Mumbai, Sep 28: The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Monday launched massive demonstrations across all district collectorates, demanding the dismissal and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

The party accused him of undermining democratic institutions and manipulating voter rolls to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Congress leaders described Gyanesh Kumar as a “stain on democracy” and submitted memorandums outlining grievances to district collectors. The protests featured creative forms of dissent: in Amravati, protesters paraded an effigy of the CEC on a donkey before destroying it; in Thane, demonstrators forced an effigy to do sit-ups (uthak-baithak) as punishment.

Large rallies were also held in Pune, Kolhapur, Solapur, Nashik, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Chandrapur, Nanded, Latur, Beed, and across the Konkan and North Maharashtra regions.

Senior Congress leaders led protests in several districts: Satej Patil in Kolhapur, Praniti Shinde in Solapur, Yashomati Thakur and Balwant Wankhede in Amravati, Kalyan Kale in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pratibha Dhanorkar in Chandrapur, Ravindra Chavan in Nanded, Shivaji Kalge in Latur, and Kumar Ketkar in Thane.

Addressing gatherings, the Congress reiterated allegations earlier raised by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, about “vote theft.” The party claimed that over 13 crore voters nationwide, including more than 3 crore in Maharashtra, were arbitrarily removed from electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

It further alleged that 47 lakh untraceable voters were added to Maharashtra’s rolls ahead of the 2024 assembly polls.

Congress spokespersons highlighted reported written dissent from two Election Commissioners over procedural deviations by the CEC, saying it validated their charges of bias. Leaders warned that the agitation would escalate into a national movement unless action were taken against Gyanesh Kumar.

Mumbai, Sep 28: The Shiv Sena(UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut on Monday launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, retaliating sharply against his recent remark that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had “lost his brain” for alleging large-scale voter list manipulation and electoral fraud.

Raut questioned who had actually lost their mental balance, demanding to know why top BJP leaders were acting as “defence lawyers” for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar instead of addressing the core issues raised by the Opposition. Raut aggressively countered CM Fadnavis’s attempt to dismiss Rahul Gandhi’s accusations.

He questioned the BJP’s urge to shield the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging that the poll body has lost its constitutional independence and is operating under political influence. “Instead of debating who lost their mind, speak on the actual issue. Why is Devendra Fadnavis defending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar? Has the Election Commission hired him as its advocate?” he asked, alleging that the ruling party’s desperate defence points towards a systemic cover-up.

Pointing to investigative news reports detailing internal dissent within the Election Commission, Raut noted that Rahul Gandhi was not the sole voice raising concerns. He referred to the media reports regarding procedural irregularities and internal friction among Election Commissioners. “Does Fadnavis lack basic political history, or is he deliberately ignoring facts?” he asked.

Comparing the three-member Election Commission to the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, Raut alleged that the commissioners pose together for photographs like Fadnavis and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, despite severe internal division. “Do they even share a working relationship? No. Just like CM Fadnavis and Dy CM Eknath Shinde stage photo-ops, these three Election Commissioners pose together for optics while the institution crumbles inside,” Raut remarked.

Escalating his rhetoric, the MP accused the ruling dispensation of deploying state power and police forces to protect the poll panel chief from public protests. He alleged that the central leadership views the Chief Election Commissioner as a crucial tool for electoral manipulation, making his protection an absolute priority for the regime.

“Gyanesh Kumar has become a bone stuck in the government’s throat. Protecting him has become their political necessity because he serves as the weapon to win elections through manipulation,” Raut alleged. “They are using state machinery, police forces, and central security forces to suppress peaceful protests. But let me make one thing clear — Gyanesh Kumar will have to go.”

Extending his critique to state governance, Raut criticised CM Fadnavis over the government’s response to the drought situation in Maharashtra. He hit out at the advice, asking citizens to cut down on personal expenses during severe distress.

“Instead of asking common citizens to cut back on expenses during a severe drought, why didn’t Fadnavis direct his own political colleagues to stop their corruption?” he asked. “Had he shown the courage to rein in corruption within his administration, I would have conceded that he possesses a working mind.”

Mumbai, Sep 28: India is exploring the possibility of strengthening its energy partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by sourcing more liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the Gulf nation, while also working on expanding strategic petroleum reserves to bolster the country’s energy security, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday.

Addressing the media after the 14th meeting of the India-UAE High-Level Joint Task Force on Investments here, Goyal said that India is engaging with the UAE to enhance cooperation across the energy sector as part of efforts to diversify supply arrangements and safeguard domestic energy availability amid continuing uncertainties in global energy markets.

“India is exploring the possibility of using the United Arab Emirates as a key source of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), while also working with Abu Dhabi to expand petroleum reserves,” the minister stated.

The discussions build on agreements announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE in May 2026, when both countries unveiled plans for deeper cooperation in crude oil storage, strategic reserves, LNG and LPG infrastructure, and long-term LPG supply arrangements.

As part of the collaboration, Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) signed a strategic agreement under which the UAE could store up to 30 million barrels of crude oil in India’s strategic petroleum reserve facilities. The proposed arrangement includes potential participation in storage sites located at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Chandikhol in Odisha.

The two sides are also examining the possibility of storing a portion of India’s strategic crude reserves in Fujairah, a key UAE oil hub located outside the Strait of Hormuz. Such an arrangement is expected to improve supply-chain resilience and provide greater flexibility in managing energy inventories during periods of geopolitical uncertainty.