These are damning photos. Former Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri must answer as to why he was meeting Jeffrey Epstein, even in an Ambassadorial capacity. I am given to understand that the Government of India will try and justify this engagement as "diplomatic necessity." However, the terms and content of these disussions must now be made public. I am certainly hopeful that Ambassador Puri was not aware of any of the horrors of Epstein Island. I urge him to clarify his stance on the matter.

We have seen the OHCHR’s remarks about today’s events in New Delhi. India is the world’s largest democracy, where the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by our Constitution and safeguarded by robust institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media. As in every democracy, Indian citizens exercise this right subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order. The authorities, for their part, act in accordance with the law, and our courts remain available to all for redressal of any grievances. The OHCHR’s concerns are therefore misplaced and constitute an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of India. In this context, OHCHR would also do well to devote comparable attention to large-scale protests elsewhere, consistent with its mandate of impartiality and non-selectivity. @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @PMOIndia @DrSJaishankar @abagchimea

T 970 - Pained and horrified to see what unfolds in Delhi .. peaceful protest being met with tear gas and water canons !!

Don’t miss this editorial page lead article by Srinivasan Ramani & Pon Vasanth B.A. in The Hindu (October 9, 2026). The article explains in clear, precise, and accessible terms what a massive scandal — an exercise fatally flawed in conception and design, and deliberately exclusionary in impact — the Gyanesh Kumar-directed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was. It also draws attention to the Supreme Court of India’s failure in the big test and expresses the hope that it will now act decisively to undo the damage.