Congress leaders harbouring Emergency mindset: BJP MP
Indore: BJP MP and spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday accused Congress leaders of harbouring ‘Emergency period mindset’ that they were above Constitution and their ambitions outweighed national interests. “Congress believes in the objectionable slogan of ‘India is Indira and Indira is India.’ The same mindset of Emergency remains prevalent in the party even today. And leaders like Rahul Gandhi consider themselves above Constitution,” Trivedi said while addressing a press conference to mark 50 years of Emergency. He said that June 25, 1975 marked a black chapter in the history of Indian democracy as fundamental rights of citizens were trampled, freedom of expression was shackled, and voices of the Opposition were crushed. “Congress wants to run the country according to its convenience. If it wins elections, it doesn’t have any problem with Constitution, but after any setback in polls, it starts claiming that the Constitution is in danger,” he said, referring to Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi waving the ‘red book’ in Congress rallies. Trivedi questioned Gandhi’s comments during his foreign visits and said, “Months ago, Rahul Gandhi went abroad and asked why the defenders of democracy – US and Europe – were silent on India. Calling them defenders… Such utterances show the party’s Emergency mindset. Their political ambitions outweigh interests of the nation.” To a query, Trivedi said that the West Asia crisis was nothing but a fight between Muslim countries for supremacy. “One pole of this fight is Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Sunni world, and the other pole is Iran, the leader of the Shia world. We hope that a positive spirit will emerge and the crisis in West Asia will be resolved peacefully soon,” he said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
VP Singh’s birth anniversary: Discussion on Ambedkar’s Dalit struggles, student leader said – former PM made the power of Indian society
Vishwanath Pratap Singh: On the occasion of former Prime Minister VP Singh’s birth anniversary, seminars were organized at various places in Varanasi. Student leaders and teachers also organized programs together in BHU. Special discussion was held on VP Singh’s leadership and work. Varanasi News: A seminar was held in BHU student union building on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister VP Singh. On Wednesday, a discussion was held on his work among former student leaders and professors. Ancient History Department Chairman Prof. MP Ahirwar said that the battles fought by Dr. Ambedkar for Dalits were established by VP Singh as the power of the society. After VP Singh, the living leader of Buddha’s tradition, Arjun Singh gave true representation to the backward castes in the field of education. Kashiram also made a major contribution. VP Singh was born on 25 June 1931. Former president of the students’ union Shiv Kumar said that after Gandhi, Ambedkar and Lohia, the heroes of the struggle on democratic issues, George Fernandes, Madhu Limaye, Madhu Dandavate and VP Singh took it to the last point legally. At that time, leadership in politics was decided on the basis of ideology and struggle. Former General Secretary of the students’ union Dr. Subedar Singh said that VP Singh took hundreds of people like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas to the top of power in politics, who perhaps became victims of elite politics in his absence. Did not forget student politics throughout his life Former minister Dr. Bahadur Singh Yadav said that after Gandhi, Lohia, the backward people united in the freedom struggle under the leadership of VP Singh. Even though the newly created socialists have forgotten him. Former president Harshvardhan Singh said that he was the president of UP College Students’ Union and kept alive the affection for student politics and student leaders throughout his life. During this, Manoj Singh Kaka, Kundan Rai Prof. Anand Deepayan, farmer leader Rajendra Chaudhary, director Dr. Shammi Kumar etc. were present. Published by: Aman Vishwakarma Courtesy: Hindi News
Sivagiri mutt chief praises PM Modi for accepting all religions
Thiruvananthapuram: We can see the integrity, purity of ideals, spiritual depth and discipline of Mahatma Gandhi in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Sivagiri Mutt head Swami Satchidananda on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters, the president of Sivagiri Mutt said that his comments came after he realised the personal charisma of Modi. He said, “Many created the impression that something negative would happen in the country when Modi became the Prime Minister. However, in the last 11 years, there is no evidence that Modi ever rejected or denounced any religion.” “He has always taken a stand, accepting other religions,” said Satchidananda. “Though Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were invited several times to take part in Sivagiri Mutt programmes, they haven’t attended. But Modi attended the programme to mark the centenary of the conversation between Sree Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi on his own in New Delhi on Tuesday,” he said. “When Sivagiri Mutt sent an email to PMO, Modi contacted the mutt and conveyed his willingness to participate in the event,” said Satchidananda. He said at the function that Modi was the only Prime Minister who described Sree Narayana Guru as the soul of the nation. He also described Modi as “a great son of India” whose devotion to Sivagiri and Sree Narayana Guru was quite evident. 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.
‘Irrefutable from EC’s own data’: Congress doubles down on Maharashtra poll fraud charge; seeks footage
NEW DELHI: The Congress party has formally responded to the Election Commission (EC) with a detailed letter raising serious questions about the polling process. This comes days after former party president and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, flagged what he called “vote theft” in Maharashtra assembly polls. The letter highlighted concerns: a “huge increase in electors and voters” between the May 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the November 2024 Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra, and an “inexplicable upsurge in polling after 5pm on election day.” “It is irrefutable from EC’s own data that there were more new electors added between the Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections held in May and the Vidhan Sabha elections held in November, the same year, than there were in the prior five full years between 2019 assembly elections and 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” the letter reads. Calling for transparency, the Congress has demanded that the EC provide a “machine-readable, digital copy of the Maharashtra voter lists and video footage of the polling day of Maharashtra and Haryana within a week from the date of this letter.” It further added, “This has been a long-standing request that should be easy for the EC to comply with. The Congress party leadership will be happy to meet with the EC soon after we have received these. In that meeting, we will even present our analysis findings to you.” Earlier, in response to Rahul Gandhi’s opinion piece in a newspaper, the Election Commission had refuted the allegations and reaffirmed that all elections are conducted “strictly in accordance with laws passed by Parliament and established rules.” The poll body also underlined the scale of the electoral process, noting it involves thousands of personnel, including booth-level agents appointed by different political parties. “We presume that any issue regarding conduct of elections would have already been raised through election petitions filed in the competent court of law (high court) by the INC candidates,” the EC wrote to Rahul Gandhi, according to news agency PTI. “However, if you still have any issues, you are welcome to write to us and the Commission is also willing to meet you in person at a mutually convenient date and time to discuss all issues,” it added. Despite the poll body’s clarification, Rahul Gandhi reiterated his charge, insisting that the irregularities were not mere glitches but a systematic attempt at “vote theft,” and renewed his demand for the immediate release of the digital voter rolls and CCTV footage. Rahul Gandhi's X post Several allies of the Congress have also repeatedly voiced concerns over the conduct of the Maharashtra elections. 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.
UP govt against backwards, Dalits: Akhilesh on Etawah preachers’ ‘tonsuring’
The dominant people are constantly threatening and intimidating the people of the PDA family, alleges SP chief Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday condemned the alleged tonsuring of two Katha Vachaks (narrator of holy texts) by a group of upper caste men in Etawah district’s Dandarpur village on Sunday night, alleging the ruling party has a mindset against backwards and Dalits. “The BJP government is undemocratic and heartless. It supports every undemocratic act. If the government were to follow the Constitution and its preamble, then poor people living in villages, people from PDA — ‘pichchde’ or backward, Dalit and ‘alpsankhyak’ or minorities families would start getting justice. The dominant people are constantly threatening and intimidating the people of the PDA family. They are insulting them,” Yadav alleged at a press conference at SP headquarters in Lucknow. “The question is, Bhagwat Katha is for everyone, if everyone can listen, why can’t everyone speak? Bhagwat Katha is related to Lord Krishna. If true devotees of Krishna are stopped from narrating Katha…why would anyone tolerate this insult,” the SP chief said. Referring to the Etawah incident, he alleged: “Some dominant people want to maintain their monopoly over Bhagwat Katha and have turned it into a business.” “If they have so much aversion to the PDA community, dominant people should declare that they will never accept the offerings, donations and charity given by the PDA family. “If they want to have a monopoly — their claim from time to time that they have abolished Article 370 — then bring a law in the country that only they are allowed to be Katha Vachak,” Yadav said. He alleged people were “mentally harassing and humiliating” PDA families, sometimes by “sprinkling Ganga water” on homes and temples and now even shaving heads. Meanwhile, issuing a clarification on the Etawah incident, UP Police said, “It is to be informed that on 23.06.25 at 08:24 am, the social media team of the headquarters received a tweet through X, in which a video of the incident of cutting the hair of a storyteller was attached. Taking cognizance of the said tweet, police was immediately sent to Etawah district for necessary action.” “On receiving the information, the additional superintendent of police (rural) and the CO Bharthana immediately went to the spot and it was found that on 21.06.2025, a mass Bhagwat Katha was organised by the villagers in Dandarpur village. The villagers objected to the fact that Katha Vachak Mukut Mani of Etawah had declared himself as Brahmin before organising the Katha whereas he is a Yadav. On this issue, the villagers thrashed Katha Vachak Mukut Mani Yadav and his associate Sant Kumar Yadav, misbehaved with them and cut their hair,” the UP Police said. “On the basis of the viral video, the local police identified the victim, obtained the complaint from the victim Sant Kumar Yadav and registered a case at Bakewar police station on 23-06-2025 at 15:00 hrs* FIR No. 169/2025 under Section 115(2)/309(2)/351(2)/352 BNSS. On the basis of the viral video, four accused were identified and immediately arrested. Those arrested included Ashish Tiwari, 21, Uttam Awasthi, 19, Pratham Dubey, 24, and Nikki Awasthi, 30, all from Dandarpur village,” the UP Police said in a statement. Courtesy : HT Note: This news is originally published on https:/hindustantimes.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Dalits, Tribals Benefitted’: Cong Leader Udit Raj Defends Emergency, Says ‘Today’s Situation Worse’
Congress leader Udit Raj criticised BJP’s event marking 50 years of the Emergency, arguing that the current situation in the country is worse than during the Emergency era. He said the Emergency under Indira Gandhi was open, whereas today’s emergency is undeclared. congress leader Udit Raj defended certain aspects of the Emergency, pointing to welfare schemes that “benefited Dalits and Adivasis”. He claimed institutions like the judiciary were more independent at that time, and alleged that the Election Commission today functions under government control. 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.
CM hits back after Rahul accuses him of voter fraud
Nagpur: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged voter manipulation and electoral malpractice in CM Devendra Fadnavis’s constituency of South-West Nagpur, claiming a surge in voter numbers in the five months between the Lok Sabha and assembly polls in 2024. Fadnavis hit back, accusing Rahul of lying and pointing out a spike in voters was witnessed even in constituencies where Congress and its allies had won, reports Abhishek Choudhari. On X, Rahul wrote, “In Maharashtra CM’s own constituency, the voter list grew by 8% (29,219 voters) in just 5 months. Some booths saw a 20-50% surge. Booth level officers reported unknown individuals casting votes. Media uncovered thousands of voters with no verified address.” He also hit out at the Election Commission of India (ECI). Rahul Gandhi and CM Devendra Fadnavis had a spat on X after the former again made allegations of electoral manipulation on Tuesday. Taking on the Election Commission of India over alleged inflated voter figures, Rahul, in a post on X, wrote, “And EC? Silent or complicit. These aren’t isolated glitches. This is vote theft. The cover-up is the confession. That’s why we demand immediate release of machine-readable digital voter rolls and CCTV footage.” Earlier this month, the Congress MP had alleged voter fraud across Maharashtra and cited the Kamptee constituency, which is represented by BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule. BJP had responded by saying that due to rapid urbanization, the number of voters had risen in Kamptee. But with Rahul taking on Fadnavis, the fight got bigger. Fadnavis said the Congress neta was still reeling from last year’s assembly poll defeat and was hence making such statements. “Jhoot bole kauwa kaate,” Fadnavis wrote on X. “It’s clear that your pain of poll defeat is increasing everyday, but how long will you keep firing blanks?” After the sarcasm, Fadnavis got down to hard statistics, saying the surge in number of voters is a statewide phenomenon. “There are more than 25 constituencies in Maharashtra where voter numbers rose by over 8% between Lok Sabha and assembly elections, and Congress won in many of those places,” Fadnavis wrote. He named five constituencies where Congress and NCP (SP) candidates emerged victorious after an increase in the number of voters: West Nagpur, where the voter rolls rose by 7% (27,065 new voters) and Congress candidate Vikas Thakre won; North Nagpur, where a 7% increase (29,348) saw Congress’ Nitin Raut win; Vadgaon Sheri in Pune district, where voter numbers rose by 10% (50,911) and the NCP (SP)’s Bapu Pathare won; Malad West, where, with an 11% voter rise (38,625), Congress’ Aslam Shaikh won; and Mumbra, where there was a 9% increase (46,041) and Jitendra Awhad from Pawar Senior’s camp won. Fadnavis concluded by mocking Rahul, saying it would have been better if he had spoken with Congress MLAs whose constituencies witnessed a voter surge before polls. “At least it would have not resulted in display of miscommunication within Congress,” he stated. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harswardhan Sapkal on Tuesday demanded that Fadnavis resign on moral grounds, claiming that voter manipulation and suspicious voter roll expansion helped the BJP-led alliance return to power in the state despite a poor showing in the Lok Sabha elections. “With Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi raising the issue of electoral rigging repeatedly, more evidence is coming to light every day. This is not just voter list manipulation; it’s the theft of democracy,” he claimed. 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.
‘Vote theft’: Rahul Gandhi alleges voter list manipulation in Devendra Fadnavis’ constituency; Maharashtra CM hits back
NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, alleged significant voter list irregularities in Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s constituency, citing an eight per cent increase within five months, which he termed as “vote theft”. Gandhi shared a news article on X, calling for the release of digital voter rolls and CCTV footage. He noted that Booth Level Officers reported unauthorised voting in Nagpur South West, where Fadnavis secured victory with a margin exceeding 38,000 votes. Additionally, media investigations revealed numerous voters without verified addresses. “In Maharashtra CM’s constituency, the voter list grew by 8% in just 5 months. Some booths saw a 20-50% surge,” Gandhi said on X. “BLOs reported unknown individuals casting votes. Media uncovered thousands of voters with no verified address,” the Rae Bareli MP added. “And the EC? Silent – or complicit. These aren’t isolated glitches. This is vote theft. The cover-up is the confession,” he alleged. CM Devendra Fadnavis hits back at Rahul Gandhi Fadnavis in his post on social media said there are several assembly constituencies where voters went up by 8% and candidates from the Congress were elected. Replying to Gandhi’s post on X, Fadnavis sai, “Jhuth bole kauwa kaate koi kavwe se dariyo” (The crow bites when you lie, Fear the black crow) He cited the examples of West Nagpur assembly constituency where voters went up by 7% (27065) and Congress candidate Vikas Thakare was elected, North Nagpur went up by 7% (29,348) and Congress ’ Nitin Raut won the election. Similarly in Pune district Wadgaon city voters went up by 10% (50,911) and NCP(SP) candidate Bapusaheb Pathare won. Fadnavis said that in Malad West it went up by 11% (38,625) and Congress’ Aslam Shaikh won. In Mumbra it went up by 9% (46,041) and NCP(SP) candidate Jitendra Awhad won. “Even if not with allied parties, it would have been better if you had spoken to your own party’s long-time associates like Aslam Shaikh, Vikas Thakre, and Nitin Raut before this tweet.At least the Congress wouldn’t have performed so poorly due to a lack of communication…” Fadnavis said in a post on X. All polls held as per law: EC tells Rahul Gandhi’s demands came on a day it emerged that the Election Commission has formally written to him on his allegations of rigging in the 2024 Maharashtra polls, saying all polls held by the poll panel strictly as per laws passed by Parliament and rules, and the entire exercise involves thousands of personnel, including booth-level agents appointed by political parties. In a letter emailed to him on June 12 in response to his article written in a leading daily, the EC has said the entire election process is conducted in a decentralised manner at the assembly constituency level, which involved more than 1,00,186 Booth Level Officers (BLOs), 288 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 139 General Observers, 41 Police Observers, 71 Expenditure Observers and 288 Returning Officers (ROS) appointed by the Comrnission. “We presume that any issue regarding conduct of elections would have already been raised through election petitions filed in the competent court of law (high court) by the INC candidates,” it told the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. “However, if you still have any issues, you are welcome to write to us and the Commission is also willing to meet you in person at a mutually convenient date and time to discuss all issues,” the poll authority said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
What is this… Rahul Gandhi had gone out to treat the disease, but the disease worsened in Gujarat, Congress’s shameful performance in the by-elections
Gujarat By polls Results: Rahul Gandhi’s hopes of strengthening the Congress in Gujarat have been jolted in the by-elections. By saving its Visavadar seat in the BJP’s stronghold, AAP gave a message of being combative, but could neither save its five seats in the past nor has it emerged stronger now. While BJP managed to win by a big margin in Kadi, Congress’s deposit was forfeited in Visavadar. Ahmedabad: Congress has suffered a major setback in the Gujarat assembly by-elections. While Congress could not give a tough fight in Kadi, the position of Congress became even weaker on the Visavadar seat. This time too, the deposit was not saved. Congress has suffered a severe setback on both the seats when Rahul Gandhi is busy finding good horses. In the 2022 assembly elections, Congress won only 17 seats out of the total 182 seats in the state. Congress has lost five of its MLAs in the last 30 months, during this period by-elections were held on a total of seven seats in the state but Congress could not win a single seat. In such a situation, the question arises that how will the mission of Rahul Gandhi to defeat BJP in 2027 succeed? AAP got a new ‘Sanjeevani’ Congress has got 5501 votes in Visavadar seat. In the last elections, it had got 16,963 votes. Similarly, the party’s candidate Ramesh Bhai Chavda has got 60290 votes on Kadi seat. He had to face defeat by a margin of 39452 votes. In the last election, the party’s candidate Praveen Parmar had got 78,858 votes. Then BJP had won this seat by 28,194 votes. After registering victory on the Visavadar seat, AAP’s state president Isudan Gadhvi made a big announcement. He said that this victory is of the people of Gujarat. It is of the farmers of Gujarat. This is the victory of the workers and the middle class. Gadhvi said that this is the victory of the warriors of Aam Aadmi Party. Aam Aadmi Party government is going to be formed in Gujarat in 2027. It is clear that AAP has got a new lease of life after the crushing defeat in the Delhi elections. Current situation after 2022 assembly elections? Congress 17(-5), 12 MLAs AAP 5(+-1), 05 MLAs BJP 156(+5) 161 MLAs If AAP was successful, why did Congress miss out? In the 2022 elections, AAP won only five seats with 14 percent votes. Before the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, when AAP MLA Bhupat Bhayani left the party and joined BJP, AAP had announced at that time. The party had said that those who betrayed the people of Visavadar will be avenged. To retain the Visavadar seat, AAP fielded the most popular and big leader in the state. Like AAP, five Congress MLAs also joined BJP, but Congress could not take revenge on even a single seat. All five MLAs won on the lotus symbol. Arjun Modhwadia is also included in these. By winning the Visavadar seat, AAP gave a message that the party is serious about Gujarat. There was a setback in the local body elections When elections were held for 68 municipalities in the state in February this year, Congress suffered a major setback in them. BJP had registered a big victory. Congress’s condition became weak in these elections. After this, Rahul Gandhi started the process of strengthening the organization in the state with ‘Nutan Gujarat-Nutan Congress’ (New Gujarat, New Congress) to defeat BJP in the 2027 elections. Under this, the organization creation campaign and convention was held in Ahmedabad. After a long exercise, the party has declared 40 district/city presidents of the state on June 21, two days ago, but the setback received in the by-elections has forced the party to think about how it will be able to fight BJP in 2027, because AAP has so far made a dent in its vote bank. Out of the five assembly seats in four states, Congress has definitely won the Nilambur seat in Kerala. In 2021, independents won there. Written by: Achalendra Katiyar Achalendra Katiyar has studied from Jamia Millia Islamia Delhi. After this, he worked in reputed national newspapers of Meerut, Kanpur and Delhi. Since June 2020, he has been active in understanding the politics and culture of Gujarat. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Prime asset for India on global stage’: Tharoor praises PM Modi again; BJP uses his remark to target Rahul
NEW DELHI: Shashi Tharoor, whose frosty ties with the Congress leadership is now an open secret, has yet again taken a diametrically opposite stand from his party and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the global diplomatic outreach following “Operation Sindoor”. In an article published in The Hindu, Tharoor said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remains a prime asset for India on the global stage but deserves greater backing.” “The diplomatic outreach following ‘Operation Sindoor’ was a moment of national resolve and effective communication. It affirmed that India, when united, can project its voice with clarity and conviction on international platforms,” the Congress leader wrote in the article. Tharoor had led one of the seven multi-party delegations to convey India’s stand following the Pahalgam terror attack and the military operation. Only last week, Tharoor had admitted to “differences of opinion with some in party leadership”. Ironically, Shashi Tharoor’s latest round of praise for PM Modi comes on a day the Congress made a notable electoral victory in Kerala wresting the Nilambur assembly seat from the LDF after nine years. Tharoor had stayed away from party’s campaign in Nilambur bypoll. While the Congress MP had said that he was not invited, the Congress maintained that his name was in the list of star campaigners for the bypoll. The Congress had dubbed the Nilambur bypolls as the semi-finals ahead of the assembly elections in the state next year. The win will give the party a boost as it goes all out to wrest power from the LDF after 10 years. Tharoor’s praise for the Prime Minister comes at a time when the Congress has been consistently attacking the Modi government over its foreign policy, alleging that Indian diplomacy is being “shattered” and the country stands “isolated” globally. Following the Pahalgam attack, Tharoor has made several comments on the India-Pakistan conflict and the diplomatic outreach that are at variance with the stand taken by the Congress party. Led by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress has been questioning the government over US President Donald Trump’s claims of mediating a ceasefire between the two countries. Tharoor has ‘exposed’ Rahul The BJP was quick once again to use Tharoor’s remarks to target the Congress as it has done several times in the past few months. The party took a swipe at the Congress over Tharoor’s article and said the Thiruvananthapuram MP has “exposed” Rahul Gandhi. BJP’s national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said on X, “Shashi Tharoor admits that PM Modi’s dynamism and global outreach are a strategic advantage for India.” The Prime Minister’s Office did its bit to return favourt to the Congress MP and shared Tharoor’s article on X and said, “Lok Sabha MP and former Union Minister Dr. Shashi Tharoor writes- Lessons from Operation Sindoor’s global outreach.” 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.