Indian media on September 18 extensively focused on Rahul Gandhi's allegations of "vote theft" and electoral "fraud." In the morning, Gandhi held a press conference claiming a "hydrogen bomb" revelation, presenting "proof" of systematic deletion of 6,000 voter names in Karnataka's Aland and fraudulent additions in other states. He accused the Chief Election Commissioner of protecting those involved. By early afternoon, the Election Commission dismissed these claims as "incorrect and baseless," stating that names cannot be deleted online. Concurrently, America's potential removal of a 25% penal tariff on Indian goods, and later the revocation of sanctions waivers for India at Iran's Chabahar port, also gained attention. Separately, Neeraj Chopra's eighth-place finish in the World Championship, failing to medal, and the performance of Sachin Yadav, were also widely reported.