The Congress on Tuesday criticised the Narendra Modi-led Union government for rising debt, inflation and unemployment, saying that “alarm bells” are ringing in the Indian economy. The Election Commission, meanwhile, directed the Central Board of Direct Taxes to verify any potential mismatch between the actual and declared income of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Thiruvananthapuram candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar was provided with a Z-category security detail.

Here’s a look at today’s top developments:

  • Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asserted on Tuesday that under the leadership of the prime minister, “India has witnessed record levels of unemployment, high inflation, declining real wages, widespread rural distress and dramatic increases in inequality”. Ramesh referenced a report by financial services firm Motilal Oswal, which said India’s household debt levels are reported to have touched an all-time high of 40% of Gross Domestic Product. Ramesh said that this showed the “devastating impact that Mr Modi’s policies have had on Indian households”.

  • Birender Singh, a former Union minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party government, joined the Congress on Tuesday. Singh’s wife and former Haryana MLA Prem Lata also joined the Opposition party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Singh and his wife resigned from the BJP on April 8. Last month, Birender Singh’s son and former Indian Administrative Service officer Brijendra Singh had also joined the Congress after quitting the saffron party.

  • Acting on complaints from the United Democratic Front and the Left Democratic Front, the Election Commission on Tuesday asked the Central Board of Direct Taxes to check for any potential mismatch between Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s actual income and the income declared in his election affidavit, reported The Indian Express. Chandrasekhar has said that his taxable income for the financial year 2021-’22 was just Rs 680. The BJP leader’s declared taxable income has seen a dramatic decline from Rs 10.8 crore in the financial year 2018-’19, to Rs 4.5 crore in 2019-’20, Rs 17.5 lakh in 2020-’21, Rs 680 in 2021-’22, and Rs 5.59 lakh in 2022-’23, reported The Economic Times.

  • Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has been provided with a Z-category security detail ahead of the general elections, reported PTI quoting unidentified persons on Tuesday. The Central Reserve Police Force has been entrusted to provide a contingent of about 40-45 personnel to Kumar while armed commandos will accompany him as he travels across the country.

  • Modi on Tuesday reiterated his jibe that the Congress’ manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls “reflects the Muslim League’s ideology”. This was after the Opposition party lodged a complaint against the prime minister’s remark with the Election Commission. “Congress is so deep into appeasement politics that they will never be able to come out of it,” the prime minister said during a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit, reported ANI. “Congress’ manifesto appears to be that of Muslim League’s, not their own.” On Monday, the Congress had raised a batch of complaints before the poll panel against alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct by Modi.

  • Addressing an election rally in Lakhimpur, Uttar Pradesh, Union home minister Amit Shah claimed that the Modi government had not allowed China to occupy a “single inch” of Indian territory. Shah also said that the Centre had secured the country’s border with Bangladesh and stopped infiltration. The Congress, however, maintained that China has occupied around 2,000 square kilometres of Indian soil, taken out at least 26 out of 65 patrolling points in Ladakh and built “complete villages” 50 to 60 kilometres into Arunachal Pradesh.