Rahul Gandhi to visit Haryana Congress office this week to finalise district units
Chandigarh: With Lok Sabha leader of opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expected to visit Haryana on Wednesday, functionaries of the event to be attend by him have started to get anxious, as there is talk of the party announcing its state functionaries. If all goes as planned, with a view to finalising the district units of Haryana, Rahul is reaching the office of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) on Wednesday. He is expected to be accompanied by AICC in-charge and co-incharges for Haryana, and 21 observers appointed by AICC last month to finalise district executives. Senior leaders of the state who are expected to attend the event include former CM Bhupinder Hooda, HPCC chief Udai Bhan, former Union minister Selja, and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala could join as AICC general secretaries, and Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda could join as AICC member of the working committee. Enquiries made from the HPCC office confirmed the presence of Bhan and Bhupinder Hooda. Both leaders will arrive in Chandigarh on Tuesday and will return to Delhi after meetings on Wednesday night. “We are totally clueless about the agenda as well as the list of invitees. Since observers are expected to join the meeting, we are hopeful of the finalisation of names of district units as per feedback from observers. Rest, there is no intimation to MPs or MLAs as elected representatives,” said one MP from Haryana. For 11 years, the issue of forming the executive at the district level is hanging fire due to infighting between Hooda and his rivals within the party. All this began during the tenure of former MP Ashok Tanwar as HPCC president and continues till now. Various lists of proposed district executives prepared during the tenure of Selja and Udai Bhan were lying unused in AICC headquarters. As a result, Haryana Congress contested two general elections and three assembly elections without any executive in place. It was not just the district executive; even the Congress high command has not yet cleared the name of the CLP leader despite the party being the major opposition party with 37 MLAs. 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 targets Rahul ahead of his June 6 Nalanda Visit
Patna: In an election year where political parties are vying to position themselves as champions of social justice, BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal on Sunday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming visit to Bihar. Gandhi is scheduled to address an extremely backward classes (EBC) conference in Nalanda on June 6. Jaiswal claimed that PM Narendra Modi has visited Bihar nearly 50 times since 2014, when he was declared the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. In contrast, he accused Gandhi of engaging with the state only during elections. “Since his bachpan (childhood) to the age of 55, Rahul comes out of his AC chamber only when there is an election in the state,” Jaiswal said. Bihar is set to go to the polls in Oct-Nov this year. “Rahul first came to Bihar in Jan to propagate the British divide and rule policy. He should tell how many times he has visited Bihar from childhood to the age of 55. If a PM can make time for Bihar, why can’t he?” Jaiswal asked. The BJP leader alleged that the Congress MP’s interest in Bihar is opportunistic. “The Congress MP is coming when his boat has already sunk in Bihar. Where was he for five years? People of Bihar like PM Modi and CM Nitish,” he said. Ahead of the PM’s two-day visit to the state on May 29 and May 30, deputy CM Samrat Choudhary had said that it marked Modi’s 50th visit to Bihar. In contrast, Rahul’s June 6 appearance will be his fifth visit to the state this year. The PM, by comparison, has made three visits to Bihar in 2025. Union minister and BJP MP from Begusarai, Giriraj Singh, also took aim at the Congress on Sunday, accusing party president Mallikarjun Kharge of echoing Pakistan’s rhetoric. Singh criticised Kharge for demanding proof of Operation Sindoor, a cross-border military action following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 tourists were killed. “He is speaking the language of Pakistan,” Singh 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.
Rahul visiting Anvar was a mistake: Satheesan
Kochi: Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil’s visit to P V Anvar was not with the knowledge of the UDF or Congress leadership. The UDF decided not to engage in further discussions with him and officially informed Anvar of their decision, Satheesan told reporters in Kochi on Sunday. Despite being asked to support the UDF candidate, Anvar repeated his previous stance, resulting in the UDF closing the door. “No one was tasked with negotiating with Anvar, and Mamkootathil’s visit to him was a mistake. The UDF meeting decided to close the door on discussions, and there will be no further talks. Filing nomination is Anvar’s choice. In Nilambur, it’s between the UDF and LDF. The UDF will evaluate the govt’s nine-year performance. People are fed up with this govt. The secret alliance of the CPM with the BJP will also be discussed,” Satheesan said. UDF in Nilambur is stronger than it was in Thrikkakara, Puthuppally and Palakkad, the opposition leader said. In the 2021 polls, even during the LDF wave, the victory margin here was only 2,700. Extensive preparations have been made, and the results will be seen in Nilambur. “The UDF is so strong that it won’t yield to any pressure. UDF is an alliance formed by eminent leaders. No decision will be made to tarnish UDF’s pride. This is not my personal opinion but a unified decision of the UDF, and I was tasked with conveying it. I am prepared to face any criticism for this. There will be no response to any attacks. Aryadan Shoukath will win by a large margin,” he added. Satheesan alleged that there is a secret alliance between CPM and BJP to defeat Congress in Nilambur. He said the state govt raising no complaints regarding the collapse of the national highway could be seen as proof of this alliance. “In Nilambur, CPM and BJP have reportedly formed an agreement to defeat the UDF. This is why BJP initially decided not to field a candidate. However, they have now fielded a candidate to escape allegations against their leadership. BJP has promised the CPM that their candidate can split the UDF votes. But no UDF vote will go to either the CPM or BJP. UDF is facing the election politically and is organisationally strong,” he added. Despite widespread damage to the national highway and massive corruption worth billions of rupees, Kerala govt has not complained against the central govt, Satheesan said. The CPM, which once accused the UDF govt regarding the Palarivattom bridge, is now silent about the national highway collapse due to fear, 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.
Rahul set to address EBC meet in Nalanda on June 6
Patna: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will visit Bihar for the fifth time this year on June 6 to address an extremely backward class (EBC) conference at Rajgir in Nalanda, the home district of CM Nitish Kumar. His visit comes just a week after PM Narendra Modi’s two-day tour of Bihar, during which he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 48,500 crore on May 29 and May 30. Congress state media cell chairman Rajesh Rathorre said on Saturday that the detailed itinerary of Rahul had not yet reached the party headquarters, though he is expected to arrive in Patna on way to Rajgir. Rahul’s visit is part of the Congress’s intensified campaign for the Bihar assembly elections due in Oct-Nov. Senior party leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, have made regular visits to the state since Jan. The Congress is seeking to regain support among Dalits, EBCs, and Muslims, its traditional voter base. Rahul’s Nalanda rally is being seen as an attempt to challenge Nitish in his own stronghold. However, dismissing the impact of the visit, JD(U) leader and minister Ashok Choudhary said, “Congress will not benefit from his frequent visits to Bihar.” Rahul earlier visited the state on Jan 18, Feb 4, April 7 and May 15. During his last visit, he addressed students at Ambedkar Hostel in Darbhanga, defying administrative orders. Two FIRs were lodged against him for the violation. 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.
Uttam demands transparency on ‘Rafale losses’
Hyderabad: Irrigation and civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday demanded full transparency from the Centre regarding the losses suffered during Operation Sindoor and the conflict between India and Pakistan, particularly the reported downing of Rafale fighter jets. Addressing a media conference at AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Uttam, a former IAF fighter pilot himself, said: “When Rahul Gandhi first raised questions on Rafales being shot down, he was accused of being anti-national. But today, General Anil Chauhan, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), has confirmed that Rafale aircraft were brought down.” He also cited Air Marshal Bharti, Director General Air Operations, who in the DGMO briefing had said: “Losses are normal in combat. The objectives of the mission have been achieved and all pilots have come home.” Uttam emphasised that while the pilots returned safely, “the aircraft have not returned to their bases,” highlighting the need for transparency. He criticised the BJP govt for initially denying these losses and launching a campaign against Rahul Gandhi. “Now that the CDS himself has spoken, the govt should stop the denials. We are proud of our armed forces, but transparency strengthens trust and helps us learn from every operation. How did the US President announce the ceasefire before the DGMOs of India and Pakistan? The govt of India has never clearly explained how this happened.” He stressed the need for a serious reassessment of India’s defence technology, pointing out that most of the firing during the four-day operation happened from within each country’s international borders. “Yet, we lost fighter aircraft. This requires a thorough review of our technological capabilities,” he said. The BJP-led govt at the centre should act urgently on the concerns raised by the air force chief about delays in fighter aircraft supply, talent shortages, and the gap between sanctioned and operational squadrons in the armed forces. India’s operational fighter squadrons were below the sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons. All three armed forces are short of manpower by over 10 percent. Given the live threats on both our borders (China and Pakistan), we should be going beyond the sanctioned strength. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) did not deliver the Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets on time as said by the Air Chief. This can prove to be a serious problem. The entire country and the govt of India must wake up to the reality to strengthen our armed forces considerably,” Uttam said. Quoting the Air Chief Marshal directly, Uttam said: “India has fallen behind China in defence technology and production although our training standards remain superior. This is of serious concern and urgent necessary corrective steps should be taken. The best minds are not joining the service in sufficient numbers, especially in operational and R&D wings. The govt should attract top talent.” Uttam reaffirmed his pride in the Indian armed forces while urging the govt to ensure they are equipped, supported, and respected with honesty and transparency. The govt must acknowledge what happened, learn lessons, and be accountable. “We salute the Indian Air Force for their decisive victory, but we must be prepared for the challenges ahead,” 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.
Plea to cancel Rahul Gandhi’s bail bond rejected
Pune: The court of special magistrate Amol Shinde rejected the plea of Satyaki Savarkar, great-grandnephew of Hindu ideologue Veer Damodar Savarkar, to cancel the bail bond of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. The court in its order of May 28 observed that Gandhi was granted permanent exemption from appearing before the court after he was released on bail, and enough grounds were not cited to cancel his bail bond. The court rejected Satyaki’s plea because the grounds mentioned by him to cancel Gandhi’s bail bond were not justified. The court relied on the Orissa High Court order in the case of Chinmaya Sahu vs State of Orissa, which stated that bail granted under the provisions of Section 436 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) could be cancelled by invoking Section 439 (2) of the CrPC. The court order stated that if Satyaki wanted to pray for cancelling the bail bond of Gandhi, he could file a plea under Section 439 (2) of the CrPC. Gandhi’s lawyer, Milind Pawar, submitted that the court did not impose any conditions on his client at the time of granting him bail, so there was no question of cancelling his bail bond. The lawyer said his client was facing a charge of criminal defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which was a bailable offence. Satyaki filed the criminal defamation case over alleged objectionable remarks made by the Congress leader against Savarkar in a March 2023 speech in London. 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.
Behind Apna Dal (S) naming a Dalit UP chief, a bid to cut into BSP’s voter base
After Raj Kumar Pal, an OBC leader, resigned earlier this month, Anupriya Patel’s party has now picked old loyalist Jatav R.P. Gautam as the state president. Lucknow: Union Minister Anupriya Patel’s Apna Dal (Sonelal) appointed Jatav R.P. Gautam as the president of its Uttar Pradesh unit Thursday, in a move which is being viewed as the party’s attempt to woo the Dalit community. Earlier this month, the former state president, Raj Kumar Pal, had resigned from the position after accusing Anupriya and her husband Ashish Patel—a minister in Uttar Pradesh cabinet—of neglecting him and mistreating party workers. Gautam, an old loyalist and the party’s co-operative wing chief, has now taken up the responsibility. The 60-year-old hails from the Sitapur district, and has also been a Dalit rights activist and social worker for the past two decades. The position of state president was previously held by an OBC leader (Pal), but now the party has picked a Jatav (segment of Dalit community) leader for the role for the first time in a bid to increase its outreach, according to party functionaries. “This is the first time we have appointed a Jatav state chief, in line with our social engineering plan. We are hoping for positive results,” Ashish Patel told ThePrint. A senior functionary said, on the condition of anonymity, that the party wants to step out of the image of an OBC party. “This move comes at a time when the support base of BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), which is considered the first choice of Jatavs, has been shrinking for the last few years. Jatavs are looking for an alternative. So, our leadership has decided to focus on increasing its base. The population of Jatavs is above 12 percent in the state, which is significant in creating an impact in electoral politics,” the leader told ThePrint. Now, as the party focuses on the preparation for the upcoming local body elections this year and the 2027 assembly elections, Gautam has been given this big responsibility, he added. However, Apna Dal (S) is not the only party eyeing BSP’s core vote bank. The Samajwadi Party’s “Pichda, Dalit, Alpasankhyak (backward-Dalit-minority)” plank got a big boost in April this year, following the induction of former minister and BSP founding member Daddu Prasad, along with a few other local BSP leaders. Before this, SP had inducted several BSP leaders last year, too. Additionally, SP’s district units had also held a week-long “Swambhiman Samman Samaroh” to mark the birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar this year. The aim was to reach out to prominent members of the Dalit community at grassroot level and felicitate them. Similarly, Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad-led Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) is also planning to expand their base, having completed the process of appointing local units in all 75 districts of the state. UP-based political analyst Shilp Shikha Singh explained that BSP’s “downfall” has opened up space for other parties in terms of the Dalit voter base. “Every party has realised after Lok Sabha results in UP that there is scope to gain this ‘loyal’ vote bank of the BSP, as the old party is not able to perform well in polls. The grand celebration announcements on Ambedkar Jayanti last month have also given a hint that every party is eyeing Dalit votes. As of now, it seems like a smart move by a BJP ally (Apna Dal).” Prashant Srivastava (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Courtesy : The Print Note: This news is originally published on https:/theprint.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Congress disrespecting Indian armed forces: Kishan Reddy
Hyderabad: Union minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy on Friday accused the Congress of disrespecting the Indian armed forces. Speaking at a media briefing, Kishan Reddy said Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the public’s demand for a strong counter to terrorism. He criticised Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy for making statements that, he claimed, undermined the Indian armed forces and insulted national security. He alleged that Rahul Gandhi “virtually alerted Pakistan about Operation Sindoor” and demanded an explanation, accusing him of speaking in Pakistan’s favour rather than standing with India’s interests. Kishan Reddy also slammed Revanth Reddy for suggesting that Prime Minister Modi called off military action under pressure from then US President Donald Trump and for claiming that the BJP lacked the courage to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). “Such statements only serve to demoralise our armed forces,” he said. Emphasising that Operation Sindoor was carried out with national support and transparency, Reddy said the army acted in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that the operation destroyed nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and PoK, eliminating over 100 terrorists. 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.
‘No country backed India’: Congress says BJP’s ‘foreign policy failed’ post-Operation Sindoor
‘No country backed India’: Congress says BJP’s ‘foreign policy failed’ post-Operation Sindoor’No country backed India’: Congress says BJP’s ‘foreign policy failed’ post-Operation Sindoor NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government over its handling of foreign affairs in the wake of Operation Sindoor, accusing it of diplomatic failure and a compromised stance on national security. Congress leader Pawan Khera said, “The result of our failed foreign policy was seen post-Pahalgam, during Operation Sindoor. No country called Pakistan a terrorist state; this is the result of your failed foreign policy. Then you launched Operation Sindoor and no country gave a statement in your favour. Now, after Operation Sindoor, Kuwait has lifted visa restrictions on Pakistan. Iran, UAE, and Gulf countries are signing MoUs with Pakistan, and the most shocking thing is that yesterday, Russia signed an MoU with Pakistan to revive its very old steel mill, under which Pakistan will get $2.6 billion from Russia… This is the result of your failed foreign policy…” — ANI (@ANI) Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, part of an all-party delegation to Colombia, expressed disappointment over the Colombian government’s condolences for those killed in Pakistan after India’s May 7 counterstrike, saying, “There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend.” He said India acted in self-defence following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. “We were only exercising our right of self-defence,” he added. Tharoor also highlighted Pakistan’s support for terrorists and showed images of uniformed Pakistani officials attending terrorist funerals. “That is the extent of complicity…,” he said, stressing India’s resolve through Operation Sindoor targeting terror bases in Pakistan and PoK. The opposition’s criticism comes amid a series of political confrontations following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public address in Gujarat, where he said Operation Sindoor was documented on camera to ensure “no one at home asks for proof.” PM Modi declared, “Until now, what we used to call a proxy war, after the scenes witnessed post-May 6, we can no longer make the mistake of calling it a proxy war.” He added that the terrorists targeted in the strikes were given military honours in Pakistan, indicating direct state involvement. Responding to the Prime Minister’s remarks, Congress questioned why top terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar were not neutralised. “To date, we have not received an answer to that – What happened to the terrorists of Poonch, Ganderbal, Gulmarg and Pahalgam?… How did Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar escape?” asked Khera, further alleging that “this government has outsourced the entire politics, political discourse, foreign policy to trolls.” Earlier, Rahul Gandhi also accused the Centre of tipping off Pakistan before the strikes. Sharing an old video of external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Gandhi wrote on May 17, “Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it.” He followed up on May 27 with another post asking, “How many Indian aircraft did we lose because Pakistan knew?” The ministry of external affairs (MEA) denied Gandhi’s claims, calling them a “misrepresentation of facts.” The ministry clarified that Pakistan was warned “in the early phase after Operation Sindoor’s commencement,” not before the operation began. The controversy was further fuelled by US President Donald Trump’s comments, referenced by Congress, that he had mediated ceasefire talks between India and Pakistan. Khera described this as “a very dangerous comment,” and said, “sindoor ka sauda hota raha aur pradhan mantri chup rahe,” implying secret negotiations during the operation. 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.
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy says ‘PoK would be ours if Rahul Gandhi were PM’, compares Narendra Modi to demonetised Rs 1,000 note
HYDERABAD: Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday said India would have reclaimed Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) had Rahul Gandhi been Prime Minister. “Modi is like a demonetised Rs 1,000 note. If Rahul Gandhi were Prime Minister, we would have reclaimed PoK by now,” Reddy said. He was speaking at the Jai Hind rally in Hyderabad, organised to honour the armed forces’ role in Operation Sindoor. He added that Rahul Gandhi’s leadership would have mirrored that of Indira Gandhi during the 1971 war. “Indira Gandhi declared war on China and issued a stern warning to the US. That’s the kind of leadership India needs today,” Revanth said. Revanth Reddy further criticised the BJP-led NDA government for announcing a ceasefire with Pakistan “within four days” of the military strike. “Why the haste? The country was left in the dark until US President Donald Trump revealed it on social media,” he said. He questioned why no all-party meeting was held before the decision and accused the Centre of lacking strategy, courage and transparency. “When Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge attended the all-party meeting, they extended full support to the Centre and clearly stated that India must reclaim PoK,” 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.