Ahead of Rahul’s visit, BJP questions Cong-ruled states’ apathy towards Punjab
Chandigarh: Ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled visit to Punjab, the BJP state unit on Sunday asked how much assistance the Congress-ruled states had extended to the flood-hit state. Pointing out that “Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and other alliance partners currently govern eight states across the country”, Punjab BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal questioned: “How much financial assistance or relief material these govts have extended to Punjab during this crisis?” He urged Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring to “present this data publicly so that the people of Punjab may clearly know which parties genuinely stood with them in their time of distress”. In a written statement, Baliawal mentioned: “While both the state govt and the Congress party continuously question central assistance, they have not shown the will to extend help from states where they themselves are in power.” He further remarked: “During the critical period when Punjab was inundated and people were suffering immense hardship, Rahul Gandhi was abroad in Malaysia. The timing of Rahul Gandhi’s Punjab visit now indicates a political spectacle rather than a sincere concern for the flood-affected population.” Baliawal added: “The central govt under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already provided Punjab with Rs 1,600 crore in immediate relief, in addition to the Rs 12,000 crore available with the Punjab govt under the State Disaster Response Fund.” “The BJP-ruled states such as Delhi, Gujarat, Goa, and Haryana have each contributed Rs 5 crore to the Punjab chief minister’s relief fund. Alongside financial support, several BJP govts have dispatched thousands of trucks and train wagons carrying rations and essential supplies for flood victims. Throughout this period, BJP leaders and workers across Punjab have been continuously engaged in relief and rehabilitation efforts,” he pointed out. Emphasising that the people of Punjab “deserve transparency on who truly stood by them in their hour of need”, Baliawal said: “Rahul Gandhi must answer why Congress-ruled state govts have demonstrated indifference and apathy towards Punjab’s suffering.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
BJP, Congress eye bigger share of seats in Magadh region
Gaya: Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting in Bodh Gaya on Aug 22 and the positive response to Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra in the Magadh division, the bargaining position of both national parties has improved within their respective alliances. Political observers said in the 2020 assembly elections, both parties played second fiddle in NDA and Mahagathbandhan, respectively. In 2020, JD(U) led the NDA in Magadh by contesting 11 of the 26 seats, while the BJP fielded candidates in 10. BJP secured three of these 10 seats in four districts of the division but did not contest in Jahanabad. JD(U), however, failed to win any of the 11 seats it contested in Magadh. Even in Ghosi, long considered Jagdish Sharma’s stronghold, his son Rahul suffered a decisive defeat to CPI(ML) candidate Ram Bali Yadav, who had been seen as an underdog throughout the campaign. In Rafiganj, JD(U) candidate Ashok Kumar Singh slipped to third place. Within the NDA, HAM(S) emerged as the most successful with Jitan Ram Manjhi’s party winning three of the five seats it contested in Gaya, Jahanabad and Aurangabad. In the Mahagathbandhan camp, CPI(ML) achieved a perfect strike rate by winning both Ghosi and Arwal. Congress secured three of the seven seats it contested. Over the past five years, and particularly in recent months, political fortunes in the region have shifted. Gaya district BJP chief Prem Prakash argued that BJP’s growing strength must be reflected in seat-sharing. “BJP was much stronger now and this strength must be reflected in the distribution of seats based on the winnability of the candidates. Moreover, unlike other parties inside and outside the alliance, BJP has got a leader like Prem Kumar, the undisputed EBC leader of Bihar,” said Prakash. In 2015, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Shah Nawaz Hussain, while addressing an election rally in Gaya, had presented Kumar as BJP’s potential CM face. Congress functionaries also believe their position warrants a larger share of seats. Vijay Kumar Mithu, former AICC member, said, “Based on traction, Congress definitely deserves more than the seven seats it contested in 2020. The party would demand at least one more SC seat as it has significantly strengthened itself in recent times and though it has become more popular in all social groups, its footprint was most pronounced among the Dalits and EBCs.” Ali Hussain, principal of a Gaya-based college and a political science teacher for nearly two decades, observed that the rival coalitions would eventually need to adjust. “Sooner or later, the rival coalitions will have to recalibrate their strategy in view of the ground realities,” he added. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to tour flood-hit border districts of Punjab
Chandigarh: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit flood-affected areas in Punjab on Monday. He will land in Amritsar on a chartered flight in the morning and will take a return flight on the same plane from Pathankot after visiting flood-affected areas in border districts, an official said. As per his schedule, the Raebareli MP is set to go to flood-affected Ghonewal, Ajnala, Gurchak, and Makoura before heading to Pathankot. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said Gandhi had always batted for the interests of farmers, raising their issues and slamming the BJP-led Centre govt for favouring corporates. “Now that floodwaters have receded, it is an appropriate time for him (Rahul Gandhi) to have a first-person account of the damage suffered by farmers. He will meet flood-affected farmers and people, and his visit is expected to force the govt to give immediate and adequate relief to farmers,” Warring said. Warring reiterated that the Rs 1,600-crore financial assistance announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Punjab was “peanuts” and that “so far not even a rupee has been given from the promised amount”. Leader of opposition and Congress MLA from Qadian, Partap Singh Bajwa, too said the visit was expected to force both govts, in the state and at the Centre, to “take the rehabilitation of flood-affected people seriously”. “We would request him (Rahul Gandhi) to take up the matter with the PM and tell him to rethink the relief amount as it is meagre. We would also urge him to get clarity from the PM on disaster funds as the PM said Rs 12,000 crore was lying with Punjab, the state govt said it received Rs 1m500 crore, and the CAG report mentioned that by March 31, 2023, Punjab had Rs ,9041 crore in disaster funds,” Bajwa said. He added Gandhi would visit flood-affected areas in assembly constituencies of Dera Baba Nanak, Ajnala, and Dinanagar. Union minister of state for railways and food processing industries Ravneet Bittu, in a post in Punjabi, took a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s recent foreign visit. “When the elections for Vice-President were happening, you were busy enjoying your holidays. And when Punjab was drowning and people were crying, you were living it up in Malaysia!” In an apparent reference to the Congress leader’s scheduled visit to Punjab on Monday, Bittu said in the post, “These visits don’t seem to be about alleviating people’s pain but rather for staging political drama.” Bittu to Gandhi: ‘What breed of horse are you?’ Union minister of state for railways and food processing industries Ravneet Bittu termed visit “political drama”. In a post on X, Bittu said, “It is said that Rahul Gandhi ji is coming to Punjab! Rahul often says that Congress has all kinds of horses – racehorses, wedding horses, even lame horses. But Rahul ji, can you or your party leaders, especially the leaders of Punjab, tell the people what breed of horse you are?” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Varansi News: Will Rahul Gandhi explode hydrogen bomb in Varanasi, on the same day Modi will donate his mother’s pind in Gaya ji
Rahul Gandhi News: Modi is going to donate his mother’s pind in Gaya ji, Bihar. On the same day Rahul Gandhi is coming to explode hydrogen bomb in Prime Minister Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi. There is a lot of discussion about this. Abhishek Kumar Jha, Varanasi: Rahul Gandhi’s statement on hydrogen bomb is being discussed a lot. In a media byte, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi had targeted the entire election process and talked about hydrogen bomb. With the data of a Lok Sabha constituency of Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi had said that if there was no theft in the elections, the government would not have been formed. Meanwhile, amid the sound of Bihar elections, PM Narendra Modi will donate his mother’s pind in Gaya ji According to the information received by NBT Online on the same day, Rahul Gandhi will explode hydrogen bomb in PM’s parliamentary constituency. 17 September is when PM Modi will donate his mother’s pind. At the same time, Rahul Gandhi will be raising questions about Modi’s election process in his parliamentary constituency. Screening of 1600 houses, more than 500 names on one house NBT Online has received information that Rahul Gandhi will hold a press conference with a list of more than 1600 houses. In this press conference, Rahul Gandhi will be accompanied by Ajay Rai, the state president of Congress and the candidate of the Grand Alliance in the Lok Sabha. In the press conference, Rahul Gandhi will release a list of about 1600 houses, where the number of voters will be unusually high. This will also include such houses or residential addresses, where there will be more than 500 voters. Not only this, the addresses of PM Modi’s old parliamentary office are also included. NBT Online has received information that Rahul Gandhi will reach Varanasi late in the evening of the 16th for this press conference. PM will be offering Pind Daan to Maa Heera Ben in Gaya Ji However, there is no official information yet as to what time PM Modi will reach Gaya Ji and offer Pind Daan to Maa Heera Ben, but on the same day, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi can start a campaign to damage PM Modi’s Bihar election campaign. According to the information, PM Modi is going to Gaya ji for the Pind Daan of his mother Hira Ben. After this news, AI generated videos have also been circulated as a taunt from the social media handles of opposition parties, especially Congress. Politics has started on the Pind Daan program of a son for his mother. Edited by: Vivek Mishra About the author Vivek Mishra is a senior digital content producer at Navbharat Times. His focus remains on the news of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Apart from this, he keeps writing opinion and political analysis. Birthplace is Barabanki and work place has been many cities of three states. Started career in print media in 2013. Has worked on sports for one and a half years in Madhya Pradesh Jansandesh. Has worked in hyper local in Patrika, Hindustan, Amar Ujala. Apart from this, he has worked for one and a half years in Dainik Jagran Noida in Delhi, and one year in Noida-Ghaziabad. Has been working with Navbharat Times since December 2020. Courtesy : Hindi News
BRS secretly aligning with BJP, says TPCC chief
Hyderabad: Telangana Congress president and MLC B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Saturday accused BRS working president KT Rama Rao of attacking Rahul Gandhi merely to appease BJP leaders in Delhi, aiming to shield his party’s top brass from a CBI probe in the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project case. “KTR doesn’t have the stature to question Rahul Gandhi. How can he involve AICC leaders in the turncoat MLAs issue when the Speaker decides the matter? BRS’s secret deal with the BJP is clear after they refused to support the INDIA bloc’s vice-presidential candidate, Justice B Sudershan Reddy, indirectly backing the NDA candidate,” Mahesh Goud alleged. He recalled that K Kavitha, daughter of former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, had accused KTR and T Harish Rao of planning to merge BRS with BJP, blaming them for corruption in the Kaleshwaram project. “KTR should clarify these allegations. His meetings with PM Modi in the past cannot be used to question Congress MLAs meeting CM Revanth for development. Telangana’s people now see BRS’s psychological merger with the BJP,” he said. He further accused BJP Union ministers, G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay, of staying silent after demanding a CBI probe, suspecting them of shielding the KCR family. “The CBI hasn’t even begun the investigation. Is a formal BRS-BJP merger in the works?” he questioned. On notices issued to party leader Kota Neelima, he alleged the Election Commission acted under BJP pressure and promised legal action to support her. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Good he is going’: Rahul Gandhi welcomes PM Modi’s upcoming Manipur visit; brings focus back on ‘vote chori’
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Manipur. However, he added that the larger concern in the country was “vote chori” which still needs to be addressed. Speaking to reporters, Gandhi said: “The issue in Manipur has been ongoing for a long time. It is good that he is going there now. But the main issue in the country is that of ‘Vote Chori’.” The leader of opposition alleged that the election mandates in Haryana and Maharashtra had been “stolen,” adding that people across the country were calling the prime minister a “vote chor.” — ANI (@ANI) Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit both Mizoram and Manipur on September 13. This will be his first trip to Manipur since ethnic clashes broke out between the Kuki and Meitei communities in May 2023. The violence, which has claimed more than 260 lives, displaced thousands of families, and destroyed homes and businesses. It led to the imposition of President’s Rule in the state in February this year following the resignation of chief minister N Biren Singh. According to officials, PM Modi will inaugurate and launch development projects worth Rs 8,500 crore during the visit. His itinerary includes programmes in Churachandpur and Imphal, symbolic centres of the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities. He is expected to meet displaced families and announce rehabilitation packages. Analysts say the dual engagement is being seen as an attempt to strike a balance between the two communities and signal neutrality in the ongoing humanitarian and political crisis. The prime minister is also scheduled to address a gathering at Kangla Fort in Imphal. His visit comes amid continuing uncertainty in the state, where thousands of displaced families are still struggling to rebuild their lives. The Mizoram Chief Minister’s Office confirmed on X the Prime Minister’s visit. It said the state was “fully prepared to receive the Hon’ble Prime Minister” and that the people were “eagerly looking forward” to it. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Rising From the Dust’: Luminous short stories about Dalit lives on both sides of the Bengal border
The anthology contains 12 stories curated and translated by Aruna Chakravarti. Aruna Chakravarti’s exceptional skills as both a translator and a writer of meticulously researched historical fiction are widely acknowledged and evidenced by her much-acclaimed oeuvre so far. This time, however, she has mobilised her art of translation to cast some light on the plight of the Dalits of Bengal, more specifically, of Dalit women, who confront a three-pronged dilemma: the stigma of their caste, gender-based injustice, and ubiquitous poverty. The result is Rising From the Dust: Dalit Stories from Bengal. Many Bengals For this anthology Chakravarti has translated 12 stories spread across a century, including works by both contemporary Dalit writers and those written about the community by non-Dalit writers who wrote sensitively about the condition of Dalit women. Apart from the sheer enjoyment of reading these stories, which I shall deal with later, I must mention here that for me, this book, at many levels, is an eye-opener and offers multiple layers of pleasure, like a matryoshka doll, encasing within itself a variety of linked worlds of personal and literary associations and significance. I come to it not just as a reader but as an expatriate Bangladeshi-Italian, and an anglophone writer and translator myself. There is also my background of being born in undivided Pakistan, and growing up in both East and West Pakistan, which enables me to relate to the stories where Bangladesh or East Bengal is mentioned. Also, to read in this anthology the works of some of the contemporary writers of Bengali Dalit literature, like Manoranjan Byapari, Manohar Mouli Biswas or Nakul Malik, all new to me and all born in East Pakistan, gives me a special insight into, at least, the geographic if not the economic or social circumstances of their remembered world. This is true also of the great Mahasweta Devi, many of whose stories about Adivasis I helped translate into Italian, and had the pleasure of meeting her during a film festival in Rome, in 2010, where the cinematic version of one of her stories was being screened as Gangor by the Italian director Italo Spinelli. Each story in this collection has a powerful impact, representing as it does a specific professional group of Dalits. The diversity here is tremendous: there are fisherfolk and boatmen, farmers and snake-charmers, doms and sweepers, tanners and drum-makers, basket-weavers, and rickshaw pullers. Even dung-cake-makers. Here, Mothos and Duleys, Bedeys and Vaishnavs, and poor Muslim farmers all exist side by side. Women at the centre There are strong female protagonists: Sarama in Manoranjan Byapari’s “The Fortress,” who makes her body her last battlefield. (“She is a pot brimming over with poison.”). In Chintay in Bimalendu Haldar’s “Salt,” we see the spirit of resistance among fisherwomen united against exploitation. (“Men…scorn us as weak and helpless. Let’s show them that we…can do everything they can. We are four women together.”) In Mahasweta Devi’s “Nalini’s Story,” we witness heartwarming female solidarity as Nalini’s friend, Mukundo’s mother, constantly stands up for Nalini against her greedy family. “You’re here to grab the old woman’s house and sell it … But it won’t be that easy. We’re with her.”) In Manohar Mouli Biswas’s “Shonkhomala,” the eponymous character, a rare, educated woman of the dom community, inspires her husband to help them escape their constraining circumstances. “Let us cast off the surname that brings us only shame and dishonour.” In Shankini, the beautiful and fiery leader of the band of bedeys, snake charmers in Prafulla Kumar Roy’s “Snake Maiden,” presents a version of the career-driven woman’s dilemma confronting domestic bliss versus ambition. (It wasn’t as though she herself was not lured by the prospect of putting down roots. “But I love my life as a bedeyni even more. The danger and excitement of sailing over tumultuous waters…We have been nomads for generations.”) Shefali, the wife in Nakul Mallik’s “Illegal Immigrant”, runs all the way from the slums of Bongaon to the Petrapole border office looking for her immigrant husband, and, when stopped from crossing the border, she rages at the officer. (“What passport? … I’m going to my husband. How dare you try to stop me?”) Larani in Anil Ghorai’s “Insect Festival” questions societal and religious rules. (“All these decrees are given out by evil men…in the name of the gods.”) And the pathetic old recluse Shora is seen as a fiendish creature in Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay’s psychologically complex story “The Witch,” about the battle of self-worth against public perception. (“There was no doubt in her mind now. What people said was right. She possessed a demoniac power…a power that destroyed everyone she loved.”) And even when the protagonists are frail or passive, their stories by dint of their narrative power, have the strength to move readers to tears, as in Saratchandra Chattopadhyay’s “Abhagi’s Heaven” where a dignified cremation with full funeral rites is craved by the lowborn protagonist as her most dazzling goal; or Mahasweta Devi’s “The True-Life story of Ulli-Bulli’s Mother” where a skilful use of dual points of view effectively reveals the mind of an unhinged old woman living in her past, searching for her lost twin daughters; orTarasankar Bandyopadhyay’s “Raikamal”, where a young Vaishnavi Kamal quietly struggles to embody the purity of spiritual love while suppressing her physical instincts. As to the faith of the other characters, whether the gods actually hear their fervent prayers or not, we see the wives of fishermen near the Sunderbans go to shrines of Bonbibi, the lady guardian spirit of the forest venerated by both Hindus and Muslims;,while the snake charmers bow to both Allah and Bishohari, another name for Manasha, the snake goddess. Some characters give offerings at Ma Sheetala’s temple, others at Kalighat. Translation and details Within a single volume one journeys through diverse settings and locations: refugee camps and slums, forests, fields of wild reeds, bulrushes, tussock grass, teeming bazars, urban alleys, streets and train stations, salt fens and muddy banks of rivers, bamboo groves, fish warehouses, paddy fields, dusty stretches
Kashi court agrees to hear plaint against Sonia, Rahul over remarks on PM Modi, his mom
Varanasi: The special MP/MLA court of additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM), Varanasi, has agreed to hear a criminal complaint in connection with the alleged hate speech at a Congress rally in Bihar where objectionable comments were made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother. The court admitted the plea moved by Shashank Shekhar Tripathi — an advocate and convener of BJP’s legal cell in the Kashi region — under section 223 of BNS, and will hear the parties concerned on Sept 17 to decide the maintainability of the case. Tripathi said that this complaint has been filed against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and the party’s official social media platforms. The complaint alleged that during a Congress-RJD rally in Darbhanga, Bihar, offensive and derogatory slogans were chanted against PM Modi and his late mother. Objectionable and inflammatory posts were also shared from Congress’s official social media platforms, attempting to tarnish the image of the PM, central govt, and constitutional institutions. Such conduct has raised concerns about social tension, enmity, and disturbance of peace, the complaint added. Tripathi said that continuous insults, baseless accusations, and inflammatory propaganda against the PM and constitutional institutions are merely conspiracies to weaken democracy. “The court’s acceptance of our complaint and initiation of proceedings is a significant step towards restoring the dignity of democratic institutions,” he said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Permission leni chahiye thi’ moment at UP meet: Rahul Gandhi, BJP minister engage in heated argument
NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh engaged in a heated argument during a meeting in Raebareli. The video of the Thursday-incident has gone viral on social media where Rahul could be seen asking Singh to take permission of the chair before speaking. “I am chairing this meeting. If you have something to say, ask first, and then I will give you a chance to speak,” Rahul said during the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meet. Reacting to the incident later, Singh criticised Rahul saying that the Raebareli MP “comes across as an owner” of the meet instead of the chair, which, he said was “not acceptable” to him. “In the DISHA meeting, the MP is the chair of the meeting of the constituency. As per the guidelines rural development department, implementation, supervising of 43 programmes is his responsibility. When Rahul Gandhi comes, he comes across as an owner, which was not acceptable to me. You will see myself supporting Rahul Gandhi when he does service to the people of Raebareli, but when he uses the platform to criticise the government, then I will be standing against him. I was expecting him to speak about DISHA meeting. Hence, I opposed,” he said. “The chief minister should take note of such conduct. What message does it send about cabinet discipline?” he told PTI. Singh, a legislative council member from Raebareli was formerly a Congress leader. He joined BJP workers in a protest against Gandhi, demanding his apology over alleged abusive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother during Bihar rally. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Why did Rahul Gandhi not attend the Vice President’s oath ceremony? Congress gave Dhankhar’s answer
A political controversy has erupted over Rahul Gandhi’s absence at CP Radhakrishnan’s swearing-in ceremony as Vice President. Responding to BJP’s questions on this issue, the Congress said that the issue is not Rahul Gandhi’s presence, but the presence of Jagdeep Dhankhar, who finally got permission to speak. New Delhi: CP Radhakrishnan took oath as the 15th Vice President of the country on Friday. During this, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was absent, due to which a political uproar has erupted. While BJP is raising questions on one hand, on the other hand, Congress has now responded. Congress said, the issue is not whether Rahul Gandhi was there or not. The issue is that Dhankhar was present there. Finally he got permission to leave his house and come out. What did Pawan Khera say on Rahul Gandhi not attending the swearing-in ceremony Regarding Rahul Gandhi’s absence from CP Radhakrishnan’s swearing-in ceremony, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, the issue is not whether Rahul Gandhi was there or not. The issue is that Dhankhar was present there. After all, he has got permission to leave his house and come out. He questioned, when will Jagdeep Dhankhar be allowed to speak? This is our question. Jagdeep Dhankhar had arrived at the swearing-in ceremony Many leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu were present at Radhakrishnan’s swearing-in ceremony. Former Vice Presidents Hamid Ansari and Venkaiah Naidu also attended the ceremony. Dhankhar also attended the swearing-in ceremony. He was seen in public for the first time after resigning from the post of Vice President. Curated by: Abhishek Pandey About the author Abhishek Pandey is currently a consultant writer at Navbharat Times Online. He has more than three years of experience working on news related to current affairs, politics, crime and public concern. Along with this, he has closely covered the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022, Lok Sabha elections 2024. Courtesy: Hindi News