Traffic diversions for Rahul visit
Bhopal: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to arrive in Bhopal at 10:20 AM on Tuesday via a special aircraft. In view of his visit, the Bhopal Traffic Police has issued an advisory regarding temporary traffic diversions and restrictions across several key routes in the city. Proposed Route: Rahul Gandhi will travel from the airport to the PCC Office via the following route: State Hangar Trisection, Lalghati, VIP Road, Retghat, Polytechnic Square, Banganga Square, Roshanpura, Apex Bank Trisection, Link Road-1, 1250 Square, PCC Office. Diversions: Traffic coming from Gandhi Nagar/Airport towards the city will be diverted via Narsinghgarh Trisection, Karond Bypass when the VIP aircraft lands. Vehicles heading from Polytechnic Square to VIP Road will be redirected through Moti Masjid, Sadar Manzil, Collectorate, and Lalghati Overbridge. Traffic from Roshanpura towards Polytechnic Square will be rerouted via Gandhi Park, Old Police Control Room Trisection, Talaiya Thana Trisection, Bharat Talkies Square, Hamidia Road. Traffic heading towards Link Road-1 should use Link Road-2 as an alternative route. Vehicle Restrictions: All heavy vehicles will be strictly prohibited on these routes during the movement. However, emergency services like ambulance and fire brigade will not be restricted and may move freely. Specific Event Restrictions: Movement will be restricted from Vyapam Square side, 1250 Square, and Sidhu Bhavan towards the PCC Office. During the Ravindra Bhavan event, the route from Polytechnic Square to KN Pradhan Square will remain diverted. Parking for participants attending the Ravindra Bhavan programme has been arranged at MVM Ground. 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.
Chirag Paswan’s electoral entry in Bihar is a threat to the grand alliance! Rahul Gandhi’s ‘dream’ may be dashed
Chirag Paswan News: If Chirag Paswan enters Bihar politics, the polarization of Dalit votes may be in his favor. The way LJP-R leaders and supporters are seeing the image of CM in Chirag, if he really enters the fray, Dalit votes can be mobilized in his favor. Patna: The national president of LJP-R and the Union Minister has created a stir in Bihar politics for some time now. Chirag Paswan has said many times that his wish is to do politics by staying in Bihar. If the party wants, he will contest the assembly elections. Now all the cells of his party have given him the green signal to contest the elections. Chirag himself has also said that he will contest the elections only by staying in the NDA. He will not claim the post of Chief Minister. Nitish Kumar will remain the Chief Minister. The party is conducting a survey to see how much the party and the NDA will benefit from his contesting the elections. However, if Chirag contests the elections, it will definitely benefit the NDA. Of course, the difficulties of the Grand Alliance may increase. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is part of the Grand Alliance, is eyeing the Dalit voters. Congress’s eyes on Dalit-EBC votes Rahul Gandhi’s attraction towards Bihar has increased. He is coming to Bihar again on the 6th of this month. This will be his fourth visit in the first six months of the year 2025. This time Rahul Gandhi will participate in the conference of Extremely Backward Castes (EBC) in Nitish Kumar’s home district Nalanda. Rahul will try to instill enthusiasm to unite Dalit, Muslim and EBC voters in the Constitution Protection Conference to be held in Rajgir, Nalanda. He has already been eyeing the Dalit section on the pretext of saving the Constitution. The population of Dalit castes in Bihar is about 17 percent. Rahul does not need to work hard for Muslim votes. Due to opposition to BJP and Narendra Modi, Muslims prefer Congress or ‘India’ block parties. Muslim population in Bihar is also around 18 percent. EBC population in Bihar is 36 percent. Now trying to bring back lost vote base Congress has dominated the country’s politics since independence. Among the upper castes, Brahmins remained close to Congress because they considered Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru a leader of their own caste. Congress also did not hesitate in promoting Brahmin leaders then. Among Dalits also, Congress had prepared its strong base by promoting its leaders. But, with time, Dalits left Congress. Regional parties formed on caste basis tore apart the social fabric of Congress. Kanshiram in UP and Ram Vilas Paswan in Bihar separated Dalit voters from Congress by forming their own parties. The remaining gap was filled by BJP’s Hindutva campaign. In the name of protecting the Constitution, Rahul Gandhi has made Constitution maker Ambedkar his ideal. Wherever he goes, he carries the Constitution book with him. Now he is trying to woo the large population of EBC Rahul Gandhi also knows that without wooing the large population of EBC, it is difficult to transform the Congress. The EBC population in Bihar is about 36 percent. EBC votes are now divided among many parties as per convenience. Congress has also started trying to take advantage of them. Rahul has been coming to Bihar so far to show Congress’s love for Dalits. This will be the first time when he will come to Bihar to participate in the EBC conference. However, Congress is not as anxious for OBCs as it is for Dalits and EBCs. Chirag Paswan surprised everyone with his decision If Chirag Paswan enters Bihar politics, then polarization of Dalit votes can be in his favor. The way LJP-R leaders and supporters are seeing the image of CM in Chirag, if he really enters the fray, Dalit votes can be mobilized in his favor one-sidedly. Posters of Chirag Paswan’s coronation were also put up recently. Chirag’s brother-in-law and LJP-R MP Arun Bharti also sees Chirag’s potential to become CM. The kind of results Chirag showed in the Lok Sabha elections, his hold on the public can be gauged from. Despite the division of LJP and being the only MP of his party, Chirag has presented a better example of his ability. About the author Sudhendra Pratap Singh Senior Digital Content Producer at Navbharat Times Digital. Started the journey in journalism with local newspaper Agrabharat. From here the caravan grew and reached NBT.com via Kalpataru Express, Hindustan News Paper, News18. Edited by: Sudhendra Pratap Singh•Written by: Omprakash Ashk| Courtesy : Hindi News
If govt can agree to truce with Pak, why not with Naxals: TPCC chief
Hyderabad: Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah launched ‘Operation Kagar’ (Operation Black Forest) to hand over the mineral wealth of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand to the corporates, under the pretext of eliminating Naxalites. He also criticised the Modi govt for not accepting the offer of talks made by the Maoists. “It is unfortunate that the central govt, under pressure from US President Donald Trump, agreed to a ceasefire and hold talks with Pakistan, which is sponsoring terrorism, but not agreeing to talks with our own citizens (Maoists). Congress’ ideology is non-violence, and it will not support any kind of violence, including that done by the Maoists,” he said, speaking at a round table meeting convened by Left parties, human rights, and civil society organisations at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram. All the secular and democratic forces, including Congress, should condemn the killing of Naxalites by the govt in ‘Operation Kagar’, even after the Maoists expressed willingness to hold talks, he said. Just because they (BJP) have power, “the govt violence” on the pretext of ‘Operation Kagar’ cannot be supported. Since coming to power, the BJP govt has been dismantling constitutional institutions, he added. “When someone is ready for talks, they should be held. The BJP plays politics in the name of religion and gods. There are instances when talks were held during the time of even Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. Not accepting talks reveals their fascist ideology. They have been toppling democratically elected govts in various states. Only a few people are able to oppose them, and one of them is the Gandhi family,” Mahesh Goud said. The TPCC chief narrated an ancecdote when Rahul Gandhi, Meenakshi Natarajan, chief minister A Revanth Reddy, and deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka and he were going in a car to attend Bharat Summit in Hyderabad on April 26. “Meenakshi said security forces surrounded Karregutta as part of ‘Operation Kagar’, but expressed concern that there were civilians there too. Then Rahul Gandhi said that you can eliminate individuals and even a group of people but not their cause. Subsequently, CM Revanth said he would speak to representatives of all parties in this regard. The Gandhi family even pardoned the killers of Rajiv Gandhi, as the Congress firmly believes in non-violence,” he said. Telangana Congress leadership would discuss and take a decision soon on the support sought by the Left parties and organisations against ‘Operation Kagar’. 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 to visit Haryana Congress office this week to finalise district units
Chandigarh: With Lok Sabha leader of opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expected to visit Haryana on Wednesday, functionaries of the event to be attend by him have started to get anxious, as there is talk of the party announcing its state functionaries. If all goes as planned, with a view to finalising the district units of Haryana, Rahul is reaching the office of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) on Wednesday. He is expected to be accompanied by AICC in-charge and co-incharges for Haryana, and 21 observers appointed by AICC last month to finalise district executives. Senior leaders of the state who are expected to attend the event include former CM Bhupinder Hooda, HPCC chief Udai Bhan, former Union minister Selja, and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala could join as AICC general secretaries, and Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda could join as AICC member of the working committee. Enquiries made from the HPCC office confirmed the presence of Bhan and Bhupinder Hooda. Both leaders will arrive in Chandigarh on Tuesday and will return to Delhi after meetings on Wednesday night. “We are totally clueless about the agenda as well as the list of invitees. Since observers are expected to join the meeting, we are hopeful of the finalisation of names of district units as per feedback from observers. Rest, there is no intimation to MPs or MLAs as elected representatives,” said one MP from Haryana. For 11 years, the issue of forming the executive at the district level is hanging fire due to infighting between Hooda and his rivals within the party. All this began during the tenure of former MP Ashok Tanwar as HPCC president and continues till now. Various lists of proposed district executives prepared during the tenure of Selja and Udai Bhan were lying unused in AICC headquarters. As a result, Haryana Congress contested two general elections and three assembly elections without any executive in place. It was not just the district executive; even the Congress high command has not yet cleared the name of the CLP leader despite the party being the major opposition party with 37 MLAs. 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.
BJP targets Rahul ahead of his June 6 Nalanda Visit
Patna: In an election year where political parties are vying to position themselves as champions of social justice, BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal on Sunday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming visit to Bihar. Gandhi is scheduled to address an extremely backward classes (EBC) conference in Nalanda on June 6. Jaiswal claimed that PM Narendra Modi has visited Bihar nearly 50 times since 2014, when he was declared the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. In contrast, he accused Gandhi of engaging with the state only during elections. “Since his bachpan (childhood) to the age of 55, Rahul comes out of his AC chamber only when there is an election in the state,” Jaiswal said. Bihar is set to go to the polls in Oct-Nov this year. “Rahul first came to Bihar in Jan to propagate the British divide and rule policy. He should tell how many times he has visited Bihar from childhood to the age of 55. If a PM can make time for Bihar, why can’t he?” Jaiswal asked. The BJP leader alleged that the Congress MP’s interest in Bihar is opportunistic. “The Congress MP is coming when his boat has already sunk in Bihar. Where was he for five years? People of Bihar like PM Modi and CM Nitish,” he said. Ahead of the PM’s two-day visit to the state on May 29 and May 30, deputy CM Samrat Choudhary had said that it marked Modi’s 50th visit to Bihar. In contrast, Rahul’s June 6 appearance will be his fifth visit to the state this year. The PM, by comparison, has made three visits to Bihar in 2025. Union minister and BJP MP from Begusarai, Giriraj Singh, also took aim at the Congress on Sunday, accusing party president Mallikarjun Kharge of echoing Pakistan’s rhetoric. Singh criticised Kharge for demanding proof of Operation Sindoor, a cross-border military action following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 tourists were killed. “He is speaking the language of Pakistan,” Singh 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.
Rahul visiting Anvar was a mistake: Satheesan
Kochi: Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil’s visit to P V Anvar was not with the knowledge of the UDF or Congress leadership. The UDF decided not to engage in further discussions with him and officially informed Anvar of their decision, Satheesan told reporters in Kochi on Sunday. Despite being asked to support the UDF candidate, Anvar repeated his previous stance, resulting in the UDF closing the door. “No one was tasked with negotiating with Anvar, and Mamkootathil’s visit to him was a mistake. The UDF meeting decided to close the door on discussions, and there will be no further talks. Filing nomination is Anvar’s choice. In Nilambur, it’s between the UDF and LDF. The UDF will evaluate the govt’s nine-year performance. People are fed up with this govt. The secret alliance of the CPM with the BJP will also be discussed,” Satheesan said. UDF in Nilambur is stronger than it was in Thrikkakara, Puthuppally and Palakkad, the opposition leader said. In the 2021 polls, even during the LDF wave, the victory margin here was only 2,700. Extensive preparations have been made, and the results will be seen in Nilambur. “The UDF is so strong that it won’t yield to any pressure. UDF is an alliance formed by eminent leaders. No decision will be made to tarnish UDF’s pride. This is not my personal opinion but a unified decision of the UDF, and I was tasked with conveying it. I am prepared to face any criticism for this. There will be no response to any attacks. Aryadan Shoukath will win by a large margin,” he added. Satheesan alleged that there is a secret alliance between CPM and BJP to defeat Congress in Nilambur. He said the state govt raising no complaints regarding the collapse of the national highway could be seen as proof of this alliance. “In Nilambur, CPM and BJP have reportedly formed an agreement to defeat the UDF. This is why BJP initially decided not to field a candidate. However, they have now fielded a candidate to escape allegations against their leadership. BJP has promised the CPM that their candidate can split the UDF votes. But no UDF vote will go to either the CPM or BJP. UDF is facing the election politically and is organisationally strong,” he added. Despite widespread damage to the national highway and massive corruption worth billions of rupees, Kerala govt has not complained against the central govt, Satheesan said. The CPM, which once accused the UDF govt regarding the Palarivattom bridge, is now silent about the national highway collapse due to fear, 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.
Rahul set to address EBC meet in Nalanda on June 6
Patna: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will visit Bihar for the fifth time this year on June 6 to address an extremely backward class (EBC) conference at Rajgir in Nalanda, the home district of CM Nitish Kumar. His visit comes just a week after PM Narendra Modi’s two-day tour of Bihar, during which he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 48,500 crore on May 29 and May 30. Congress state media cell chairman Rajesh Rathorre said on Saturday that the detailed itinerary of Rahul had not yet reached the party headquarters, though he is expected to arrive in Patna on way to Rajgir. Rahul’s visit is part of the Congress’s intensified campaign for the Bihar assembly elections due in Oct-Nov. Senior party leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, have made regular visits to the state since Jan. The Congress is seeking to regain support among Dalits, EBCs, and Muslims, its traditional voter base. Rahul’s Nalanda rally is being seen as an attempt to challenge Nitish in his own stronghold. However, dismissing the impact of the visit, JD(U) leader and minister Ashok Choudhary said, “Congress will not benefit from his frequent visits to Bihar.” Rahul earlier visited the state on Jan 18, Feb 4, April 7 and May 15. During his last visit, he addressed students at Ambedkar Hostel in Darbhanga, defying administrative orders. Two FIRs were lodged against him for the violation. 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.
Uttam demands transparency on ‘Rafale losses’
Hyderabad: Irrigation and civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday demanded full transparency from the Centre regarding the losses suffered during Operation Sindoor and the conflict between India and Pakistan, particularly the reported downing of Rafale fighter jets. Addressing a media conference at AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Uttam, a former IAF fighter pilot himself, said: “When Rahul Gandhi first raised questions on Rafales being shot down, he was accused of being anti-national. But today, General Anil Chauhan, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), has confirmed that Rafale aircraft were brought down.” He also cited Air Marshal Bharti, Director General Air Operations, who in the DGMO briefing had said: “Losses are normal in combat. The objectives of the mission have been achieved and all pilots have come home.” Uttam emphasised that while the pilots returned safely, “the aircraft have not returned to their bases,” highlighting the need for transparency. He criticised the BJP govt for initially denying these losses and launching a campaign against Rahul Gandhi. “Now that the CDS himself has spoken, the govt should stop the denials. We are proud of our armed forces, but transparency strengthens trust and helps us learn from every operation. How did the US President announce the ceasefire before the DGMOs of India and Pakistan? The govt of India has never clearly explained how this happened.” He stressed the need for a serious reassessment of India’s defence technology, pointing out that most of the firing during the four-day operation happened from within each country’s international borders. “Yet, we lost fighter aircraft. This requires a thorough review of our technological capabilities,” he said. The BJP-led govt at the centre should act urgently on the concerns raised by the air force chief about delays in fighter aircraft supply, talent shortages, and the gap between sanctioned and operational squadrons in the armed forces. India’s operational fighter squadrons were below the sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons. All three armed forces are short of manpower by over 10 percent. Given the live threats on both our borders (China and Pakistan), we should be going beyond the sanctioned strength. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) did not deliver the Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets on time as said by the Air Chief. This can prove to be a serious problem. The entire country and the govt of India must wake up to the reality to strengthen our armed forces considerably,” Uttam said. Quoting the Air Chief Marshal directly, Uttam said: “India has fallen behind China in defence technology and production although our training standards remain superior. This is of serious concern and urgent necessary corrective steps should be taken. The best minds are not joining the service in sufficient numbers, especially in operational and R&D wings. The govt should attract top talent.” Uttam reaffirmed his pride in the Indian armed forces while urging the govt to ensure they are equipped, supported, and respected with honesty and transparency. The govt must acknowledge what happened, learn lessons, and be accountable. “We salute the Indian Air Force for their decisive victory, but we must be prepared for the challenges ahead,” 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.
Plea to cancel Rahul Gandhi’s bail bond rejected
Pune: The court of special magistrate Amol Shinde rejected the plea of Satyaki Savarkar, great-grandnephew of Hindu ideologue Veer Damodar Savarkar, to cancel the bail bond of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. The court in its order of May 28 observed that Gandhi was granted permanent exemption from appearing before the court after he was released on bail, and enough grounds were not cited to cancel his bail bond. The court rejected Satyaki’s plea because the grounds mentioned by him to cancel Gandhi’s bail bond were not justified. The court relied on the Orissa High Court order in the case of Chinmaya Sahu vs State of Orissa, which stated that bail granted under the provisions of Section 436 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) could be cancelled by invoking Section 439 (2) of the CrPC. The court order stated that if Satyaki wanted to pray for cancelling the bail bond of Gandhi, he could file a plea under Section 439 (2) of the CrPC. Gandhi’s lawyer, Milind Pawar, submitted that the court did not impose any conditions on his client at the time of granting him bail, so there was no question of cancelling his bail bond. The lawyer said his client was facing a charge of criminal defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which was a bailable offence. Satyaki filed the criminal defamation case over alleged objectionable remarks made by the Congress leader against Savarkar in a March 2023 speech in London. 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.
Congress disrespecting Indian armed forces: Kishan Reddy
Hyderabad: Union minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy on Friday accused the Congress of disrespecting the Indian armed forces. Speaking at a media briefing, Kishan Reddy said Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the public’s demand for a strong counter to terrorism. He criticised Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy for making statements that, he claimed, undermined the Indian armed forces and insulted national security. He alleged that Rahul Gandhi “virtually alerted Pakistan about Operation Sindoor” and demanded an explanation, accusing him of speaking in Pakistan’s favour rather than standing with India’s interests. Kishan Reddy also slammed Revanth Reddy for suggesting that Prime Minister Modi called off military action under pressure from then US President Donald Trump and for claiming that the BJP lacked the courage to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). “Such statements only serve to demoralise our armed forces,” he said. Emphasising that Operation Sindoor was carried out with national support and transparency, Reddy said the army acted in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that the operation destroyed nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and PoK, eliminating over 100 terrorists. 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.