No immediate risk to India, says Kerala medical body expert amid pneumonic plague scare in Russia
The expert said Yersinia pestis causes plague, which can affect the skin, lungs or bloodstream.
India's Supreme Court has ordered the government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) to provide explanations regarding decisions made during a major voter list revision that has sparked accusations of wrongdoing. Opposition parties and activists have staged protests and demanded Gyanesh Kumar, head of the ECI, step down, alleging that the revision improperly removed millions of names from voter rolls.
Critics suggest Kumar may have acted based on instructions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
The ECI, responsible for conducting elections in the world's largest democracy, has denied any wrongdoing. A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, issued notices to the government, ECI, and Kumar after hearing petitions questioning the legality of the voter list revision decisions. Another hearing is scheduled for the following week.
One of the petitions calls for an investigation into ECI records to ascertain if its actions adhered to constitutional requirements. Protests have taken place in various cities since a report by The Indian Express revealed that two ECI members had formally objected to key decisions linked to the voter roll revision at least 14 times.
Newspapers can be accurate, partially accurate, or incorrect; the court cannot rule based solely on this information. It seeks responses from the parties involved, and if any instances of unlawful conduct are found, it may rectify the situation.
The ECI states that the revision exercise, initiated last year, aims to identify fraudulent registrations and prevent foreign illegal immigrants from voting. However, critics argue that the drive disproportionately impacts marginalized and minority communities, particularly Muslims. India's main opposition Congress party has announced a protest march to the ECI's offices in New Delhi on Tuesday, followed by nationwide "Save Democracy" rallies.
Supporters of the satirical political movement Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) are among those joining the demonstrations. They have called for a "mass mobilization" in the capital on Saturday. Police have maintained a strong presence near the designated protest area near New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, and several demonstrators were briefly arrested over the weekend.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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