Urdu Dailies Highlight UPI Transaction Fee Outcry and West Bengal IPS Officer Transfer

Urdu newspapers have trained their focus on major political developments, including the proposed UPI merchant transaction fee, Rahul Gandhi's student outreach, and the abrupt transfer of a West Bengal IPS officer. The government's plan to impose a 0.4% fee on person-to-merchant UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000 sparked sharp criticism and demands for a rollback from the Opposition. Meanwhile, coverage also highlighted the Election Commission's controversial Special Intensive Revision exercise and its widespread political fallout.

Rahul Gandhi's Outreach

The Hyderabad-based Siasat highlighted the fifth edition of Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Indore in its September 21 leader. The Leader of Opposition previously hosted this interactive student platform in Kota, Prayagraj, Dehradun, and Pune. The daily noted that the initiative gives students a direct channel to question authorities and voice concerns over exam paper leaks, which earlier triggered protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar and led to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. The editorial stated that the program is gaining strong traction among Gen Z and drawing larger crowds, causing concern for the ruling BJP-led government.

IPS Officer Transfer Row

In its September 16 editorial, the New Delhi edition of Inquilab questioned the abrupt transfer of 2021-batch IPS officer Dr Bushara Bano by the West Bengal government. Bano, who served as Additional Superintendent of Police in Kharagpur, was moved to the post of Deputy Commandant of the SAP 4th Battalion following complaints from right-wing groups over her use of common Arabic greetings like Assalamu Alaikum, Inshallah, and Jazakallah in a social media video. In the video, she credited the Residential Coaching Academy at Aligarh Muslim University for helping her clear the UPSC exam. The daily called the transfer a sign of bigotry that violates constitutional and ethical standards.

Rajasthan Local Polls

Siasat's September 16 editorial also analyzed the Rajasthan urban local body election results across more than 10,200 wards. The BJP secured an upper hand by winning over 4,100 seats, while the Congress gave a tough fight by bagging over 3,600 seats. Despite holding power at both state and central levels, the BJP won only about 500 more wards than the Congress and garnered just a 0.91% higher vote share. The ruling party lost the Bharatpur Corporation on Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's home turf to Independents and lost the Jhalawar Council in party heavyweight Vasundhara Raje's bastion to the Congress. Independents delivered a strong performance by winning in more than 2,000 wards, as the results point toward the 2028 Assembly elections.