BJP, EC colluded in Bihar; removed names of voters under pretext of SIR: UP Cong chief Ajay Rai
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Lucknow (PTI): Calling the Bihar Assembly election results "surprising", Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Friday alleged that the "collusion" between the BJP and the Election Commission deprived lakhs of their right to vote, and that malpractice in the name of SIR must be exposed.
Rai made the statement as he addressed a seminar marking the birth anniversary of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the state Congress headquarters.
He claimed that the "collusion" between the BJP and the EC led to the removal of the names of lakhs of voters from the electoral rolls under the pretext of SIR, depriving them of their right to vote. He described it as a "direct attack" on democracy.
He cautioned that Assembly elections are due in Uttar Pradesh and claimed that similar issues could arise.
"We must remain vigilant and expose malpractice in the name of SIR. It is our responsibility to ensure voters' names remain on the rolls, and if needed, we will take to the streets. I will stand with you in this struggle," he told party workers.
Earlier, Rai, former ministers Raj Bahadur and Naseemuddin Siddiqui, and Indian Overseas Congress UP chairman Capt Banshidhar Mishra paid floral tributes to Nehru.
Rai said the country needs the vision and ideals of Nehru "now more than ever before."
According to a party statement, speakers at the event discussed Nehru's life and contributions. Rai said Nehru laid the foundations of modern India by promoting scientific thinking, democratic values, socialism, education and technological advancement.
"India's diversity, harmony and progress are possible only when we uphold equality, the Constitution and democratic principles," he said.
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Tejas jet suffered damage to airframe while landing at frontline air base
New Delhi (PTI): A Tejas light combat aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) sustained major damage to its airframe after it overshot the runway at a frontline airbase following a suspected brake failure earlier this month, authoritative sources said on Sunday.
The pilot of the aircraft ejected safely, they said.
It is learnt that the aircraft was returning to the base after carrying out a training sortie.
There was no official word from the IAF on the accident that took place on February 7.
Following the incident, the IAF grounded the entire fleet of around 30 single-seat Tejas jets to carry out an extensive technical scrutiny, the sources said.
It was the third accident involving the Tejas jets. The first one took place in March 2024, when a Tejas jet crashed near Jaisalmer.
The second incident took place in November 2025, when a Tejas jet crashed during an aerial display at the Dubai Airshow.
The latest accident comes at a time when Tejas maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has missed several deadlines to supply the Tejas Mark 1A variant of the aircraft to the IAF.
In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.
The delivery of the jets is facing delays primarily due to GE Aerospace missing several deadlines for the supply of its aero engines to power the jets.
The defence ministry in September last year sealed another deal worth Rs 62,370 crore with HAL to procure 97 Tejas MK-1A light combat aircraft for the IAF.
Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.
It has been designed to undertake air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike roles.
