Tejashwi Yadav claims his name missing in draft electoral rolls; Bihar deputy CM refutes
Patna, Aug 2 (PTI): RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday claimed that his name was missing in the “draft electoral rolls” published by the Election Commission as part of the special intensive revision in Bihar, ahead of the assembly polls.
However, Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Samrat Choudhary refuted the claim, sharing a screenshot, purportedly, of the draft electoral rolls in which Yadav’s details, along with a photograph, could be seen.
At a press conference, Yadav, a former Deputy CM himself, connected his phone to a large screen and tried to search his own EPIC number, which threw up the result “no records found”.
The young leader exclaimed, “Now look! I am myself not registered as a voter. This disqualifies me from contesting elections. Perhaps, I cease to be treated as a citizen and stand deprived of the right to live in this house."
Yadav, who is now the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, also claimed that he was not provided with any receipt by the booth-level officer who came to his place with an enumeration form.
"But, leaving nothing to chance, I had photographed myself while handing over my signed and duly filled-up form," the RJD leader said.
Some of the journalists suggested that he look up a printout of the draft electoral rolls, provided to all political parties by the EC on Saturday, and his name might be there.
Yadav shot back, "The online method is what more people have access to. Would you expect someone residing outside Bihar to come down to look up his name in the electoral rolls? My point is to emphasise that when people like us are at the receiving end, what to speak of the common people. I have got to hear that even an IAS officer couple has found their names missing."
The RJD leader had recently caused a flutter by threatening to “boycott” the upcoming polls, alleging that the EC was trying to “help” the ruling NDA through the special intensive revision.
He also remarked wryly, “I would like to see if any BJP leader also has his name missing in the draft rolls”.
Meanwhile, Choudhary came out with a post on his X handle, accusing Yadav of “lacking the qualifications” to do a proper search and find his name.
“Your name is very much alongside that of your father, respected Lalu Prasad (RJD supremo). You would do better to shut your shop dealing in fraudulent and false claims”, Choudhary claimed.
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Slain Australia beach shooting suspect native of Hyderabad: T'gana police
Hyderabad/Melbourne (PTI): Sajid Akram, the 50-year-old slain suspect in a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia, was an Indian citizen hailing from Hyderabad, Telangana Police revealed on Tuesday.
While he had migrated to Australia 27 years ago, Akram carried an Indian passport. Akram, along with his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, recently travelled to the Philippines on an Indian passport.
Akram, one of the two suspects in the mass shooting that has left 15 people dead and dozens injured, migrated to Australia in 1998 and had limited contact with his family here since then, the Telangana DGP's office said in a statement.
"Sajid Akram (50) is originally from Hyderabad, India. He completed his B.Com degree in Hyderabad and migrated to Australia in search of employment, approximately 27 years ago, in November 1998," it said.
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He married a European-origin woman before settling permanently in Australia. The couple have one son, Naveed (the second suspect who is in custody at a hospital in Australia) and one daughter, it said.
Naveed and Akram's daughter were born in Australia and are citizens of that country, the statement said.
On Tuesday, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett described the mass shooting as "a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State."
According to Australian authorities, the suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24. The older man, who was identified as Sajid Akram, was shot dead.
The Telangana police said Akram visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and to meet his elderly parents.
It is understood that he did not travel to India even at the time of his father's demise, the statement said.
The family members have further expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation, police said.
"The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed, appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana," Telangana police said.
Telangana Police further said it has no adverse record against Akram during his stay in India before his departure in 1998.
The state police said it remains committed to cooperating with central agencies and other counterparts, as and when required, and urged the public and media to avoid speculation or attribution without verified facts.
Quoting security sources, Australia's ABC News reported that Akram and Naveed travelled to the Philippines to receive "military-style training".
"Investigators are now examining the Akrams' ties to an international jihadist network, after discovering the pair travelled to Manila in early November," it said, quoting officials briefed on the investigation.
The Philippines Bureau of Immigration confirmed the pair arrived in the Philippines from Australia on November 1, declaring the southern city of Davao - a hotbed for Islamic militants since the 1990s - as their destination, it said.
"They left the country on November 28, 2025, on a connecting flight from Davao to Manila, with Sydney as their final destination," ABC News quoted the Philippines' Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval as saying.
Sandoval said Akram entered the country on an Indian passport, while his son, Naveed, entered on an Australian passport.
In the Philippines, Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office and Press Officer for Malacanang Palace Claire Castro said that the National Security Council (NSC) is currently looking into reports that the father and son duo travelled to the country a month before the attack.
