Supreme Court Issues Notice to ECI; Protests Grow in India

The Supreme Court of India (SCI) has issued a notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 5 Oct over a batch of pleas seeking suspension of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and challenging the manner in which the poll panel led by him took decisions, allegedly without the approval of two election commissioners—Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said it cannot pass an order based on a newspaper report and it would need a response from the ECI before deciding if CEC Kumar can single-handedly exercise powers constitutionally designated for the multi-member panel. The bench said, 'If any decision taken by ECI is found not to be in accordance with law, then we will annul it.' On changes in Form 6 to add new voters, the SCI said, 'Any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us. When the ECI produces the records, we would like to see who has modified the Form.' Under fire over 130M deletions of names from voters’ lists in the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, the ECI has directed the 20 states and Union Territories where the exercise has been completed to run a special drive to enroll voters left out of the rolls. Meanwhile, India's Gen Z is leading protests in various Indian cities demanding electoral reforms and CEC Kumar's resignation. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in Shivaji Park grounds, Mumbai on 2 Oct saw a huge turnout. In parallel, in New Delhi, since 2 Oct, protesters have been trying to reach the designated protest site Jantar Mantar, which the Delhi police have unconstitutionally barricaded. Allegations of police officials groping women journalists have emerged, which have added a new dimension to the protest. On 6 Oct, India’s entire opposition protested near the ECI building and were briefly detained, after which they staged a sit-in, and were once again detained. On 5 Oct, the new Punjab Pradesh (state) Congress Committee chief Pargat Singh demanded CEC Kumar's resignation. Additionally, the Indian Audit and Accounts Department has questioned the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on why it took no action against nominated councilor Anil Masih in an alleged case of tampering with ballot papers during the Mayoral election held on 30 Jan 2024 (earlier coverage).

Sachin Pilot and Pargat Singh | Photo by NDTV

INC Appoints Hockey Legend Pargat Singh as State Chief

The Indian National Congress (INC) has appointed hockey legend Pargat Singh as the president of the Punjab Pradesh (state) Congress Committee (PPCC). Earlier, after months of acrimony within the Panjab INC unit, former PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring resigned from the post on 20 Sep. 61-year-old Pargat is a three-term Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Jalandhar Cantonment. Pargat joined politics in 2012 as part of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). After that, he briefly joined a short-lived party Aawaaz-e-Punjab. He joined INC in 2017 and has been the state INC general secretary (organization). Warring, Panjab Leader of Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa, and former Chief Minister Charanjit Channi have welcomed Pargat’s appointment. In September, INC had replaced its party state in-charge and appointed Sachin Pilot in place of Bhupesh Baghel. Baghel was seen as partisan in a battle largely between camps led by Warring and Channi. Pargat is a moderate Jat Sikh, has a clean image, is soft-spoken but a firm team player, and was not aligned with any group—a factor that could help bring senior leaders together. With the Assembly elections just four months away in February 2027, Pargat’s task will be to address the party’s factionalism and decide whether to continue with the district-level organizational structure Warring created or bring in changes without upsetting entrenched leaders. Pargat’s other challenge is that while Bajwa and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa are from north Panjab—25 seats, Channi and Pargat are from central Panjab—23 seats, the party does not have much of a presence in south Panjab—69 seats. He will have to focus on that region. Before entering politics, Pargat captained the Indian hockey team from 1989–96 and played as a full-back defender. He has repeatedly said his experience as a player will help him unite the party in the state. Pargat has consistently criticized the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government both inside the Assembly and through public statements. Panjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema asked why Pargat did not raise the issues of drug abuse and sacrilege when he was in the SAD (earlier coverage).

BJP leader Amit Shah | Photo by The Tribune

BJP’s Shah Addresses Rally; ECI Flags WPD As A National Security Concern

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) 13-day Nasha Mukti Yatra (Drug Free March), which traveled across Panjab through four routes and covered around 4K km and 117 Assembly constituencies, culminated in Jalandhar on 30 Sep. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said while addressing a rally that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had allowed chitta (opioids) to circulate freely. He asked, 'Can AAP free Panjab of drugs? Can you trust AAP? Can you trust those whose name figured in the liquor scam in Delhi?' The crowd responded loudly, 'No'. Targeting the AAP Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, he said, 'Scams ravage Panjab. Smart city scams, Barnala land scam, panchayat (village councils) scams, anganwadi (child care scheme) scams; USD 72M is spent on advertisements annually. I ask Bhagwant Mann—what happened to your promises on 2.6M jobs, 16K AAP clinics, medical colleges, widow pension, mining revenue?' Shah promised the mothers and youth of Panjab that once voted to power, BJP will free Panjab from the scourge of chitta by 31 Dec 2029. He said the BJP will contest the election only on one issue—drugs. Shah’s promise is like former Indian National Congress’s (INC) leader Captain Amarinder Singh’s swearing on the Gutka Sahib (selected Sikh prayers) in 2016 that he would break the backbone of the drugs supply or AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s promise in 2021 that he would eradicate drugs within four weeks. Both INC and AAP formed governments but failed to curb drugs. Shah’s promise also seems impractical because the union government has already deployed the Border Security Force on the 553 km India-Pakistan border and 25 km inside the border in Panjab but they have not been able to stop the influx of drugs for the last 15 years. The fact is that drugs are not the disease but a symptom of the overall systemic breakdown in Panjab. To curb drugs, it is necessary to address the system. But party after party addresses only the symptom and fails to address the root cause. Meanwhile, jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh’s party, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, applied for registration with the Election Commission of India (ECI) in January 2026 but still has not been registered. ECI has flagged WPD as a ‘national security concern’ in the Punjab and Haryana High Court (earlier coverage).

Jagtar Singh Johal released from Tihar Jail, Delhi | Photo by BBC

Jaggi Johal Released; VanDyke Release Raises Questions About ‘Bandi Singh’

A British national from Scotland, Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi Johal whom the Delhi High Court had given bail on 18 Sep, was finally released on 2 Oct. 39-year-old Jagtar was jailed for close to nine years in November 2017 for his alleged role in funding the militant group Khalistan Liberation Force, which had carried out targeted killings in Panjab. As he walked out of gate three of Tihar Jail in Delhi, Jagtar thanked 'the almighty'. Meanwhile, the Indian government has released a US citizen Matthew VanDyke, who describes himself as a 'freedom fighter'. VanDyke runs a Washington, DC-based consultancy that says it provides 'free security consulting, training, supplies, and other services to vulnerable populations'. He was detained in March 2026 by Indian authorities at Kolkata airport, along with six Ukrainian nationals who were also released. India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) did not press charges against VanDyke and the six Ukrainians but kept open its Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) probe against them on the accusation that VanDyke gave training in drone warfare, drone operations, assembly, and jamming technology to the members of Myanmar-based ethnic armed groups, including the Chin National Front and the Kachin Independence Army. Indian National Congress spokesman Jairam Ramesh said, 'Obviously US pressure determined this outcome, but what did India get in return?' VanDyke and the Ukrainians’ release brings the focus to Bandi Singh (Sikh prisoners), who have been in jail for up to 30 years under life imprisonment. Political outfits Misl Satluj and Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit, revival) participated in a march by Qaumi Insaaf Morcha (Community Justice Front) from Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib district to at Takht (throne) Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda district on 2–3 Oct. Concurrently, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has expelled its joint secretary Roop Kaur Sandhu from the party’s primary membership after she claimed that more cases similar to the one involving former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member and SAD senior vice-president Amarjeet Singh Chawla would be exposed. Roop had first made public the allegation of rape against Chawla by the woman from Bahrain. Furthermore, the umbrella body of various Sikh organizations, Panthic Talmel Sangathan (Sikh Collective Coordination Committee), has sought clarity from SGPC on how the woman lived in an SGPC guesthouse for months, whether she approached them with her complaint, and what their response was (earlier coverage).

Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana

Maiserkhana Targets AAP Over Education; PHHC Orders Probe Into University Violence

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Sukhveer Singh Maiserkhana has accused his own party's government in Panjab of ignoring the shortage of teachers in government schools in his Assembly constituency Maur. The MLA went live on social media and questioned the AAP government's claims about its achievements in school education, saying the situation on the ground was different. He said when he raised the issue with the party leadership, he was told Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann would call him, but the CM did not contact him. He asked, 'My fight is for schools. How long will I tolerate? What did I do wrong to the party?' He said he expected to be denied an AAP nomination in the upcoming Assembly elections. However, AAP did not wait for elections and suspended Maiserkhana with immediate effect for 'anti-party activities and indiscipline'. Maiserkhana is the only legislator whose children study in a government school. Meanwhile, after the violence at Lovely Professional University (LPU), Phagwara, on 26–27 Sep, the Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) has sought a comprehensive status report from Panjab police, including verification of whether a rape and suicide took place. Taking suo motu cognizance of incidents at LPU and Chitkara University, Rajpura, the Punjab State Women Commission has sought a detailed report from the deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police in Kapurthala and Patiala districts to conduct inquiries and submit action-taken reports. Concurrently, the founder and Chancellor of LPU, Ashok Mittal, also a Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) Member, who switched from AAP to Bharatiya Janata Party, said the entire episode is 'a conspiracy' aimed at targeting the university, damaging Panjab’s economy and denting the state’s Hindu-Sikh unity. He said the sexual assault allegation was '100%' false, and that the probe will establish who provoked students. Additionally, according to the revised medical seat matrices released by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, which handles seat allocation in all of Panjab's medical colleges, the MBBS course has 307 vacant seats, or a 17% vacancy rate across 1,800 seats in government and private medical colleges. Seven private colleges account for 209 vacancies and five government colleges for 98. 175 of the 307 seats reserved for Non-Resident Indians also lie vacant (earlier coverage).

Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann | Photo by Indian Express

PHHC Orders CBI to Probe CM Aides; Panjab Goes to SCI

The Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) has ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register a First Information Report (FIR) and investigate allegations of corruption against officials and private individuals operating around the Panjab Chief Minister’s Office. The 5 Oct order was in a case filed as a Public Interest Litigation by PHHC advocate Nikhil Saraf. Saraf contended that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had investigated allegations of corruption by Nitin Gohal, who acted as an intermediary between people seeking government favors and the Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Rajbir Singh Ghuman. PHHC has ordered the CBI to submit a report within two months, with the next hearing on 7 Dec. The allegations involve transfers and postings of officials, access to confidential government documents, government tenders, policy decisions, arms licenses, land-related approvals, and other official favors. Despite the ED providing adequate evidence to the Panjab Police to register an FIR, the police had not acted. In response, the Panjab government has moved the Supreme Court of India (SCI), challenging the PHHC order. Meanwhile, Panjab Indian National Congress chief Pargat Singh alleged systemic corruption in the state administration and warned officials against aligning with the government after the PHHC’s ordered the matter transferred to the CBI. Panjab Bharatiya Janta Party chief Kewal Singh Dhillon said the PHHC’s decision to order a CBI probe into allegations of corruption linked to the Panjab Chief Minister's Office has 'exposed the reality of a govt that claims to follow a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy towards corruption'. Dhillon demanded CM Mann’s resignation, saying 'the government has lost the moral right to remain in power'. Additionally, the PHHC pulled up the Panjab government for 'attempting to buy time' by not pursuing an appeal against its 3 Aug order directing payment of pending Dearness Allowance dues to state government employees and pensioners within a fortnight, and sought an immediate status report from the SCI. Furthermore, the recruitment for 331 Punjab Civil Services posts announced in January 2025 has turned into a nearly 22-month wait for aspirants, with the selection process still underway. In July, the Punjab Public Service Commission issued a public notice saying it would declare the Mains results by the end of September. However, the timeline has now been pushed to 10 Nov (earlier coverage).

Wheat will be stored in the open | Photo by the Tribune

Storage Crisis Worsens as Paddy Procurement Begins

Paddy procurement in Panjab began on 1 Oct, with the state facing an acute shortage of storage space. Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has once again written to Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, seeking urgent movement of foodgrain stocks from the state. In his letter, Mann sought the movement of 600 KMT of rice between 1–10 Oct and 1.5 MMT of wheat during October, warning that inadequate storage space could disrupt paddy procurement and lead to a law-and-order situation in the state. Mann had earlier requested the union government on 5 Sep to facilitate the movement of 1.5 MMT of rice and 11.2 MMT of wheat during September before the 2026 procurement season began. However, only 830 KMT of rice and 430 KMT of wheat were moved out of Panjab between 1–29 Sep. Owners of foodgrain godowns with a combined storage capacity of 3.5 MMT have asked the state Food and Civil Supplies department to either vacate the godowns or renew their storage agreements with a fixed deadline. The state’s entire warehouse capacity of 18MMT is currently full. The government godowns already store 15.5 MMT of rice accumulated over the past three seasons. An additional 1 MMT of paddy from the last season is still waiting to be milled, which is expected to add another 600 KMT of rice to the existing stockpile. Godowns currently hold 11.6 MMT of wheat, while Panjab is holding at least 27.5 MMT of foodgrains. A severe space shortage has forced agencies to use rice mills and grain market yards for storage. Although the state government has set a target to procure 18 MMT at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of USD 25.55 per quintal during the current kharif (monsoon) harvest, there is simply no space available to store the grain. Additionally, Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta) Ugrahan (BKU Ekta Ugrahan) has termed the union government's increase in the MSP of wheat by USD 0.26 to USD 27.10 per quintal for the coming rabi (winter) season a ‘cruel joke’ with farmers. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) state president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said the hike amounted to just USD 0.0026 per kg and was less than 1%. Farmers also blockaded all Deputy Commissioner offices in Panjab on 5 Oct (earlier coverage).

Madhusudan alias Mad Sandhu | Photo by NDTV

LGBTIQ+ Influencer Mad Sandhu Shot Dead in Amritsar

Panjabi social media influencer and makeup artist Madhusudan alias Mad Sandhu, a prominent LGBTIQ activist, was shot dead by two men on a bike in Amritsar on 3 Oct. He died while being taken to the hospital after the attack. Madhusudan often appeared in podcasts as a guest to talk about makeup, the movie business, and gender issues, and constantly faced homophobic trolling on social media. Though not a lot is known about his family, Madhusudan started his professional career in the fashion industry as a stylist and assistant costume designer in films in Panjab and Mumbai. He gained popularity through Instagram reels where he had 200K followers; he shared luxury look tips, lifestyle content, and talked about LGBTIQ+ acceptance and pop culture. He had acted in Panjabi film series 'Oye Bhole Oye'. After his murder, a social media post from a handle called ‘Goldy Dhillon’, a gangster, appeared claiming responsibility and saying Madhusudan had 'spoilt' Panjab. Goldy Dhillon’s real name is Gurpreet Singh; he is associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi crime syndicate. The police have launched a hunt to nab the killers. In July 2026, a recording of a phone call between Sandhu and a Nihang (Traditional Warriors) Sikh group leader, who fashioned himself as a cultural vigilante, told Madhusudan not to use the Jat Sikh surname Sandhu. ‘Many boys are becoming gay after watching you,’ the vigilante said, and asked him to record a video statement saying he had ‘reformed’. The vigilante also objected to Madhusudan's ‘actions like girls’ in videos, to which Madhusudan replied, ‘See, God has made me the way He has. What can I do about that?’ Madhusudan apologized to settle the conversation. This murder comes a year after a similar killing of a social media influencer, Kanchan Kumari alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, in Bathinda in July 2025. In that case, a Sikh vigilante Amritpal Singh Mehron claimed responsibility and reasoned that the videos she posted were 'vulgar’. Author and journalist Amandeep Sandhu says, ‘No one has the right to tell anyone what is natural and not-natural. No one has the right to kill anyone. Panjab is today spoiled by politicians who deceive, by systemic failure, by the prevalence of drugs, and economic failure. Its people are frustrated, angry, and they take out their anger on the weakest targets’ (earlier coverage).

Former Indian Women's Cricket Captain Harmanpreet Kaur | Photo by ICC

India Secures 4th Place as Panjab’s Tally Dips at Asian Games 2026

India secured fourth place at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan with 85 medals. However, Panjab’s tally at the Games dipped since the record-breaking 2022 edition in Hangzhou, China, where Panjabi athletes contributed 19 medals, including eight golds. In Japan 2026, the tally was far smaller at 9 medals, though Women’s cricket under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur from Moga and Men’s hockey under the leadership of Harmanpreet Singh from Amritsar retained their medals. After the victory, on 6 Oct, Harmanpreet decided to step down as captain of the Indian team. She announced it on Instagram. Harmanpreet has captained the Indian Men’s hockey team to gold at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and again at the 2026 Asian Games. The Indian Men’s hockey team ended on a historic note by retaining their gold with an emphatic 5-1 win over Malaysia in the final. In Gurbaxpuri, Amritsar, locals started making arrangements to welcome Baljit Kaur after the Indian Women’s Hockey Team earned a 1-0 win over China to bag the gold medal after 44 years. Member of Legislative Assembly Harmeet Singh Sandhu from Tarn Taran said the Panjab government had announced USD 103K and a job as a token of appreciation for Baljit. In Mithapur, Jalandhar district—the village that has produced several international hockey players—celebrations over the women’s triumph were no less enthusiastic than those for the men’s success. Panjab had sent a smaller contingent of 27 athletes who brought home 9 medals, primarily succeeding in team sports like hockey and cricket. In comparison, Haryana sent 80 athletes who contributed 25 medals to the national tally, with only one in a team game, dominating contact sports like wrestling and boxing. Tajinderpal Singh Toor from Mansa won silver in shot put but admitted disappointment, saying, ‘I was aiming for gold. It slipped away by just 17 cm.’ Gurindervir Singh, who missed out in the 100m semifinals, salvaged a bronze in the relay. Satnam Singh managed a bronze in rowing. In shooting, Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Bhavtegh Singh Gill added bronze medals in skeet events. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann praised the medal winners, calling them ‘an inspiration for the youth’ (earlier coverage).

Ishita Bhardwaj and Anuja Sharma | Photo by The Tribune

10.

Women Producers Debut in Panjabi Cinema; Panjabi Films Premiere in Int’l Fests

Jalandhar-based Ishita Bhardwaj and Anuja Sharma have taken a leap into film production with their debut Panjabi short film, ‘Din Te Raat’ (Day & Night). The film is set to release on the online platform Chaupal on 5 Oct. Bhardwaj and Sharma are among the few independent women producers associated with Panjabi cinema, and their entry into the male-dominated field is focused on bringing fresh stories, new talent and original scripts to the industry. ‘Din Te Raat’ was screened at a private event in September and received encouraging responses from the audience and the film fraternity. The project has also received appreciation from the Punjab Film and TV Actors Association, giving the producers a shot in the arm ahead of the film’s digital release. Furthermore, ‘Hanere De Panchi’ (Birds in the Dark), a narrative Panjabi film, will have its world premiere in the Vision section of the 31^st Busan International Film Festival 6–15 Oct. Written, cinematographed, and directed by Shashank Walia, the film is shot in black and white, and tells the story of a disillusioned police informer and a man he once wrongly captured. The protagonists find their way back to each other in a caste-divided village, where a landless woman's fight for land unsettles the old order and pulls their lives into a struggle of desire, solidarity, and resistance. Reema Kaur (of the production house Two Black Squares), Hansal Mehta and Sahil Saigal (of True Story Films) produced the film. Shashank says, ‘’Birds in the Dark’ emerges from the people and returns to them. This film was born from a desire to understand one another through mutual aid, care, and solidarity. It is in these acts that we discover what connects us, what is worth fighting for, and, ultimately, what sustains us: love.’ Additionally, national award-winning director Gurvinder Singh’s film ‘Rehmat’ is set to have its India premiere at the Dharamshala International Film Festival 29–31 Oct. ‘Rehmat’, which premiered in the main competition at the Locarno Film Festival 2026, stars Naseeruddin Shah, Suvinder Vicky, Mita Vashisht, among others. Connecting three short stories by the Panjabi writer Ajeet Cour, ‘Rehmat’ is about Panjab’s generosity, even in the face of unspeakable trauma. Having made earlier films on militancy, class, and caste conflicts, Gurvinder’s latest film might be his least political work to date (earlier coverage).

Notes

Updates

IN: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar warns of ‘major’ food crisis (earlier coverage).
IN: Hardeep Singh Puri and 7 other serving MPs dropped from BJP's Rajya Sabha poll list for Uttar Pradesh (earlier coverage).
JP: Indian hockey umpire Gurinder Singh Sangha sent back from Japan over allegation of sexual harassment.

Dissent Within Indian Election Commission; Major SIR Lapses

Panjab: Dissent in Indian Election Commission; ED probes GMADA; AAP admits serious accounting impropriety; Student unrest erupts in two private universities. Sikh: US Ambassador visits ‘Darbar Sahib’; SCI remarks on ‘Vande Mataram’ favor Sikhs; Carney’s deprioritizes safety for Canadians—and more stories.

Jagtar Singh Johal Gets Bail; Yet to Be Released

Panjab: Six districts ‘Ultrasensitive’ drug zones; Govt. promises 8% increase in DA; Over 10 cases of kidnapping & extortion of illegal emigrants. Sikh: UK's Johal gets bail; ‘Akal Takht’ expels SAD Leader & 'Granthi'; Truck driver attacked days after US poster; 'Takht Sri Hazur Sahib' marks Modi birthday—and more stories.

Supreme Court Issues Notice to ECI; Protests Grow in India