Centre’s ED tactic will not cow us: Karnataka Congress leaders
KPCC president BK Hariprasad said the raids are a blatant misuse of central investigative agencies for political vendetta. BENGALURU: Extending support to PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, cabinet ministers and senior Congress leaders have launched a sharp attack on the Union government, accusing it of using central agencies, including the CBI, Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate (ED), as political puppets. Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the ED raids on Jarkiholi and his family were politically motivated. He pointed to the ED’s track record, stating that between 2015-16 and February 2025, it registered 193 cases against political leaders and those affiliated with opposition parties, but secured only two convictions. He questioned whether the agencies were genuinely fighting corruption or being used as political weapons. “Raids, summons, arrests, primetime headlines and political mudslinging and after nearly a decade? Just two convictions,’’ he posted on X. Minister T Raghumurthy said central investigative agencies are increasingly being weaponised against leaders of political parties opposed to the BJP. KPCC president BK Hariprasad said the raids are a blatant misuse of central investigative agencies for political vendetta. “This is nothing new for us as since 2014, targeting Congress leaders has been a regular feature of the incompetent central government. The message is clear: opposition leaders are targeted, raided and harassed, while the ruling establishment remains untouched. The ED must be an institution of law, not a puppet of the Central government,’’ he said. AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said the politically motivated witch hunt unleashed by the Modi government against Congress leaders is a stale story that will never deter or intimidate them. “Over the last three years, the list of witch hunts by a decisively decimated BJP/Janata Dal tells its own tale. There was ED raid on (Chief Minister) DK Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh, former CM Siddaramaiah, DCM G Parameshwara, minister Zameer Ahmed, MP Tukaram, MLA NA Haris and others. All this while sanction for prosecution against Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, BJP leader MP Renukacharya and MLA Janardhan Reddy remains pending before the Governor,’’ he said. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Six-member guarantee panels in every gram panchayat soon: CM Shivakumar
Former PM Jawaharlal Nehru was in jail for several years, both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives, while Sonia Gandhi sacrificed power. BENGALURU: The state government will constitute six-member guarantee committees in every gram panchayat to empower Congress workers. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said legislators have been instructed to constitute the committees by the next week. “If party workers are with us, we are ready to empower them. Around 250 people will be empowered in every taluk,” he said. Addressing party workers at a programme on Wednesday to mark the fourth anniversary of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the CM said unlike Congress workers, BJP and JDS workers cannot wear the Tricolour. “The Congress represents sacrifice, life and power. Former PM Jawaharlal Nehru was in jail for several years, both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives, while Sonia Gandhi sacrificed power. Is there anyone who sacrificed their lives or power in BJP?’’ he said. “Let BJP members conduct their padayatra, we have the capacity to walk four steps ahead of them.” Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul Gandhi flags potholed roads built under PMGSY in Rae Bareli
Rae Bareli/Lucknow: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday highlighted the poor condition of roads built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in his constituency Rae Bareli during the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting. Rahul displayed photographs of pothole-riddled roads from the city and identified specific stretches to question the officials and seek action. “He asked the officials concerned why the roads were in such condition and what was being done to repair them,” said a member who attended the meeting, adding, “The PMGSY executive engineer assured the MP that the damaged roads would be repaired.” Rahul, who was on a two-day visit of his constituency, stressed the need to identify roads according to the agencies that constructed them and maintain records so that responsibility for their maintenance could be clearly established. Rahul attended the meeting at the Collectorate along with Amethi MP Kishori Lal Sharma, food and civil supplies minister Manoj Kumar Pandey, horticulture miunister Dinesh Pratap Singh and other elected representatives and officials. The meeting reviewed implementation of various central govt schemes in the district. Dinesh Pratap Singh later accused the Congress MP of appearing more interested in finding faults with govt schemes than reviewing their implementation. Pandey later said 22 lakh people in Rae Bareli were receiving ration under the food security programme. On the road network, he said around 16,000 small and major roads had been constructed in the district over the past five years. After the meeting, Rahul left the collectorate without speaking to reporters. Earlier, he met Congress functionaries and representatives of various organisations at Bhuemau guest house. People from Rae Bareli, Amethi and Sultanpur also met him and raised local issues. Congress functionaries said Rahul Gandhi listened to their concerns and assured them of efforts to address them. He also handed over two ambulances to the health department and inaugurated development projects worth around Rs 3 crore. His visit coincided with a protest by Samajwadi Party MLAs Rahul Lodhi and Shyam Sundar Bhati outside the collectorate. The legislators alleged that the district panchayat was ignoring local issues and displayed placards highlighting school closures, alleged land encroachment, farmers’ problems, unemployment, false cases and poor basic amenities. Rahul had reached Rae Bareli on Tuesday evening and met traders and lawyers to discuss their concerns. 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
‘Every Northeast family in Delhi asking – are we safe?’ Rahul on Manipuri musician’s killing
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday condemned the death of Manipuri musician Chongtham Vikram Singh, who was allegedly assaulted by a group of men in Delhi.In a social media post on X, Rahul questioned Union home minister Amit Shah and Delhi Police over what they were doing to stop the growing lawlessness against people from the Northeast in Delhi. “Chongtham Vikram Singh ji, a renowned musician from Manipur, went downstairs to ask some men to lower the noise outside his home. He was beaten to death for it. A father, killed outside his own home, in his own country’s capital. After many such incidents, every Northeast family in Delhi is asking the same question today – are we safe here?” the Congress leader said. “What are Shah’s MHA and Delhi Police doing to stop this growing lawlessness, especially against people from the Northeast? There must be a swift investigation, and the culprits must be brought to justice. My condolences to Vikram ji’s family,” he added. The 54-year-old Manipuri music teacher allegedly died after being assaulted by a group of men in Kilokari Village, in Delhi’s Ashram area, following a dispute over noise and nuisance outside his residence. According to police, Vikram Singh had objected to alleged shouting and nuisance by delivery boys and dhaba staff opposite his house. When he came downstairs to object, he was allegedly attacked with fists and blows. Vikram was taken to Holy Family Hospital by his son Yaiphaba for treatment, where he later succumbed to his injuries. According to the Police, a PCR call regarding the alleged beating of C Vikram Singh was received at Delhi’s Sunlight Colony police station on September 7. Police said the preliminary enquiry indicated that Singh had objected to alleged shouting and nuisance by delivery boys and dhaba staff in front of his residence in Kilokari Village. When he came downstairs and objected, he was allegedly assaulted with fists and blows. The official further informed that they have registered an FIR under murder provisions and said all the accused, including minors, have been apprehended. Further investigation is still under way. 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
Expelled Bihar Congress functionaries protest outside party office, seek meeting with Rahul
NEW DELHI: A group of expelled Bihar Congress functionaries Tuesday protested in front of the party office here, and demanded a meeting with Rahul Gandhi so that they could “apprise” him of the realities of the state unit. The former Congress functionaries, led by Anand Madhab, were expelled for “anti-party activities” after Bihar assembly elections. They had alleged irregularities in the selection of candidates and blamed AICC in-charge Krishna Allavaru and Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar. Madhab said their demands include an immediate appointment with Rahul, withdrawal of all disciplinary and expulsion proceedings and orders against them. He also demanded removal of Allavaru and Kumar from their posts. Madhab said the process of restoration of faith in the party would start with the fulfilment of their demands. He said the leaders charged with indiscipline should be restored to their earlier positions in the organisation. Madhab said he and colleagues had been demanding a meeting with Rahul for a while, and decided to come to the capital after their demands and concerns were not heard. He said the group protesting is not a dissident bloc but comprises dedicated Congress workers. “We have come to our own house, to meet our guardians and apprise them of the goings on in Bihar Congress,” he said. The protesters included former MLAs Anil Singh, Chhatrapati Yadav, Poonam Devi, and former Bihar Pradesh Congress vice-president Jamal Ahmed, Nagendra paswan. 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
Bombay high court refuses to junk defamation case, says Rahul Gandhi’s remarks against PM Modi must be decided at trial
Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Tuesday dismissed a petition by Congress politician Rahul Gandhi that challenged summons issued to him by a magistrate on a defamation complaint over his alleged 2018 statements against PM Narendra Modi related to the Rafale fighter aircraft deal.“In absence of any manifest illegality, perversity in the impugned order, it is not a fit case for interference in exercise of inherent jurisdiction under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Considering overall facts and circumstances, this court finds no infirmity in the impugned order,’’ said Justice Nitin Borkar. The criminal defamation complaint was filed by BJP functionary Mahesh Shrishrimal before a Girgaon magistrate stating that Gandhi’s statements were made in a rally in Rajasthan and had hurt the sentiments of all BJP members. The magistrate issued summons against Gandhi in August 2019. Gandhi received the summons in July 2021 and then moved the high court seeking quashing of the proceedings. On December 16, 2021, the high court, in an interim order, had deferred the proceedings before the magistrate. Shrishrimal’s advocate Rohan Mahadik opposed Gandhi’s petition insisting that the statements targeted all BJP members. Senior advocate Sudeep Pasbola, for Gandhi, argued that the complaint was frivolous, non-maintainable, and intended to harass adversaries. He said only an aggrieved person could file it. Advocate General Milind Sathe countered that an individual BJP member also qualifies as an aggrieved person with locus standi and legal right to file the complaint. He urged that the complaint should not be quashed at the preliminary stage. In the order, Justice Borkar said: “On prima facie reading of the defamatory statement, inter alia, describes the Prime Minister, who is also the prominent face of the said political party, as having engaged in the acts of theft while being the Commander of Thieves.” Justice Borkar said: “Therefore, at this threshold, it cannot be said that the alleged defamatory imputation is incapable of extending to those clearly identified with the party and its leadership, including its office-bearers.” Whether the imputations were confined to the PM alone, or whether and to what extent they cast the shadow upon BJP members and functionaries “is a matter requiring an appreciation of evidence and context…a determination that must await trial rather than be conclusively answered by this court… “, said the high court. After the order, Gandhi’s advocate requested a stay on the order for eight weeks to approach the Supreme Court. After Mahadik opposed it, Justice Borkar stayed the order for six weeks. 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 begins two-day Rae Bareli visit, to review devpt works
Lucknow: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi began a two-day visit to his Rae Bareli constituency on Tuesday. His packed schedule includes meetings with local stakeholders, a review of development works and a visit to flood-affected areas. He was given a warm welcome by state leadership at Amausi airport in Lucknow from where he took the road to reach Rae Bareli. On the way, he was greeted by cadres and workers in different places. Gandhi is scheduled to chair a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) on Wednesday, where the progress of central govt schemes, pending issues and action taken on directions issued at earlier meetings are expected to come up for review. He is also scheduled to meet bullion traders and representatives of the Central Bar Association, besides delegations of sportspersons, medical professionals and chemists. Gandhi will inaugurate development works completed at a cost of Rs 3 crore from his MP Local Area Development Scheme funds. The Congress leader is expected to visit flood-affected areas in Shivgarh and Maharajganj to assess the situation and interact with residents. The visit comes as the party prepares for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, adding a political dimension to Gandhi’s constituency outreach. Gandhi last visited Rae Bareli in May. Gandhi’s flight makes go-around amid strong winds Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was aboard Air India flight AI-1717 from Delhi to Lucknow, which made a go-around at 3.45 pm due to strong winds. The aircraft landed safely in Lucknow on its second attempt at 3.55 pm. 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
Delhi building collapse: Rahul demands accountability, accuses PM Modi & BJP of grandstanding
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and the BJP government over the collapse of a PG building in Delhi’s Satya Niketan, accusing the government of failing to prevent such accidents and holding those responsible accountable. In a post on X, Gandhi accused that the BJP government follows a pattern of taking no preventive action before accidents and then “grandstanding” after tragedies, while blaming a few lower-level officials and allowing those he described as the “real culprits” to escape accountability. Gandhi said the Satya Niketan collapse was “no isolated tragedy” and referred to other recent incidents in Delhi, including deaths in Saidulajab and a fire in Hauz Rani. He alleged that lives and aspirations were repeatedly being lost in such incidents while meaningful action remained absent. “Every time, lives, dreams, and aspirations get buried under rubble, and every time, any real action is nowhere to be found,” Rahul said. The Congress leader also accused the Prime Minister of attempting to shame and silence those who question the government by using labels such as “dimagi naxal” and “naraz fufa”. He said the alleged lack of accountability was a consequence of a lack of political intent. “For 12 years, this government has spun you around with lofty talk about the whole world, but never addressed the real issues,” Gandhi said, questioning the BJP government’s record on public safety. He also raised questions over governance in Delhi, saying the city has a “triple engine” government and asking what the excuse was for the administration’s alleged helplessness in dealing with recurring safety failures. Satya Niketan PG building collapsed during repair work The building in Satya Niketan, near Delhi University’s South Campus, housed a boys’ paying-guest accommodation. It collapsed on Sunday while repair work was underway, leaving seven people dead and several others injured. The Delhi high court on Monday termed the Satya Niketan building collapse as “most unfortunate”, and questioned not only the responsibility of the building owners but also that of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi University (DU), which it said had failed to provide adequate accommodation for outstation students dependent on private paying guest (PG) facilities. 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
Purification row: Punjab Congress protests Haldwani ritual; demands FIR against organisers
Punjab Congress staged a protest on Monday against the BJP and RSS over a “purification” ritual allegedly conducted at Uttarakhand’s Haldwani Ramlila Ground after a Congress rally attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge. The protesters also demanded that the FIR registered against Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on the incident be withdrawn. Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa condemned the ritual and demanded action against those who organised it. “The Congress party in Punjab, and across India, does not believe in caste-based discrimination. We demand that an FIR be registered against the person who performed the ‘purification’ in Haldwani. The false FIR against Rahul Gandhi should be discarded immediately,” news agency ANI quoted Randhawa saying. Former Punjab chief minister and Punjab Congress campaign committee chairperson Charanjit Singh Channi said the protest was against what he described as the “discriminatory mindset” of the BJP and RSS. “We have staged a protest against the mindset of the RSS and the BJP, specifically regarding the incident where the stage was ‘purified’ after Mallikarjun Kharge had stepped onto it. They treated the stage as ‘contaminated’ simply because a Dalit had set foot on it. An FIR must be registered against those responsible for this act. This protest serves as an expression of our anger and a warning to the government,” Channi said. The protest comes days after Haldwani City Kotwali Police registered an FIR against Rahul Gandhi on August 30 following a complaint over his remarks about the ritual. The complainant, Amit Kumar, a 26-year-old Valmiki community member and office-bearer of Shri Ram Sena Dharmarth Seva Nyas, alleged that Gandhi’s comments hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community. According to the complaint, Gandhi had on August 29 described the “shuddhikaran yajna” at Haldwani’s Ramlila Ground as an act of untouchability and anti-Dalit discrimination. The FIR invokes provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The organisers, however, have denied that the ritual had any caste-based motive. 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
Keralam CM gets Rahul’s assurance: No further delay in KPCC chief appointment
Thiruvananthapuram: AICC leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday assured chief minister V D Satheesan that the appointment of a full-time KPCC president would not be delayed further. Gandhi gave the assurance during their meeting at 10 Janpath, Sonia Gandhi’s official residence, in New Delhi, after Satheesan pressed for an early appointment, sources said. Satheesan’s main message to Rahul was that the KPCC needed a full-time president without further delay, as there is concern among members of its political affairs committee about the delay. He also highlighted the organisational difficulties in the absence of a full-time president during his 30-minute meeting. The state party chief, Sunny Joseph, is a minister in Satheesan cabinet. It is not clear whether the CM suggested any particular name during his meeting. Sources said Satheesan has no objection to the appointment of Joseph Vazhakkan, who is a nominee of home minister Ramesh Chennithala. Soon after returning to Kerala House following his meeting with Rahul, Satheesan was visited by Kodikunnil Suresh, who is among those aspiring to the KPCC president’s post. Suresh subsequently told the media that holding the post of an MP does not disqualify a person from becoming the party’s state president. He also said he would not contest the next Lok Sabha election, while openly expressing his interest in becoming the KPCC chief. The Congress high command, however, is reportedly giving priority to organisational issues in north Indian states where assembly elections are due in the coming months. It remains unclear whether the KPCC appointment will be announced immediately. According to sources, the PM SHRI controversy did not figure in the meeting. The AICC has maintained that the scheme is part of the Sangh Parivar agenda, while the state government has said it will implement it only if certain conditions are accepted, including no interference in the curriculum and the state retaining the authority to decide which schools will adopt the scheme. 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