HAU Student Protest: Haryana Govt Determined to Deny Education to Girls, Says Rahul Gandhi; Outrage After Girl Students Allegedly Locked Inside Hostel Without Food Or Water.
Hisar: As the student protest at Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) entered its 18th day, Parliament’s leader of the opposition, Congress member Rahul Gandhi, on Friday condemned the state govt over its handling of female students, accusing it of inhumane treatment and authoritarian tactics. Citing a video showing women locked inside their hostel without food or water, Rahul accused Nayab Singh Saini;s govt of suppressing female students’ right to education. “The Haryana govt is hell-bent on stopping girls from studying. What is happening today has never happened in Haryana’s history,” he said, calling the administration’s actions “dictatorial”. The controversy erupted after hostel residents — mostly postgraduate and PhD scholars — were told suddenly to vacate on Thursday evening. University authorities announced the merging of two women’s hostels and cut off mess services without warning. Students said they were locked inside for more than five hours with no food, water, or explanation. Police arrived late at night and provided them with minimal relief. The following morning, officials refused to restart services, reportedly telling students to “go talk to the govt”. A student’s health reportedly deteriorated overnight due to hunger. JJP’s Digvijay Singh Chautala joined the protest earlier in the day and found university staff absent from campus. Former student unionist Rajesh Jakhar linked the unrest to broader privatisation pressures in education, warning: “Just as govt schools are being shut for private profit, the same is now being planned for universities.” Meanwhile, retired ICAR scientist Virendra Singh Lathar filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission, denouncing the university’s actions as “inhuman” and demanding accountability. With political voices growing louder, the standoff highlights escalating tensions between students and the state over access, equity, and the future of public education in Haryana. Caption: Rahul Gandhi’s tweet condemning the Haryana govt Caption: Digvijay Singh Chautala of the Jannayak Janta Party joins protesting students at Haryana Agricultural University on Friday. MSID:: 122116750 413 | 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.
‘Casually, farcically changed’: VP Dhankhar weighs in on Preamble debate
‘Casually, farcically changed’: VP Dhankhar weighs in on Preamble debate’Casually, farcically changed’: VP Dhankhar weighs in on Preamble debate NEW DELHI: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday called the Preamble as the ‘soul of the Constitution’ and hit out at the Indira Gandhi-led government for ‘changing something which is not changeable and alterable.’ Speaking at a book launch event, Dhankhar acknowledged that India was the only country where the Preamble had been amended, a reference to the 42nd Amendment enacted during the Emergency in 1976. “But this Preamble was changed by the 42nd Constitution (Amendment) Act of 1976,” he said, as quoted by news agency PTI. “Preamble of any constitution is its soul. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution is unique. Except Bharat, [no other] Constitution’s Preamble has undergone change and why? Preamble is not changeable. Preamble is not alterable. Preamble is the basis on which the constitution has grown. Preamble is the seed of the Constitution. It is Soul of the constitution but this Preamble for Bharat was changed by 42nd Constitutional Amendment act of 1976, adding words Socialist, Secular and integrity” he said. — VPIndia (@VPIndia) The Vice President’s remarks came following comments by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, who questioned the legitimacy of the inclusion of “secular” and “socialist” in the Preamble — a position that has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. On Thursday, Hosabale speaking at an event marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency said that “secular” and “socialist” were inserted into the Constitution during a period of authoritarian rule and should now be reviewed. He said these terms were not part of the original draft authored by Dr B R Ambedkar and were forcibly added during a time when civil liberties were crushed and democratic institutions undermined. BJP leaders including Union ministers Jitendra Singh and Shivraj Singh Chouhan said any “right-thinking citizen” would support such a review. “The word secularism was added during the Emergency. It should be removed. The country should think about this,” Chouhan said, arguing that equality of all religions is already the Indian ethos. Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC echoed the sentiment, suggesting that terms like “pseudo-secularism” have undermined India’s democratic principles. Rahul Gandhi: ‘RSS wants Manusmriti, not Constitution’ Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the RSS-BJP of harbouring a hidden agenda to dismantle the Constitution and deny the poor and marginalised their rights. “RSS-BJP doesn’t want the Constitution. They want Manusmriti. They aim to strip the marginalised and the poor of their rights and enslave them again,” he posted on X. — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) Congress MP Jairam Ramesh accused the RSS of never accepting the Constitution. “The RSS has NEVER accepted the Constitution of India… The RSS and the BJP have repeatedly given the call for a new Constitution. This was Mr Modi’s campaign cry during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” he posted on X. 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.
Rahul Gandhi met the people of Vishwakarma community, shared the plan to progress
A video of Rahul Gandhi was shared by the Congress in which Rahul Gandhi met the people of Vishwakarma community. Rahul Gandhi also discussed their problems and gave them a roadmap to move forward. In this special conversation, he emphasized the importance of caste census and explained how economic progress is incomplete without social justice. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Can he spend a night in a village in Bihar’, Prashant Kishor’s big challenge to Rahul Gandhi before the elections, know
Bihar Assembly Elections: Jan Suraj Party chief Prashant Kishor said that Rahul Gandhi does not travel in Bihar. Prashant Kishor has given a political challenge to Rahul Gandhi, asking if he can do this? Prashant Kishor has given this challenge to Rahul Gandhi in an interview to ANI. This challenge given by PK remains a topic of political discussion. Patna: Amid political fervor in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, Jan Suraj Party chief Prashant Kishor targeted Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and questioned his commitment to Bihar and accused him of making only showy gestures instead of real political involvement. In an interview with ANI, Kishor, who is tirelessly traveling across remote areas of Bihar as part of his ambitious journey, challenged Gandhi to spend even a night in a village in Bihar to prove his connect with the grassroots of the state. Challenge to Congress leader He said that Rahul ji keeps coming and going here, but does not actually travel. If Rahul Gandhi has ever spent even a night in any village of Bihar, then tell us. If he can spend even a night in any village, we will accept it. He said that you sit in Delhi and laugh at the name of Biharis and sit here and give gyaan. He also targeted Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s comment about Bihari people and demanded an apology from him. He accused the Congress of years of expectations and disrespect towards the people of Bihar. Challenge to Rahul Gandhi Kishore said that Revanth Reddy is the Chief Minister in Telangana, it has been two years since he became the Chief Minister. Before that he was in TDP (Telugu Desam Party) and before that he was in RSS and BJP. After becoming the Chief Minister, he officially said that doing labour is in the DNA of Biharis. Biharis are born to do labour. Why did he say this? Because most of the officials of his rival KCR had a background from Bihar. So he meant that the condition of Telangana is bad because Biharis are running it. And to justify this, he added another statement that working as a labourer is in the DNA of Biharis and that is why KCR appointed them to the bureaucracy. Biharis ki Baat- PK He stressed that you tell Biharis that they have worked as labourers and then come here and give big gyaan. Apart from this, the Jan Suraj chief reminded that in 1989, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had said that he would make Bihar the centre of development. He asked where did that money go? Even after that Congress remained in power, so tell us what did you do for Bihar? Kishore said that if Congress has apologized for the injustice done to the Sikhs, then Rahul Gandhi should also apologize to the Biharis before campaigning in Bihar. If Bihari people are born only for labour, then why are you coming here? Just go to Telangana and campaign and get your votes there. Bihar Assembly Elections When asked how many seats the Congress will win in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Kishor said it will depend on Lalu ji’s donations. He said the Congress has no existence in Bihar. For the last 25-30 years, it has been just a party carrying Lalu ji’s bags. If Rahul Gandhi really has the political strength, he should contest elections alone in Bihar. Ask Lalu ji for 40 per cent seats and see what happens. In Bihar, the Congress dances to Lalu ji’s tunes. Whatever he decides, happens. Bihar is expected to go to polls later this year in October or November; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is yet to announce the dates. Jan Suraj an option While the NDA, comprising the BJP, JDU and LJP, will want to retain power in Bihar once again, the India Block, comprising the RJD, Congress and Left parties, will want to oust Nitish Kumar from power. Kishor has pitched his party Jan Suraj as another option in the state. In the current Bihar Assembly of 243 members, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has 131 MLAs, including 80 MLAs from the BJP, JDU-45, HAM(S)-4, and support from 2 independent candidates. The opposition India Bloc has 111 members, including 77 MLAs from the RJD, 19 from the Congress, 11 from the CPI(ML), 2 from the CPI(M) and 2 from the CPI. About the author Ashutosh Kumar Pandey Active in print, digital and electronic journalism for more than 16 years. Degree in Political Science and Journalism. Started writing in Jansatta, Hindustan and Dainik Jagran in 2003. ETV, Maurya TV, Focus TV, Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Prabhat Khabar. Courtesy : Hindi News
Jaishankar’s veiled dig at Rahul: Slams ‘Constitution in hand’ politics; blames Gandhi family for Emergency
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday took a veiled dig at the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of hypocrisy over their public display of constitutional values. While not naming anyone directly, Jaishankar criticised those who “flash the Constitution” but fail to uphold its spirit. “What respect can you see towards the Constitution by those who are still not apologising for the Emergency?” he said. “Nothing happens by roaming around with a copy of the Constitution. It should be respected from the heart.” Reflecting on 1975 Emergency, Jaishankar said, “Some people flash the Constitution in their hands but the feeling in their hearts are different… Political parties also have a DNA and they have, to date, never expressed regret for imposing Emergency.” He went on to describe the Emergency as a dark attempt to break the nation’s spirit. “When a family is considered above the nation, things like Emergency take place,” he said. “This entire exercise, in a way, was to break the morale of the country and the society… Many people, who were not even in politics, were impacted. Those who were in politics were well aware that doing politics meant an inevitable arrest, and those who were arrested were unaware if and when they would be released.” Jaishankar also added with a message: “The one lesson that Emergency taught us is to never take freedom for granted.” Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also marked the occasion, calling the Emergency the “darkest chapter” in the history of India’s democracy. The Emergency was imposed on June 25, 1975, and lasted until March 21, 1977. It was declared under Article 352 by then-President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, citing internal disturbances, and was the first peacetime Emergency in India’s history. 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.
‘Mask has come off’: Rahul flays RSS over call to drop ‘secular’ from Constitution; says ‘they want Manusmriti’
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday upped the ante against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh after its general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale made a strong pitch to remove “socialist and secular” from the Preamble of the Constitution.The leader of opposition in Lok Sabha claimed that the Constitution irks RSS because it speaks about equality, secularism, and justice. “The mask of RSS has come off once again. The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism, and justice,” Rahul said in a social media post on X. “RSS-BJP doesn’t want the Constitution; they want Manusmriti. They aim to strip the masses and the poor of their rights, seeking to enslave them once more. Their real agenda is to snatch away a powerful weapon like the Constitution. RSS must stop dreaming this dream – we will never let them succeed. Every patriotic Indian will defend the Constitution until their last breath,” he added. This comes a day after Hosabale proposed said that the words “Socialist” and “Secular” were forcibly added to the Constitution and should now be reconsidered. “The Emergency wasn’t just a misuse of power, but an attempt to crush civil liberties. Millions were imprisoned, and freedom of the press was suppressed. He said that those who imposed the Emergency and trampled the Constitution and democracy have never apologised.” The words “socialist”, “secular” and “integrity” were inserted into the Preamble under the 42nd constitutional amendment moved by the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi government in 1976. The amendment changed the description of India in the Preamble from a “sovereign, democratic republic” to a “sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic”. Earlier, the Supreme Court dismissed plea challenging inclusion of words “socialist”, “secular” and “integrity” to the Preamble of the Constitution. A bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said amendment power of the Parliament extends to the Preamble as well and the fact that the Constitution was adopted in 1949 does not make any difference. 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.
‘Apologise to Biharis’: Prashant Kishore’s ‘bada bada gyan’ swipe at Rahul Gandhi; accuses Congress of doing ‘historic injustice’
NEW DELHI: As Bihar braces for a high-stakes assembly election later this year, political sparring has intensified with Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor taking direct aim at Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. In a sharp remark, Kishor questioned Gandhi’s commitment to Bihar and accused the Congress of decades-long neglect and tokenism. In a recent interview with news agency ANI, Kishor, who has been traversing Bihar’s rural interiors as part of his Jan Suraaj campaign, threw a gauntlet at the Congress leader, daring him to spend just a single night in a village in the state to demonstrate any real grassroots engagement. “Rahul ji keeps coming and going here, but doesn’t really undertake any Yatra. If Rahul Gandhi has ever spent even one night in a village in Bihar, let us know. If he can spend just one night in a village, we’ll accept it,” Kishor said. “Tum Delhi mein bethkar Bihariyo ke naam par haste ho aur yaha bethkar gyan dete ho (You sit in Delhi, laugh at Biharis then come here to lecture us),” he added, underscoring what he described as a condescending attitude from the Congress high command. Kishor also turned his fire on Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy for allegedly disparaging Biharis, demanding an apology and criticising the Congress party for enabling such attitudes. “In Telangana, their chief minister is Revanth Reddy, it’s been two years since he became CM. Before that, he was in the TDP (Telugu Desam Party), and before that, he was in the RSS and the BJP. After becoming chief minister, he officially stated that doing labour is in the DNA of Biharis. Biharis are born to do labour work. Why did he say this? Because most of his rival KCR’s officers had a Bihar background. So he was implying that Telangana is in a bad state because Biharis are running it. And to justify that, he added another statement saying it’s in Biharis’ DNA to do labour, and that’s why KCR appointed them as bureaucrats,” Kishor said. “Aap Bihariyo ko kehte ho ki vo paida hue hai mazduri karne ke liye aur phir yaha aakar bada-bada gyan doge (You say Biharis are born to do labour work, and then come here and preach to us?)” he told ANI in an interview. Recalling an unfulfilled promise from decades ago, Kishor also invoked former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s 1989 commitment to turn Bihar into a development hub. “Where did that money go? Congress remained in power afterwards, so tell us, what did you do for Bihar?” he asked. He further demanded that Rahul Gandhi issue an apology for what he called the “historic injustice” inflicted upon Biharis by the Congress. “If Congress apologised for the injustice done to Sikhs, then Rahul Gandhi should apologise to Biharis as well before campaigning in Bihar. If Biharis are only born for labour, then why are you coming here? Just go campaign in Telangana and get your votes there,” Kishor said. Taking a dig at Congress’s electoral relevance in the state, Kishor said its future in Bihar rests entirely on “Lalu ji’s charity”. “Congress has no real existence in Bihar. For the past 25-30 years, it’s been a party that just carries Lalu ji’s bag. If Rahul Gandhi truly has political strength, let him contest elections in Bihar on his own. Try demanding 40 per cent of the seats from Lalu ji and see what happens. In Bihar, Congress dances to Lalu ji’s tune. Whatever he decides, that’s what happens,” he said. The Bihar assembly elections are expected to be held in October or November this year, though the Election Commission of India is yet to announce the official dates. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), will look to retain power. On the other side, the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, consisting of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and the Left parties, aims to unseat CM Nitish Kumar. Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party is positioning itself as a third alternative, aiming to disrupt the traditional bipolar contest in the state. In the current 243-member Bihar assembly, the NDA holds a majority with 131 seats — BJP has 80 MLAs, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4, and support from two Independents. The INDIA bloc has a strength of 111, led by the RJD with 77 MLAs, Congress with 19, and the Left parties accounting for the rest. 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.
Rahul Gandhi skirts poll panel’s meeting invite
The Congress party is showing reluctance to meet with the Election Commission. Rahul Gandhi had alleged irregularities in Maharashtra and Haryana elections. Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the purpose of such a meeting. The Congress has reiterated its demand for a copy of the electoral roll and CCTV footage. New Delhi: The Congress has signalled that party leader Rahul Gandhi is in no hurry to accept the Election Commission brass’ invitation to him to have a discussion on the merit of his often repeated allegation of irregularity in the conduct of Maharashtra and Haryana elections. After party president Mallikarjun Kharge chose to be non-committal on Gandhi accepting the EC invite, the Congress leadership once again wrote to the poll body, reiterating its demand for a copy of the electoral roll and CCTV footage of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Earlier, Kharge, responding to media queries on the EC’s invite to Gandhi, had wondered what the point of such a meeting was, saying past complaints to the poll body about the conduct of elections in some states “remain unaddressed”. The EC had invited Gandhi to discuss his charges after the poll body dismissed his allegations on data regarding electoral rolls and voter turnout. The Congress leadership said it would be “happy to meet the EC” after the poll body meets its demand. EC Cites SC Ruling to Deny Congress Roll Request Rejecting the Congress party’s demand for a ‘machine-readable’ digital copy of the electoral roll as “untenable”, the Election Commission is learnt to have reminded the party that a similar plea made in 2019 had been rejected by the SC. 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.
Congress leaders harbouring Emergency mindset: BJP MP
Indore: BJP MP and spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday accused Congress leaders of harbouring ‘Emergency period mindset’ that they were above Constitution and their ambitions outweighed national interests. “Congress believes in the objectionable slogan of ‘India is Indira and Indira is India.’ The same mindset of Emergency remains prevalent in the party even today. And leaders like Rahul Gandhi consider themselves above Constitution,” Trivedi said while addressing a press conference to mark 50 years of Emergency. He said that June 25, 1975 marked a black chapter in the history of Indian democracy as fundamental rights of citizens were trampled, freedom of expression was shackled, and voices of the Opposition were crushed. “Congress wants to run the country according to its convenience. If it wins elections, it doesn’t have any problem with Constitution, but after any setback in polls, it starts claiming that the Constitution is in danger,” he said, referring to Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi waving the ‘red book’ in Congress rallies. Trivedi questioned Gandhi’s comments during his foreign visits and said, “Months ago, Rahul Gandhi went abroad and asked why the defenders of democracy – US and Europe – were silent on India. Calling them defenders… Such utterances show the party’s Emergency mindset. Their political ambitions outweigh interests of the nation.” To a query, Trivedi said that the West Asia crisis was nothing but a fight between Muslim countries for supremacy. “One pole of this fight is Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Sunni world, and the other pole is Iran, the leader of the Shia world. We hope that a positive spirit will emerge and the crisis in West Asia will be resolved peacefully soon,” 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.
VP Singh’s birth anniversary: Discussion on Ambedkar’s Dalit struggles, student leader said – former PM made the power of Indian society
Vishwanath Pratap Singh: On the occasion of former Prime Minister VP Singh’s birth anniversary, seminars were organized at various places in Varanasi. Student leaders and teachers also organized programs together in BHU. Special discussion was held on VP Singh’s leadership and work. Varanasi News: A seminar was held in BHU student union building on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister VP Singh. On Wednesday, a discussion was held on his work among former student leaders and professors. Ancient History Department Chairman Prof. MP Ahirwar said that the battles fought by Dr. Ambedkar for Dalits were established by VP Singh as the power of the society. After VP Singh, the living leader of Buddha’s tradition, Arjun Singh gave true representation to the backward castes in the field of education. Kashiram also made a major contribution. VP Singh was born on 25 June 1931. Former president of the students’ union Shiv Kumar said that after Gandhi, Ambedkar and Lohia, the heroes of the struggle on democratic issues, George Fernandes, Madhu Limaye, Madhu Dandavate and VP Singh took it to the last point legally. At that time, leadership in politics was decided on the basis of ideology and struggle. Former General Secretary of the students’ union Dr. Subedar Singh said that VP Singh took hundreds of people like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas to the top of power in politics, who perhaps became victims of elite politics in his absence. Did not forget student politics throughout his life Former minister Dr. Bahadur Singh Yadav said that after Gandhi, Lohia, the backward people united in the freedom struggle under the leadership of VP Singh. Even though the newly created socialists have forgotten him. Former president Harshvardhan Singh said that he was the president of UP College Students’ Union and kept alive the affection for student politics and student leaders throughout his life. During this, Manoj Singh Kaka, Kundan Rai Prof. Anand Deepayan, farmer leader Rajendra Chaudhary, director Dr. Shammi Kumar etc. were present. Published by: Aman Vishwakarma Courtesy: Hindi News