Opposition netas denied women their rights: CM
Patna: CM Samrat Choudhary launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD chief Lalu Prasad as their parties did not support the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha last week to implement 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies. Addressing the ‘Jan Akrosh Mahila Sammelan’, organised by BJP at Gandhi Maidan here on Monday, Samrat said: “The opposition leaders want their own daughters and wives to become members of the Lok Sabha, whereas (PM) Modi Ji thinks of the women of the entire nation. Had the Women’s Reservation (Amendment) Bill been passed, 122 women from Bihar would have been elected as legislators.” He alleged that certain politicians desire only their own women family members to gain entry into Parliament. Rahul Gandhi, for instance, wishes for his sister alone to become a member of Parliament; similarly, in Bihar, Lalu Prasad desires for his wife to become the leader of the opposition and his daughter to become an MP. He also took aim at the Samajwadi Party (SP) for promoting women from the party chief’s family. CM Samrat said there would be absolutely no compromise regarding the dignity and respect of “Nari Shakti”. He emphasised that the NDA has been committed to the cause of women’s empowerment from the very beginning and will continue to strive towards this goal in the future. He said the opposition’s stance exposed their anti-women face for all to see. The CM also highlighted how the NDA govt in Bihar gave 50% quota to women in panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies. Samrat said anyone who attempts to instil insecurity among women in Bihar will be hunted down. The CM assured the women that PM Narendra Modi’s govt would enact the necessary legislation for the welfare of women and would actively work to ensure they receive justice. He noted that in 1977, when India’s population stood at 70 crores, there were 543 Lok Sabha constituencies. “PM Modi sought to increase the number of seats reserved for women by granting “Nari Shakti” a 33% reservation. Had the elections in Bihar been conducted based on the new delimitation boundaries, the current count of 29 women MLAs would have surged to at least 122. However, individuals associated with the Congress and the RJD deprived women of these rightful entitlements. BJP state president Sanjay Saraogi said the NDA would stage protests at all district headquarters to expose the opposition. Braving the summer heat, thousands of women attended the rally. Former minister Shreyasi Singh said the INDI Alliance leaders have lost all respect in the eyes of women. JD(U) leader and former minister Leshi Singh said by failing to pass the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam” , the opposition has snatched away the rights of women. BJP leader Renu Devi said the opposition’s double standards have been exposed. Rashtriya Lok Morcha MLA Snehlata Kushwaha said the women of the country will never forgive the opposition. HAM(S) MLA Jyoti Devi said the opposition has never harboured the mindset to empower or propel women forward. Targeting RJD, she said, “What would they know about the meaning of respect for women? Their very identity is defined by the humiliation of women.” 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
Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
LUCKNOW: Perturbed with unpleasant situation caused in Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s dual citizenship case, Justice Subhash Vidyarthi of Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court on Monday recused himself from hearing of the case and requested the chief justice to constitute another bench. On Monday, Justice Vidyarthi was particularly peeved by the social media posts of petitioner S Shishir Vignesh after his previous order. Justice Vidyarthi , however, admitted that he should have issued notice to Rahul Gandhi in the case before dictating filing of an FIR on April 17, 2026 in an open court . He also chastised the lawyers of all the parties for not placing before him the correct legal position as to whether the proposed accused was required to be heard. Hearing a plea from of a Karnataka BJP worker, Justice Vidyarthi on April 17, 2026 had dictated an order in open court , directing Uttar Pradesh police to register an FIR against Rahul in case of alleged double citizenship controversy. However, when the order came to be uploaded on high court’s website on April on April 18, 2026 , it stated that before the order was typed and signed , the judge came to know that in a leading verdict of the Allahabad high court, it was mandatory to issue notice to the proposed accused , in this case Gandhi, before delivery any judgment on the issue. The judge had, thereafter, instead of signing the order, posted the matter for further hearing on April 20 on question of issuance of notice to Gandhi. In its order passed on Monday, the judge clarified that it was mandatory to issue notice to Gandhi prior to passing any order in the case. The judge was specially peeved by the social media posts made by the petitioner, S Shishir Vignesh. “The messages posted by the petitioner on social media after passing of the order on April 17 amount to casting aspersions on this court and keeping those in consideration, I find it appropriate to recuse from hearing this case”, said Justice Vidyarthi. Expressing annoyance that proper legal assistance was not given to him by informing that issuance of notice to proposed accused was necessary, Justice Vidyarthi observed, “ I am pained to note that the lawyers appearing in this case have failed to perform their duty of providing assistance to the Court in a fair manner.” 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
‘Not a routine action’: Congress says Tamil Nadu chief ‘confined’ under pretext of IT ‘search’ ahead of poll rally
NEW DELHI: Congress on Monday said that its Tamil Nadu president K Selvaperunthagai was “unlawfully” confined by the Income Tax department, accusing the central agency of preventing him from carrying out his political duties ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s campaign in the poll-bound state. In a social media post on X, Congress termed the searches a “blatant misuse” of central agencies, claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party is intimidating and obstructing opposition leaders ahead of polling. “As LoP Rahul Gandhi arrives in Tamil Nadu to campaign, a shocking incident has unfolded. K Selvaperunthagai ji, president of the Tamil Nadu PCC, was unlawfully confined in Sriperumbudur by the Income Tax Department under the pretext of a ‘search,’ preventing him from carrying out his political duties,” the party said. “This is not routine action. This is a blatant misuse of central agencies by the BJP to intimidate and obstruct Opposition leaders at a crucial moment. Such actions strike at the very heart of democracy. Silencing dissent and targeting political opponents through state machinery is unacceptable. India’s democracy cannot be reduced to intimidation and coercion. The people are watching, and they will respond,” it added. The Income Tax department is conducting a raid at the residence of the Congress leader following complaints alleging that cash intended for distribution to voters had been stashed there. Selvaperunthagai also targeted the BJP and said the action is a clear and calculated attempt to obstruct democratic functioning and weaken the activities of the Opposition. “As Rahul Gandhi ji arrives in Tamil Nadu today to undertake a crucial election campaign, the Income Tax Department, with Hindi-speaking officials, under the pretext of a ‘search’, unlawfully confined me within the Sriperumbudur Assembly constituency, effectively preventing me from discharging my political duties and engaging with the people. This deliberate action, carried out at a politically sensitive moment,” he said in a social media post on X. “The timing of this intervention exposes its true intent — not enforcement, but intimidation. It reflects a disturbing pattern of using central agencies as instruments of political pressure to silence dissent, restrict political participation, and create an atmosphere of fear among Opposition leaders and workers,” he added. Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will campaign in the southern districts of Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli on Monday, marking his second visit to Tamil Nadu ahead of the assembly polls. The high-voltage campaign is set to conclude at 5 pm on April 21, marking the end of public canvassing. Leaders have lined up their final campaign events across key constituencies. 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
Delimitation decoded: What the Centre tried to do, why opposition shot it down & what happens next
NEW DELHI: Parliament has voted down the government’s proposal to expand the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 seats, implement 33% reservation for women, and redraw constituencies accordingly, but the defeat has not closed the issue. If anything, it has exposed how a once-technical constitutional mechanism has become one of the most consequential unresolved questions in electoral politics. It is important to note that the Women’s Reservation Act 2023, which provides for a 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, came into force on April 16, 2026 amid the ongoing debate on proposed bills. The opposition was unambiguous about these bills. “This defeat is not of women’s quota but of delimitation by the backdoor,” said Revolutionary Socialist PartyMP N K Premachandran. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called it a “defeat of BJP’s malice.” Trinamool Congress, whose 21 MPs had been urgently mobilised by the INDIA bloc, proved critical to the margin. After the vote, Congress’s Rahul Gandhi spoke personally with TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee to thank him for the support. Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was direct: “PM Modi maliciously linked women’s quota to delimitation based on the 2011 census. His hollow attempt to pose as the messiah of women has failed today.” CPI MP Sandosh Kumar put the charge differently- that women should “see through BJP’s approach of delaying women’s quota by linking it to the census and delimitation.” On the government side, home minister Amit Shah, as the bill’s fate became clear, offered to adjourn the House and return with an amended bill. “I have the amendment prepared,” he said, pressing the government’s commitment to the 50% seat expansion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a final appeal before voting, asking MPs to “reflect on your conscience” and act on behalf of women across the country. The bill failed. Two related pieces of legislation, including the one to set up a delimitation commission, were not tabled in the Rajya Sabha. Parliament was adjourned. What government proposed The government’s plan was architecturally different from any previous delimitation exercise. Its central proposal was to increase total Lok Sabha seats by 50%, from 543 to 850, while keeping each state’s proportional share of seats unchanged. Uttar Pradesh, which currently holds 80 seats, would have received 120; Tamil Nadu, with 39, would have received 58 or thereabouts. The mechanism for women’s reservation flowed from this expansion. If every state’s seats increased by 50%, one-third of the new total — 33% — could be reserved for women, equalling precisely the one-third of the expanded total. The arithmetic was designed to be self-contained: no state would lose share, and the reservation obligation would be met without redistributing existing seats. The proposed delimitation commission, as described in the bill circulated to lawmakers, would be headed by a former Supreme Court judge, with the chief election commissioner or a nominee as a member, consistent with past practice. The exercise for the Lok Sabha, government sources made clear, was to be delinked from the 2011 census. Constituency boundaries would be redrawn; the proportional shares of states in the Lok Sabha would not change. In that structural sense, it was closer to the 2008 delimitation exercise than to the full reallocation exercises of 1952, 1963, or 1973. Why opposition read it as threat The bill’s legal architecture contained a provision that drew sustained fire. As Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy’s Swapnil Tripathi, lead at Charkha (Centre for Constitutional Law), explained: “Currently, Article 82 requires that delimitation of constituencies and readjustment of seats among states be undertaken after completion of every census, using population data of that census. The present bill removes this obligation and instead leaves it to parliament to determine both timing of delimitation and census to be used for the exercise. Importantly, this transforms what was a constitutional obligation into a matter of legislative discretion.” That shift from constitutional mandate to parliamentary choice was the provision that most alarmed critics. It would have allowed parliament to decide, at will, which census data to use and when to act, stripping Article 82 of its periodic, automatic character. Congress lead speakers Gaurav Gogoi and K C Venugopal accused the government of using women’s quota as “cover” for a larger electoral reengineering. Gogoi invoked the American term explicitly- BJP was using delimitation “like gerrymandering in the US, where seats are redrawn for political exploitation.” He pointed to what he called precedents in Jammu & Kashmir, where a delimitation commission used census 2011, and in Assam, where the election commission used census 2001, bypassing norms of geographical contiguity and uniformity. “What was done in Assam and J&K, government wants to do it in the entire country,” he said. DMK chief M K Stalin, who had led protests in Tamil Nadu, said his party’s concern was squarely about delimitation–”which requires careful thought to ensure it is fair, especially for southern states.” He said the government should have delinked women’s reservation from delimitation entirely. Congress challenged the government to implement women’s reservation immediately in the existing 543-seat House without linking it to census or delimitation. The government declined. Stakes for southern states The underlying anxiety that animated the southern bloc is rooted in demography and mathematics that are not in dispute. India’s seat allocation in the Lok Sabha has not been updated since 1977. It rests on the 1971 census. In the five decades since, population growth has been sharply uneven. Northern states Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan grew faster. Southern states Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh invested earlier in public health and fertility reduction, and their populations stabilised sooner. Based on 2011 census data, Tamil Nadu has a population of approximately 7 crore and sends 39 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Uttar Pradesh has a population of roughly 20 crore, nearly three times as large, and sends 80. A Tamil Nadu MP represents approximately 18 lakh voters; and a UP MP represents approximately 25 lakh. Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy’s research quantifies what a strict population-based
PM Narendra Modi attacks ‘one-family parties’; Rahul Gandhi says BJP out to destroy Tamil values
CHENNAI: The last leg of the election campaign in Tamil Nadu heated up on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi flying down to make divergent pitches. While Modi attacked the “first family” and “scams”, Rahul stuck to TN chief minister M K Stalin’s narrative of BJP being the destructor of Tamil values. Addressing a rally in Coimbatore, Modi said, “DMK’s policy is by the family, of the family, and for the family.” Rahul accused Modi of attempting to rule TN from Delhi. “AIADMK is controlled by the Modi-Shah … and they are out to destroy Tamil history, culture and the language … BJP is trying to destroy the idea of Tamil Nadu,” Rahul said. Modi brought up the women’s bill without mentioning delimitation. “Why does it trouble DMK and Congress to see ordinary women rise? These one-family parties want power to remain confined within their own families,” he said. 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
Allahabad high court stays FIR order against Rahul Gandhi in dual citizenship case
The Allahabad high court on Saturday stayed its earlier direction ordering the registration of an FIR against Congress leader and Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi in connection with an alleged dual citizenship case.The court also stated that no decision could be taken without first hearing the accused, as news agency ANI reported. A day earlier, the Lucknow bench of the high court had directed the Uttar Pradesh police to register an FIR against the Congress MP, citing allegations that he concealed British citizenship while incorporating a company in England in 2003. The bench of Justice Subhash Vidyarthi had also allowed the state government to transfer the probe to any central agency. It noted that a prima facie reading of the allegations indicated cognizable offences, warranting a detailed investigation. The direction came after the Deputy Solicitor General submitted relevant documents as sought by the court. The plea was filed by Karnataka BJP worker Vignesh Shishir, who alleged that Rahul had declared himself a UK citizen while incorporating a company, M/S Backops Ltd, registered in August 2003. According to the petitioner, Rahul had voluntarily listed his nationality as British and provided a Director Identification ID along with addresses in London and Hampshire. While passing its earlier order, the bench had set aside a January 28, 2025 ruling by a special MP/MLA court in Lucknow, which had declined to order an FIR. The high court observed that the lower court failed to adequately examine whether the allegations disclosed prima facie cognizable offences. During the hearing, deputy solicitor general SB Pandey presented central government records related to the citizenship issue, while state government counsel VK Singh agreed that the allegations, on the face of it, warranted investigation. The bench had concluded that the material on record suggested the need for a probe into the claims of dual citizenship. 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
‘Centre trying to bypass OBCs and Dalits’: Rahul Gandhi slams centre over delimitation bill in Lok Sabha – top quotes
NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Centre during the debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill and Delimitation proposals, alleging that the legislation was aimed at redrawing India’s electoral balance rather than empowering women. Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the special Parliament session, the senior Congress leader said the government was using women’s reservation as a cover to pursue political objectives and retain power. He also accused the Centre of attempting to weaken the political voice of OBCs and Dalits through constituency restructuring. Rahul Gandhi said the entire opposition would resist what he described as an “anti-national” move and defeat any attempt to alter the democratic structure for partisan gain. Top quotes from Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha address “The first truth is that this is not a women’s bill. This has nothing to do with the empowerment of women. This is an attempt to change the electoral map of India.” “Women are a central force, a driving force in our national imagination, in our national perspective.” “All of us, every single one in this room has been influenced, taught, learnt a lot from women in their lives.” “This bill is an attempt to change country’s electoral map; using and hiding behind India’s women.” “Prime Minister and myself don’t have that wife issue. So, we don’t get that input but we have our mothers and sisters.” “Manuvad over Samvidhaan…Amit Shah ji says that the caste census has begun. He repeated twice, trying to be clever, saying that houses don’t have caste. The point is whether or not the caste census is going to be used in representation in Parliament & State Assemblies. And now, what you are trying to do is that caste census has nothing to do with representation for the next 15 years…” “It is a historical fact that how Indian society treated Dalits and OBCs and their women…What is being attempted here is a bypass of the caste census. Here, the yare trying to avoid giving power and representation to my OBC brothers and sisters and taking power from them.” “What you (BJP) are doing, because you are scared of what is happening in the politics of the country, you are scared of the erosion of your strength, and you are trying to rejig the Indian political map. You did it in Assam, J&K, and now imagining you can do it in India. You need a constitutional amendment to do that.” Rahul Gandhi argued that the Bill was less about representation of women and more about political engineering through constituency redrawing. According to him, the proposed delimitation exercise would alter the electoral map in a way that benefits the ruling BJP and undermines existing social justice frameworks. He also alleged that the move was designed to reduce the political influence of backward communities and marginalised sections. Despite criticising the Bill, Rahul Gandhi strongly praised the role of women in society and politics, saying they remain central to the country’s identity and progress. He said women had shaped the lives and thinking of everyone in Parliament through their influence as mothers, sisters and family members. During his speech, Rahul Gandhi also injected humour into the debate with a remark that drew laughter in the House. “Prime Minister and myself don’t have that wife issue…,” he said while referring to the role women play in shaping men’s lives. He also referred to his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and joked that she had achieved something he had not managed in years by making Union Home Minister Amit Shah smile. The debate took place during the special session of Parliament was convened to discuss women’s reservation and delimitation. The opposition has raised concerns that linking women’s quota implementation with delimitation could have wider consequences for federal balance, regional representation and caste-based political participation. 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
PM Modi, Amit Shah want to rule Tamil Nadu from Delhi: Rahul Gandhi
CHENNAI/TRICHY: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday kicked off his campaign for the Tamil Nadu assembly polls with an attack on PM Modi and Union minister Amit Shah, saying they “want to rule the state from Delhi” through AIADMK. “They want a CM who can take orders from Delhi,” he said while campaigning in Tiruvallur, Ranipet and Trichy. “BJP wants to remove Stalin as CM at all costs and replace him with a puppet in AIADMK. The historic party’s soul has been captured by BJP,” he said. Rahul accused BJP and RSS of waging a war on Tamil Nadu, its language and culture, and said he won’t allow that to happen. “They don’t know what Tamil means to people of the state. Brothers in DMK and the INDIA bloc are protecting Tamil from their assault,” he said. 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
‘Dual citizenship’: Allahabad high court directs UP Police to file FIR against Rahul Gandhi
LUCKNOW: A Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh police to register an FIR against Cong MP and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for allegedly concealing his British citizenship as he had claimed himself to be a UK citizen while getting a company incorporated in England in 2003. The bench of Justice Subhash Vidyarthi permitted the state government to hand over the probe to any central agency. In its order, the bench said that from a bare perusal of the allegations, prima-facie cognizable offences were made out against Rahul and hence the allegations required investigation. The order came after the deputy solicitor general submitted relevant documents on the court’s direction. The petitioner, Karnataka BJP Worker Vignesh Shishir, alleged that Rahul is a UK citizen and had incorporated a company named M/S Backops Ltd., which was registered in August 2003. It was further submitted that Rahul categorically admitted and voluntarily declared his nationality as British, providing a Director Identification ID and London and Hampshire addresses. Passing the order, the bench set aside the special MP/MLA court Lucknow order of Jan 28, 2025 whereby it had refused to order the registration of an FIR against Rahul. The bench said that the special court should have looked into whether the allegations prima facie made out any cognizable offences but failed to consider it. Earlier, deputy solicitor general of India , SB Pandey produced the central government’s records in the court relating to Rahul’s citizenship controversy. The government advocate VK Singh also consented on behalf of the UP government that the allegations prima- facie made out cognizable offences. After a detailed hearing, the bench found that the material on record showed that Rahul had committed cognizable offences in by having dual citizenship and these allegations required to be probed. In his petition, Shishir claimed that Rahul had submitted the company’s annual returns in Oct 2005 and Oct 2006, listing his nationality as British. Thereafter, the company was dissolved by filing a dissolution application in Feb 2009. He has sought registration of FIR against Rahul under BNS, the Official Secrets Act, the Foreigners Act, and the Passport Act. The petitioner had initially filed the complaint before the special MP/MLA Court, Rae Bareli but on Shishir’s own petition, the Lucknow bench of the HC transferred the said criminal complaint case from Rae Bareli to Lucknow on Dec 17, 2025. Lucknow’s MP/MLA court rejected the plea on Jan 28, 2026, against which the petitioner had moved the HC. According to the petitioner, the material placed before the court includes records suggesting that Rahul may have been listed as a voter in the United Kingdom and participated in electoral processes there. 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
Fall of constitutional amendment bill a defeat for delimitation, not women’s reservation: Opposition
NEW DELHI: A triumphant opposition hailed the fall of the constitutional amendment bill as a defeat for delimitation, and not women’s reservation. After the opposition prevailed in voting, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke with TMC heir apparent and MP Abhishek Banerjee and thanked him for the support. There was concern that only a few of the 28 TMC MPs may turn up in Parliament because of the election campaign in Bengal. But TMC sent 21 MPs after repeated requests from INDIA bloc leaders who impressed upon Mamata Banerjee that presence in debate and voting was important to thwart the Modi govt’s plan on delimitation. According to sources, Banerjee told Rahul, “The tide is turning against the BJP”. Akhilesh Yadav called it a defeat of BJP’s malice. RSP’s N K Premachandran said the bill’s failure to pass shows that BJP must consult with the opposition on important issues concerning the nation. “This defeat is not of women’s quota, but of delimitation by the backdoor,” he said. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused PM Narendra Modi of maliciously linking the women’s quota to delimitation based on 2011 Census. “But his hollow attempt to pose as messiah of women has failed today,” she remarked. Priyanka said if the three bills had passed in Parliament, democracy in India would not have survived. Rahul Gandhi said, “They used an unconstitutional trick in the name of women to break the Constitution.” Congress whip Manickam Tagore said, “We have defeated arrogance.” CPI MP Sandosh Kumar said the fall of the govt legislation shows that there is a strong opposition to any attempt to change the balance of representation in the country. He said the women of the country must see through the BJP’s approach of delaying women’s quota by linking it to census and delimitation. “This defeat is similar to what we saw during the farmers’ movement, when people’s unity forced the govt to repeal the farm laws.” DMK chief M K Stalin, who led the protests in Tamil Nadu, said his party’s concern was about delimitation, “which requires careful thought to ensure it is fair, especially for southern states”. He said the govt should have delinked women’s quota from delimitation. 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