A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Uttar Pradesh has sparked controversy after launching a personal attack on actor Shah Rukh Khan over the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) decision to buy Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.

Sangeet Som, a former member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, referred to Khan as a “traitor” during a public gathering in Meerut, objecting to the inclusion of a Bangladeshi player at a time when reports of atrocities against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh have emerged.

Som claimed that while violence against Hindus was taking place in Bangladesh, KKR’s owner had gone ahead and signed a Bangladeshi cricketer. He further alleged that Rahman, who was bought for Rs 9.2 crore during the IPL Players’ Auction held on December 16, would face opposition if he arrived in India to participate in the tournament, which is expected to begin in March.

The BJP leader also accused Shah Rukh Khan of benefiting from the country and then betraying it through such decisions. His remarks drew sharp reactions across the political spectrum.

Spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur also criticised the KKR management for signing the Bangladeshi player and urged the franchise not to include Rahman in the playing squad. He alleged that the sentiments of Hindus were ignored despite reports of violence in Bangladesh.

Opposition leaders condemned Som’s comments and accused the BJP of targeting the actor unfairly. Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey criticised the remarks, while a Congress leader alleged that Shah Rukh Khan was being targeted because of his religious identity.

BJP ally and Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar distanced himself from Som’s statements, saying the former MLA often makes such remarks to remain in public attention.

The political row comes at a time when relations between India and Bangladesh have shown signs of strain. Tensions escalated last month after a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched by a mob in Mymensingh over alleged blasphemy, with his body later set on fire.

India’s two biggest metropolitan cities ushered in 2026 with sharply contrasting weather patterns. While the national capital remained engulfed in thick smog and severe cold, Mumbai woke up to unexpected rainfall on the first morning of the New Year.

Early visuals from central Delhi, including areas around India Gate and Kartavya Path, showed reduced visibility as pollution levels stayed alarmingly high. Official data indicated that Delhi’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category on Thursday morning.

At 8 am, Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 371, placing it firmly within the very poor bracket. Several neighbouring cities also reported similar conditions, underlining the widespread impact of pollution across the National Capital Region.

Delhi among most polluted cities

Delhi emerged as the most polluted city in the country on Thursday morning. Noida followed with an AQI reading of 364, while Ghaziabad recorded 338. Greater Noida stood close behind with an AQI of 336. All these cities fell under the very poor air quality category.

Coldest December day in six years

Alongside hazardous pollution levels, Delhi also witnessed an intense cold spell while bidding farewell to 2025. The city recorded its coldest December day in six years on Wednesday, with the maximum temperature dropping sharply to 14.2 degrees Celsius.

Meteorological data showed that the last time Delhi recorded a lower maximum temperature on December 31 was in 2019, when it fell to 9.4 degrees Celsius. The temperature on Wednesday was around 6.2 degrees below normal, marking the lowest maximum recorded this winter season so far.

The minimum temperature settled at 6.4 degrees Celsius, slightly below the seasonal average. December 20 and 21 also saw notably low maximum temperatures earlier in the month.

Weather officials indicated that colder conditions could intensify from January 3 onwards, as cold northerly winds from the Himalayan region are expected to move towards the capital, potentially leading to a further drop in minimum temperatures.

Mumbai wakes up to rain on first day of 2026

In contrast to Delhi’s smog and cold, Mumbai experienced rainfall on the morning of January 1. Several parts of the city, particularly areas in the island city, witnessed showers instead of the usual New Year sunshine.

The rain began shortly before 6 am, with some localities recording heavier showers while others saw light drizzle. The intensity of rainfall reduced gradually after 6.15 am, bringing brief relief but surprising residents on the first day of the year.

A delegation of the Trinamool Congress met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi on Tuesday, alleging large-scale manipulation of electoral rolls during the ongoing voter re-verification exercise in West Bengal, months before the Assembly election.

The 10-member delegation was led by party leader Abhishek Banerjee and included Rajya Sabha chief whip Md Nadimul Haque, MPs Derek O’Brien, Kalyan Banerjee, Mamata Thakur, Saket Gokhale and Ritabrata Banerjee, along with senior leaders Pradip Mazumdar, Chandrima Bhattacharya and Manas Bhunia.

Allegations over voter re-verification

After submitting a detailed representation, Banerjee said the focus on electronic voting machines had diverted attention from what he described as the real threat to free and fair elections. According to him, irregularities were occurring at the level of electoral rolls rather than during polling.

The party alleged that the voter re-verification drive was being used to selectively delete, reclassify or flag voters through what it termed opaque, software-driven mechanisms. In its submission, Trinamool flagged the introduction of new and unexplained categories such as “suspicious voters” and “logical discrepancies”, claiming these classifications did not exist in earlier Special Intensive Revision exercises.

Demanding transparency, Banerjee said the election commission should make public the complete list of voters marked under “logical discrepancies”. He alleged that electoral rolls were being “weaponised” to influence election outcomes and said he conveyed this concern directly to the chief election commissioner during the meeting.

Claims of tense meeting

Describing the interaction as tense, Banerjee alleged that the delegation’s concerns were dismissed and that the chief election commissioner interrupted the discussion. He further accused the central government of undermining constitutional institutions and challenged the poll panel to make public the proceedings of the meeting, including CCTV footage.

Banerjee also sought to widen the issue beyond West Bengal, claiming that opposition parties in other states had failed to identify similar problems in time. He called for greater coordination among opposition parties to detect alleged irregularities in voter lists.

Election commission’s response

The election commission rejected the Trinamool’s allegations and issued a set of counter-directions following the meeting. It said the West Bengal government should immediately release the enhanced honorarium approved by the commission for Booth Level Officers.

The commission also informed the delegation that additional polling stations would be set up in high-rise buildings, gated communities and slum areas to improve voter access. It cautioned political parties to ensure that their ground-level representatives do not threaten or intimidate election officials, including Booth Level Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant EROs and observers.

Warning of strict action, the poll panel said any attempt to interfere with the election process or intimidate electoral staff would invite strong punitive measures, reiterating its commitment to maintaining the integrity of elections.