‘Plan to attack my residence’: After calling Rahul Gandhi ‘darpok’ Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad makes big claim
NEW DELHI: Days after calling Rahul Gandhi “darpok” (coward) and “insecure”, former Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad on Tuesday claimed that his residence faces a threat of attack. He shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp message which he alleged was circulated by party members, calling on district and assembly-level leaders to burn his effigy in protest over his “inappropriate statements” about Rahul Gandhi. Sharing the chats on X, Ahmad wrote: “Now my information has turned out to be absolutely spot on. Many thanks to the old mates from Congress. There’s a saying in our Bihar that old friends are the ones who come in handy. Is this happening without Rahul ji’s orders?” — Ahmad_Shakeel (@Ahmad_Shakeel) The message he posted read: “Former Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad has been continuously making inappropriate statements about our respected leader Shri Rahul Gandhi. The top leadership has directed that all District Presidents and Assembly Presidents should, in their respective areas, burn an effigy of Shakeel Ahmad on 27/12/2026 to register strong protest.” Escalating the spat further, in a post late Monday, Ahmad further alleged that the Congress leadership in Bihar has “ordered” party workers to attack his residence. “Just now, some colleagues from the Congress have secretly informed me that the Congress national leadership has ordered the Bihar Congress/Youth Congress to attack my residences in Patna and Madhubani tomorrow, January 27, under the pretext of burning an effigy,” he wrote on X. — Ahmad_Shakeel (@Ahmad_Shakeel) The controversy follows Ahmad’s scathing remarks about Gandhi. “Rahul Gandhi is a coward and an insecure person. He does not get that ‘boss feeling’ before anyone who is senior to him or has a big public support. He is uncomfortable with any such person and is thus dictatorial and not democratic,” he told PTI. Congress leader Manickam Tagore hit back, calling Ahmad a “betrayer” and “Jaichand”. “I am not shocked. Just saddened, yet again,? by how betrayal becomes loud when courage walks the longest road,” Tagore wrote on X, adding that such attacks were about “TV time, relevance and pleasing new masters”. Ahmad, a former Union minister and ex-Congress general secretary who quit the party after the 2025 Bihar elections, has also accused Gandhi of sidelining senior leaders and influencing the 2022 party presidential poll in favour of Mallikarjun Kharge. 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
YSRCP announces ‘Chalo Delhi’ programme over Dalit activist murder
Guntur: The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has announced plans for an intensified statewide and national-level agitation following the murder of Manda Salman. The party will soon launch a “Chalo Delhi” programme to press for justice and hold the ruling coalition accountable. YSRCP leaders asserted that the fight would continue until the guilty are punished and justice is served to the victim’s family. At a memorial meeting held in Pinnelli, YSRCP state leaders paid tribute to Salman and visited his family to express solidarity and assure continued support. Addressing the gathering, the leaders alleged that since assuming power, the coalition government has failed to protect Dalits and has instead allowed targeted attacks on YSRCP supporters, particularly in Palnadu district. They accused the ruling dispensation of resorting to violence and intimidation due to their inability to gain public support through development. Strongly criticising chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, former legislator Kasu Mahesh Reddy alleged that Dalit lives hold no value in his political calculations and that systematic attacks were carried out to alienate Dalits from the party. He termed the attack on Dr BR Ambedkar’s statue as a shameful beginning to a series of assaults on Dalits and democratic voices. According to the leaders, the murder of Salman was a direct result of government negligence and police failure, with allegations that law enforcement acted in collusion with anti-social elements. Mahesh Reddy demanded an independent probe into the murder and said complaints would be lodged with the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. He also insisted on strict action against police officials responsible for lapses in maintaining law and order. Several speakers highlighted that hundreds of families were forced to flee villages in Palnadu due to fear and intimidation, calling it a blot on governance. YSRCP leaders emphasised that the party would raise the issue both in parliament and at the national level, warning the coalition government that suppression and violence would only strengthen public opposition. They praised the restraint and maturity shown by Salman’s family, who appealed for peace in the village despite their immense loss, and said their appeal should be respected by restoring normalcy and ensuring safety. Prominent leaders, including Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumoorthy, former MPs, former ministers, former MLAs, and district-level party leaders, participated in the programme. 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
“This is the new batch of traitors…” Congress MP Manickam Tagore speaks out against those criticizing Rahul Gandhi
A stir has been created in the Congress party after former Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed criticized Rahul Gandhi. In this matter, Congress MP Manickam Tagore has come forward in Rahul Gandhi’s defense. The Congress MP has strongly criticized those who are criticizing Rahul. New Delhi: Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore has called the leaders who criticized Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, traitors. The Congress MP’s statement comes after former Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed’s remark in which he called Rahul Gandhi the most cowardly and insecure leader in Indian politics. ‘How betrayal comes out in the open’ Manickam Tagore wrote in a post on the social media platform X that he was not surprised. He was simply saddened once again to see how betrayal comes out in the open when courage walks the most difficult path. At a time when the Congress needed unity the most, people like Shakeel Ahmed, who joined the group of traitors, and former BSP leader Rashid Alvi, have chosen to attack the very leader who traveled more than 4,000 kilometers to defeat hatred and spread love, and covered a distance of 6,000 kilometers through the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to unite India with justice and respect. Welcome to the 2026 batch of traitors He said that clearly, these attacks are not about ideology or concern. They are about appearing on TV, remaining relevant, and pleasing new masters. He said that this is nothing new, but this is a new group of traitors. Some of them are ministers in the Modi government, some are MPs, one is even a current Chief Minister, and many are unemployed who have switched parties. Welcome to the 2026 batch of traitors. He said that the Indian public knows the truth. When everyone claimed that the INDIA alliance would never cross the 150-seat mark after the temple’s construction, the same leader spearheaded the campaign that brought the INDIA alliance to within just 32 seats of power—a result nobody had imagined. And today, that same leader is being ridiculed. Challenging hatred with love He said that in 2024, with 240 seats, Rahul Gandhi brought politics back to the streets, challenged hatred with love, and proved that myths can be defeated with perseverance. By attacking the Congress president, they are also insulting Mallikarjun Kharge, who is the biggest Dalit leader in current Indian politics and the democratic soul of the Congress. He said that journeys reveal many things. They expose hatred on one hand and betrayal on the other. The public is watching. History will remember who fought for India and who groveled to reach power. Edited by: Anil Kumar About the Author Anil Kumar is part of the homepage team at Navbharat Times Digital. He has about 16 years of experience in both print and digital media. He has been associated with Navbharat Times Online since January 2021. He writes news and analysis related to politics and current affairs for the India and Delhi sections on the homepage. Courtesy: Hindi News
Rahul Gandhi’s insecurity prevents Priyanka from coming forward, Shakil Ahmed again accuses the Leader of the Opposition
The former Congress leader continues to attack Rahul Gandhi. Former Union Minister Shakil Ahmed has leveled a new accusation against Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. Ahmed says that Priyanka is unable to move forward because of Rahul’s insecurity. New Delhi: Former Congress leader Dr. Shakil Ahmed on Sunday spoke openly about the party’s continuous electoral failures, Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, and Priyanka Gandhi’s potential role. Shakil Ahmed attributed the party’s disappointing performance to the leadership’s working style, internal insecurity, and family-centric decisions. He clarified that he is not against Rahul Gandhi, but it is necessary to speak the truth for the good of the party. He said that Priyanka Gandhi is unable to come forward because of Rahul Gandhi’s insecurity. Paid the price for trying to explain things to Rahul Shakil Ahmed said that Sonia Gandhi united the Congress, which had various factions like those of Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, and Sitaram Kesri, and created a strong ‘Sonia Gandhi’s Congress’, rescuing the party from crisis and taking it to new heights, but Rahul Gandhi could not even make this Congress of Sonia Gandhi his own. He said, “We are not against Rahul Gandhi. I spent a lot of time with him, talked to him a lot. Wherever I saw a mistake, I would point it out in the room, saying that this shouldn’t be done. I understood that the good of the Congress is the good of the country, but perhaps Rahul was hurt, and I had to pay the price for it.” Rahul Gandhi is clearly ‘arrogant’ Shakil Ahmed clearly called Rahul Gandhi ‘arrogant’. Giving the example of the party president election, he said that Shashi Tharoor had stood for election, and he wanted to vote for Tharoor, but since Sonia and Rahul made Mallikarjun Kharge the official candidate, he voted for Kharge so that his vote would not be wasted. Kharge still says that Rahul and Sonia made him the president. He said that when Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka are together, whoever the Nehru-Gandhi family wants will be the president. Other leaders remain uncertain about what to do.” Regarding Priyanka Gandhi, Shakeel said that he hasn’t had much contact with her, but her speeches connect with the public the most. There is a sense of Indianness in her speeches. Sonia upheld the culture, but Priyanka was born here, so she speaks more accurately and effectively. Trust in the Nehru-Gandhi family in Congress He believes that there is trust in the Nehru-Gandhi family in Congress, and the decision regarding leadership rests with the family, but many leaders say that Rahul’s insecurity is preventing Priyanka from being brought forward. She became an MP after 30-32 years in politics, served as a general secretary, but was not given charge of any major state. After the UP defeat, she was made the secretary of a small state like Assam, so that she wouldn’t come to the forefront. The party continued to fail, but Rahul remained the face. Shakeel said, “Rahul is the owner of the party. Whether Priyanka wants to come to the front or wants to work behind her brother is an internal matter. There seems to be a lot of affection between the two. From the outside, Priyanka’s public connection and speeches are better than anyone else’s.” Edited by: Anil Kumar About the Author Anil Kumar is part of the homepage team at Navbharat Times Digital. He has about 16 years of experience in both print and digital media. He has been associated with Navbharat Times Online since January 2021. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Where can they go?’: After Shakeel Ahmed, Rashid Alvi flags ‘communication gap’ within Congress
NEW DELHI: A day after former Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed’s scathing remarks against Rahul Gandhi, veteran leader Rashid Alvi on Sunday said that the lack of an effective platform for dialogue and limited access to the top leadership has created a serious communication gap within the organisation. Speaking to news agency ANI, Alvi said party workers complain that it is not easy to meet the Congress high command. “I haven’t seen Shakeel ji’s statement, but a major problem in the Congress party is that there is no forum where issues can be discussed. It is generally difficult to meet leaders. If people want to express their concerns, where can they go? Not everyone is a member of the CWC. There is definitely a communication gap. This is a major problem within the Congress party, and many people complain that it is not easy to meet the Congress high command. This communication gap must be eliminated,” Alvi said. He added that former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi made time to meet everyone. Alvi also raised concerns over the exit of several Muslim leaders from the grand old party and said that if Muslim leadership continues to be ignored, leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi will keep emerging. “Muslim leaders have not left out of greed for power. They have left, and this is a matter of concern, because Muslim leadership has been ignored in the Congress party,” Alvi said. “If Muslim leadership is ignored, then leaders like Owaisi will continue to emerge in the country. Today, Owaisi is becoming a powerful force,” he added. ‘Must engage in comprehensive internal dialogue’ Meanwhile, Congress leader Anant Gadgil also called for urgent “introspection” following the party’s lacklustre performance in the recent Maharashtra municipal elections. He said the Congress must reconnect with its core workers and rural base to survive. Gadgil stressed that the party needs to look inward at a time when the political discourse is dominated by the BJP’s victory and internal bickering within the ruling Mahayuti over mayoral posts. “Instead of holding any single individual responsible, the party must engage in a comprehensive internal dialogue,” Gadgil said. He also said that with rapid urbanisation in Maharashtra, the Congress must promote leaders who command genuine public respect and middle-class support, moving beyond the traditional arithmetic of “money and caste”. This comes after former Congress MP Shakeel Ahmed attacked Rahul Gandhi over the party’s consistent electoral failures. Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, Ahmed said, “Even if Rahul Gandhi wants, he still can’t take Congress below the second position. The reason is that every other party is only in one state.” He also claimed that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is “uncomfortable” collaborating with popular veteran leaders. “There is no internal democracy in the Congress party. Whatever Rahul Gandhi says is final,” Ahmed alleged. This is not the first time a party leader has complained about lack of access to the Congress leadership. Recently, former Odisha MLA Mohammed Moquim wrote to Sonia Gandhi, calling for “open-heart surgery” in the party and flagging a growing disconnect between the leadership and workers. In his five-page letter, Moquim said he had not been granted an audience with Rahul Gandhi for nearly three years. “This is not a personal grievance … but a reflection of a wider emotional disconnect felt by workers across India, who feel unseen and unheard,” he wrote. 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
‘Darpok, insecure’: Former Cong leader Shakeel Ahmad’s scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI: Former Union minister Shakeel Ahmad, who resigned from the Congress in November 2025, on Saturday launched a scathing attack on senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him “darpok” (coward) and “insecure.” Ahmad also described Gandhi, a former Congress president and the current leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, as “dictatorial” and “non-democratic.” “Rahul Gandhi is a coward and an insecure person. He does not get that ‘boss feeling’ before anyone who is senior to him or has a big public support. He is uncomfortable with any such person and is thus dictatorial and not democratic,” Ahmad told PTI. The ex-Congress general secretary further highlighted how the Raebareli MP, who was party chief during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, even lost from his own Amethi constituency, a traditional Gandhi family bastion, and attributed the defeat to Gandhi’s “attitude.” Ahmad, a three-time MLA and two-time MP from Bihar, also claimed that he did not come across anyone alleging that their names were removed from the voter list during the Special Intensive Revision exercise in the state last year. The veteran politician resigned from the grand old party just days before the results of the Bihar assembly election, in which it won only six of the 61 seats it contested as part of the RJD-led opposition alliance. The ruling NDA swept the state. ‘Rahul Gandhi stands exposed’: BJP Seizing on Ahmad’s remarks, the BJP said they have “exposed” Gandhi. “Shakeel Ahmad has exposed Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi keeps showing that he is the most tolerant and democratic person, but the reality is something else. He is the most dictatorial person and has the same Emergency-mindset that Indira Gandhi had,” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla posted on X. — Shehzad_Ind (@Shehzad_Ind) Responding to Ahmad’s claim that he did not find any voter alleging their name was removed from the electoral rolls during the SIR in Bihar, Poonawalla slammed Gandhi, saying the Congress leader made “baseless” allegations of ‘vote chori’ to shift the blame for his party’s defeat onto “others.” 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
‘SIR turned into weapon’: Rahul attacks BJP, says EC key accomplice in ‘vote chori’ conspiracy
NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been “turned into a weapon to dismantle the constitutional right” to vote. He further alleged that the EC “is no longer democracy’s guardian but chief accomplice in this vote theft conspiracy.” “Wherever there’s SIR, there’s vote theft. What is being done in Gujarat in the name of SIR is not any kind of administrative process, it is a well-planned, organised, and strategic vote chori,” he said in a post in Hindi on X. The Congress leader said that SIR undermines the principle of “one person, one vote” and allows the BJP, rather than voters, to decide who remains in power. “SIR has been turned into a weapon to dismantle the constitutional right to ‘one person, one vote’—so that it’s not the people, but the BJP, who decide who stays in power,” Rahul alleged. “And the gravest truth is that the Election Commission is no longer democracy’s guardian; it’s become the chief accomplice in this vote-theft conspiracy,” he added. — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) Rahul claimed that votes were “selectively removed from specific communities and booths” that support the Congress. “Wherever the BJP sees a potential defeat, voters are simply made to disappear from the system,” he said. The Congress leader alleged that a similar pattern had been seen earlier. “This same pattern was seen in Aland. The same thing happened in Rajura. And now the same blueprint is being implemented in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and every state where SIR has been imposed,” he said. His remarks came after the Gujarat Congress alleged large-scale manipulation during the SIR process in the state. In a post on X, the party claimed that, “Election rigging means the theft of your voting rights, and this new game has come to light in Gujarat. According to the rules, the Election Commission, after the SIR, released the draft list and began accepting objections, setting January 18 as the final date. Only a handful of objections were received until January 15, but the real game began afterward. Under a conspiracy, millions of objections (Form 7) were suddenly submitted.” The state Congress further alleged that when the main opposition party sought details of the objections from the Election Commission, it received no response. “This is because the Election Commission has mortgaged both its responsibility and accountability to the ruling party,” the state unit claimed. 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
Congress appoints 29 observers amid alliance debate in Bihar
Patna: A day after state Congress legislators and senior functionaries met party president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in Delhi amid talks of a split and strain in the alliance with RJD, the All India Congress Committee on Saturday appointed 29 observers “for the selection of district presidents” to revamp the organisation following the humiliating defeat of the opposition Mahagathbandhan in the Bihar elections. Meanwhile, the RJD national executive committee meeting is scheduled to be held in Patna on Sunday. As Valmikinagar MLA Surendra Prasad told reporters that legislators conveyed their opinion to the leadership to sever ties with RJD and strengthen the organisation for “better results” in the future, union minister and HAM(S) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi said it would be good for Congress if it decided to break away from RJD. “Bahut der kar di hujoor aate aate (took too long to arrive). Except a few, people in general hate RJD,” Manjhi said during his ‘Litti with Manjhi’ programme in Patna, which was attended, among others, by governor Arif Mohammed Khan and CM Nitish Kumar. Surendra Prasad said Congress would try to contest the next elections on its own. He told the media that Rahul Gandhi had also given his consent. On speculation about Congress MLAs deserting the party, he said they assured Rahul that they had emerged victorious even amid the NDA wave and would not go anywhere. However, Chanpatia MLA Abhishek Ranjan told this newspaper on Saturday that no such decision was taken by the central leadership regarding severing ties with RJD. “The Delhi meeting on Friday was held to discuss strengthening Congress at district and block levels. RJD is still our respected ally. Some leaders may have their personal opinions on the alliance,” he said. Abhishek also denied reports of a possible change in the state Congress president and said discussions focused on reorganising the party at district and block levels, followed by booth-level strengthening. Sources said Purnia MP Pappu Yadav, who was a special invitee to the meeting, along with a few legislators and leaders, requested the central leadership to go solo in Bihar if the party was to regain lost ground. Congress won only six assembly seats in the Nov elections, compared to 19 in the 2020 polls. Senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan has categorically stated that the party suffered in the assembly elections due to RJD’s image and the alliance. 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
Get favourable trade deal with US: Rahul to PM
NEW DELHI: Arguing that US tariffs are hurting the job-intensive textile sector and calling Indian economy as “dead”, Congress’ Rahul Gandhi Friday urged PM Modi to show “accountability” and secure a favourable trade deal with US. Posting on X a video of his visit to a textile factory in Haryana, Rahul said, “50% US tariffs are badly hurting India’s textile exporters. Job losses, factory shutdowns and reduced orders are a reality of our ‘Dead Economy’. PM Modi has offered no relief or even spoken about tariffs, even though more than 4.5 crore jobs and lakhs of businesses are at stake (sic).” He posted with the hashtag “TINA – there is no accountability”. Rahul said India has to secure a trade deal with US that puts Indian businesses and workers first, as he asserted that “PM Modi must not allow his ‘own weakness’ to impact the economy any further”. 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
Upset over Rahul ‘snub’, Tharoor skips poll meet with Cong brass, goes for lit fest instead
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor did not attend the meeting of Kerala state leadership with AICC high command Friday amid reports that he is upset over a recent “snub”, even as the party stepped up planning for the upcoming state polls scheduled for mid-2026 and urged netas to put up a united fight. AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi met important netas of the Kerala unit for discussion on poll campaign strategy and seat-sharing with allies. Among those who took part in the session were AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, special poll observer Sachin Pilot, senior neta Ramesh Chennithala, state president Sunny Thomas, LoP V D Satheesan, MPs Kodikunnil Suresh, Adoor Prakash, among others. However, Tharoor did not attend despite an invitation. The Thiruvananthapuram MP was in Kozhikode for Kerala Literature Festival where, sources said, he had a lecture scheduled on an important social reformer. Sources said he had informed the party about his inability to attend the meeting. However, Tharoor is said to be upset that Rahul did not acknowledge him while he mentioned other netas on the dais during Kochi “mahapanchayat” organised after UDF’s victory in local body elections. Tharoor is said to have told the party about his unhappiness about the “snub”. To media queries, party’s state incharge Deepa Dasmunshi denied that Tharoor was unhappy with Congress. The events before Kochi had suggested a thaw between Tharoor and the party, after the MP’s repeated statements and political stance over myriad issues had embarrassed the Congress brass. The repeated clashes between him and Congress had even triggered speculations that Tharoor was searching for political space outside Congress. For Kerala polls, Congress is also discussing the return of estranged ally Kerala Congress (Mani). The party has to decide whether MPs will be fielded in state polls, even as it is almost final that most of the MLAs will be repeated. A comfortable victory for UDF alliance over the governing Left bloc in the local body elections last month rekindled hopes about its prospects in the assembly polls. 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