The BJP has defended the Election Commission amid a political row over reported differences among Election Commissioners concerning decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

BJP MP Sambit Patra said discussions and exchanges of views within the poll panel should be seen as part of the democratic process rather than as evidence of institutional dysfunction.

According to the BJP’s position, disagreement during official deliberations reflects the fact that members of an institution are able to put forward their views before decisions are taken.

BJP defends EC deliberations

Patra said that if the three Election Commissioners discuss and debate issues among themselves, such exchanges should not be characterised as dictatorship. He described such deliberations as a sign of a healthy democracy.

The BJP’s response came amid reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on multiple occasions over decisions and orders associated with the SIR exercise and electoral rolls.

The Election Commission has said that differences in views and observations are a normal part of deliberations within an institution. It has maintained that decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously.

Row centres on SIR process

The controversy comes against the backdrop of the ongoing political debate over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Opposition parties have raised concerns over the reported differences within the poll panel, while the BJP has sought to counter those arguments by pointing to the role of discussion and deliberation in institutional decision-making.

Patra also said the BJP’s understanding of the matter was based on media reports rather than access to the Election Commission’s internal documents. He said the documents, as reported, indicated that the SIR process was finalised after democratic deliberations and consensus.

What the Election Commission has said

The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections indicate a breakdown in its functioning.

It has maintained that differing opinions during deliberations are part of normal institutional functioning and that the decisions eventually taken by the commission were unanimous.

IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla has been sent on leave amid the ongoing controversy following the death of 20-year-old student Sahil Wakode, with protests on the campus seeking action against the professor.

Doolla, a faculty member in IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering, had been involved in the examination incident concerning Wakode. The student was allegedly found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and had uploaded the question paper to an AI platform to seek answers, according to the institute.

Why Suryanarayana Doolla is at the centre of the controversy

Doolla was the course instructor and examination invigilator during the examination and was involved in reporting the alleged examination malpractice to the institute’s authorities.

IIT Bombay has said Wakode was subsequently counselled by the instructor and the Head of Department and was assured that the examination incident would not adversely affect his academic career. The institute has also maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against the student before his death.

Wakode’s family, however, alleged harassment and caste-based discrimination. Mumbai Police registered a case based on the family’s complaint, with Doolla among those named. The allegations remain subject to investigation.

Student protests at IIT Bombay

Following Wakode’s death, students began protesting on the IIT Bombay campus and demanded action against Doolla.

IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare met the protesting students on September 20 and signed an 18-point charter of demands. The demands included action against Doolla.

Doolla was subsequently removed from the post of Dean Students Welfare amid the protests. The latest action comes as the controversy surrounding Wakode’s death and the allegations against the professor continue to be investigated.

Faculty members back Doolla

While students have demanded action against Doolla, IIT Bombay’s Faculty Forum has backed the professor, saying he was performing his duties as an invigilator and had followed the institute’s prescribed procedure after detecting the alleged examination malpractice.

The controversy involves the examination incident, allegations made by Wakode’s family and the police investigation into his death. The allegations against Doolla have not been established as facts and remain part of the ongoing investigation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set December 31, 2029 as the deadline for India’s campaign against drugs, calling on states and Union Territories to move beyond recording seizures and focus on dismantling the networks behind narcotics trafficking.

Speaking at the third National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force Heads in New Delhi on Tuesday, Mr Shah said India would not allow drugs to enter or leave the country.

“Neither will we allow a single gram of drugs to enter India, nor will we allow a single gram of drugs to go out,” he said.

The conference brought together police chiefs from 36 states and Union Territories as the government outlined its roadmap for tackling the country’s drug problem.

Amit Shah asks states to focus on drug networks

Mr Shah said drug seizures alone should not be treated as the measure of success. He called for a shift from meetings to missions, reports to results and seizures to dismantling the networks responsible for drug trafficking.

Districts have been identified as the frontline units in the strategy. They are to be assessed based on whether they are involved in drug production or entry, serve as transit corridors or primarily face drug consumption.

The response would then be tailored according to the nature of the threat in each district.

The Home Minister also stressed the need to follow the money generated by narcotics trafficking, including through investigations into bank accounts and shell transactions that help sustain drug networks.

Synthetic drugs, darknet and crypto payments in focus

The government is also preparing for emerging methods used by drug traffickers, with synthetic drugs, darknet marketplaces, cryptocurrency payments and dead-drop deliveries identified as areas requiring greater attention.

Mr Shah urged states to develop specialised teams capable of investigating these newer forms of narcotics trafficking.

The government also wants foreign nationals involved in drug supply chains to face deportation and blacklisting, while those operating supply networks into India from abroad are to be pursued for extradition.

2026-2029 drug control roadmap

The government’s Vision Document 2026-2029 is based on four pillars: enforcement and intelligence, control of precursor chemicals and synthetic drugs, demand and harm reduction, and capacity building.

According to the report, the document contains more than 100 individual targets.

The Nashamukt Mitra programme is another part of the campaign. Nearly 47,000 volunteers have registered so far, with a target of reaching one lakh volunteers. The programme plans to take awareness activities to around 10 lakh schools and colleges.

The government has also launched new television advertisements against drug use, redesigned the Narcotics Control Bureau website and laid the foundation stones for NCB zonal complexes in Lucknow and Dehradun.

Mr Shah linked the anti-drug campaign to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India by 2047, arguing that protecting the country’s young population from narcotics is essential to that goal.