West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, sharpening her attack on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, called on women to stand up against any attempt to remove their names from the electoral roll. Addressing a gathering in Krishnagar, she alleged that the process was being misused to target voters ahead of elections.

Mamata accuses BJP of trying to intimidate women voters

Banerjee questioned the removal of names from the voter list under the SIR exercise, asserting that mothers and sisters of the state should not allow such actions to go unchecked. She said women possess the strength and the everyday tools used at home, urging them to be ready if their rights were undermined.

She alleged that attempts would be made to influence the electoral process by bringing police from outside the state and using fear tactics. Banerjee added that during elections, efforts were often made to divide people and misuse money power.

Reaffirming her stance on secularism, she said she wanted to see whether the women of Bengal or the BJP were “more powerful” in this fight.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to initiate criminal action and register an FIR in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Parakamani (donation box) theft case. The court instructed both agencies to continue investigating the alleged theft, the suspect’s assets, and the earlier settlement reached at a Lok Adalat.

Court seeks deeper scrutiny and coordination among agencies

The High Court emphasised that the probe must also examine how the case was taken to mediation and settled through a compromise. It ordered the CID and ACB to share information with each other and, if necessary, with the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to ensure a comprehensive investigation.

Taking note of the unexplained death of the complainant, Y Satish Kumar—then part of the TTD vigilance team—whose body was found near a railway track in Anantapur district on November 14, the court asked the CID to submit his post-mortem report in a sealed cover within three days.

The next hearing is scheduled for December 16.

Senior TTD officials questioned; theft traced to April 2023 incident

The CID has already examined several former officials, including ex-TTD chairmen B Karunakar Reddy and YV Subba Reddy, and former executive officer AV Dharma Reddy.

The case began on April 29, 2023, when CV Ravi Kumar, an employee at a mutt linked to TTD, was allegedly caught stealing $900 inside the Parakamani hall—the temple’s donation-counting centre. While a local police case was initially filed, it was soon shifted to a Lok Adalat, where a compromise settlement was reportedly reached. Under this arrangement, Ravi Kumar is said to have offered seven properties worth about ₹40 crore in Tirupati and Chennai as restitution to TTD.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Thursday accused a Trinamool Congress member of using an e-cigarette inside the Lok Sabha during Question Hour, prompting the Speaker to warn MPs about maintaining decorum. E-cigarettes are fully banned in India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019.

What triggered the row in Lok Sabha

Raising the matter before Speaker Om Birla, Thakur questioned whether e-cigarettes were permitted inside the House. After Birla said they were not allowed, Thakur alleged that a Trinamool MP had been “smoking e-cigarettes in the House for the past several days” and urged an immediate inquiry. His remarks led several BJP MPs to join the protest, briefly disrupting proceedings.

Birla responded by reminding members to uphold parliamentary traditions and stressed that any such violation would invite action.

Centre reminds of complete ban on e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes are electronic or battery-operated devices that heat liquid—often containing nicotine and flavouring—into an inhalable aerosol. Their manufacture, sale, distribution, import and even possession are illegal in India.

Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh also termed the alleged incident “unfortunate”, noting that the law applies to everyone, including MPs.

Despite the nationwide ban, illegal sales continue in many parts of the country, including near educational institutions, prompting the Centre to issue fresh advisories to states in 2023.

Smoking is also prohibited anywhere within the Parliament complex, as the Parliament Rule Book explicitly states that smoking is “strictly forbidden”.