Morning Digest: Pellet Gun FIR After Gandhi Sit-in; Rashtrapati Bhavan Withdraws Email
Here is a roundup of key developments from across India on Friday, August 21, 2026.
In New Delhi, police registered an FIR in connection with the use of pellet guns on protesters during a march to Parliament on July 20. The move came after a seven-hour sit-in by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police. Mr. Gandhi's protest was in support of Sahil Lochab, a 19-year-old who lost vision in one eye after being hit by pellets. Lochab had alleged that police refused to register his complaint. The FIR has been filed at the New Delhi DCP office.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan briefly raised expectations about a forthcoming visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman by issuing an email headlined 'No change of guard ceremony this Saturday'. However, a subsequent release said the earlier statement 'stands withdrawn'. The back-and-forth added to speculation about Mr. Rahman's visit, which has been under discussion between the two countries.
In Ranchi, a scuffle broke out between police and students protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations. The agitators attempted to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Student leaders under the banner of the 'JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch' have accused the government of deceiving job aspirants after the High Court stayed notifications cancelling appointments through the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations and the JSSC-CGL.
A controversy has erupted following an article by Champat Rai, former general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and a senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader. In a nine-page Hindi article shared on the VHP media group, Mr. Rai said Ram temple construction committee chairman Nripendra Misra exercised near-complete control over the project. He claimed that no work was undertaken without Mr. Misra's approval and that decisions taken without his involvement were rejected.
An IndiGo Airbus A321 has been grounded after its fuselage scraped the runway during landing in Gorakhpur earlier this week. Industry sources say this is at least the eighth tail-strike incident involving the airline's A321 fleet. The aircraft's last recorded operation was a Delhi–Gorakhpur flight, and it has been out of service since August 19.
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh emphasized the need for stronger international collaboration in emerging technologies. Speaking at the 14th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting in Chennai, he said technologies such as advanced materials, biotechnology, photonics, geospatial technologies and high-performance computing create unprecedented opportunities. He added that innovation must remain accessible, affordable, trusted and sustainable.
Left-leaning trade unions have raised concerns over a nine-judge bench judgment of the Supreme Court on the definition of 'industry'. The judgment is expected to have significant implications for workers' rights, though the unions have yet to elaborate on their specific objections.
