Afghanistan Embassy announces its permanent closure in New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 24: Afghanistan's Embassy in India on Friday announced its permanent closure, citing "persistent challenges from the Indian government".
This comes after the Afghanistan Embassy had announced on September 30 that it is ceasing its operations from October 1. The mission had back then cited a lack of support from the host government, failure to meet expectations in serving Afghanistan's interests and reduction in personnel and resources.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Embassy said it regrets announcing the permanent closure of its diplomatic mission in New Delhi, effective from November 23, "owing to persistent challenges from the Indian government".
"This decision follows the embassy's earlier cessation of operations on 30th September 2023, a move made in the hope that the Indian government's stance would evolve favourably for the normal continuation of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in New Delhi," the statement said.
Unfortunately, despite an eight-week wait, the objectives of visa extension for diplomats and a shift in the Indian government's conduct were not realised, the Afghan embassy said.
"Given the constant pressure from both the Taliban and the Indian government to relinquish control, the embassy faced a difficult choice," it said.
As of now, there are no diplomats from the Afghan Republic remaining in India, the mission stressed.
Those who served the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan have safely reached third countries, it said.
The only individuals present in India are diplomats affiliated with the Taliban, visibly attending their regular online meetings, it said.
The diplomats of the Afghan Republic have handed over the mission solely to the Indian government, the mission said.
"It now rests upon the Indian government to decide the fate of the mission, whether to maintain its closure or consider alternatives, including the possibility of handing it over to Taliban 'diplomats'. The responsibility of diplomats appointed by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has officially come to an end," it said.
The unfortunate end of the Republic mission marks the conclusion of the Afghan Republic in India, the statement said.
"We have considered the historic events and current circumstances carefully in arriving at this conclusion. We also extend their heartfelt gratitude to the people of India for their support and assistance to Afghanistan over the past 22 years," the statement said.
The Afghan Embassy asserted that India has been a steadfast strategic partner of the erstwhile Afghan Republic since 2001, and "we acknowledge the limitations and concerns that govern the realm of realpolitik and the balancing act required at a difficult time in a geo-politically sensitive region".
"Therefore, we firmly believe that the decision to close the mission in India at this stage and to transfer the custodial authority of the mission to the host country is in the best interest of Afghanistan," the mission said.
Citing the "challenging time for Afghanistan, where millions suffer because of poverty and socio-economic and political exclusion", the Embassy also urged that under the provisions of the Vienna Convention of 1961 (Article 45), the Ministry of External Affairs to fulfil its obligations and responsibilities concerning assuming custodial responsibility of the Afghan diplomatic mission properties, bank accounts, vehicles and all other assets located in New Delhi on urgent basis.
"A detailed list of assets in 110 pages has already been shared with the Ministry of External Affairs, including details of approximately
500,000 in the bank accounts of the mission," the statement said.
The mission also requested the Indian government, in alignment with the wishes of the Afghan people, to grant permission to hoist Afghanistan's tricolour flag over the mission's properties during this period.
"It is an important symbol of honour, pride, sacrifice and self-determination for millions of Afghans around the world," the statement said.
"Lastly, we earnestly implore the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure the safekeeping of the Embassy's property and assets, with the understanding that they will be entrusted to a legitimate accountable government duly elected/chosen by the Afghan people in the future," the mission said.
The embassy also said that while cognisant that some may attempt to characterise this move as an internal conflict, allegedly involving diplomats who switched allegiance to the Taliban, it emphasises that this decision is a result of broader changes in policy and interests.
"To the Afghan citizens in India, we extend our sincere gratitude for their understanding and support throughout our mission's tenure. Despite limitations in resources and power, we have worked tirelessly for their betterment and in the absence of a legitimate government in Kabul," it said.
Unfortunately, efforts have been made to tarnish our image and hinder diplomatic efforts in order to justify the presence and work of Taliban-appointed and affiliated diplomats, it said.
The embassy has been headed by Ambassador Farid Mamundzay. Mamundzay was appointed by the previous Ashraf Ghani government and had been operating as the Afghan envoy even after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
In April-May, the embassy was rocked by a power struggle in the wake of reports of the Taliban appointing a charge d'affaires to head the mission, replacing Mamundzay. Following the episode, the embassy came out with a statement that there was no change in its leadership.
India is yet to recognise the Taliban set-up and has been pitching for the formation of a truly inclusive government in Kabul, besides insisting that Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.
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Audit flags manipulation in Bihar Assembly polls, alleges mass disenfranchisement, data suppression
New Delhi: A detailed audit of the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections has raised grave concerns about the integrity of India’s electoral process, alleging large-scale voter disenfranchisement, opaque administrative actions and post-poll data manipulation. The report, titled The Bihar Verdict 2025, has been prepared by Vote for Democracy (VFD), Maharashtra, and is based entirely on official data released by the Election Commission of India, statutory provisions, constitutional norms and documented numerical inconsistencies.
According to the report, what unfolded in Bihar was not a series of isolated irregularities or clerical lapses, but a pattern of systemic electoral engineering that effectively hollowed out the democratic process before, during and after polling. The audit argues that the right of citizens to choose their representatives was undermined long before election day through voter roll manipulation, statistical anomalies and the withdrawal of transparency mechanisms.
The report has been authored and compiled by VFD under the guidance of former bureaucrat M. G. Devasahayam, founder of the Forum for Electoral Integrity, along with Pyara Lal Garg, Harish Karnick and Madhav Deshpande.
At the centre of the audit is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls notified by the ECI on June 24, 2025, just months before the Assembly elections. While electoral rolls undergo periodic revision, the report notes that Bihar’s rolls had already been under continuous revision since 2003, with a Special Summary Revision completed in January 2025. Despite this, a fresh and sweeping revision was undertaken without any recorded justification, disclosed empirical basis or transparent methodology.
The report contends that the timing and scale of the SIR violated statutory safeguards under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, while also undermining constitutional guarantees under Articles 14, 19, 21, 325 and 326. It further states that the revision reversed the democratic presumption of inclusion, effectively shifting the burden onto voters to prove their eligibility through a process resembling citizenship verification, without legislative backing.
The impact, the audit says, was immediate and severe. Official ECI data shows that Bihar had 7.89 crore registered voters on June 24, 2025. By the draft roll published on August 1, the electorate had dropped to 7.24 crore, reflecting the deletion of 65.69 lakh voters. The final roll released on September 30 stood at about 7.42 crore electors. However, the report points out that only 3.66 lakh voters were ultimately found to be ineligible, making the scale of deletions nearly twenty times higher than the number justified.
One of the most striking phases occurred between July 21 and July 25, 2025, when more than 21.27 lakh voters were deleted in just three days. During this short period, 5.44 lakh voters were marked as dead, 14.24 lakh as permanently shifted, and those labelled “untraceable” increased by 809 per cent overnight. Despite the SIR being publicly justified as an exercise to remove foreigners from the rolls, the report notes that not a single foreign national was identified.
According to the audit, such figures defy administrative logic and statistical probability, suggesting bulk or algorithm-driven deletions rather than genuine field verification. It argues that the exercise amounted to mass disenfranchisement hidden within official processes.
Following public criticism, the ECI stated that it had received around 17 lakh objections or applications and carried out rectifications. However, the report documents that nearly 22 lakh entries were modified, far exceeding the number of applications claimed. Even after accounting for these corrections, the roll should have mathematically stood at around 7.38 crore voters. Instead, the final figure was declared as 7.42 crore, leaving an unexplained surplus of 3.24 lakh electors. The report notes that no reconciliation statement, independent audit or transparent explanation has been provided for this discrepancy.
The audit further highlights that voter rolls continued to change even after elections were notified, contrary to established legal convention. On October 6, 2025, the electorate stood at 7.43 crore, but by polling day it had increased to 7.46 crore. In just ten days, 3.34 lakh voters were added, including a sudden spike in young voters, which the report says is statistically impossible given eligibility timelines.
Beyond voter rolls, the report points to structural issues in election management. The number of polling booths increased sharply from 77,462 during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to 90,740 in Bihar 2025, without a corresponding expansion in remote or riverine areas. This, the report argues, raises questions about constituency and booth-level engineering.
The Election Commission’s approach to data disclosure also came under scrutiny. Constituency-wise turnout figures and final votes polled before counting, data that had been routinely published in earlier elections were withheld. Instead, only fragmented district-level data was released, making independent verification difficult, if not impossible.
At the grassroots level, the report flags the deployment of around 1.8 lakh “Jeevika Didis” as poll volunteers. These women are beneficiaries of state welfare schemes involving cash transfers, and the report argues that their use blurred the line between welfare delivery and election administration, compromising institutional neutrality. The imbalance in Booth Level Agents further exacerbated the issue, with the ruling alliance deploying more than 91,000 agents while the opposition averaged just 1.55 agents per booth, leaving large sections of polling stations effectively unmonitored.
Polling and counting days were marked by multiple alleged violations, including CCTV failures, VVPAT slips reportedly found discarded on roads, unauthorised vehicles near strong rooms and the transportation of about 6,000 voters from Haryana via special trains, allegedly with free tickets.
The most consequential development, the audit says, came after polling had concluded. On November 12, 2025, official data recorded a uniform 0.18 per cent increase in voter turnout, identical for both men and women across phases. This so-called “midnight hike” added 1,34,145 votes and is said to have altered outcomes in around 20 constituencies. In 21 seats, victory margins ranged from zero to just 15 votes, yet no automatic VVPAT recount was ordered.
The report concludes that the Bihar election represents a new mode of electoral manipulation, carried out not through overt coercion or violence, but through administrative opacity, legal manoeuvring and control over data. It warns that what happened in Bihar is not an isolated aberration but a template that threatens the constitutional promise of universal adult suffrage.
According to the authors, when voters disappear from rolls without explanation, when official numbers fail basic arithmetic tests and when transparency is treated as expendable, the casualty is not just an election result but democracy itself.
