The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday took a serious note of remarks made by Mallikarjun Kharge against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, issuing a show cause notice amid widening political row, officials said on Wednesday.

The action follows a complaint by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation, including Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman, which approached the poll panel demanding strict action over Kharge’s remarks.

The controversy erupted after Kharge, while addressing reporters in Chennai, criticised the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for aligning with the BJP and referred to the Prime Minister as a ‘terrorist’, triggering sharp reactions from the ruling party.

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The BJP termed the comment an insult not just to Modi but to the country’s citizens.

Kharge later issued a clarification, saying his statement was misinterpreted.

He maintained that he did not intend to label the Prime Minister a terrorist, but meant that Modi “terrorises” political opponents and institutions.

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The Congress chief also accused the Prime Minister of violating the Model Code of Conduct and alleged that the Election Commission was acting in favour of the BJP—charges that further escalated the political confrontation.

The poll body’s notice seeks Kharge’s response to the remarks, as the issue adds to an already heated election atmosphere.

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L&T Technologies Services Ltd. declared a dividend of Rs 40 per share, while also posting a 10% sequential climb in its net profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, an exchange filing on Wednesday showed.

The company’s consolidated bottomline rose to Rs 332 crore, as compared to Rs 303 crore in the quarter ended December. This is largely in line with the consensus estimate of Rs 341 crore, as shared by the analysts tracked by Bloomberg.

The firms’ revenue increased by 2.5% to Rs 2,858 crore from Rs 2,787 crore in the preceding quarter. Analysts had estimated a topline of Rs 2,970 crore. 

The tech company’s earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) was up 5.5% at Rs 435 crore, as against Rs 412 crore in the previous quarter. The EBIT margin expanded to Rs 15.2% from 14.8% in the previous quarter.

The company said it will pay the final dividend of Rs 40 per share 30 days after the approval of shareholders at its upcoming annual general meeting on June 1. The record date for determining the eligibility of shareholders has been fixed as May 22.

Track key highlights of the Q4 results declared on April 22

L&T Technology Q4FY26 Highlights (Cons, QoQ)  

• Net profit up 9.7% at Rs 332 crore versus Rs 303 crore 
• Revenue up 2.5% at Rs 2,858 crore versus Rs 2,787 crore 
• EBIT up 5.5% at Rs 435 crore versus Rs 412 crore
• EBIT margin At 15.2% vs 14.8% 

The firm’s board of directors has also approved the appointment of Rajeev Gupta, the company’s chief financial officer (CFO) as executive director for a term of three years from April 22, 2026 up to April 21, 2029. It also approved Amitabh Kant’s designation as independent director for a period of five years commencing from April 22, 2026 to April 21, 2031.

Before the quarterly results were declared, shares of L&T Technology settled 2.53% lower at Rs, 3,550.2 apiece on the NSE, compared to a 0.81% decline in the benchmark Nifty 50.

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