'BJP’s Politics Of Vendetta Show ...': Mamata Questions Nandigram Bypoll Congress Candidate’s Arrest

Realtor murder: Wedding plans, unanswered calls and cremation that left family seeking answers

PTI — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 01:00:40 +0530

New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI): A wedding just weeks away, a newly finalised sherwani and a promise to return home after a meeting -- that was the last known chapter in the life of 31-year-old Yuvraj Singh Manchanda, whose body was later discovered in a Gurugram drain.

Singh was murdered allegedly over a financial dispute that ran in crores, according to police.

His family, however, has alleged that Yuvraj's body was recovered on September 10 by Gurugram police, but they were not informed and that it was cremated four days later without their knowledge.

The family said they learnt about the recovery only during the investigation into his disappearance after approaching the Delhi Police.

Speaking to a reporter, Yuvraj's sister Karishma said the family had last spoken to him at around 7.30 pm on September 6.

"He had gone to Lajpat with us for wedding shopping. His wedding was to take place in a month. After finalising his sherwani, he left, saying he had a meeting with a former woman colleague. He had also informed his fiance and his boss about the meeting," she said.

"After that, we only received messages," Karishma said.

According to her, Yuvraj initially messaged that he was fine, asked the family not to worry and said his phone might get switched off. Later, he said he would return on Saturday and subsequently changed the date to Thursday.

"Then my sister requested him to at least show his face. She asked why he was not calling or coming home. He never does this. We started panicking because he never does anything wrong," she said.

Yuvraj's disappearance was particularly alarming for the family because of his responsibilities at home. His father suffers from partial paralysis, and his mother also frequently remains unwell, according to the family.

"Since he was young, he had taken responsibility for his home," his childhood friend Rajat Jain told PTI.

Jain said Yuvraj was known to his family since childhood and had attended his younger brother's wedding recently.

The family waited for Yuvraj to return before approaching the police on September 11, five days after he went missing.

The Delhi Police investigation subsequently focused on his former colleague Anya Vats, with whom he had the last-known phone conversation, and her husband Sanyam Sachdeva.

Police arrested the two from Uttarakhand, where they were living in a PG, after technical surveillance indicated Vats's presence there. During interrogation, they allegedly disclosed that Yuvraj had been murdered and his body dumped into a drain near their house in Gurugram, according to police.

The accused also roamed around and then parked the car in their society with the body before dumping it in the drain, police said.

The alleged motive appears to be a financial dispute which ran in crores between Yuvraj and Vats, police sources said.

Yuvraj, Vats and Sanyam had previously worked together at a real estate company. Vats was fired from the company citing financial irregularities.

According to police, an initial probe of the accused's financial details revealed that despite not having enough money, they were maintaining a lavish lifestyle.

Police said Vats was freelancing and assisting Yuvraj in some real estate deals. Investigators are probing the exact nature of their financial dealings and the circumstances leading to the alleged murder.

Police sources said the accused had allegedly made Yuvraj park his car before he got into Vats's SUV. He was allegedly sitting in the passenger seat while Vats was seated behind him and Sachdeva was driving.

Sources claimed Vats shot Yuvraj in the neck from behind.

Police, however, have not officially disclosed the manner in which Yuvraj was killed. The cause of death and other forensic details are expected to be established through the post-mortem examination report being obtained from Gurugram Police.

On September 10, Gurugram police recovered an unidentified body from a drain under the jurisdiction of Badshahpur police station.

The family alleges that they were not informed about the unidentified body despite Yuvraj having been reported missing in Delhi.

Karishma said the family later learnt during the Delhi Police investigation that the body had been recovered on September 10.

"They said the body was decomposed and hence they kept it for three days and cremated it on September 14. I requested them to give me something of his that I could take to my mother. They gave us nothing. He was wearing a ring and a watch also, but we got nothing," she said.

The family also questioned the initial explanation that Yuvraj had died by drowning.

"Initially they said he died by drowning. But how can it be possible that he drowned in one or two feet of water? They did not tell us anything. They followed no procedure. They did not upload the details on ZIPNET," Karishma alleged.

According to the family, the Delhi Police later contacted their counterparts in Gurugram after the accused allegedly disclosed the location where Yuvraj's body had been dumped. They allege that the details of the unidentified body were uploaded on the police network only on September 16.

The family is now seeking clarity on how the body was handled and why they were not informed before its cremation.

Vats and Sachdeva, who are married and have a one-year-old child, have been sent to five days' police custody. Police are also examining Vats's previous cases, including cases under the IT Act and for cheating at Parliament Street and Greater Noida police stations.

Another case, registered at Jagatpuri police station on a complaint by Sanyam's former wife, involves allegations under the IT Act and domestic violence against Anya and Sanyam. PTI SSJ PRK

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

Casteism running UP: Akhilesh Yadav after SP workers' scuffle with cops in Rae Bareli

PTI — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 01:00:02 +0530

Lucknow, Sep 18 (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government over a confrontation involving SP and ABVP workers in Rae Bareli, alleging that "sajatiyavad" (casteism) was running the state instead of the government.

"Uttar Pradesh does not have a government; 'sajatiyavad' is running the state," Yadav said in a post on X, sharing a video clip of a news report on the Raebareli incident.

"Those in power are continuously attacking the PDA to show their authority. Every attack on the PDA will always keep the BJP away from power," he said.

His remarks came after a large number of SP workers led by the party's Rae Bareli district president Engineer Virendra Yadav gathered at Shaheed Chowk and marched to the offices of the superintendent of police and the district magistrate (DM) to protest over the incident.

Virendra Yadav said the district magistrate heard their concerns and assured them of an inquiry.

The protest followed a confrontation between SP's student wing Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha and the RSS-affiliated student organisation Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) workers at the Firoz Gandhi Degree College on Thursday. The SP student wing was conducting an awareness campaign when its members came face-to-face with ABVP workers, leading to an argument.

Kotwali police reached the spot and pacified both sides. Virendra Yadav and other office-bearers also reached the spot. An argument reportedly took place between the Kotwali in-charge and Virendra Yadav.

SP leaders and workers subsequently reached the office of the superintendent of police, from where police allegedly removed them and manhandled some of them, including a party MLA.

They gathered again on Friday at Shaheed Chowk before proceeding to the offices of the superintendent of police and the DM. SP state secretary Shashikant Sharma, Harchandpur MLA Rahul Lodhi and Bachhrawan MLA Shyam Sundar Bharti were among those present.

Circle Officer (City) Ashish Nigam earlier said that both sides submitted their demands and objections through memoranda and complaints to the college administration and officials.

He rejected allegations circulating on social media that police had assaulted students or workers, calling them "completely false, misleading and baseless".

Police had instead intervened to maintain peace and law and order, he said. PTI COR KIS DIV DIV

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

Centre amends Inter-State Council rules: UT LGs to be part of meetings if President’s rule imposed

PTI — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:45:02 +0530

New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu has amended the rules governing the Inter-State Council to allow the lieutenant governors of Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir, and Delhi to participate in the council meetings when President's rule is imposed these Union territories.

The amendment, notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 9 and published on Friday, amends the Inter-State Council Order, 1990, which had established the council.

According to the May 1990 order, the council consists of the prime minister, chief ministers of all states, specified Union Territory representatives, and six Union ministers of Cabinet rank.

Its proviso, introduced in July that year, addressed the attendance of a governor when a proclamation under Article 356 was in force in their respective states, or when the order issued by the governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under section 92 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir was in force.

In 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, after Article 370 was abrogated.

The 2026 order replaces that July 1990 proviso with a four-part provision.

It retains the provision for a state under Article 356, specifying that "the governor of that state shall be invited to attend the meetings of the Council." It then adds three provisions covering Union territories with assemblies.

The amendment provides for the lieutenant governor's participation in the council meetings when the president's rule is imposed under the respective provisions of the laws governing the three Union Territories with assemblies -- Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir, and the NCT of Delhi.

For Puducherry, it provides that when an order under Section 51 of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, is in force, "the lieutenant governor of the Union territory of Puducherry shall be invited to attend the meetings of the council." "Where an order issued by the president under section 73 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019) in relation to the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is in force, the Lieutenant Governor of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall be invited to attend the meetings of the council," it said.

The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi will be invited when an order under Article 239 AB is in force, it said.

President's rule is imposed when there is a failure of the Constitutional machinery in a state or a Union territory. PTI ABS KSI KSI

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

UP: Upset over contact with first wife, woman gets husband killed by lover; minor among 4 held

PTI — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:31:20 +0530

Lucknow, Sep 18 (PTI): A woman allegedly got her husband killed by her lover and his associate -- following repeated disputes over the man's continued contact with his first wife -- and later helped them hide and dispose of the victim's body, police said on Friday.

The accused woman, her lover and his associate have been arrested and her minor son apprehended, two days after the husband's body was found inside a trunk near a canal away from her residence, a senior officer said.

DCP (Lucknow South) Mohammad Mushtaq said the woman, identified as Sufia Bano, had been in a relationship with the deceased Ramkishore Valmiki for around four years and the two had married about two years ago.

"Bano was also in an illicit relationship with Munna alias Muchhad, 52, which came to the knowledge of Ramkishore. This led to frequent disputes between the couple, particularly after Ramkishore resumed visiting his first wife Kavita Devi and giving her financial support, which Bano opposed," Mushtaq, accompanied by Additional DCP Rallapalli Vasanth Kumar, told reporters.

"Bano then conspired with Munna and his associate Mohammad Iqbal alias Basir Ahmed, 40, to kill Ramkishore," he said.

On the night of September 14-15, Bano allegedly called the two men to her house and left the door unlatched. They entered while Ramkishore was asleep and allegedly stabbed him to death, Mushtaq said.

The accused tried to destroy evidence by plastering the floor and hiding the bloodstained broom, the deceased's clothes and the knife used in the crime, the officer said.

Bano then called her 16-year-old son, following which the four hid Ramkishore's body inside a wooden box kept under a bed, he said.

On the night of September 15-16, they loaded the body onto an e-rickshaw and dumped it under a canal bridge near Bhawakhada in Kanakha to destroy evidence and prevent identification of the deceased, the DCP said.

The police registered an FIR on September 17 under Section 103(murder), among others, of the BNS following a complaint by Kavita Devi, Ramkishore's first wife.

Four police teams checked around 170-180 CCTV recordings along the suspected route of the e-rickshaw and used technical and field intelligence to trace it, Mushtaq said.

Sufia Bano, Munna and Mohammad Iqbal were arrested on Friday, while Bano's 16-year-old juvenile son was also apprehended. Police said they have also recovered the alleged murder weapon and the e-rickshaw used to transport the body. PTI KIS PRK

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

Govt officials caught taking bribes must not be reposted in same district: Haryana ACB

PTI — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:30:43 +0530

Chandigarh, Sep 18 (PTI): Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday said all government departments have been instructed not to repost officials and employees in the same district where they were caught accepting bribes.

State Vigilance and ACB chief Arshinder Singh Chawla said the decision was taken following deliberations by the ACB's High-Power Committee.

The ACB said it has prepared a list of 190 officials and employees in the state against whom it has received repeated complaints or inputs related to corruption.

In several cases, it was observed that after action was taken against an official or employee in a corruption case, they were reposted in the same district. This could defeat the objective of action against corruption and adversely affect public confidence in the system, an official statement quoted Chawla as saying.

Hence, the issue was discussed by the ACB's High-Power Committee, and a proposal for necessary action was placed before the government. Letters have now been sent to all government departments, asking them to avoid reposting such officials and employees in the same district where they were caught red-handed.

Chawla said 138 successful trap operations have been conducted so far this year, leading to government employees getting caught red-handed while accepting bribes.

If government holidays are excluded, on average, at least one government employee was caught red-handed accepting a bribe every second day, he said.

This figure, he said, is not merely a count of enforcement actions, but also an indication that people are coming forward to report corruption.

He said action in corruption cases is not limited to arrests; special attention is being given to effectively pursue the cases and ensure that the courts convict the guilty.

Since January 1 this year, the ACB chief said, various courts have awarded rigorous punishments to 23 government employees in 21 cases. This indicates that apart from immediate arrests, effective prosecution and follow-up have been ensured, until the final stage of the legal process.

Chawla said the ACB has prepared a list of 190 officials and employees in the state against whom it has received repeated complaints or inputs related to corruption. The available information against them is being analysed so that necessary action can follow, he said.

He said the ACB is continuously analysing complaints received from various departments. The objective is to identify the departments, offices and areas that are emerging as "corruption hotspots".

According to the statement, there are seven ACB police stations in Haryana. Information and complaints received at these police stations are analysed to identify the problems faced by citizens in government offices. Based on this analysis, the agency coordinates with the departments concerned to take action and bring about systemic improvements.

The ACB is conducting trial of a mobile application that could make complaint filing much simpler and more accessible for citizens, as people often do not remember the ACB helpline number, Chawla said.

The mobile application will enable people to connect to the ACB helpline with a single touch. In addition, it will incorporate OTP-based facilities and other security features to safeguard the complainant's identity.

If a person travels outside their district and faces a corruption-related issue there, they should also be able to easily communicate the information to the ACB. The complaint system is therefore being made more convenient and technology-driven, he said.

Chawla said the fight against corruption is a continuous process.

Action against corruption, protection of complainants, follow-up of cases, securing convictions, identification of hotspots and simplifying the complaint system through technology -- all these aspects are being addressed simultaneously, he said. PTI SUN DIV DIV

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

Akhilesh slams BJP over Modi birthday celebrations, says no 'iota of concern' for public

PTI — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:30:01 +0530

Lucknow, Sep 18 (PTI): Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday hit out at the BJP over celebrations marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 76th birthday, asking whether the saffron party had an "iota of concern" for flood victims whose homes have been destroyed and who are facing shortages of relief supplies.

Referring to the major bike rally launched from Varanasi to Vagnagar, Yadav took a veiled dig at PM Modi over his appeal to reduce cooking oil use and conserve fuel, asking whether the bikes would not waste fuel purchased with foreign exchange reserves.

In a post on X, Yadav said, "How can anyone light a diya when the lamp itself is submerged in water?" "The people, completely disappointed with the BJP government, are extremely angry and upset that when people's homes have been destroyed, there is nothing but hardship everywhere. There are neither relief supplies nor anyone to ask about them. How can the BJP indulge in the reprehensible act of celebrating?" he said.

"Does the BJP have even an iota of concern for the common people, the poor, the exploited, the deprived and the flood victims?" Yadav asked.

He demanded that the BJP government immediately provide relief material, such as food, water, medicines and other daily necessities to those affected by the floods.

"The BJP government should immediately send relief material for food, water, medicines and other daily necessities, or say that it has nothing to do with the people," he said, ending the post with, "Highly condemnable." Earlier, Yadav had also targeted the BJP over the lighting of diyas at the residence of a Uttar Pradesh district magistrate as part of the 'Ashirwad Ka Diya' initiative held on Thursday evening to mark Modi's birthday.

"Till now, the BJP was criminalising politics; now the BJP is 'bureaucratising' politics," Yadav said in another post.

"The district magistrate should make public the account of the expenditure on the diyas, their oil and wicks and the cost of getting them arranged, and clarify that this was an expenditure from his personal account and not taxpayers' money," he said.

"First the CARE Fund and now the flattery fund...their accounts should be shown. This is the demand of the people," Yadav said.

Taking a further swipe at the diya-lighting exercise, he said, "Under the compulsion to light diyas, one wonders how many hearts must have been burning. Incidentally, not as many diyas were lit, or allowed to be lit, as would break the record of Lucknow based on the number of diyas." "Those who are fighting even for diyas, what light will they bring?" he added.

Yadav also referred to 500 motorcycles, saying, "By the way, will the 500 motorcycles that started from UP-32 and are being sent somewhere not lead to wastage of oil purchased with foreign exchange? Was the appeal only to reduce the use of cooking oil, or also vehicle oil and the oil used in lanterns and diyas?" PTI KIS KSI KSI

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

Bengal: Newlywed woman suffers 60 pc burns in Darjeeling homestay barbecue fire

PTI — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:15:02 +0530

Kolkata, Sep 18 (PTI): A newly married woman suffered 60 per cent burns and her husband was also injured after a barbecue at a homestay in Darjeeling's Sitong caught fire, allegedly after kerosene was poured instead of cooking oil, police said on Friday.

The woman, identified as Nikita Saha, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Siliguri, while her husband Samir Das suffered burn injuries while trying to save her, a senior police officer said.

Das was discharged after receiving initial treatment. No one has been arrested in connection with the incident so far, which took place on Thursday night, the officer said.

The family lodged a complaint against the homestay at the Kurseong police station, he said, adding that a probe has begun.

"We have received a complaint and are investigating the circumstances that led to the fire. The exact cause will be established during the probe," a police officer said.

“CCTV footage has been collected. The jar containing the liquid was also seized,” he said.

The couple, residents of Chopra in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district, had married about two months ago after being in a relationship for several years, the officer said. They had travelled to Sitong a few days ago for their honeymoon.

Incidentally, CCTV footage from the homestay showed flames spreading rapidly after something was poured onto the barbecue, causing Nikita to catch fire.

It also showed Samir trying to put out the flames by removing his T-shirt and using it to extinguish the fire on his wife's body.

Nikita's husband alleged that the fire broke out after turpentine oil was poured onto the barbecue.

However, homestay owner Nihal Ayan reportedly acknowledged negligence by an employee and said kerosene had been poured instead of cooking oil.

The family has also alleged that no safety precautions were taken, and the homestay authorities did not provide adequate assistance after the incident.

"A vehicle was called to take Nikita to the hospital, but it allegedly arrived about 40 minutes later. She was initially taken to a local hospital and subsequently shifted to a private hospital in Siliguri," the officer said. PTI SCH MNB RBT

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

Mamata Banerjee Moves Supreme Court Against ECI Freeze On TMC Name, Symbol

IANS — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 23:55:56 +0530

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to freeze the party’s name and its election symbol amid the ongoing dispute between rival factions.

The plea, filed on Friday, has been registered under Diary No. 58005/2026, with Mamata Banerjee as the petitioner and the Election Commission of India, its Secretary and rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee as respondents.

The plea comes a day after the poll panel passed an interim order barring both the Mamata Banerjee-led faction and the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction from using the Trinamool Congress name and its reserved 'Flowers and Grass' election symbol.

The ECI directed both groups to submit alternative names and symbols for the upcoming by-elections. The poll panel had said that there were two rival groups claiming to be the All India Trinamool Congress and that the dispute required a substantive determination under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

The development has direct implications for the October 6 by-elections in West Bengal, including the Nandigram and Rejinagar Assembly constituencies.

The ‘original but minority’ faction led by Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, strongly protested against the ECI’s interim order, maintaining that it did not accept the decision.

The ECI’s action followed a bitter organisational dispute within the TMC, with the rival camp led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee claiming control over the party’s organisational and legislative structures, while the Mamata Banerjee-led faction continued to assert that she remained the party’s legitimate leader.

The dispute had also spilt over into Parliament, where 20 rebel TMC Lok Sabha MPs had broken away and aligned themselves with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), claiming recognition as a separate parliamentary group.

The Mamata-led faction had challenged the delay by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in deciding disqualification petitions against the 20 rebel MPs under the anti-defection law.

On August 25, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the 20 rebel MPs on the plea filed by TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, while refraining from issuing notice to the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Speaker, had informed the court that notices had already been issued to the 20 MPs in the disqualification proceedings. The apex court had thereafter sought responses from the rebel MPs.

The TMC has maintained that the MPs were elected on its symbol and that their subsequent decision to join another political formation attracts the provisions of the anti-defection law. However, the rebel faction had claimed the support of more than two-thirds of the TMC’s Lok Sabha MPs and sought recognition as a separate parliamentary group.

The dispute over the party’s organisational control subsequently reached the ECI, with both sides staking claim to the TMC name and symbol.

The poll body’s interim order said the temporary arrangement was intended to place the rival groups on an even footing and protect their respective rights and interests until a final determination of the dispute.

Earlier in the day, the ECI allotted the Mamata Banerjee-led faction the name ‘Mamata All India Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘football player’ symbol, while the rival faction was allotted the name ‘Democratic Trinamool Congress’ and the ‘envelope’ symbol for the by-elections.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

TMC Symbol Row: CJP’s Saurav Das Says ‘Jokes Just Write Themselves’ Over ‘Envelope’

Sagarika Chakraborty — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 22:02:49 +0530

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convenor Saurav Das took a dig at the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday after the poll panel assigned the “Envelope” election symbol to the breakaway Trinamool Congress (TMC) group headed by Ritabrata Banerjee.

Reacting to the ECI's decision to suspend the use of the TMC's name and symbol for the October 6 bypolls in West Bengal, Das said, “the jokes just write themselves”.

In a post on X, Das wrote, “‘Envelope’ symbol for TMC defectors. Envelope mein bharr ke kya aaya tha? The jokes just write themselves in this country.”

What Was The ECI Order?

The Election Commission, in a directive issued late Thursday, barred both factions of the Trinamool Congress, led by former Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee, from using the party's name, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), or its 'Jora Ghash Phul' (two flowers with grass) symbol in the upcoming bypolls.

The two groups were also instructed to submit their choices for new names and symbols by Friday morning.

In an order on Friday, the poll panel approved 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' as the name for Mamata Banerjee's faction and 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' for the rival group. The decision applies to the upcoming bypolls.

The Mamata-led faction received the 'Football Player' symbol, while the rebel group was assigned the 'Envelope' symbol.

ALSO READ: 'BJP’s Politics Of Vendetta Show ...': Mamata Questions Nandigram Bypoll Congress Candidate’s Arrest

The bypolls in Nandigram, East Medinipur district, and Rejinagar, Murshidabad district, will take place on October 6. Votes will be counted on October 9.

Mamata Banerjee Slams ECI Order

Mamata Banerjee criticised the EC's decision on Friday, describing it as an unconstitutional action motivated by political vendetta.

“Envelope” symbol for TMC defectors. Envelope me bharr ke kya aaya tha? The jokes just write themselves in this country. pic.twitter.com/jb6hMtjfiP
— Saurav Das (@SauravDassss) September 18, 2026

“We don't disrespect the Constitutional Chair, but we feel today is a black day in our democratic history. What is happening in our country is very unfortunate, unconstitutional, illegal, undemocratic and a totally biased vendetta to satisfy the ego of a political party,” she said.

She also warned those currently in power, alleging that the EC's decision derived from politically planned interference.

“They had said beforehand, 'naam bhi nahi rakhne doonga, nishaan bhi nahi rakhne doonga' (Will neither let you keep the name nor the symbol). Who are these people? They are in power today; they might not be in power tomorrow. They should understand their limitations,” she added.

ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi Questions Amit Shah After Delhi Teen’s Murder: ‘Whose Responsibility Is Women’s Safety?’

'BJP’s Politics Of Vendetta Show ...': Mamata Questions Nandigram Bypoll Congress Candidate’s Arrest

Sneha — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 21:57:47 +0530

West Bengal former Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has questioned the arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan shortly before the Nandigram Assembly bypoll. She alleged that the BJP was using its “old method” of reviving an old case and questioned the timing of Pradhan’s arrest.

“Questions arise over the arrest of the Congress candidate. This is the same old method of the BJP — bringing out an old case again. But why now? Exactly when we announced our support to Congress,” Banerjee said.

Minutes after we extended our support to the Congress candidate for the bypoll in Nandigram, the Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested. The timing raises serious questions and is the usual BJP formula: dig out an old case. But why now? Just after we announced support to…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) September 18, 2026

Mamata Alleges ‘Politics Of Revenge’

Banerjee alleged that the BJP’s “politics of revenge” and “politics of atrocities” showed a clear pattern.

She accused the election agency and the BJP of working together through what she described as manipulation, “vote loot” and intimidation, alleging that such actions were undermining democracy every day.

Congress Targets BJP, Election Commission

The Congress also criticised the BJP and the Election Commission over Pradhan’s arrest, alleging that they were working together to “loot” the election in West Bengal.

The party described the developments ahead of the Nandigram bypoll as a “black spot” for democracy. Congress alleged that Mamata Banerjee’s candidate was earlier intimidated into withdrawing her nomination and that Pradhan was now arrested in a 19-year-old case.

The party said it would not be intimidated by such alleged conspiracies and would face them firmly.

TMC Faces Setbacks Ahead Of Bypoll

The developments came after the Election Commission froze the Trinamool Congress’ name and symbol. The party also suffered a setback in Nandigram after its candidate, Sanchita Pradhan, withdrew her nomination.

Following her withdrawal, Mamata Banerjee announced support for Congress candidate Milan Pradhan in the Nandigram bypoll.

'BJP’s Politics Of Vendetta Show ...': Mamata Questions Nandigram Bypoll Congress Candidate’s Arrest

Realtor murder: Wedding plans, unanswered calls and cremation that left family seeking answers

Casteism running UP: Akhilesh Yadav after SP workers' scuffle with cops in Rae Bareli

Centre amends Inter-State Council rules: UT LGs to be part of meetings if President’s rule imposed

UP: Upset over contact with first wife, woman gets husband killed by lover; minor among 4 held

Govt officials caught taking bribes must not be reposted in same district: Haryana ACB

Akhilesh slams BJP over Modi birthday celebrations, says no 'iota of concern' for public

Bengal: Newlywed woman suffers 60 pc burns in Darjeeling homestay barbecue fire

Mamata Banerjee Moves Supreme Court Against ECI Freeze On TMC Name, Symbol

TMC Symbol Row: CJP’s Saurav Das Says ‘Jokes Just Write Themselves’ Over ‘Envelope’

What Was The ECI Order?

Mamata Banerjee Slams ECI Order

'BJP’s Politics Of Vendetta Show ...': Mamata Questions Nandigram Bypoll Congress Candidate’s Arrest

Mamata Alleges ‘Politics Of Revenge’

Congress Targets BJP, Election Commission

TMC Faces Setbacks Ahead Of Bypoll

Casteism running UP: Akhilesh Yadav after SP workers' scuffle with cops in Rae Bareli

Akhilesh slams BJP over Modi birthday celebrations, says no 'iota of concern' for public