South Korea is considering sending military assets to the Strait of Hormuz by the end of the year as it explores ways to support freedom of navigation amid the continuing conflict involving Iran, according to media reports.

Reports citing government and military sources said Seoul is preparing procedures that could lead to parliamentary approval for a deployment. A consent motion could potentially be submitted this month following Cabinet review.

SBS News reported that concrete preparations are under way and that the proposed force could include P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, a naval logistics support ship and an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team.

A senior South Korean defence official was quoted as saying, “We are making concrete preparations to dispatch naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz.”

The P-8 aircraft could be used to monitor submarines and surface vessels, while the EOD team, drawn from the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team, could work alongside foreign naval forces.

The logistics vessel would provide support for the aircraft and EOD personnel during the mission.

South Korean officials are also reportedly discussing access to ports and air bases in countries near the strait to support the operation.

Seoul Says No Final Decision Yet

The proposed deployment would represent a shift from Seoul’s earlier position that it would consider sending forces only after the US-Iran war had ended.

However, South Korea’s presidential Blue House said reports that the government had already decided on a deployment were “different from the facts”.

A deployment would require approval through several stages, including a decision by the National Security Council, Cabinet approval and consent from the National Assembly. South Korean media reports suggested a parliamentary motion could be submitted as early as this month.

The move comes amid growing pressure from US President Donald Trump. Trump said in an August social media post that he had reduced US-South Korea joint military exercises partly because Seoul had declined to assist Washington in its war with Iran.

Trump has repeatedly criticised South Korea for not providing support to the US during the conflict, while Seoul has continued to examine ways to contribute to the security of commercial shipping.

Flood relief and rescue operations are continuing on a war footing across Uttar Pradesh under the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, with floods affecting 26 districts and approximately 3.53 lakh people. No casualties have been reported so far due to the administration’s activeness and the promptness of the relief system.

According to the Flood Relief Commissioner’s Office, affected people are being evacuated to safer locations and provided with food, relief materials and healthcare. So far, 17,544 people have been evacuated to safer locations, while 4,847 people are living in flood shelters. A total of 1,312 flood shelters have been established across the state.

For relief and rescue operations, 1,634 flood posts, 1,697 boats and motorboats, and 1,068 medical teams are active across Uttar Pradesh. These teams and facilities are continuously monitoring affected areas and providing immediate assistance to those in need.

The Yogi government has placed special emphasis on providing food and essential supplies to affected families. So far, 72,897 flood relief food kits and 367,551 food packets have been distributed. More than 5,000 quintals of straw have also been provided for animals.

Under health protection measures, more than 5.52 lakh chlorine tablets and 1.87 lakh ORS packets have been distributed to help protect affected communities.

More than 45,000 animals have been affected by the floods, but no animal deaths have been reported so far. Due to the administration’s activeness, there has been no loss of life.

The floods have affected areas in Amroha, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Badaun, Ballia, Barabanki, Basti, Chandauli, Farrukhabad, Ghazipur, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Hardoi, Kasganj, Kanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Mirzapur, Moradabad, Pilibhit, Prayagraj, Rae Bareli, Rampur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Shahjahanpur, Unnao and Varanasi.

With evacuation, shelter, food distribution, healthcare and animal support operations continuing across the affected districts, authorities remain engaged in providing immediate relief to flood-hit communities.

The Mandakini River is in full spate across Madhya Pradesh's Satna and Chitrakoot areas, affecting several shops, houses, temples, monasteries and ashrams along its course. The flooding has caused extensive damage in the region, with the Sati Anusuya Ashram in Chitrakoot among the worst-affected areas.

Several temples and ashrams at the site have been damaged or swept away by the surging river. Debris, including idols, is scattered across the affected area, highlighting the scale of destruction caused by the floods.

Local priest Naval Kishore Gautam said the flood situation in 2026 was particularly severe compared with the flood in 2003, recalling the destruction caused by earlier flooding.

Speaking to ANI, Gautam said, “After 2003, the flood in 2026 was very severe. It was more powerful than the 2003 flood. About three or four temples and ashrams here were destroyed. Two or three hundred shops in the market were also destroyed. The Mandakini River washed everything away.”

He said the area has again suffered extensive damage due to the current flooding, leaving people without regular means of livelihood.

“Anasuya and her husband Atri Muni performed penance and worshipped here. When Atri Muni was thirsty, Mata Anasuya used her power and devotion to bring the Mandakini River from this spot for him.... Now, many ashrams and shops have been destroyed due to the floods. The river water comes from far away and merges here. There are no means of livelihood currently. People are staying in ashrams and the hills. Once the Mandakini River level recedes, they will resume their activities as permitted by the administration,” she further said.

In view of the flooding, priests living at the Sati Anusuya Ashram have been relocated to safer places. Residents and priests are also stopping tourists from visiting the area due to the prevailing situation.

The flooding has also disrupted access to the ashram. Large rocks have fallen from the mountains onto roads leading to the site, while landslides and fallen high-tension poles have further affected the area.

With temples, ashrams and shops damaged or swept away and regular livelihood activities disrupted, the Mandakini River flooding has left the affected areas facing extensive destruction until the water level recedes and activities can resume as permitted by the administration.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore have claimed to have developed a non-invasive technique that can detect early signs of oral cancer using only saliva and a swab sample collected from the inner surface of the mouth.

The researchers plan to validate the findings in larger and more diverse groups of patients before developing targeted, easy-to-use tests that can be brought into routine clinical practice, officials said on Thursday.

The technology is designed as a point-of-care, economical, quick and non-invasive method, which researchers said could be particularly significant in a country where access to specialist cancer diagnostics remains limited outside major cities.

At present, doctors confirm oral cancer through a biopsy, which involves removing a tissue sample from the affected part of the mouth. Researchers said the procedure can be painful and that repeated biopsies are not practical. The new technique, by contrast, does not require an invasive procedure and could provide a low-cost and rapid screening method.

According to the researchers, the technology could also make early oral cancer screening more accessible in remote and rural areas.

The study examined two conditions: oral squamous cell carcinoma, the most common form of oral cancer, and oral submucous fibrosis, which often develops among people who chew areca nut, gutkha or tobacco and can eventually turn cancerous.

Researchers found that saliva carries chemical signals from activity inside the mouth, while a soft swab of the oral lining collects cells and proteins directly from the tissue.

Using an advanced laboratory technique called liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, the researchers compared samples from healthy individuals, patients with oral submucous fibrosis and patients with oral cancer.

They identified distinctive changes in how the body handles fat, energy, oxidative stress, tissue repair and immune activity. According to the researchers, these changes appeared before the disease became visible to the naked eye.

By combining the findings from saliva and oral swab samples, the team was able to develop a more comprehensive picture of how healthy tissue gradually progresses into a precancerous lesion and eventually into cancer, the statement said.

The technique was developed under the leadership of IIT Indore professor Hem Chandra Jha.

“Oral cancer leaves molecular footprints in saliva and on the oral mucosal surface before it becomes clinically obvious. Our aim is to convert these non-invasive signals into practical tools for earlier detection and better monitoring of high-risk oral lesions,” Jha said.

The findings have been published in the British Journal of Cancer. A patent application for the technology has also been filed and is under process.

Estonia’s Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur has resigned after a €70 million (over Rs 768.50 crore) ammunition deal intended to support Ukraine unravelled into a procurement scandal involving Datasel SRL, an Indian-owned company that had no previous record of selling artillery shells.

Pevkur, who has served as defence minister since 2022, announced his resignation on Wednesday, saying he was taking political responsibility following a series of critical findings by Estonia’s National Audit Office.

“Estonian security is not a one-man project. It is our joint responsibility. That is why I must take political responsibility for the entire defence field today and pass on the baton of the minister of defence to the prime minister at a suitable time,” Pevkur said in a social media post.

The controversy dates back to contracts signed in 2024 by Estonia’s Centre for Defence Investments with Datasel SRL, a company registered in Italy that had been acquired by India’s Neco Defence Munitions earlier that year. The contracts were intended to secure artillery shells for Ukraine as Kyiv faced acute ammunition shortages.

According to Estonian public broadcaster ERR and reports by Eesti Ekspress and Postimees, Estonia used funds from the EU’s European Peace Facility for the procurement and paid millions of euros to the company upfront. The total advance payments eventually reached about €70 million.

Estonia signed the first contract in August 2024 and paid about €15 million upfront. Another deal was signed in October, followed by a further advance payment of more than €10 million. By the end of the year, several more contracts had pushed the total amount paid in advance to around €70 million.

The ammunition was initially expected to reach Ukraine within months, but deliveries were repeatedly delayed because of reported production problems. When ammunition was eventually received in 2025, Eesti Ekspress reported that it failed to meet quality requirements.

Datasel, the Indian-owned company at the centre of the procurement dispute, has challenged Estonia’s decision to terminate the contracts and says it delivered €59 million worth of munitions to the state, Eesti Ekspress reported.

The company is suing Estonia, while the dispute over the procurement has moved to international arbitration.

“Datasel is the party that has suffered losses in connection with these supply contracts,” the company told Eesti Ekspress through its lawyer. “The actions of the Estonian Center for Defense Investments, particularly the reasons given for the extraordinary termination of the contracts, are contradictory and illogical.”

Datasel confirmed receiving €59 million in advance payments from the state Center for Defense Investments, known as RKIK. RKIK has valued the procurement at €70 million, prompting Eesti Ekspress to question where the remaining funds are, although the newspaper said it does not yet know where the money went.

“Datasel has supplied a significant quantity of goods and submitted invoices totalling €58 million,” the company said. It acknowledged delays but disputed claims that the munitions were of insufficient quality.

“Eventually, Datasel was given to understand that the RKIK was unable to accept the remaining goods,” the company said, adding that it remains willing to complete the contract if RKIK fulfils its own obligations.

Eesti Ekspress reported on Wednesday that Estonia had sought to procure artillery shells from Datasel as part of an effort to provide military aid to Ukraine. RKIK terminated its contracts with the company last autumn and demanded the return of the advance payments.

Estonia has since taken the dispute to the European Arbitration and Mediation Centre in Strasbourg, France, which handles commercial disputes, as it seeks to recover the €70 million paid for the ammunition.

Elmar Vaher, director general of the Centre for Defence Investments, said the deal should not have been signed.

“In my opinion, we should not have signed a contract with them,” Vaher told Eesti Ekspress. “If I start building a house and hire a company that has never built houses before, there is a doubt that the house will not be finished.”

Pevkur’s resignation also follows criticism from Estonia’s National Audit Office over the management of defence funds and military procurement. According to ERR, an audit released on August 28 flagged problems in the use of funds and accounting of assets within the defence ministry, while similar concerns had been raised previously.

The watchdog warned that Estonia could ultimately have to cover about €70 million from its own state budget if the EU funding cannot be recovered.

Pevkur defended the division of responsibilities within the ministry, saying the defence minister does not personally oversee individual procurement contracts.

“Although the minister does not count socks and ammunition or conduct contract negotiations, the National Audit Office’s criticisms, primarily concerning the activities of the defense forces and the Center for Defense Investments, raise the question of political responsibility,” Pevkur said.

The European Commission has also been in contact with Estonian authorities over the disputed funding. Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand said Brussels had safeguards and recovery procedures to ensure EU taxpayers’ money was properly used.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal had previously said he did not see personal fault on Pevkur’s part but acknowledged that political responsibility could still apply.

Pevkur said his decision came with the conviction that Estonia had made the right choices to strengthen its national defence. He also pointed to the country’s sharp increase in defence spending since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“Estonia is better protected than ever before,” he wrote on Facebook, adding that the country must continue supporting Ukraine because doing so also contributes to Estonia’s own security.

Estonia, a small country of about 1.2 million people, is part of both the EU and Nato and shares a border with Russia. Moscow’s war in Ukraine has showed security concerns in the Baltic country, where the conflict is seen as a direct threat. The Estonian government has been a strong supporter of Ukraine.

A month after the August 04 Air India incident that left passengers traumatized and raised safety concerns, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary report into the incident involving Air India flight AI-2379 from Phuket to Delhi.

According to the preliminary report released on September 04, 2026, the AAIB observed that the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) “was found non-negative for psycho-active substance in the confirmatory” test.

Air India flight AI-2379 was flying from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, 2026, when it abruptly dropped about 300 feet in altitude during its cruise phase. The sudden altitude loss injured at least 17 people on board, including passengers and crew members. Some of those injured suffered spinal and neck trauma.

The airline said there were no serious injuries and that passengers and crew members requiring assessment were taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination.

The AAIB preliminary report states that a detailed investigation into the technical and other aspects of the incident is underway. The confirmation of the use of psycho-active substances has emerged as a serious concern, and the AAIB has recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take appropriate action on priority.

The preliminary report has been published in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines. The investigation remains in progress, while the final report will be published in due course.

In a separate development ahead of the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) safety oversight assessment of India’s aviation regulator DGCA, scheduled for November, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed the regulator to conduct audits of major airlines, with a focus on their engineering processes and other safety-related aspects.

The Ministry-directed exercise covers major carriers, including IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air and SpiceJet. Sources told Times Now that audits of all four airlines have been completed and their findings have been reviewed by the regulator.

During the audits, the DGCA identified serious observations at major airlines, according to sources. The exact nature and details of the observations have not been disclosed at this stage, but sources indicated that the regulator flagged significant issues during the inspections.

The AAIB’s preliminary findings into the AI-2379 incident and the DGCA’s audit observations come as aviation safety oversight remains under scrutiny, with the final investigation into the August 04 incident still underway.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on becoming the longest continuously serving Prime Minister in Italy’s postwar history, describing the milestone as a reflection of the trust and confidence she enjoys among the Italian people.

“Congratulations to my friend Prime Minister Meloni on becoming the longest continuously serving Prime Minister in Italy's postwar history. This milestone is a reflection of the trust and confidence of the Italian people in her leadership,” Modi said in a post on X.

Modi also highlighted Meloni’s contribution to strengthening the India-Italy Special Strategic Partnership and said he looked forward to continuing close cooperation between the two countries and working towards a prosperous future for their people.

“Her friendship has also been instrumental in strengthening the India-Italy Special Strategic Partnership and I look forward to continuing our close cooperation to build a prosperous future for the people of our countries,” the Prime Minister said.

Mi congratulo con la mia amica, il Primo Ministro Meloni, per essere diventata il Primo Ministro con il mandato più lungo nella storia del dopoguerra italiano. Questo traguardo riflette la fiducia che il popolo italiano ripone nella sua leadership.

La sua amicizia è stata…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 4, 2026

In his post, Modi described Meloni as a friend and wished her continued success in the years ahead.

“My best wishes for her continued success in the years ahead,” Modi said.

Meloni’s milestone, as recognised by Modi, marks a significant moment in Italy’s postwar political history, while the Prime Minister’s message also underscored the importance of her role in strengthening the India-Italy Special Strategic Partnership.

Dubai: Smriti Mandhana produced a record-breaking century as India posted 193/5 against Hong Kong in their Women's Asia Cup match in Dubai on Thursday.

Mandhana scored 124 off 64 balls, hitting 14 fours and seven sixes after initially taking time to settle. She added 74 runs with Shafali Verma, who contributed 28 off 17 balls, giving India a strong start.

Mandhana reached her 18th international hundred across formats in the 17th over, surpassing Australia's Meg Lanning, who had 17 centuries. The milestone was also Mandhana's second T20 hundred.

The left-hander then moved past Mithali Raj's tally of 10,868 runs to become the leading run-scorer in women's international cricket. She reached the landmark with two sixes down the ground in the following over.

Mandhana capitalised on a Hong Kong attack that struggled to maintain its lines, while making batting look effortless on a surface where India's other batters found it difficult to accelerate.

Shafali initially struggled for fluency before breaking loose in the final over of the powerplay, which produced 22 runs.

Hong Kong attempted to contain Mandhana by bowling deliveries outside off stump, but the experienced opener countered the tactic effectively and continued to find boundaries around the ground.

Pratika Rawal, batting at No. 3 in her debut T20 series, scored 10 off 12 balls before being caught at cover.

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored 10 off 9 balls, while Richa Ghosh made 11 off 13. Both were dismissed while attempting aerial strokes.

Mandhana's record-breaking innings ultimately formed the centrepiece of India's 193/5, with her century and landmark-breaking run tally defining a dominant batting performance against Hong Kong.

A Pakistan cricketer reportedly refused to attend a royal engagement with King Charles after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) instructed all seven players discarded from the squad for the third Test to attend the gathering, according to a report in The Telegraph.

The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday when members of the Pakistan team visited Clarence House to meet King Charles. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was also present. Although the seven dropped players were initially reluctant to attend, the PCB insisted that they be part of the royal gathering.

The board’s decision was reportedly influenced by the fact that replacements for the discarded players had not yet arrived in England. With a smaller group otherwise expected to attend the meeting, the PCB apparently wanted to avoid an awkward-looking gathering during the royal audience.

According to The Telegraph, four of the seven players—Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad and Muhammad Awais Zafar—attended the event. However, the report did not identify the player who refused to appear.

The player’s reported refusal came in protest against the PCB’s decision to send him home midway through the tour. The episode adds to the turmoil surrounding Pakistan’s Test setup after the team suffered consecutive innings defeats in England.

Following those defeats, the PCB undertook a major overhaul, sending seven players back home and making changes to the coaching staff. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed from their positions, while white-ball coach Mike Hesson was brought in ahead of the third Test.

During the royal meeting, Pakistan captain Babar Azam reportedly presented King Charles with a signed cricket bat. Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister, presented a gift to the King.

Meetings between touring cricket teams and members of the British royal family have traditionally been part of Test tours in England. Pakistan’s current visit, however, has been marked by several controversies, with the latest incident becoming another talking point surrounding the team.

The tour had already generated headlines during the Lord’s Test when Pakistan threatened not to return to the field after lunch on the opening day. The dispute followed Sky Sports’ broadcast of an interview with the sons of former Pakistan captain Imran Khan.

With the third Test approaching and major changes already made to the squad and coaching setup, attention will now turn to whether Pakistan can recover on the field and end a turbulent phase of the England tour on a stronger note.

Kannada actor Duniya Vijay on Thursday expressed gratitude to the Karnataka High Court for taking into consideration the mental harassment he had allegedly faced over the years while granting him a divorce from his wife Nagarathna, saying the verdict had strengthened his faith in the law.

Taking to Instagram after the court’s order, Vijay said he had respectfully accepted the verdict delivered by the High Court bench of Justice D.K. Singh and Justice H. Shanthi Bhushan. He also thanked senior police officer Srivatsa and Yukta Anil for supporting him.

“I have bowed to the court’s order and surrendered along with my children. My faith in the law has grown even stronger. Taking into consideration the mental harassment I have faced, I have respectfully accepted the order passed by the Hon’ble High Court judges, Justice D.K. Singh and Justice Shantibhushan. I offer my respectful gratitude for this order,” Vijay said in his social media post.

The actor thanked his fans and media friends who had stood by him throughout his life and said he did not wish to discuss the matter further either in the media or in public.

Vijay said his daughters were grown up and had established their own place in society, and he did not want them to face any embarrassment because of the family dispute.

“Keeping my daughters’ future and well-being in mind, I have accepted the court’s order concerning my personal and family matter. From today, I am taking a step towards a new journey in life. Your blessings and good wishes are all I seek,” he said.

Vijay accompanied his Instagram post with the background music of his 2007 blockbuster film ‘Duniya’. The song reflects on the contradictions of love and the inability of people to sustain it, lending an emotional tone to his message.

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday dissolved the marriage between Vijay and Nagarathna, bringing an end to their long-running marital dispute. The court also directed Vijay to pay Rs 2 crore to Nagarathna as one-time alimony.

The bench considered Nagarathna’s circumstances, the couple’s three children, and Vijay’s financial standing and status in the film industry while passing the order.

The marital dispute had continued for several years. Earlier, a Family Court had rejected Vijay’s divorce petition, observing that the grounds of cruelty cited by him had not been established. Vijay, however, remained unwilling to resume cohabitation, while Nagarathna had initially opposed the dissolution of the marriage.

During the proceedings, Vijay had raised several grievances, including allegations that Nagarathna had not properly cared for his parents. Taking into account the prolonged breakdown of the relationship and the welfare of the wife and children, the High Court allowed the divorce petition and awarded Nagarathna Rs 2 crore as one-time compensation.

The court directed that the amount be paid within two months. In case of failure to make the payment within the stipulated period, Vijay will have to pay interest at the rate of six per cent per annum.

The bench also observed that the good conduct and values portrayed by public figures on screen should ideally be reflected in their personal lives. The parties have the option of challenging the order before the appropriate forum.

Vijay rose to prominence with the 2007 Kannada blockbuster “Duniya” and subsequently established himself as an actor, director and producer. He also played the principal antagonist opposite Telugu star Nandamuri Balakrishna in

A Telangana police constable, K Anil, was suspended after allegedly posting misogynistic and sexually abusive remarks on social media against Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS) president and former MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha.

Cyberabad Commissioner of Police M Ramesh issued the suspension order against Anil, an Armed Reserve (AR) police constable, on September 2.

Earlier on the same day, a complaint was submitted to Telangana Director General of Police (DGP), seeking criminal and departmental action against Anil over his comments concerning Kavitha in a social media post.

The complaint, submitted by TRS members, alleged that the constable circulated the objectionable remarks on Facebook, X and other social media platforms.

The complainants sought registration of an FIR under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those relating to insulting the modesty of a woman, sexual harassment and criminal defamation, along with applicable provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

The complaint described the alleged conduct as particularly serious because Anil is a serving police official. It termed the alleged behaviour “conduct unbecoming of a member of the police force” and sought immediate departmental action.

The petition also requested Anil's suspension pending an inquiry and sought his removal or dismissal from service if the allegations are proved.

The complainants further sought preservation of digital evidence, including screenshots, URLs, account details and server records, along with forensic examination of the devices allegedly used to publish the content.

The suspension order and the complaint have placed the alleged social media activity under both departmental and criminal scrutiny, with the requested preservation and forensic examination of digital evidence forming part of the proceedings.

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has said his government will reconsider the controversial amendment allowing up to 5% of park land to be used for public utility projects, following protests by thousands of Bengaluru residents, environmental activists and public figures at Lalbagh on August 30.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, September 1, Shivakumar said he would call for the government files to examine why the provision was introduced and how park land had been dealt with by previous governments.

“I will examine why this proposal to allocate 5 per cent of park land came about, what the previous government did, and which land was given to whom. I will call for the files, and we can discuss this again in the Assembly.”

The Chief Minister said the amendment had been passed without a discussion in the legislature and offered to facilitate a fresh debate on the legislation. He also invited suggestions from the Opposition and members of the public.

“There was no discussion while passing the amendment to the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act. Now, they are staging a protest. Let them do it. I am ready to hold discussions on it. I know how they (BJP) also allotted parks and other lands. There’s no need for anyone to worry. I know how to protect park land,” he said.

The Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was passed by both Houses of the state legislature on August 24.

The amendment changes the 1975 law to permit the state “to alienate park land by way of sale, lease, gift, exchange, mortgage, or otherwise, up to an absolute limit of 5 per cent of the total area”.

The provision applies to parks and gardens under the horticulture department and allows portions of them to be used for infrastructure or utility projects. The legislation specifies that such projects “shall be considered as being in furtherance of public interest”.

Only government departments, statutory authorities, public sector companies and local authorities are permitted to use land under the provision. The government has maintained that the amendment is intended to facilitate public infrastructure rather than private development.

Environmental groups and citizen organisations, however, have raised concerns that allowing even a portion of protected green spaces to be alienated could make it easier to divert park land for development and infrastructure.

Lalbagh has emerged as the centre of the controversy because the proposed tunnel road project in Bengaluru is expected to require more than an acre of land from the botanical garden. Sources have said the amendment is intended to facilitate the project by removing legal hurdles around the use of park land.

The timing of the legislation has also drawn scrutiny. The Bill was passed a day after billionaire businessman Gautam Adani met Shivakumar. A company owned by Adani is expected to secure the contract for the Chief Minister's proposed tunnel road project.

The controversy culminated in the August 30 protest at Lalbagh, where thousands gathered under the banner “Walk in Lalbagh. Walk for Lalbagh”. Environmentalists, citizen groups and Bengaluru BJP leaders and MPs were among those opposing the amendment.

Shivakumar said the debate should also examine earlier instances of park and government land being diverted or allotted. He said he would make records available to establish what previous governments had done.

“Lalbagh land was used for a metro station. Why didn't anybody speak then? In Sadashivanagar, space inside a park was given to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or some such organisation. Go see for yourself,” he said.

The Chief Minister said there was a “long list of such allotments” and that these would also be examined. He specifically referred to land that had been provided for various purposes in Bengaluru under earlier governments, including those led by the BJP.

“I will get the files and we can discuss the matter again in the Legislative Assembly,” he said.

Shivakumar also sought to assure citizens that the amendment would not mean the unchecked loss of Bengaluru's green spaces. He said the final decision would be based on what was in the larger public interest.

“No one needs to worry. I know how to protect the park land. The decision will be in public interest,” he said.

He said he was willing to consider recommendations from both the Opposition and citizens before deciding how to proceed with the amendment.

“I am open to the suggestions of the Opposition. I will also consider the suggestions of the public. My intention is not to create any confusion,” he said.

The government has also spoken of plans to expand Bengaluru's green cover through five proposed Lalbagh-like “lung spaces”. These include Turahalli Mini Forest, Thottikallu Falls, Nettigere, BM Kaval Forest Area, Basavanthara and Mandur–Jyotipura.

“The BJP didn't even create one park or lung space when in power,” Shivakumar said.