🇮🇳Week of October 19

Mohan Bhagwat used his Vijayadashami address on the RSS's 101st foundation day to say that forces are trying to destabilise India, arguing that regime change does not change circumstances. He said regime change does not necessarily solve problems and that some forces are trying to weaken the country. Vice-President Jagdish Dhankhar attended the RSS event.123456

Bhagwat built the address around 'svabodh' and national unity, and said protests are inevitable in a democracy. He also backed government curbs on online content.27

Separately, China's commerce ministry imposed export controls on tunnel-boring machines sought by India, citing national security. The machines are a category India buys for infrastructure projects, and the curbs add a licensing layer between Chinese suppliers and Indian projects.8

Attributed claim: Bikaner House in Delhi asked Raihan Vadra, son of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, to take down photographs from his exhibition. The Hindu reported that Congress raised censorship concerns after the venue asked him to remove 70 'protest' photographs, while TheWire.in reported the gallery forced him to take down 75 protest photographs.12

Bikaner House said the removal was 'inconsistent with policy' and described the images as 'political messaging'. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra responded that 'tomorrow it'll be another artist', and separately said 'you stand for what is true'.3456

Raihan Vadra said he 'couldn't have a show just on how beautiful things are', framing the removed work as protest photography. The dispute widened into a party row, with the BJP taking a 'launch' jibe naming Rahul Gandhi and Raihan Vadra as the exhibition row escalated.27

The free trade agreement between India and New Zealand entered into force, opening duty-free access for Indian exports to the New Zealand market and creating new visa categories for Indians. The deal also gives New Zealand exporters quota-based access to India for apples and kiwifruit.12

The agreement extends duty-free export opportunities to Indian startups, according to ET Entrepreneur, which framed the entry into force around the openings the deal creates for new firms.3

Coverage of the deal's effects focused on which sectors stand to gain most from the tariff changes, with NDTV and Vajiram & Ravi both running explainers on the sectors and terms involved.45

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed for a week the probe on a corruption FIR against former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the CMRL-Exalogic payoff case. The stay covers the FIR that the Kerala High Court had directed be registered in the alleged bribery matter.12

The bench also told the Enforcement Directorate not to meddle with the powers of other probe agencies in the case. The warning was directed at the ED in its proceedings against Vijayan.345

The court linked the matter to safeguards for public servants under the BNSS, holding that the new code expands protections before a judicial order for FIR registration is passed. Vijayan had moved the Supreme Court against the Kerala High Court direction to register the FIR.61

Seven people have been arrested in connection with the stampede at the Chorebagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, and questions have been raised about BJP leaders named on the samity list. Nine IPS officers with crowd control experience have been deployed in the aftermath.12

The death toll from the stampede stands at 19. North Kolkata is under prohibitory orders, and the events unfolded during West Bengal's first Durga Puja under BJP rule.3

Crowd disasters in India have drawn attention to their causes and prevention, with the Kolkata stampede adding to the record of such incidents.4

The Times of India marked the pandal tragedy with a reflection on who brings people home when the Goddess comes home, framing the deaths around the community that gathered at Chorebagan.5

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Dushanbe, telling the gathering there can be no double standards on terrorism. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar sat across the table as he spoke. Singh also said connectivity projects must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity.123

Singh argued that adding more SCO institutions does not by itself produce greater achievements, and urged the bloc to deliver results rather than duplicate existing bodies. The remarks came at the 25th SCO summit in the Tajik capital.45

China's commerce ministry announced export controls on tunnel-boring machines on Monday, a category of machinery India buys for infrastructure projects. The measure was announced as a national security step, and it covers equipment sought by Indian buyers.123

The curbs apply to a heavy-machinery line used in tunnelling work on Indian infrastructure development, putting a licensing layer between Chinese suppliers and Indian projects. The announcement came from the commerce ministry in Beijing.23

In the same announcement, China said it had optimized export control measures for drone-related items. Global Times described the updated UAV controls as covering drones with three-hour endurance and unmanned aircraft fitted with high-capacity aerosol dispensing systems.45

An executive magistrate in Delhi extended the judicial custody of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka by two days, keeping both in jail. Deccan Herald reported that the two will spend Dusshera in Tihar Jail. The order followed a Delhi Police request for further custody of the pair.12345

Dipke gave a first reaction after the court order, saying there were "smiles on their faces, spirits unbroken" as custody of Das and Ranka was extended.6

Attributed claim: Coverage of the hearing differed in emphasis rather than substance. The Indian Express led on Delhi Police seeking further custody of the two CJP leaders, while Deccan Herald and NDTV reported the magistrate's two-day extension and the Tihar Jail stay over Dusshera.342

Jio Platforms' anchor investor book drew bids worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore from more than 70 investors, with the anchor quota nearly 30 times oversubscribed. The anchor book drew over 30 times demand, according to the bids reported on Monday.123

The offering is described as India's largest IPO in a decade, following Jio's growth from its 2016 launch. The anchor round is the stage before the shares list.4

Finshots published an explainer on the Jio Platforms IPO, setting out further details of the offering beyond the anchor bid figures.5

A bus travelling from Delhi to Srinagar was attacked with stones near Ludhiana in Punjab, a day after a similar attack on a Srinagar-bound bus in Karnal, Haryana. The Ludhiana incident follows the Karnal attack that drew wide attention.123

Two people were arrested in Haryana for allegedly attacking the Srinagar-bound bus in Karnal. The arrests were reported the same day the Ludhiana attack came to light.43

TheWire.in reported a rise in hate crimes against Kashmiris in Haryana and Punjab, quoting a victim who said, "They called me a terrorist." The account places the two bus attacks within a wider pattern of targeting Kashmiris in the two states.5