Swami Agnivesh attacked again; this time on way to pay homage to Vajpayee

News Network

August 17, 2018

New Delhi, Aug 17: Social activist, and progressive religious leader Swami Agnivesh was attacked by suspected saffron extremists right outside the BJP office at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg in Delhi while he was on his way to pay respects to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In the video, the Swami can be seen being chased by a mob and a man, putting his arms around Agnivesh, is shielding him. There are people who are taking pictures and recording the incident, but there is no express attempt to intervene in the matter. Delhi Police rushed to the spot and rescued him.

"I had gone to pay my respects to Vajpayee ji. Because of the police pickets, I had to walk down the last stretch... suddenly a group of people came and attacked us. There were two-three of us and they were quite a few. They beat us, pushed us around, abused us and knocked off my turban," Mr Agnivesh told a TV channel on the phone. "They kept shouting 'he's a traitor, he's a traitor, beat him'," he added.

Mr Vajpayee, a three-time prime minister and the BJP's patriarch, died yesterday at 93. His body was kept in state at the BJP's new office on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Road for tributes ahead of his funeral.

It could be recalled here that Agnivesh was attacked by members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in Jharkhand's Pakur district on July 17.

"It was a well-planned attack. Those who led the mob were associated with the RSS and the BJP. We have given names to the police,” Agnivesh had then said.

He said the district commissioner was informed about his itinerary but there was no arrangement of security. “The moment, I came out of my hotel some people holding black flags started punching me. I fell on the ground and they kicked me, tore my clothes and threw my turban. I am thankful to god for being alive today," said Agnivesh.

The social activist denied allegations that he was speaking against Sanatan Dharma. "Instead, I advocated vegetarian foods in place of non-vegetarianism. I don't think anybody felt offended," said Agnivesh.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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