Arvind Gunasekar

Journalist. JNU alum.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

Another extension.
Tenure of Rajesh Kumar Singh, Defence Secretary extended for a period of one year beyond 31.10.2026.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

ED moves SC challenging the order of the Delhi HC quashing FIR and PMLA case against Newsclick and others over alleged foreign funding.

ED contends that the Delhi HC quashed ECIR without examining the PMLA case and there was an inordinate delay of five months in the pronouncement of the judgment.

ED further argues that ECIR is an internal document and cannot be a matter of judicial review.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

ECI orders re-poll in Agra Division Teachers’ Constituency (Legislative Council) on Oct 26.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

Congress replaces MP Ranjan Kumar with Senthamil Selvan as Chairperson of the SC Department of Tamil Nadu Congress.

Ranjan Kumar’s name figured in the Veeramani POCSO case.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

As a follow up to @IndianExpress story on ‘CEC vs ECs’, official documents accessed by RTI Activist Commodore Lokesh Batra (Retd) sheds more light on the issue.

Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi wrote to Union Cabinet Secretary individually on the issue of change in ‘work allocation order’ by Maneesh Garg, Sr Deputy Election Commissioner on July 29.

Cabinet Secretariat decided to seek the opinion of the CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Aug 3. (No information on whether CEC responded to the Cabinet Secretariat).

Union Cabinet Secretary, TV Somanathan acknowledged the letters of the two ECs Dr SS Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi on Aug 5.

On Aug 24, Sanjay Kumar, Deputy Election Commissioner was moved out of ECI while the two Election Commissioners complained against Maneesh Garg.

Importantly, Sanjay Kumar was handling the ‘Electoral Roll’ division in ECI before he was moved out of ECI.

The officer handling the ‘Electoral Roll’ division was moved out of ECI in the middle of SIR’ exercise.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

A cracker of a story by @RitikaChopra__

Days after two Elections Commissioners wrote (July 29) to Cabinet Secretary over the functioning of the Commission, two Deputy Election Commissioners moved out of the ECI.
Gyanesh Bharti on Aug 10 (Andaman CS) and Sanjay Kumar on Aug 28.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

The first look of ‘Belonging: A journey of love” by Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, CPP.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

Belonging !

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

What’s the tearing hurry… ?!

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

A week after L Murugan resigned as a member of Rajya Sabha, ECI announces bye-elections, polling on 12.11.2026.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

A week after L Murugan resigned as a member of Rajya Sabha, ECI announces bye-elections, polling on 12.11.2026.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

‘We The Leader’ founder and former IPS officer Annamalai condemns BJP Govt in Centre for stifling dissent, says “It’s honestly very tiring and boring to see all protests and statements against the central government being called as anti-national and funded by forces outside.”

[K.Annamalai @annamalai_k]

In 2011, then Gujarat Chief Minister Thiru @narendramodi avl said that if his hands were not tied, he would have gone to Delhi and waged war against the central government. Thiru Narendra Modi avl made this statement in response to the police crackdown on the peaceful anti-corruption campaign led at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi. In my opinion, what the Hon PM said then was absolutely right, and there is nothing wrong about it.

Today, you could be jailed indefinitely; your surety bonds could be rejected; and, surprisingly, a Special Executive Magistrate will play circles around you when he/ she is empowered to deal with preventive bond cases.

If you question the violation of due process of law in a democracy, you would be called names, and a barrage of attacks would follow, including being labelled a Foreign Agent.

Ever since I asked the Central Government to speak with the protestors during the NEET exam protests, I have faced constant attacks, but I let them pass because I felt it was important to focus on the issues on the ground in Tamil Nadu. I also, in a way, enjoyed this as it would quickly remove the tag of me being a BJP B Team and sent to TN as a Dhurandhar 😍

Yesterday during a press meeting, I questioned the Delhi Police’s methods of detaining protestors of CJP.

Since yesterday, the attacks have resumed, as expected. For some in the BJP, let me make this categorically clear, in case you have selective amnesia: I left the BJP on June 5, 2026.

As I mentioned yesterday, I might not agree with the tactics of the CJP, and I think many of theirs are misguided. But if you ask me whether they have a right to oppose/argue/protest on an issue that they think is important?

I would categorically say - YES.

So, I would like people to ask the questions again, even if it makes some of them uncomfortable, and I wish the Central Government would answer them instead of resorting to whataboutism.

https://t.co/U1VOaaWCLM was Jantar Mantar denotified as a protest site as per a standing order of the Ministry of Home Affairs after a letter was handed over by CJP seeking permission to conduct a protest?

https://t.co/Gn79sPgy7b long can we have a system that gives powers to an Asst Commissioner of Police as a Special Executive Magistrate who rules over whether to keep someone in preventive detention? The ACP of Delhi Police stands over the trial where Delhi Police is the complainant against the accused CJP. Now you know which way the wind will blow.

3.On October 19th, why did the Special Executive Magistrate, aka ACP of Delhi Police, deliberately arrive late for the bail hearing of those who were arrested from Jantar Mantar on October 13th and recuse himself, saying there is a threat to his life? Is this some kind of a joke?

4.Why were 8 sureties rejected, and why was the person who came for surety subjected to cross-examination by the Special Executive Magistrate?

5. Any action taken on pellet gun usage by the Delhi police or other actions on Delhi police who have violated the standard operating procedures against the protesters during the NEET fiasco stir?

Has no BJP karyakarta in Delhi violated any bond conditions during the previous Congress and AAP governments. I trust the same Delhi police were then also when barricades were jumped and orders disobeyed? How were they dealt with then? Like this?

Definitely - NO.

Now I hear that the detained functionaries of CJP were released by SEM after the case reached the High Court.

I also recently saw a cockroach effigy burned as part of the Dusshera celebrations. Out of curiosity, I tried to find out who is giving this free publicity at a National level. No surprises here. It was led by a BJP MLA, Ashok Goel.

My question again is: is the BJP opposing the CJP or giving it free publicity? Does it want the opposition votes to split by making CJP a bigger player? At this rate, the CJP couldn’t have asked for a better PR team, even if it had paid for one! (1/2)

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

@vijaythottathil So, to fight a political opponent, using the same ED thereby legitimising it ?

Also, I think you missed seeing the SC hearing, the ‘cooperation as respondents’ was very evident.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

As someone who has reported extensively on ED’s investigations, including National Herald case, was surprised to see a Congress Govt registering a FIR based on ED’s letter under Sec 66(2) of PMLA without challenging it in the appellate courts.

Law and order is a state subject, ED can only share information under Sec 66(2) of PMLA and it cannot force any State Govt to register FIRs based on it. No State Govt should let go of their right in a federal structure.

For context, ED has used the same Sec 66(2) of PMLA route to register a fresh case with Delhi Police in the National Herald case. What was the response of the Congress party in that case ?

https://t.co/BAUnSVgFE2

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

After alleging that ED is being misused and abused by the Union BJP Govt, how can the Congress Govt register a FIR based on ED’s communication without challenging the order of the single judge of Keralam HC ? Congress as a political party cannot have differing stands in Delhi and Keralam on ED.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

Keralam Govt could have challenged the order of the single bench of the HC before the division bench if they had found the order unreasonable as rightly pointed out by the SC (attached screen-grab).

Why did they file the FIR immediately instead of appealing against it ?

As a State Govt, they should have fought tooth and nail that under Sec 66(2) of PMLA, ED can only share the information and can’t force to register a FIR.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

Keralam Govt could have challenged the order of the single bench of the HC before the division bench if they had found the order unreasonable as rightly pointed out by the SC (attached screen-grab).

Why did they file the FIR immediately instead of appealing against it ?

As a State Govt, they should have fought tooth and nail that under Sec 66(2) of PMLA, ED can only share the information and can’t force to register a FIR.

[Rao Sahab AICVC @Crazybakchod]

@arvindgunasekar dont become what you hate

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

SC stays the investigation against Pinarayi Vijayan and his family members for a week granting time to them to move the division bench of the Keralam HC challenging the order of the single bench that directed registration of FIR against them based on the information shared by ED under Sec 66(2) of PMLA.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

A special bench of SC comprising of Justice J Bagchi and Justice Mohana to hear pleas by Keralam former CM Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena and son in law Mohamed Riyas against the order of Kerala HC directing registration of FIR in the alleged CMRL bribery case on Oct 21,2026.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

In a notable development, SC is witnessing collaboration / cooperation between ED and Congress Govt in Keralam to defend a case against Keralam former CM Pinarayi Vijayan and his family.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

A special bench of SC comprising of Justice J Bagchi and Justice Mohana to hear pleas by Keralam former CM Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena and son in law Mohamed Riyas against the order of Kerala HC directing registration of FIR in the alleged CMRL bribery case on Oct 21,2026.

[Marya Shakil @maryashakil]

The Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) has cancelled its annual Diwali Mela this year in protest against the relentless attacks and detention of journalists amid the ongoing agitation in the capital.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

Kiren Rijiju in his letter to Kharge says that he also met Rahul Gandhi during the monsoon session of the Parliament and “sought his cooperation on this subject (Delimitation Bills).”

Kiren Rijiju also clarifies that this is not the first time that the Parliament has not been prorogued for a longer period, further states that in 2008, Parliament was not prorogued for 87 days, 76 days in 1987, 54 days in 1989, 49 days in 2006 and etc.

[Arvind Gunasekar @arvindgunasekar]

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responds to Mallikarjuna Kharge, Congress President on Delimitation Bills, says Union Government has held “consultations with DMK, SP, YSRCP, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), AIMIM and BJD with a view to facilitating dialogue and building a broader consensus in support of the proposed legislation.”