T trying to break 50% quota cap, BJP a hindrance: Rahul
Hyderabad: Leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called on all Congress MPs to inform citizens about Telangana’s caste survey and how the BJP was trying to “stall the state’s progress”. He said the Telangana govt was attempting to break free of the 50% cap on reservation, both in local bodies and in govt jobs and educational institutions. “Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy’s job is to use the data to transform the lives of the people of Telangana, and our job is to raise the issue in Parliament and help him push the idea of breaking the 50% reservation cap barrier,” Rahul said while speaking during Revanth’s presentation on the socio-economic survey at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday. The PowerPoint presentation was attended by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Priyanka Gandhi, and many other top leaders of the Congress. Rahul said the Congress govt in Telangana had sent a note on the amendment to Parliament, both to the Govt of India and to the President of India. But, he alleged, the Centre was reluctant to take up the issue as if it would destroy BJP’s brand of politics. He also remarked that the national census and caste census being taken up by the Centre would not be a fair exercise as it would reveal the real situation of OBCs and Adivasis. The Congress leader also said his party had been correctly raising Dalit and Adivasi issues nationally for more than a decade. He felt many of his own leaders may not agree with him, but more needed to be done on voicing concerns of the OBCs. Rahul also praised Revanth for completing the caste survey in Telangana. “When I started to push the idea of a caste census, I thought it would be difficult for Revanth as CM, as his community (Reddy) might not appreciate it. I was observing carefully. Today, I told the expert committee that Revanth Reddy ji and other leaders exceeded my expectations. They not only did the caste census, but did it exceptionally well,” Rahul Gandhi said. He said they not only completed the survey, but also executed it in the right spirit, marking a milestone in social justice in the country. “The Telangana govt showed the country how the national caste census should be done. The census should not be conducted within closed rooms. Every section of society was taken into consideration, and every household was covered,” the Congress leader said. The Telangana govt has 21st century data which is powerful enough to target the needy in executing education and health policies. No other state in the country has that data, and for obvious reasons, the BJP may not like it, 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.
Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote theft’ claim an afterthought, says EC
NEW DELHI: Election Commission of India on Thursday said leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of “vote theft” during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka appear to be an afterthought, given that Congress neither filed a single appeal with election officials after publication of the state’s final electoral roll in Jan 2024 nor did it challenge the results in state high court through an election petition. Talking to reporters in Parliament complex, Rahul claimed that Congress has “concrete 100% proof” of “cheating in an LS seat” in Karnataka and warned that “if you (EC) think you are going to get away with this… you are mistaken… we are going to come for you”. The Congress MP said opposition would ensure that EC is held accountable. Dismissing his charges as “baseless” in a statement, EC said: “It is highly unfortunate that rather than filing an election petition as per section 80 of Representation of the People (RP)Act, 1951, or if filed, awaiting verdict of HC, he has not only made baseless allegations but also chosen to threaten EC, which is a constitutional body.” With his allegations coming more than a year after the LS polls result, EC said it was wondering why “such baseless and threatening claims were being made against it and the CEC, and that too now.” It added that the losing Congress candidates did not file a single election petition to challenge the result, despite Representation of the People Act, 1951 allowing this within 45 days of declaration of result. Others, however, did file 10 election petitions in HC. Countering Rahul’s “unwarranted threatening statements”, the Karnataka chief electoral officer (CEO) on X said copies of the draft and final electoral roll for the state’s 224 assembly seats were provided to recognised parties, including Congress, on Oct 27, 2023, and Jan 22, 2024, respectively. Between publication of the draft and final roll, around 9.2 lakh claims and objections were received and settled across 34 districts. Neither Congress nor any other entity avail the two-stage appeal option available under Representation of the People Act, 1951, the post said. Meanwhile, backing RJD functionary Tejashwi Yadav suggested possibility of boycotting Bihar elections over the special revision of electoral rolls issue, Congress’ K C Venugopal said a political party’s biggest weapon in a democracy is the voters’ list and if that is compromised, with names being deleted and lists not being clean, then you are challenging democracy. “Let there not be an election and there be one party. Let Election Commission rule that. That is what Yadav meant by his comment about boycotting,” Venugopal 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.
Telangana sets the tone for Social Justice 2.0, says Kharge
Hyderabad: Calling Telangana’s caste survey a ‘model for the nation,’ All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday declared that the Congress party’s renewed battle for Social Justice 2.0 has officially begun — and it starts in Telangana. In a politically charged remark, Kharge praised the Backward Classes reservation bill passed by the Telangana govt as a landmark move in advancing equity, empowerment, and representation for marginalised communities. He also mounted a sharp attack on the Centre, questioning its refusal to raise the reservation cap beyond 50%. “We demanded a nationwide caste census and the removal of the arbitrary 50% cap on reservations. This govt has agreed to a survey under massive public pressure, but still refuses to lift the cap,” Kharge said. “The scientific manner in which Telangana conducted its survey must be a role model for the entire nation,” he added. Kharge, who was closeted with chief minister A Revanth Reddy, Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal in Delhi to discuss the far-reaching implications of the Telangana caste survey, said: “Based on this groundbreaking socio-economic survey, our govt in Telangana has recommended 42% reservations for OBCs. This significant bill is now awaiting the assent of the President of India.” Sources said Kharge was given a detailed briefing on the methodology, findings, and the caste backwardness index, which forms the basis of the 42% BC reservation proposal in local bodies and educational institutions. According to party sources, Kharge also had an in-depth conversation with TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, who belongs to the BC community, to understand community-level nuances. Congress leaders have directed Telangana party functionaries to brief all MPs about the caste survey data to build a national momentum. Kharge highlighted glaring gaps in representation and opportunities for backward classes despite their demographic dominance. “Despite forming a vast majority of India’s population, these communities are glaringly absent from top corporate boards, the judiciary, bureaucracy, and premier institutions,” he said. “For instance, even today, there is a parliamentary answer which says that 80% OBC professor posts and 83% ST faculty posts remain vacant in Central universities,” he added. Congress leaders believe Telangana’s initiative will help pressure the Centre to act on longstanding demands for proportional representation and reservation reform. Meanwhile, CM Revanth took to social media to share that he met Priyanka Gandhi and briefed her on the BC reservation bill and the comprehensive caste survey carried out by the state. 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.
Rahul Gandhi to visit Gujarat on July 26 for district Congress chiefs’ training
Gandhinagar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Gujarat on July 26 to attend the training of newly-appointed district chiefs of the state. These leaders were appointed following a “consultative process” involving stakeholders at grassroots levels as part of a pilot project to revive the party in the state. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Artificial Intelligence A senior party source told ET that domain experts from various sectors would beparticipating in the along with members of Congress IT Cell to train the district presidents in Anand. “The process of party reorganisation is ongoing and is being fine-tuned here,” said another party leader. Courtesy : TET Note: This news is originally published on https://theeconomictimes.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Kejriwal seized Rahul Gandhi’s ‘baraat ke ghode’ statement, took a jibe at him in Gujarat rally
Arvind Kejriwal has strongly attacked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s baraat ke ghode statement. Kejriwal took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat rally and said that all the baraat ke ghodes in Congress are only baraat ke ghodes. New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had made a big statement on 3 June 2025 in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, in which he said that now the time has come to separate the race horses and the wedding horses. At the same time, now Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal has taunted him in a meeting in Gujarat. Arvind Kejriwal said that according to Rahul Gandhi, there are some race horses and some wedding horses in his party. But I want to say that all in Congress are wedding horses and all in AAP are long race horses. What did Rahul Gandhi say? In fact, while addressing his workers in Bhopal, Rahul Gandhi had said that there are many such workers in the party who work for the party with full strength. While there are many workers who are now tired of the race. In such a situation, now the time has come that the race horses and the wedding horses will have to be separated. Rahul Gandhi further said that I used to say earlier that there are two types of horses but now I believe that there are not two but three types of horses. One is a race horse, one is a wedding horse and the third is a lame horse. Now the time has come to separate the lame horse. If such workers harass the other horses i.e. workers, then action will be taken against them. Congress became arrogant in 1985: Arvind Kejriwal Arvind Kejriwal said that in 1985, Congress got majority in Gujarat, but in 2 years, it became arrogant and opened fire on the farmers, 10 farmers were killed there. After that, Congress could never return to Gujarat. Now BJP also has the same arrogance. With the martyrdom of Ashok Chaudhary ji, the countdown of BJP has started. The oppression on cattle rearers will not be tolerated anymore. If the government will raise the lathi again, then first of all it will have to use it on us. We will fight till our last breath for the rights of cattle rearers and farmers. PM goes abroad to get contract for Adani: Kejriwal Arvind Kejriwal said that PM goes abroad to get contract for Adani, but when a farmer of Gujarat asks for bonus, he is beaten with sticks. This is not a government of the poor, but of industrialists and the rich. Curated by: Sanjeev Kumar About the author Sanjeev Kumar is a resident of Begusarai, Bihar. He has studied journalism from West Bengal University. He has more than 5 years of experience in digital media. He covers local to national and current affairs. Before joining Navbharat Times, he has worked in institutions like Jagran New Media, One India and Amar Ujala. Courtesy: Hindi News
Will show people in ‘black & white’ how BJP is stealing elections: Rahul
NEW DELHI: The opposition offensive against the special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls brought Parliament proceedings to a halt for the third successive day on Wednesday, with leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi calling the exercise a BJP “ploy to steal elections”. Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha raised slogans like “SIR wapas lo ” and entered the well of the House carrying placards while in Rajya Sabha, the opposition, besides raising the issue, also demanded that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge be allowed to speak. The govt, amid the din, introduced two sports-related bills in LS. tnn Will show people in ‘black & white’ how BJP is stealing elections: Rahul Rajya Sabha saw its first adjournment after it met at 11am, and the second at noon. When it assembled for the third time at 2pm, it was adjourned for the day. During a protest by a large contingent of opposition MPs at the main entrance of Parliament over the special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls, Congress’ Rahul Gandhi raised questions about polling in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, and said he would show the people and the Election Commission “in black and white” how the theft of votes is being done. Congress has unearthed BJP’s strategy of election manipulation by studying a sample constituency in Karnataka, Gandhi said. The party spent six months compiling voters’ lists in digital format followed by a “deep dive”, and exposed BJP’s strategy of adding new voters there, Gandhi claimed, adding this was done as EC does not provide the list in electronic format, and paper lists cannot be analysed. BJP also “stole (assembly) elections in Maharashtra, but the opposition has spotted its gameplan”, he said. Amid reports that 52 lakh voters were being dropped in Bihar, Gandhi said, “It is not just about 52 lakh. It is not just about Bihar, they cheated in Maharashtra. We have asked questions to EC, asked it to show us the voters list, they did not show us the list. We asked for videography, they changed the law. One crore new voters had come in Maharashtra and the election was stolen. Now, they are redoing the system in Bihar, in a new way. Delete the voters and make the voter list afresh. Elections are being stolen in India and that is the reality.” 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.
Rahul Gandhi acting on diktats of urban naxals: CM Fadnavis
Konsari (Gadchiroli): At an industrial launch in Gadchiroli, state CM Devendra Fadnavis sharpened his attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of being heavily influenced by “urban naxals” and ultra-Left ideologues. Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited’s (LMEL) integrated steel plant in Konsari — a tribal belt once plagued by Maoist insurgency — Fadnavis charged Gandhi with enabling radical elements to stall the state’s development. “Rahul Gandhi is surrounded by urban naxals. He acts on their diktats,” Fadnavis told reporters. “Congress is opposing the Jan Suraksha Act, as per Gandhi’s directives, and this opposition is being fuelled by people with radical ideologies.” The Jan Suraksha Act has triggered protests from civil rights groups and opposition parties, who claim it may be misused to suppress dissent. Fadnavis, however, asserted that a thorough legislative review found the Act to be constitutionally sound. “The law was vetted clause by clause with opposition members on the review panel. This is propaganda by extreme leftists,” he said. Fadnavis cautioned residents of Konsari against what he described as a “coordinated misinformation campaign” by urban naxals operating outside the state. “They are not locals. Their digital footprints lead to cities like Kolkata and Bengaluru. They are spreading lies that tribals are being displaced or forests are being axed. The truth is, there is a conspiracy to derail Gadchiroli’s progress,” he said. The CM alleged the social media campaign against the project was backed by foreign-funded groups. “Such attempts are part of a bigger plot to stall development using misinformation and fear. We won’t allow them to succeed,” he said. The CM also spoke of a marked shift in Gadchiroli’s profile — from a Maoist-hit zone to an emerging industrial district. “A few years ago, officers refused to take postings here. Today, they are seeking transfers to Gadchiroli. That is the transformation,” 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.
Cong, BJP spar as posters come up of arrested NSUI state chief with Rahul
Bhubaneswar: A day after National Students’ Union of India’s state president Udit Narayan Pradhan was arrested on charges of raping a 19-year-old student in the city, posters have surfaced throughout Bhubaneswar displaying images of the suspended Congress member alongside Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi. The giant posters have come up at prominent places including Janpath, sparking heated exchanges between the Congress and BJP. State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das accused the BJP of having orchestrated this poster campaign to defame the party. “We are certain about BJP’s involvement in this negative poster campaign against the Congress. This indicates BJP’s apprehension towards Congress, which has strengthened its protests regarding the reported rise in crimes against women,” Das said. “BJP cannot stifle our voice. Women safety is our biggest focus. Our protest will be intensified in the coming days,” he added even as another Congress member criticised the BMC for not pulling down such unauthorised posters. The Congress formed a six-member committee on Monday to investigate the allegations against Pradhan. The party indicated it would support strict action if the charges were proven true. Responding strongly to the allegations, BJP MLA Babu Singh said, “Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others. The arrest of Udit Pradhan has exposed the double standard of Congress on issues of women’s safety.” Avilash Panda, state president of BJP’s youth wing, criticised Congress for appointing Pradhan as NSUI Odisha president. “Days before his appointment (Aug 2024), he was arrested in a criminal case in Bhubaneswar. Still, the Congress made him the NSUI state president,” Panda said. Amid the BJP-Congress confrontation over Pradhan’s arrest, BJD president and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik expressed concern over an alleged increase in crimes against women. “A disturbing wave of crimes against women is gripping Odisha. This surge in sexual assaults reflects a troubling erosion of law enforcement. When various ranks of the police face interference and political pressure, accountability weakens — and women and girls pay the price first,” Naveen wrote in a social media post. 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.
Oppn protests rolls revision in Bihar, stalls House business
NEW DELHI: Parliament on Tuesday witnessed a strong opposition offensive against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, with members across party lines forcing a washout of proceedings in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, and holding a sit-in in the Parliament complex. INDIA bloc members Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Kanimozhi, TR Baalu, Misa Bharti, Manoj Jha, Kalyan Banerjee, KC Venugopal and a host of other MPs gathered at the main gate of the Parliament building, where they raised slogans against the SIR and demanded that it be scrapped. At the meeting of the INDIA bloc in the chamber of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the opposition decided to take up the issue in the two Houses to ensure that the urgent concern of RJD was not overshadowed by the controversy over Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor in the opening days of the Monsoon session. The issue figured prominently in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha that failed to transact any business. The opposition has listed Election Commission’s electoral rolls review in poll-bound Bihar as its top priority alongside the terror attack for discussion. Congress whip Manickam Tagore said, “In the first half, LoP (in LS) Rahul Gandhi wanted to speak but he was not allowed, just like Monday. We want a discussion on SIR which is a govt conspiracy to take away the right to vote of the poor.” 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.
Speak up in Parliament for ‘marginalised’ Muslims, Mehbooba urges Rahul
SRINAGAR: Former J&K chief minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti wrote Monday to Rahul Gandhi, urging Congress’s LS leader of Opposition to take a firm stand during Parliament’s current monsoon session against “growing marginalisation of Muslims in India”. In her letter, Mehbooba acknowledged that while key issues like the horrific Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor and other critical security matters were expected to dominate House discussions, she “sincerely hopes the opposition, especially INDIA bloc, raises the growing concern of Muslim victimisation across the country”. “Under the pretext of targeting ‘Bangladeshis’ and ‘Rohingyas’, Muslims are being pushed into increasingly desperate situations. Disturbing media reports have even suggested that some were forced into the sea in attempts to expel them from India. As you rightly highlighted during your (recent) visit to Assam, the large-scale demolition of thousands of Muslim homes is deeply troubling,” Mehbooba’s letter stated. The PDP president also referred to the raging controversy over special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. He described the exercise as “yet another systematic effort to dispossess, disempower, and ultimately disenfranchise Muslims, effectively erasing their presence, both symbolically and literally”. Mehbooba underscored Rahul’s legacy to urge him to voice the concerns. “Muslims who chose to remain in India during Partition did so because of the faith they had in the secular leadership of the Congress from Mahatma Gandhi to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Today, as the bearer of that legacy, the responsibility falls on your shoulders to uphold and defend the secular and democratic values enshrined in our Constitution,” the letter stated. Mehbooba pointed out that when Hindus, minorities in neighbouring countries like Pakistan or Bangladesh, were targeted, “our nation rightly expresses outrage and the Union government intervenes”. “But when Muslims are targeted within our own country there is an unsettling silence, a fear that prevents many from speaking up,” she wrote. As a politician from one of the “only Muslim-majority regions that chose to join the Indian Union largely due to the vision and secular character of your great-grandfather (Nehru), I feel extremely helpless at times”, the PDP chief wrote, urging Rahul to continue speaking up for a minority “steadily marginalised and pushed to the fringes of Indian society”. 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.