:32new declaration form annexed to Form 6 by claiming the Supreme Court of India has upheld the Form 6 declaration.
22:38But as the court today is saying, we did not approve of these modifications that you've made, which could deny
22:44many legitimate voters, citizens of India, the right to vote.
22:49So is the Supreme Court, is the Election Commission being economical with the truth?
22:54Well, not at all, Rajdeep, but first of all, good evening, good evening to your, to my co-panelists, my
22:58respected seniors.
22:59Let me just clarify the position here, because the statement of the Supreme Court is being taken out of context.
23:06Let me come to the press release first, because you just brought that in.
23:09In press release, what the ECI has stated is that the declaration, which was part of Form 6, remember, Form
23:156 was already challenged in the first phase of the SIR, as you've already pointed out.
23:19And there was a declaration which was added to Form 6 earlier as well.
23:23So that declaration, along with the entire exercise, as you've just indicated, the validity of which has been upheld by
23:29the Supreme Court.
23:30That is all that the ECI has said.
23:32Now, the Supreme Court, when it says that we have not approved any modification,
23:37A, it does not mean, with due respect to the court, that we, as an institution, have to come to
23:43the Supreme Court to get its imprimatur on the modifications.
23:46B, as far as the power is concerned, the power has already been upheld.
23:51The sequitur to this statement is not that ECI does not possess the power to change the rules or the
23:57format of the rules or make some modifications.
23:59In fact, expressly, that power is provided under the statute under Section 21.3.
24:05You want to respond to that, Siddharth Rutra?
24:09Is it therefore coming down to whether making these changes is within the residual powers of the Election Commission of
24:17India?
24:18Therefore, they do not need to seek either central government approval or indeed inform the Supreme Court about it?
24:26So, any residual power has to find its support within the provisions of the statute.
24:32I think my friend is talking about the residual power dehors the provision of the statute,
24:36and they'll have to make good their statement before the court as to whether they actually have, whether they can
24:42do this.
24:43Because, remember, this is a case of disenfranchisement.
24:46Can they do it, and can they do it in the manner that they've done it?
24:49I would ask you that this part of the debate will have to be left to the Supreme Court when
24:54it next takes up the matter,
24:55and it would be premature for us to go beyond a point.
24:59But I've expressed my view very clearly.
25:02I think the residual part does not necessarily support the stand which my learned young colleague, Mr. Duvadi, is saying.
25:09No, but why?
25:09Because you're saying prima facie, it leads to the disenfranchisement of voters.
25:15It changes, in a way, rules for eligible new voters.
25:21Am I clear that you cannot include these kind of qualifications that result in legitimate citizens being denied the right
25:28to vote?
25:29Yes, it has to be linked to a provision of the statute.
25:32If the statute doesn't give them the power, the rules can't be framed based in a generic sense.
25:38Every rule has to be, so in our constitutional frame, the law or the statute is the parent body.
25:46Under that, and within the four corners of that, we have the rules.
25:49We can't have rules relying on a residual power which go beyond the terms of the basic law.
25:54You know, I want to bring you, Mr. Duvadi, you want to respond.
25:57Are we going to get, will the Election Commission of India now give clarity to the Supreme Court?
26:04Because clearly, at the moment, and I don't, the politicians are saying, this is clear proof that the Election Commission
26:11of India,
26:12particularly the Chief Election Commission, who apparently, if the Indian Express report is right,
26:18bypassed, or at least, a fellow Election Commissioner called it illegal and unauthorized,
26:24and yet, eventually, the Commission went ahead with it.
26:29Look, Rajdeep, we have been before the courts since a better part of a year, perhaps more than a year
26:34now.
26:34In fact, the exercise started in June when it was challenged in July.
26:37So, we are, we have never been shy of giving any clarification whenever the court has called upon to do
26:42us,
26:42called upon us to do so.
26:44Now, coming back to what my learned singer, Mr. Luthra, just stated,
26:48as I understood, he is more on the legitimacy principle.
26:51The argument seems to be that the power has to be utilized in a manner which does not allegedly lead
26:57to disenfranchisement.
26:58However, as long as the power exists, then we are at idem.
27:02I thought the question was whether there is power to change the rules, modify the rules or not.
27:06And that power is expressly there in the statute.
27:08Yeah, but if the power leads to lacks and lacks of legitimate Indian citizens being denied the right to vote,
27:14there will be question, and that, Justice Singh, is part of the problem.
27:16Now, you have heard what Justice Bhuya has said, what Justice Nariman has said on my show, Justice Lokur saying
27:22it.
27:23The fact is, this scale of disenfranchisement, we saw what happened in Bengal in particular,
27:2922 lakh voters have gone in appeal already.
27:32Out of which 93% so far have been proved to be legitimate citizens.
27:35All of this will lead to questions over the entire SIR exercise.
27:42The arbitrariness of it.
27:45And the contours of Section 23, as my friend says, my view is, the contours of Section 23 do not
27:52permit this exercise.
27:53My friend believes otherwise, and we'll have to leave it for the court to determine.
27:57I take that point.
27:58I listen, Justice Singh, you want to respond?
28:01Two of your, you know, senior colleagues in the court, Justice Rowinton Nariman,
28:06has said that what happened is completely an illegal act in Bengal.
28:12We've heard what Justice Bhuya has said.
28:15You cannot create two classes of legitimate Indian citizens.
28:18He says it's arbitrary.
28:20Your response, Justice Singh?
28:25Yes, so far, what inclusion is concerned?
28:30The allegations are that so many persons from the Bihar and West Bengal, their name have been deleted.
28:37And the appeals are pending.
28:39Though appeals are pending, and the decision will be taken on these appeals.
28:45Sir, appeals in tribunals will take more than 12 years.
28:52Can you deny so many Indian citizens the right to vote?
28:57The, no, no, my, my point is that the appeal should be expedited.
29:03There should be, there should be a mechanism to decide the appeal expeditiously.
29:07But we cannot permit those who are coming from the other countries to this country,
29:15and they become the voters of this country on the basis of fake Aadhaar card, fake voter ID card.
29:21Well, at the moment, the Election Commission, with due regard, sir, has not even provided us details of how many
29:28such people exist.
29:29Whether if these people, 22 lakh people, are from Bangladesh or Rohingyas, no details have been provided.
29:37We are seeing now even in Telangana, one-fourth of Telangana are not on the draft electoral roll.
29:4475 lakh people not on the draft electoral roll.
29:47In Delhi, it's almost 50%.
29:48So, there is something seriously wrong with the manner in which the implementation is taking place.
29:54Now, the question is, can that be subject to judicial review?
29:58Siddharth Lutra seems to believe, yes, it can.
30:00And it can be subject to judicial review.
30:03My young colleague, Eklavya Dwivedi, seems to believe that the court,
30:08that the Election Commission clearly has the powers to decide on the kind of documents that are required.
30:14I'll leave it there.
30:14I appreciate all of you joining me here on the news today.
30:18Thank you very much.
30:22Now, that's not the only issue that concerns the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar.
30:27He now finds himself under investigation in Keralam, where he was once, remember, a senior IAS officer.
30:33The State Home Minister, Ramesh Chanitala, ordered a vigilance investigation into a 20-year-old case
30:39relating to the suicide of a Malaysian engineer involved in a road project when Mr. Kumar was then the PWD
30:48Secretary in Keralam.
30:50Is this political vendetta or are the ghosts of the past coming to haunt Gyanesh Kumar?
30:57Take a look.
31:02A 20-year-old suicide case is back in the headlines, putting CEC Gyanesh Kumar in a spot.
31:11Keralam Home Minister, Ramesh Chanitala, has ordered a vigilance probe against Gyanesh Kumar
31:16over the death of a Malaysian engineer who was involved in a road project.
31:23Civil engineer Lisi Bean associated with a party bail consortium that worked on the upgradation of MC Road
31:30under the Keralam State Transport project.
31:32Lisi Bean died by suicide in 2006.
31:36In his suicide note, he allegedly named Gyanesh Kumar, who was the PWD Secretary at that time.
31:42The engineer had blamed government officials for pending payments, owed to Malaysian company.
31:47The V.S. Achyutanandan government had then transferred Gyanesh Kumar out of PWD.
31:53But the vigilance probe ordered by the government did not reach anywhere.
31:58The 1,600 crore rupees road project was partly funded by the World Bank.
32:04The fresh vigilance probe has been ordered on the basis of a complaint by M. Venu Gopal, a local congress
32:11leader.
32:14Unfortunately, that time the LDF government was in power.
32:18First they transferred into another department.
32:20Afterwards, he was sent to Delhi.
32:23No action has been taken.
32:25No proper inquiry has been conducted.
32:27From that day onwards, the people of Kerala were very upset about this case.
32:31It is my mounded duty as a minister to see that the truth will come out.
32:38The culture should be booked.
32:40That is why I have referred this matter to the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau of Kerala.
32:47The left, which was in power when this suicide took place, accused the Congress-led UDF of helping Gyanesh Kumar.
33:13The allegations against Gyanesh Kumar also include criminal misconduct in awarding public works to contractors while he was PWD secretary.
33:24But questions are being raised over the new investigation, especially as it comes 20 years after this suicide took place.
33:33Vichy Bimolkeji, Bureau Report, India Today.
33:40Okay, and joining us now is our newsmaker at the moment, Ramesh Chenithala, the home minister of Kerala is joining
33:48me.
33:48Appreciate your joining us, Mr. Chenithala.
33:51You've created a bit of a storm by reopening a case of alleged corruption against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
33:58when he was serving as the Secretary of State Public Works Department in Kerala in 2006.
34:0620 years later, 20 years later.
34:08Is this not vendetta?
34:10Are you not targeting Gyanesh Kumar?
34:12If you had to reopen the case, you were in power from 2011 to 2016.
34:17Why didn't you do it then?
34:22See, now this is not a political vendetta at all.
34:26When I became home minister the second time, now within these four months I received a representation from an activist,
34:36Mr. Malayangir Venakopal.
34:38And he came with certain very important facts regarding the irregularities and corrupt activities involved in a project of MC
34:48Road funded by the Sun World Bank.
34:51When I go through the petition, I found that there are certain important informations which has not been taken into
34:59consideration during the previous preliminary inquiry by the VSAB.
35:03Sir, sir, one minute. There was an Achyutanandar government. There was your government.
35:08You were minister then, 2011 to 2016. You were home minister. Why didn't you do it then?
35:13Suddenly you've woken up after 20 years. People will ask that question, sir.
35:17No, no, that's it. No, no, no. Crime has no time limit, I am telling you.
35:25Investigation has no time limit. So many Supreme Court verdicts and state high court verdicts are before me.
35:32When I was home minister, there was no such... When Achyutanandar was a chief minister, that case was closed.
35:41Now a petition came to us telling that there are other facts which has not been incurred into.
35:49Fresh informations are there. And allegedly corrupt activities of Janesh Kumar was there.
35:56And a Malaysian project engineer, Mr. Lee, committed suicide. In his suicide note, Janesh Kumar's name was...
36:04Name is mentioned. Undue delay of files. Amount to corruption.
36:09And that is why the pressure of this... Pressure on this project engineer, he committed suicide in Kuala Lumpur.
36:19All these informations were given to us, then I cannot sit in the file, in the representation.
36:25Sir, but my limited point is all of this was...
36:27I cannot be a spectator on this.
36:28All of this, sir, with due regard was known.
36:31Surely the fact that there had been a suicide, there was a suicide note, there were corruption allegations at the
36:37time.
36:37But at that time, in Umant Chandi's government, what happened?
36:41Gyanesh Kumar, in fact, there was no sanction against Gyanesh Kumar.
36:48He instead comes as resident commissioner here in Delhi.
36:51Later on becomes a secretary to government of India.
36:53At that time, none of you raised your voice.
36:55People will ask, sir, is this the Congress party trying to settle scores against Gyanesh Kumar ji?
37:04Not at all. This is not a political vendetta at all.
37:07I tell you very frankly that when lasted 20 years, he is not in Kerala.
37:13He was in Delhi of various reasons.
37:16I don't want to go into that details.
37:18But when I was a Home Minister of the state,
37:21four months before I became Home Minister again, second time,
37:24when a petition came to me,
37:27said, I think I cannot be a mute spectator.
37:30I have to act on this.
37:32There are fresh allegations, fresh information.
37:34But it sets a very dangerous precedent.
37:36Tomorrow, if somebody, if government changes,
37:40will you, how far back will you go to continue to lodge inquiries?
37:43Congress party itself has at times protested against
37:47old inquiries being resurrected by the BJP.
37:54Now, whether the BJP government stopped it?
37:57They have not stopped it.
37:59When in Kerala, we had never resorted to political vendetta.
38:03And we will go by the facts.
38:06By this Gyanesh Kumar,
38:08when he was PWD secretary,
38:10all these things happened.
38:11And a person committed suicide.
38:16It's not a small thing.
38:18And why that?
38:19It has not been properly inquired at that time.
38:22I don't want to go into that details.
38:24No, sir.
38:25I want to know,
38:26why was it not inquired?
38:27Why was it not inquired?
38:28When you were Home Minister,
38:29when there was a previous left government,
38:31when there was a Pinrai Vijayan government,
38:3320 years,
38:33you had left governments,
38:34Congress governments.
38:35Why didn't you investigate Gyanesh Kumar then?
38:41No, by that time,
38:42I was there for Minister for only two and a half years.
38:45At that time,
38:46the petition was closed,
38:48the case was closed,
38:49and there was no point in opening the case
38:52because there was no petition before me.
38:54I cannot,
38:55Sumoto opened that case.
38:56I cannot do that.
38:57So now,
38:59when I was approached by Mr. Malayagir Venugopal
39:02with a petition,
39:03mentioning all these grave charges,
39:05it is my bounden duty to inquire into that.
39:09That is why I had given to the
39:11Vigilance Anti-Corruption Bureau,
39:13and now they are starting an inquiry.
39:17Sir, but I must ask you,
39:18Minister,
39:18you are one of the senior most politicians in the country.
39:21In fact,
39:21you became an MLA in the 1980s.
39:23What about accountability then?
39:25Bureaucratic accountability.
39:27It was serious allegation involving a major road project,
39:31alleged financial illegalities,
39:33a contractor's suicide,
39:34a vigilance inquiry remains unresolved for 20 years.
39:38What does it say about our system?
39:41What does it say about our system?
39:4320 years you are going to take
39:44for a vigilance inquiry?
39:47And then reopen it today?
39:50You know,
39:50it has been closed in.
39:52The LDF government,
39:54led by Mr. Achyudar,
39:55that was closed the file.
39:57But now we came to know that
39:59other certain important
40:00relevations,
40:01facts,
40:02are there.
40:03Then,
40:04it is my duty to
40:05inquire into it.
40:06That is why
40:07I had referred it to the
40:08Vigilance
40:09and Anti-Corruption Bureau of Kerala.
40:11Are you serious about this inquiry,
40:13or is it only to grab the headline?
40:15Are you serious that you will...
40:16He is the chief election commissioner
40:18of the country.
40:19He has certain
40:20immunities.
40:21He is a constitutional
40:22functionary now.
40:23Are you serious that
40:24you are going to prosecute him?
40:29No,
40:30the point is that
40:31now I had given
40:32the representation
40:33for the inquiry.
40:35Let the inquiry be over.
40:36And let the report
40:38be submitted.
40:39Then only all these
40:40questions will come.
40:41And one thing is very clear.
40:43The chief election commissioner
40:45of India's conduct
40:47will be definitely
40:48going to be discussed
40:50by the people of India.
40:51When he was PWD secretary,
40:53what he had done,
40:54there are other
40:55three cases
40:55within his cases
40:56were against him.
40:58This is the third one.
41:00Other two cases
41:00was closed
41:01because of his influence.
41:04So such a person
41:05has been
41:05brought us
41:06as chief election
41:07commissioner of India.
41:08Let the people
41:09of the country
41:09know all these things.
41:11Even to...
41:12Sir,
41:12now that's the politics of it.
41:13That's the politics
41:14when you say that.
41:15Nobody was aware of this.
41:17I will ask you
41:17one last time.
41:18Were you being pushed
41:19to do this
41:20by the Congress
41:21high command?
41:21Is this Ramesh Chanitala,
41:23Home Minister of Keralam
41:24doing this
41:25against Gyanesh Kumar
41:26because the high command
41:27wants you to target him?
41:28Yes or no?
41:32Not at all.
41:34It is,
41:34as a Home Minister,
41:35it is my duty
41:36to anchor
41:38into the irregularities
41:39and corrupt activities
41:40of Mr. Gyanesh Kumar
41:42when he was a
41:43minister of the...
41:44He was a secretary
41:45to the PWDA department.
41:47Why you are dragging
41:48high command
41:48and Rahul Gandhi
41:49all these things?
41:50Nothing.
41:51Nobody has insisted
41:52me to do this.
41:54It is my moral duty
41:55to anchor
41:56into the details
41:57of a petition.
41:59Okay.
41:59I'm going to leave it there,
42:00Ramesh Chanitala.
42:01Good to have you
42:02on the show.
42:03I appreciate you
42:04giving us
42:05your viewpoint.
42:06Thank you so much.
42:10Thank you very much.
42:11Thank you very much.
42:14Okay.
42:15Let's then turn
42:15to the other big story
42:16because chilling
42:17new details
42:17continue to emerge
42:18in the fly Dubai
42:19terror plot.
42:20According to the
42:21Israeli media reports,
42:22Omani co-pilot
42:23Hamam Al Hamami
42:25has confessed
42:25to UAE investigators
42:27that his ultimate goal
42:28was to crash
42:28flight 1073
42:30directly into
42:31Tel Aviv's
42:31Ben Gurion airport.
42:33His alleged plan
42:33was to decapitate
42:34the captain,
42:35seized control
42:36of the cockpit,
42:37secure landing
42:38clearances
42:38and then at the
42:39last second
42:40slammed the aircraft
42:41into the airport
42:42building.
42:43Hamami had allegedly
42:44aborted a similar
42:45plan in July
42:45because a crew member
42:47on that flight
42:47was his friend.
42:48A Wall Street Journal
42:49report points to
42:50multiple security
42:51failures across
42:52three countries
42:53that allowed Hamami
42:54to even attempt
42:55a nine-level
42:56style attack.
42:57Most glaring
42:57is the fact
42:58that Oman
42:59identified Hamami's
43:00extremist views,
43:01removed him from
43:02flying but he still
43:03was hired
43:04by Fly Dubai.
43:05Earlier,
43:06I spoke to
43:07Israel's ambassador
43:08to UAE.
43:09Listen in to this
43:10excerpt.
43:16How do you see
43:18what has happened?
43:19Because the
43:20United Arab Emirates
43:22prosecutor general
43:23said that the
43:23co-pilot of this
43:24Fly Dubai flight,
43:26which was bound
43:27for Israel,
43:27for Tel Aviv,
43:28attempted to carry
43:30out a terrorist
43:30attack with an axe
43:32during the flight.
43:33So it corroborates
43:34what Israel has been
43:35saying,
43:35that this was a
43:37terror attack
43:37attack and the
43:38co-pilot had
43:39planned to crash
43:41land the plane.
43:42Your response to
43:43all that has
43:44happened and all
43:45that is coming
43:45out, sir?
43:46As everybody
43:47already knows,
43:48the terrorist
43:49tries to kill
43:51the co-pilot,
43:52the brave guy,
43:53Mr. Smith,
43:55and after he
43:56planned to crash
43:57the plane.
43:57We don't know
43:58if he planned
43:59to crash it
43:59on Saudi Arabia
44:01Seoul or in
44:02Israel territory
44:03to hit the
44:04building or not.
44:05These are a lot
44:05of speculations
44:06that I think
44:06in a few days
44:09maybe we'll get
44:11the answer
44:12for this question
44:13regarding the
44:14authorities of the
44:16U.S. that are
44:16investigating it.
44:17Of course,
44:18if they think
44:19that this is
44:19the way to
44:21publish it
44:22or this will
44:24contribute to
44:25something,
44:25the fact is
44:26that these
44:27terrorists
44:27planned it
44:28carefully,
44:30and even
44:31using the
44:31eggs,
44:32and he didn't
44:33wrote something
44:33else,
44:34so everything
44:35was planned,
44:36and before
44:36crashing the
44:37plane he
44:37also prayed,
44:38maybe,
44:39you know,
44:40the Bitsigen
44:41shows that
44:41the last few
44:42months he
44:43was radicalized
44:44by people,
44:45he was in
44:46a group of
44:46Islamists,
44:48so this is
44:50one of the
44:51steps,
44:51you know,
44:53there were a
44:54few signs,
44:54but you know,
44:55sometimes you
44:55don't look
44:56about, I don't
44:57know, 10,000
44:58pilots or maybe
44:59more that are
45:00over the world
45:01to follow
45:02their social
45:05media or
45:06whatever,
45:06maybe from
45:07today we
45:08have to do
45:08this also,
45:09the authorities
45:09that are
45:10responsible,
45:10of course.
45:11What details
45:12are coming
45:13out is that
45:13the co-pilot
45:14was of
45:15Omani
45:15origin,
45:16now Israel
45:17has a
45:17long-standing
45:18agreement with
45:19foreign carriers
45:20to keep
45:20pilots flying
45:21from,
45:22flying into
45:23the country
45:23if they are
45:24citizens of
45:24nations that
45:25don't recognize
45:26Israel,
45:26Oman doesn't,
45:27do you see
45:28that as a
45:29major security
45:30lapse,
45:30which have
45:31you raised
45:31these issues
45:32with the
45:33UAE authorities?
45:34How did
45:35fly Dubai
45:36have an
45:36Omani
45:37co-pilot
45:38on a flight
45:38entering
45:39your country?
45:41Look,
45:42as I've
45:42been told,
45:43I didn't
45:44see the
45:44papers and
45:45I'm not
45:45familiar,
45:46it was all,
45:46you know,
45:47the small
45:47detail between
45:48aviation
45:50authorities
45:52and what
45:53is,
45:53the fact
45:54is the
45:54Omani
45:54guy
45:55fly this
45:57flight
45:58and he
45:58shouldn't
45:58do it
45:59and now
46:00they are
46:01looking who
46:02to blame.
46:03We have
46:04other
46:04conflict,
46:04you know,
46:05we have
46:05other
46:05conflict in
46:06the world,
46:07I will
46:07not mention
46:08them,
46:08you know
46:08them very
46:09well,
46:09in Europe,
46:11even here
46:11in Asia,
46:12so now
46:13you have to
46:14check not
46:14only the
46:15passengers,
46:15you have to
46:16check the
46:16pilots,
46:17it looks like
46:18there is
46:18another
46:19possibility,
46:19so we have
46:20to eliminate
46:20this one,
46:21and I think
46:22that the
46:23investigation will
46:23show what's
46:24happened,
46:25maybe someone,
46:26you know,
46:26in the end of
46:26the day,
46:27all the
46:28work is
46:28done by
46:28people like
46:29us,
46:30you are in
46:30your TV,
46:31I am in
46:31the,
46:32so there
46:32are a lot
46:32of a chain
46:33of what you
46:34call of
46:35people that
46:35have the
46:36responsibility.
46:38You mentioned
46:39Spit Machar,
46:40Ambassador,
46:41more than
46:41once already,
46:42he is a
46:43real hero,
46:44the pilot of
46:45the plane
46:47from Gujarat
46:48in India,
46:49you were there,
46:50I am told,
46:50when he spoke
46:51to Prime
46:52Minister Netanyahu
46:53of Israel,
46:55for Israelis,
46:57would I be
46:57right,
46:58therefore,
46:59in calling
47:00Smith Machar
47:01someone who
47:02is now going
47:02to be,
47:03get larger
47:04than life,
47:04hero-like
47:05status in
47:06your country?
47:09Yes,
47:09I was with
47:10him,
47:10he is a
47:11brave man,
47:11very humble,
47:13he does his
47:14job like,
47:15you know,
47:15he wants to
47:16save his life,
47:17of course,
47:17to see his
47:18family and
47:18all the
47:19plane,
47:20and our
47:21Prime Minister
47:22decided to
47:23give him the
47:23highest honor
47:24to light a
47:25torch in our
47:26Independence Day,
47:28this is reserved
47:29only for
47:29Israelis that
47:30did a
47:32special thing,
47:33it doesn't
47:33be an act
47:34of terror,
47:35against,
47:36it can be,
47:36you know,
47:37humanitarian aid,
47:38helping to,
47:39you know,
47:40to children,
47:41all kind of
47:42good things
47:42that people
47:44are doing
47:44voluntarily,
47:45and sometimes
47:46nobody wants
47:46to do it,
47:47you find the
47:48people that
47:49are doing
47:49it,
47:50and this
47:50is the
47:50reward,
47:51there are
47:5112 like
47:52this every
47:52year,
47:53and it's
47:53the most
47:54higher
47:56condecoration
47:56of a
47:57person in
47:58Israel.
47:59A final
48:00word,
48:00Mr. Ambassador,
48:01what's the
48:01biggest lesson
48:02that you
48:03think you
48:04or Israel
48:05has learned
48:06from this
48:06fly Dubai
48:08tragedy that
48:09was averted?
48:10It could
48:10have been
48:11catastrophic,
48:12it was
48:12averted by
48:13the bravery
48:13shown by
48:14the pilots,
48:15the other
48:15crew members
48:16and the
48:17passengers,
48:17but what
48:18is the
48:19biggest
48:19lesson,
48:20what is
48:20the biggest
48:20takeaway for
48:21you and
48:22indeed the
48:23Israeli
48:23government?
48:25That you
48:26be aware
48:27every time
48:29when there
48:29are conflicts,
48:30where a group
48:31of terrorists
48:32are still
48:32acting,
48:33and unfortunately
48:34they're still
48:34acting all
48:35over the
48:35world,
48:36you have to
48:36take your
48:36precaution,
48:38check yourself
48:39one time,
48:40ten times,
48:40and see if
48:41there are any
48:41possibilities
48:42to involve
48:44and kill
48:45people.
48:45By the way,
48:46despite there
48:46was more
48:47than 70
48:47other
48:49nationalities,
48:49so it's
48:50not just
48:50against
48:50Israel,
48:51it's just
48:51everyone,
48:54and the
48:55Abraham
48:55Accord
48:56will restrain,
48:57and people
48:57know that
48:58there are
48:58other countries
48:59that should
49:00engage to
49:01the Abraham
49:01Accord,
49:02a few
49:02names,
49:03and I
49:03think this
49:04is the
49:04result,
49:05the result
49:07is the
49:07opposite,
49:08we'll
49:08restrain our
49:08said,
49:09we'll
49:09bring more
49:10people to
49:10Abraham
49:10Accord,
49:11we use
49:12our
49:12technology,
49:13we use
49:14our
49:14healthcare
49:15systems,
49:16and this
49:17is the
49:17only way
49:18to make
49:19our people
49:20happy in
49:21this world.
49:24You are
49:24with the
49:25news today,
49:25let's turn
49:25to tonight's
49:26Get Real
49:27India story,
49:27and it
49:28comes from
49:28Maratwada,
49:29which is
49:30staring at
49:30a deepening
49:31farm crisis
49:32and drought,
49:33standing crops
49:34withering,
49:35water supply
49:36being cut,
49:36and farmers
49:37say relief
49:38from last
49:38year's floods
49:39still pending.
49:41In Nanded,
49:42some are even
49:42selling cattle
49:43at distressed
49:44prices.
49:45Omkar Wable
49:46brings us
49:46this report,
49:48the stories
49:48you don't get
49:49on Prime
49:50Time elsewhere.
49:51Take a look.
50:04Standing crops
50:06withering under
50:06heat,
50:07a common
50:08site in
50:09Maratwada.
50:10265
50:11talukas in
50:12Maharashtra
50:13are declared
50:13drought hit.
50:14This year,
50:15over 650
50:16farmers have
50:17died by
50:18suicide
50:18across Maratwada
50:20region.
50:21Farmers are
50:22in distress.
50:23They are
50:23demanding
50:24immediate relief.
50:27Some of
50:28these villages
50:29were hit by
50:30floods last
50:31year.
50:31Farmers claim
50:33they are yet
50:33to get the
50:34relief
50:34announced then.
51:05there are
51:05more
51:05days
51:05and
51:05there are
51:05many
51:05days.
51:05After
51:05the
51:05last
51:05month,
51:05the
51:05price
51:05has been
51:21In Nandir, farmers are selling their cattle.
51:35Grappling with the monsoon deficit, the Maharashtra government has announced a 10% cut in water supply in cities.
51:43Now with irrigation hit, farmers are set to face some tough times.
51:50Vidhomkar Wabli, Bureau Report, India Today.
51:56Thoughts and prayers there with our farmers and we'll have many more reports in this week ahead on the drought
52:02in several parts of the country.
52:04Let me leave you though with a happier image of the day, which is another historic and joyous milestone for
52:09Project Cheetah.
52:10KJP 21, a 32-month-old Indian-born female cheetah, has given birth to five healthy cubs in Kuno's National
52:19Park today.
52:20KJP 21 is the third Indian-born female cheetah to give birth after Mukhi and KJP 12.
52:26It's an important milestone in the emergence of India's next-generation cheetah population.
52:31With the arrival of these five cubs, the cheetah population in India has reached 60, including now 41 Indian-born
52:39cheetahs.
52:40That's the note I want to leave you on with those happy pictures of cheetahs.
52:46Thanks for watching.
52:47Good night.
52:48Goodbye.
52:50Jayin.
52:51Shubharatri.
52:52Namaskar.
52:52Namaskar.
52:52Namaskar.