‘Rok sako to rok lo’: Rahul Gandhi’s message to PM Modi, Nitish Kumar in Bihar
‘Rok sako to rok lo’: Rahul Gandhi’s message to PM Modi, Nitish Kumar in Bihar’Rok sako to rok lo’: Rahul Gandhi’s message to PM Modi, Nitish Kumar in Bihar NEW DELHI: “Nitish ji, Modi ji, rok sako to rok lo,” said Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, after he was stopped by police on his way to Ambedkar hostel in Bihar’s Darbhanga. However, the Congress leader managed to enter the premises amid political drama and questioned the chief minister, “what is he afraid of?” The incident occurred when Gandhi reached outside Ambedkar hostel. His convoy was stopped from entering the premises where he was scheduled to interact with students at the party’s ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ event. ‘Rok sako to rok lo’ Taking to X, he wrote in Hindi, “Nitish ji and Modi ji, stop me if you can – the storm of caste-based census will bring a revolution in social justice, education, and employment.” — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) ‘Double engine dhokebaaz sarkaar’ While addressing a gathering in Darbhanga, he called the NDA government in Bihar “double engine dhokebaaz sarkaar.” “The Bihar Police tried to stop me. But they could not stop me because your power (minority community) is watching over me. We told PM Narendra Modi that you have to conduct census. Under your pressure, PM Narendra Modi announced caste census in the country. Scared of your pressure, he placed the Constitution on his forehead. But their government is against democracy, the Constitution, and the minorities. This is the government of Adani-Ambani and not yours,” Gandhi said. “I guarantee that the moment our government forms in India and in Bihar, and implements everything that you deserve,” he added. ‘Nitish ji, what are you afraid of?’ In a post on social media platform X, Gandhi questioned Bihar CM Nitish and said, “NDA’s “double engine dhokebaaz sarkaar” in Bihar is preventing me from interacting with dalit and backward students in Ambedkar Hostel. Since when has dialogue become a crime? Nitish ji, what are you afraid of? Do you want to hide the state of education and social justice in Bihar?” — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) According to Congress, Gandhi’s car was stopped by police before reaching the hostel, prompting him to proceed on foot to meet the students. “India is a democracy, it is run by the Constitution, not by dictatorship! No one can stop us from raising our voice for social justice and education,” he posted on X. — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) ‘Pre-planned conspiracy’ Meanwhile, the Bihar Congress accused the district administration of attempting to sabotage the programme. Darbhanga deputy mayor Nazia Hasan called the last-minute cancellation of permission a “pre-planned conspiracy.” “If the administration did not want to grant us permission, they could have denied it the day we asked. But cancelling the permission at the last minute was a part of a pre-planned conspiracy. The preparations here had been going on for the last 4-5 days. The reason is that the government fears losing its seat in Darbhanga. They are scared that if Rahul Gandhi comes here, he will unite and motivate the youth. Rahul Gandhi does not require a mic or a stage for his voice to be heard. A street and a crossroad are sufficient for him,” Hassan told ANI. National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) president Varun Choudhary echoed the criticism, calling the JDU-BJP government “anti-Dalit and anti-students.” He claimed the event was sabotaged after the administration learned that a large number of students planned to attend. “This shows that the JDU-BJP government is anti-Dalit and anti-students… The students have declared they will only get up from here once they meet Rahul Gandhi. What is the JDU-BJP government scared of? The truth is that the students will reveal their poor condition under the JDU-BJP government to Rahul Gandhi. The preparations for today’s programme had been going on for some time. But permission for the programme was deliberately cancelled last night when the administration found out that the students are planning to attend the event in large numbers,” Choudhary told ANI. 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 condemns FIR against Rahul
Patna: A day after the Darbhanga district administration lodged an FIR against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for attending an event at Ambedkar Hostel without permission, the party criticised the move on Friday while urging the state govt not to implicate dalit students. Speaking to the reporters, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar claimed police were attempting to arrest around 100 dalit students who had invited Rahul to participate in the ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ event. “The police have gone all out to arrest these poor students whose names appear in the FIR. We strongly condemn this police action,” Kumar said, adding that the students should not be dragged into a political conflict between the Congress and the govt. Kumar said, “We neither fear the bullets of the NDA govt nor their FIRs. The Congress stands firmly with dalits, OBCs, EBCs and minority students. They need not be afraid. Rahulji is with them.” Krishna Allavaru, the party’s Bihar in charge, said the administration had initially extended support during preparations but suddenly withdrew permission. “Our leader went there to interact with students, not to hold a public rally. The Bihar govt’s last-minute decision clearly shows it fears the Congress and Rahul,” Allavaru claimed. Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee’s working president Jignesh Mevani said, “The registration of an FIR against Rahul and dalit students proves that the NDA is opposed to dalit, backward, extremely backward and tribal communities.” 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.
Govt to send all-party teams to brief nations on Pak-sponsored terrorism
NEW DELHI: Stepping up its diplomatic offensive on Operation Sindoor, govt has decided to send five all-party delegations of MPs to different parts of the world starting next week to highlight Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Each team will have eight members. MPs belonging to BJP, Congress, TMC, DMK, NCP (SP), JDU, BJD, Shiv Sena (UBT), CPM and some other parties will be part of the delegations which are meant to signal national unity. Sources said some former ministers would lead the delegations scheduled to visit various countries over a period period of 10 days. MEA will brief the MPs before they depart. Though all parties appeared to be on board, Congress sources were angry that govt had reached out to its MPs and others directly instead of approaching the leadership first. Sources said while party members would join the delegations in “supreme national interest”, it was for the leadership to decide who from its ranks would go. They particularly appeared to be unhappy about the likelihood of Shashi Tharoor being the choice to head one of the delegations, possibly the one to the US. “He, being chairman of the standing committee on external affairs, should have been the logical choice, but his remarks have lately been out of line with the party’s stand,” said a source. Congress sources also indicated that they would push for the inclusion of deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi in one of the teams. Govt expressed surprise at Congress’s response. “Members of delegations are supposed to pursue national interest and not work as representatives of political parties. They are going there as Indians,” a source said. “The practice has always been that govt chooses the members. So far nobody has objected,” he added. A leader of a party that has been sounded out for the exercise said they were asked to be ready to leave by May 22-23 for a period of 10 days and that MEA would be in touch with them to provide details, including the itinerary. Former Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Anurag Thakur, Aparajita Sarangi, Samik Bhattacharya and Brij Lal are among the BJP members to be part of the teams, sources said. At least four MPs from Congress, besides members of other parties, have been tapped by govt for the exercise. They include Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Salman Khurshid and Amar Singh. However, Congress sources said at least three leaders told govt that it should contact their party leadership for the names. TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay, JDU’s Sanjay Jha, BJD’s Sasmit Patra, CPM’s John Brittas, UBT’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, NCP (SP)’s Supriya Sule, DMK’s K Kanimozhi, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi and AAP’s Vikramjit Sawhney are also being tapped to be part of the delegations, sources said. While Khurshid, a former external affairs minister, has been asked to lead a delegation of seven MPs to south and south-east Asia, covering countries such as South Korea, Japan and Singapore, Baramati MP Sule is likely to lead a team to West Asia and Africa, including the likes of Oman, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa, sources said. Tewari is likely to lead a delegation to Europe or West Asia and has been asked about his availability while Tharoor could lead a team to the US, they said, adding that former Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was likely to be part of one delegation. While there was no official word from govt on the delegations, Congress’s Jairam Ramesh said Union minister Kiren Rijiju had spoken to party president Mallikarjun Kharge. 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.
Hostel can never be a place for political meetings, NDA netas flay Rahul
Patna: The NDA members strongly reacted to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s allegations that the Darbhanga administration did not give him permission to interact with the dalit students of Ambedkar Hostel at the launch of the party’s ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ there. Strongly refuting Rahul’s allegations, JD(U) acting national president Sanjay Kumar Jha said a hostel can never be a place for political meetings. The Darbhanga administration had given permission to the Congress to hold Rahul’s meeting at Town Hall,” he said. He alleged that Rahul had come to Bihar for doing politics only but people knew how much concerned the Congress was for the dalits and economically backward classes while being a partner in the “jungle raj of the RJD in Bihar”. “Congress should look into its history. Have you ever heard about any rule to allow a political meeting in a students’ hostel, meant for studies. People have been watching the Congress since the Mandal Commission report. It is Bihar CM Nitish Kumar who has successfully got a caste survey done in the state, and the govt has been taking assertive action on the basis of its report,” he said, alleging that Rahul has a political agenda since election is due in Bihar. State JD(U) president Umesh Kushwaha mocked Rahul and said, “Aisa na ho ki 243 seats jeet jaye NDA (It might happen that that NDA might win all 243 assembly seats)”. Reacting over Rahul’s speech in Darbhanga, health minister Mangal Pandey said his negative politics will push Congress further into the abyss. “In Darbhanga, he staged a drama of protest to hide the flop show. Rahul’s attempt to create chaos by disobeying administrative orders is condemnable,” he said, alleging that the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha wanted to gain fame through his absurd antics and negative politics. “He walked to the Ambedkar hostel because the people gathered at the Town hall, assigned by the administration, were less in numbers than his expectations.” State BJP president Dilip Jaiswal said Rahul should have been in some drama company and not in politics. 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 leader’s statement is shameful’, JDU leader Sanjay Jha furious over statement on Sofia Qureshi
Patna: JDU MP Sanjay Jha has expressed his views on Rahul Gandhi not getting permission to hold a program in Ambedkar hostel in Darbhanga. He said that political activities should not take place in the hostel. Congress people had asked for a town hall, which was allowed by the district administration. Sanjay Jha has also called the statement made by the BJP leader of Madhya Pradesh on Sofia Qureshi shameful. Sanjay Jha said that Congress people had asked for a place in a hostel in Darbhanga. He clarified that no political meeting takes place in any hostel. Hostel is a place where students go to study. Therefore, political meetings, rallies or programs cannot be held there. Courtesy : Hindi News
FIR against Rahul for unauthorised event
Patna: Darbhanga district administration on Thursday lodged an FIR against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for holding an event at the Ambedkar Hostel without official permission. The case was registered shortly after Rahul left Darbhanga for Patna. In addition to Rahul, 18 others were named in the FIR filed at Laheriasarai police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The police acted on two separate complaints submitted by district welfare officer Alok Kumar and block welfare officer Khursid Alam. “We registered a case against them since they held the function without any permission,” district welfare officer Kumar told TOI. According to the FIR, the Congress had been granted permission to hold its event at the Town Hall. However, the meeting was instead conducted at the Ambedkar Hostel, allegedly without authorisation, and was attended by Rahul and several others. Responding to the allegations, Rahul told reporters at Patna airport before departing for Delhi, “I told them (officials) if you want to stop me (from visiting the hostel), do it, but they didn’t as I went there.” 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 claims Rahul Gandhi stopped by police from entering Ambedkar hostel in Bihar’s Darbhanga
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was stopped by police on Thursday while trying to enter the Ambedkar hostel in Darbhanga, where he was scheduled to interact with students under the party’s ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ initiative. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, was denied entry into the hostel premises by local authorities, sparking protests from senior Bihar Congress leaders who demanded that the gates be opened. — PTI_News (@PTI_News) The Congress had planned the event at the Ambedkar hostel, but the district administration reportedly shifted the venue to Town Hall late Wednesday night, after initially denying permission. Congress leaders, however, insisted that Gandhi would speak to students at the original venue. “The administration in Darbhanga is acting at the behest of the JD(U)-BJP combine,” senior Congress leader Abhay Dubey said at a press conference in Patna. “Hundreds of students from nearby districts like Madhubani and Samastipur are being stopped from entering Darbhanga. But the administration should realise that Rahul Gandhi enjoys the support of the deprived sections of this country.” While police restricted entry, Bihar Congress leaders accused the administration of obstructing their outreach programme and questioned claims that prior permission to hold the event at the hostel was never requested. Dubey dismissed the administration’s claim and called it an excuse to suppress the voice of students. “It’s unfortunate that such tactics are being used to silence a dialogue meant to address education inequality,” he said. The ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ is a Congress-led public outreach campaign focused on educational justice, and Darbhanga was one of the key stops in Bihar. 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.
‘Crossed lakshman rekha’: Shashi Tharoor given ‘clear message’ by leadership over India-Pakistan remarks, say Congress sources
NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has “crossed the lakshman rekha” with his repeated remarks on the India-Pakistan conflict, party sources told news agency PTI on Wednesday. The remarks followed a high-level meeting at the Congress headquarters, attended by Tharoor, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Sachin Pilot and other senior leaders. “We are a democratic party and people keep expressing their opinion, but this time, Tharoor has crossed the lakshman rekha,” a party source said after the meeting. Sources said the leadership conveyed a “clear message” during the discussion – that this is a time to present a united front and reflect the party’s official position, not personal viewpoints. Without naming anyone directly, the message appeared to have been aimed at Tharoor, who has made several public comments on the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions that differ from the party’s approach. The Congress has sharply questioned the Modi government, particularly over US president Donald Trump’s repeated claims of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. When asked about Tharoor’s remarks, Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh said at a press briefing, “That is his opinion. When Mr. Tharoor speaks, it does not reflect the views of the party.” Tharoor’s recent statements have drawn attention for appearing more conciliatory or divergent from the party’s critical stance on the government’s handling of India-Pakistan relations post-Operation Sindoor. While the Congress has lauded the armed forces for the success of Operation Sindoor, it has raised questions over the Modi government’s abrupt decision to agree to a ceasefire, a move first announced by Trump. In contrast, Shashi Tharoor came out in strong defence of the government, dismissing Trump as “a politician wanting to take credit for something” and backing India’s decision to agree to the truce. 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 role did US play?’: Congress questions PM Modi, EAM Jaishankar’s silence over Donald Trump’s India-Pakistan ceasefire claim
NEW DELHI: Congress on Wednesday announced “Jai Hind” rallies across country in an effort to demand answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and foreign minister S Jaishankar over the interference of America in India-Pakistan ceasefire deal. It has also demanded a special Parliament session to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people on April 22. “For the last few days, the Congress party is asking why US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. This is happening for the first time. PM Modi does not say anything on this. US secretary of state Marco Rubio says that America’s role was so important that it was because of them that this war stopped. EAM Dr Jaishankar does not even answer this. We are continuously asking why PM Modi and EAM are not answering what the role of America is?” the grand old party’s national spokesperson Jairam Ramesh asked. — ANI (@ANI) “We have decided that we are going to hold ‘Jai Hind Sabha’ rallies in 10-15 states. Our senior party leaders will participate in them, and we will raise several questions to the Prime Minister. Several questions have already been asked by our party. Rahul Gandhi will also ask some questions on 16th May. In these rallies, we will ask the Prime Minister why he is silent. Members of our ex-servicemen department will also be present in the rallies,” he added. — ANI (@ANI) Additionally, Congress expressed support for the armed forces and government in all its efforts against terrorism. Indian military launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Centre has “We are standing with our armed forces like a rock. We are standing against terrorism, and we give full support to the actions taken against Pakistan. We also demanded that an all-party meeting be called…Two all-party meetings were held, but PM Modi was not present in any of those meetings. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi have written a letter to PM Modi for a special session of the Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam terrorist attack,” Ramesh said. — ANI (@ANI) US President Donald Trump has claimed several times that the States brokered the peace deal between India and Pakistan after the two nations launched military actions against each other, which could have escalated into a war. Trump also claimed that he threatened to stop doing trade with the two nations if they did not stop the escalation. Meanwhile, the claim has been rejected by government sources as they noted that no talks regarding trade was done with any of the US officials since the launch of Operation Sindoor. However, PM Modi has remained reticent regarding the issue even though he has addressed the nation twice since the truce. 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.
Ceasefire at the border rekindles conflict within Karnataka Congress
Bengaluru: With tensions between India and Pakistan easing with the declaration of a ceasefire, conflicts and internal bickering has resumed in the two major national parties — governing Congress and principal opposition BJP — in Karnataka. Some members in both parties are pressing for a change at the helm. Senior Congress functionaries say the decision to go ahead with the Sadhana Samavesha event — scheduled for May 20 in Hospet, Vijayanagara district to mark two years of the party in office — has kicked off rivalries between camps led by chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar. Besides talk over the unofficial “pact” that Shivakumar would replace Siddaramaiah as CM at the halfway mark of this govt’s five-year tenure, there is also bickering on the appointment of a new KPCC president and an impending reshuffle of the cabinet. Functionaries claim the party high command had promised to induct a new batch of MLAs into the cabinet after the govt crossed the halfway mark. They say this is why Siddaramaiah filled all 34 ministerial berths when he formed the govt in May 2023. Seniors including Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and Shivakumar, also KPCC president, had previously suggested as much when they said in public forums that the current set of ministers must make way for those who did not get an opportunity earlier. A large section of MLAs intends to remind Rahul and the party’s high command of this promise when he visits for the Sadhana Samavesha. “As elected representatives, we obviously aspire for ministerial posts so that we serve our constituents better,” said PM Narendra Swamy, Malavalli MLA and chairman of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. “We will raise the issue at the proper forum. However, we will abide by the decision of the high command.” While a huge contingent of fresh faces is hoping for a ministerial berth, many seniors, including UT Khader, currently serving as speaker of the assembly, former minister RV Deshpande, former deputy chief minister Lakshman Savadi and legislators like Shivalinge Gowda, Vinay Kulkarni, and Appaji Nagagouda are also hoping to make the transition. However, the hitch is that incumbent ministers are unwilling to vacate their posts. While Shivakumar’s supporters like Channagiri MLA Shivagganga Basavaraj insist Siddaramaiah will have to make way for “their leader”, the CM’s loyalists, including urban development minister Byrathi Suresha, have said Siddaramaiah will continue in his present position for the full term. “As ministers, we cannot comment on a cabinet reshuffle or appointment of CM since it is the high command’s decision,” said food and civil supplies minister KH Muniyappa. “However, I think all of us, except a few first-time ministers who need more time to prove their mettle, may consider making way for others.” In BJP, the friction over the state president is intensifying as the detractors of incumbent BY Vijayendra are still pressing for his replacement, while his supporters maintain that the high command has promised to reaffirm his position. 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.