Kharge & Rahul review Cong’s work in state, outreach efforts
Ranchi: Top brass of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Monday met its legislators, parliamentarians from the state along with senior leaders and office bearers from the party’s state unit in New Delhi on Monday to review developments in the party as well as in the JMM led coalition govt, of which it is a part. The meeting comes at a time when a few MLAs began to openly criticise some of the ministers, who are part of the cabinet of chief minister Hemant Soren, and accused them of sidelining and ignoring party workers and voice from the grassroot. Few days back, Khijri MLA and deputy leader of Congress legislative party, in the state assembly, Rajesh Kachchap openly criticised the functioning of state health minister Irfan Ansari, who is the party’s MLA from Jamtara. Monday’s meeting lasted for close to two hours from evening at the AICC headquarters in presence of national president Mallikarjun Kharge, and leader of opposition in Parliament, Rahul Gandhi. All 16 MLAs, two MPs and senior party officer bearers attended the meeting. State party president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, after the meeting said that the meeting remained positive and national leadership was apprised of host of works undertaken to strengthen the party at the grassroots. Mahto said, “Party’s Jharkhand affair’s in-charge gave a detailed presentation on the various works which we have initiated as part of Sangathan Srijan programme. It was appreciated by Kharge ji and Rahul ji.” He also added that stress was laid on fulfilling party’s manifesto (seven guarantees) which was promised during 2024 assembly polls. “Since we are also part of the govt, we must work in tandem with our alliance partners to ensure that the promises are fulfilled. For, Congress, issues such as implementation of PESA rules, Sarna code, working for upliftment of OBC community are a few key priorities. Leadership has instructed to work towards it,” he said. Ansari said the leadership was happy with the performance of the ministers. Courtesy : TTOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetimesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Purnia massacre: Rahul Gandhi spoke to the victims over the phone, said- Congress is with you in the fight for justice
Purnia News: A heart-wrenching incident of burning alive 5 members of a tribal family has come to light in Purnia district of Bihar, which has shaken the entire state. Rahul Gandhi shared his grief by talking to the victim’s family over the phone and assured all possible help. Purnia: A heart-wrenching incident took place in Purnia district of Bihar. Here 5 people of a tribal family were burnt alive. This incident shook the entire state. It is alleged that more than 50 people attacked the house of a woman of the family, calling her a witch. In this case, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, an ally of the Grand Alliance, spoke to the victim’s family over the phone on Sunday. He shared the family’s grief and took full details of the incident. Rahul Gandhi talked to the victim’s family for about 5 minutes Today, All India Tribal Congress President Dr. Vikrant Bhuria met and talked to the family members of the victim’s tribal family in Tetgama village of Purnia district. During this, he assured justice by making the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi talk to the victim’s family over the phone. He told the victim’s family that the Congress family will stand firmly with them in this fight for justice. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in a phone conversation, took information about the entire incident from the victim’s family and assured all possible help. Rahul Gandhi talked to the victim’s family for about 5 minutes. Criminals’ rule in Nitish government: Vikrant Bhuria Vikrant Bhuria said that the barbaric incident of burning alive five members of the tribal family has shamed humanity. Criminals’ rule is established in the Nitish government of Bihar. He said that the current situation in Bihar has become such that murders, massacres and rapes of women are being carried out by criminals whenever they want. The police and law and order have become completely inactive and have surrendered before the criminals. The entire village along with the victim’s family is scared: Bhuria He alleged that the pace of arresting the criminals in the brutal murder case of Purnia is very slow. The entire village along with the victim’s family is scared and frightened. The law is not able to do its work because a situation of distrust in the government has developed among the common people. The criminals have established a parallel power to the government. Curated by: Sudhendra Pratap Singh About the author Sudhendra Pratap Singh is a senior digital content producer at Navbharat Times Digital. Started his journey in journalism with the local newspaper Agrabharat. From here the caravan grew and reached NBT.com via Kalpataru Express, Hindustan News Paper, News18. Courtesy: Hindi News
Khati Corner
Cameras in focus AI cameras were supposed to be game-changers, or so Odisha Police had thought. They were supposed to help the cops control crowds and keep tabs on suspicious people during Rath Yatra. But a series of incidents has put a question mark on the use of AI cameras. Delay in the pulling of chariots due to crowd surge, a stampede and a security breach when four unidentified individuals scaled the temple’s boundary wall have forced many to question the efficacy of the AI cameras. Missing in action The statewide protest by drivers’ association affected private bus services and supply of fuel as well as essential commodities. On the first day of the strike, transport minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena convened a meeting with drivers who are taking lead in the protest. Surprisingly, president of the association, Prashant Menduli, was absent from the meeting. When asked about the reason behind his absence, Menduli said he had an important work. Many wondered what was so important that he skipped a meeting with the minister. Prince charming Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to Bhubaneswar had all the makings of a political spectacle. The crowd turnout was impressive, showing that the Congress leader’s charm hasn’t entirely faded. The most eyebrow-raising and photo-worthy moment was when a group of women poured milk over a life-sized cutout of Rahul, treating him with the kind of reverence usually reserved for a prince. While Congress may be struggling to regain its political footing, the gathering showed Rahul still knows how to stir up emotions, and a bit of drama too. Cold water Excitement was high among Congress supporters over Rahul Gandhi’s arrival. The excitement was even more so for Congress veteran Suresh Kumar Routray, popularly called as Sura Routray, who went to the airport to receive Rahul. Along with hundreds of his supporters, Sura reached the airport with traditional swords, and planned to perform the Paika dance before Rahul. But he had to face disappointment after the on-duty security personnel snatched all the swords citing security protocols. Noble visit Jharsuguda collector Aboli Naravane, known for her modesty, recently made a surprise visit to an Anganwadi centre in the district. Aboli inspected the centre and posted an adorable photograph of her on social media platforms in which she was seen looking at the kids happily having their midday meals. “It is always a special feeling to watch them tuck into their afternoon meals. These kids are given 2 meals in the Aanganwadi centres, one as a morning snack and one full meal with an egg,” Aboli wrote. Praises poured in for her with comments lauding her dedication. (Contributed by Team TOI) Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Pradhan dubs Cong rally as ‘political tourism’ by ‘prince’
Bhubaneswar: Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday criticised the ‘Samvidhan Bachao’ rally of Congress in Bhubaneswar, addressed by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, as mere “political tourism” by the “Congress prince”. Pradhan accused the Congress of using “vote theft” as a new excuse following repeated electoral defeats, particularly with the upcoming Bihar election in mind. He asserted that the people of Odisha and the nation have seen through the Congress’s tactics and will continue to reject what he described as anti-people and anti-constitutional forces. The minister’s comments came as Rahul vowed to prevent any repeat of alleged electoral misconduct in Bihar, similar to what he claimed occurred in Maharashtra. In an X post, Pradhan wrote the Congress rally is not about “saving the Constitution” but rather “saving Rahul and Congress”. He wrote, “The unwavering public trust in Odisha’s BJP govt is troubling Congress. Congress has no presence or existence in Odisha, as the poor, Dalits, tribals, farmers, and labourers of Odisha rejected Congress decades ago. Rahul’s talk about the interests of Odisha’s poor is nothing but a deception.” Stating that Congress has historically always neglected the rights of the poor and marginalised sections, the minister said the money sent by Congress govts from Delhi was often looted by middlemen and they used SC, ST and backward classes as a vote bank. “Clearly, the rights of the poor and the land of the tribals are safe only when Congress is not in power,” he wrote. “Congress faced crushing defeats in states like Maharashtra and Haryana, after which Rahul and Kharge blamed the Election Commission and democratic institutions for their loss. It is ironic that the Congress party, which imposed an emergency on the country by strangling democracy and trampling the Constitution, is now preaching about saving the Constitution,” he said. Making similar observations, deputy chief minister K V Singh Deo said the rally was political theatre in its most familiar form. “Ironically, the party that now claims to ‘save the Constitution’ is the very one that has amended it more than any other — not always in the spirit of strengthening democracy, but often to serve narrower political ends,” he said. “‘Thotha chana baje ghana’ (empty declarations echo loudest). But the people of Odisha vote not on noise — they vote on merit. And they continue to choose progress over posturing,” he added. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
“What has Gandhi family ever done apart from looting in greed of power?” BJP’s Ram Kadam hit back at Rahul Gandhi
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ram Kadam on Saturday hit back at Rahul Gandhi’s statement, accusing the Gandhi family of “looting in the greed of power” and claiming that the Congress is “bound to lose” in Bihar and is already preparing excuses for its likely defeat. Speaking to ANI, Ram Kadam said, “What has the Gandhi family ever done apart from looting in the greed of power? They were slammed by the court, every evidence presented… They are bound to lose in Bihar and thinking of what excuse to tell people after losing…” Kadam’s remarks come after Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of India of “hatching a conspiracy” for “chunav chori (election theft)” in Bihar. While addressing Samvidhan Bachao Samavesh in Bhubaneswar on Friday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of India of “hatching a conspiracy” for “chunav chori (election theft)” in Bihar, referring to the poll body’s decision to revise electoral rolls in the state ahead of the assembly election there. Gandhi said that ECI is “working as a BJP wing” and alleged that similar attempts to “steal election” are being made in Bihar, just like they were made in Maharashtra. “BJP is attacking the constitution. Yesterday I was in Bihar. Just like ‘chunav chori’ was done in Maharashtra, similar attempts are being made to do “chunav chori” in Bihar. EC has hatched a new conspiracy for ‘chunav chori’. EC is working as a BJP wing, it is not doing its own job,” Rahul Gandhi said. Referring to the Maharashtra Assembly election in which Mahavikas Aghadi suffered a staggering loss last year, Rahul Gandhi said that over 1 crore new voters were added then. Congress MP added that the same “theft” is being done in Bihar. “In Maharashtra, between Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, one crore new voters were added. Nobody knows who were these voters and where did they come from. We told EC several times to provide us with the voter list and videography. But EC does not provide us with the same. They are going to do the same ‘chori’ in Bihar, that was done in Maharashtra. I went to Bihar yesterday and with INDIA alliance leaders, I said that we will not let EC and BJP do a ‘chori’ of Bihar elections,” he said. Courtesy : TET Note: This news is originally published on https:/theeconomictimes.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Was in Delhi to …’: Siddaramaiah denies Rahul snub claim; accuses BJP of denying funds
NEW DELHI: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday dismissed BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya’s allegation that he was “humiliated” by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his recent visit to Delhi.Siddaramiah in a post on X clarified that the “primary work in Delhi was to meet defence minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the Air Show during Dasara in Mysuru.” — siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) Responding to claims that Rahul Gandhi had avoided meeting him, Siddaramaiah defended his party and the Congress MP, saying “Rahul Gandhi has immense affection for the people of Karnataka.” “The Gandhi Family, including Shri Rahul Gandhi, remain deeply indebted to the love showered by the people of Karnataka, and our AICC President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge is a proud Kannadiga,” he added. Amit Malviya, in a post on X, claimed that Siddaramaiah was “humiliated in Delhi” after being denied a meeting with Rahul Gandhi. “This isn’t the first time a Gandhi has insulted a senior leader from Karnataka. History remembers how Rajiv Gandhi unceremoniously sacked an ailing Veerendra Patil, triggering the Congress’s downfall in the state.” he said. — amitmalviya (@amitmalviya) Malviya further alleged that the Congress has consistently treated Kannadigas with “disdain.” Responding to the remarks, Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of neglecting Karnataka’s needs by withholding crucial funds. “For Modi, Karnataka exists only during elections.” He also took a swipe at the Prime Minister and BJP MPs from the state, saying, “Even when Karnataka suffered devastating floods, the Prime Minister @narendramodi did not utter a word. @BJP4Karnataka MPs do not have the spine to stand up to Narendra Modi for the rights of Kannadigas.” On Friday, Siddaramaiah on Friday dismissed speculation about a leadership change, stating that the matter was never discussed with the Congress high command during his Delhi visit. “How many times do I have to tell you? It (speculation around the Karnataka CM post) was not discussed at all. This issue was not brought up with the high command,” he said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Bihra polls: LJP chief Chirag Paswan recalls failed efforts to meet Rahul Gandhi; shifted to NDA after cold shoulder from Congress
NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Bihar assembly election, LJP (Ram Vilas) chief and Union minister Chirag Paswan said that he only convinced his father to join NDA before 2014 Lok Sabha polls, who was reluctant and even said that “I will poison myself than go with BJP”. Chirag has also spoken about how he and Ram Vilas Paswan could not meet Rahul Gandhi for three months despite trying between Nov 2013 and mid-Feb 2014 while they met Sonia Gandhi. In an interview to a YouTube channel last week, Chirag said that convincing his father to align with NDA was the toughest task and after getting a snub to his first proposal, he did not raise this again for months, but circumstances and political development changed after that. “We met respected Sonia Gandhi ji several times during this time, but they (Sonia/Congress) kept saying a meeting will be fixed with Rahul ji (the then Congress president) but that never happened,” he said. Chirag said eventually LJP became an ally of the NDA before the 2014 polls. The remark was in context of the buzz about his wavering commitment to NDA. Courtesy : TTOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetimesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Bihar SIR row: Rahul Gandhi repeats ‘chunav chori’ charge; alleges fresh ‘conspiracy’ by EC
Bihar SIR row: Rahul Gandhi repeats ‘chunav chori’ charge; alleges fresh ‘conspiracy’ by ECBihar SIR row: Rahul Gandhi repeats ‘chunav chori’ charge; alleges fresh ‘conspiracy’ by EC NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday upped his ante against Election Commission and accused it of hatching a conspiracy of “stealing the mandate” in poll-bound Bihar just like it did in Maharashtra last year. While addressing a public gathering in Odisha’s Bhubaneshwar, Rahul said that poll body is working for Bharatiya Janata Party and not doing its job. “The BJP is continuously attacking the Constitution. The way the election was stolen in Maharashtra, a similar attempt is being made to steal the election in Bihar. To steal the election, the Election Commission has started a new conspiracy. The Election Commission is working for the BJP, not doing its own job,” the Congress leader said. “Between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Maharashtra, one crore new voters appeared, but no one knows who these voters were or where they came from. We have repeatedly told the Election Commission – give us the voter list, give us the video, but the Election Commission is not providing them. These people also want to steal Bihar’s election, but we will never let that happen,” he added. This comes amid a row over poll body special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar just months ahead of assembly elections. The opposition has claimed the exercise will disfranchise millions of citizens from electoral rolls. However, the Supreme Court on Friday held the constitutionality of EC’s exercise but also asked it to consider Aadhaar, voter id card and ration card as valid documents for the ongoing exercise. According to the poll body, the exercise is part of its crackdown on illegal immigrants from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The poll panel reminded the constitutional provision that says only Indian citizens can vote. “The Constitution of India is supreme. All citizens, political parties, and the Election Commission of India follow the Constitution,” EC said in a statement. The poll panel already has nearly 78,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) and is appointing over 20,000 more for new polling stations, it said. More than one lakh volunteers will be assisting genuine electors, particularly the old, sick, persons with disabilities, poor, and other vulnerable groups during the special intensive revision. Out of the existing 7,89,69,844 electors, 4.96 crore electors, whose names are already in the last intensive revision of the Electoral Roll on January 1, 2003, have to “simply verify so, fill the Enumeration Form and submit it.” The enumeration form should be filled between 25 June and 26 July, after which the draft voter list will be published on 1 August 2025; the period for filing claims and objections will be from 1 August to 1 September, and the final voter list will be published on 30 September. Courtesy : TTOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetimesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul’s stir forced SC to act on SIR, claims Cong
Patna: State Congress president Rajesh Kumar on Friday claimed that the Supreme Court was “compelled” to intervene in the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, apparently in response to the massive protests led by his party and the visible anger among the public. Speaking to reporters in Patna, Kumar said, “Whenever the country is in crisis, our MP Rahul Gandhi comes forward in the interest of the common people. It was in this context that we launched the ‘chakka jam’ protest in Bihar and keeping in view our agitation and the public’s anger, the Supreme Court apparently chose to interfere in the matter.” Affirming that the Congress would continue to fight for the rights of the poor and marginalised, Kumar described the Supreme Court’s observations as a major blow to what he called the ruling coalition’s “conspiracy to disenfranchise Dalit, OBC and other such communities.” “The exercise was launched to impose vote-bandi, but the Supreme Court foiled this attempt,” he claimed. Kumar added that the court’s involvement would help curb the Election Commission’s conduct. “It is rare for the court to make such direct comments about another constitutional body like the Election Commission,” Kumar claimed. Courtesy : TTOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetimesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul Gandhi pleads not guilty before Pune court in defamation case
Pune: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday pleaded not guilty before a Pune special magisterial court in a criminal defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha did not appear before the court via video conferencing mode. His lawyer, Milind Pawar, pleaded not guilty and signed the plea on his behalf. Special magistrate Amol Shinde read out the charge levelled by Satyaki, to which Gandhi’s lawyer pleaded not guilty. The court adjourned the hearing for the commencement of trial on July 29. Earlier, Pawar sought permission from the court to record the plea on Gandhi’s behalf. The magistrate, in his two-page order, said this court had granted permission to the accused (Gandhi) to not appear before it personally in this case. The accused has no objection to recording his plea through his advocate. The Supreme Court, in the case of M/s Bhaskar Industries in 2021, held that it was not mandatory for the accused to appear in person, and the court had the discretion to permit representation through a pleader. Considering the ratio of the citation, this court finds that permission should be granted to the accused to record his plea through the advocate. The court later read out the speech delivered in London in March 2023 by Gandhi, which, according to Satyaki, defamed the Hindutva ideologue. The court also explained the provision of Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and asked Pawar if his client was ready to plead guilty. Pawar then pleaded not guilty on behalf of Gandhi. Courtesy : TTOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetimesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.