Kadiam Srihari Says Only Congress Uplifted Dalits Politically And Socially
Kadiyam Srihari credits Congress for Dalit empowerment; alleges corruption in Dalit Bandhu scheme under BRS. Warangal: Former Telangana deputy chief minister and Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari declared that it is only the Congress that uplifted Dalits politically, economically and socially. Participating in the Madigala Atmeeya Sammelan at Lingala Ghanpur mandal in Jangaon district on Sunday, Srihari pointed out that since India got independence, Dalits have remained with the Congress party. “Because of the Constitution, Dalits have been able to stand on their own in the society. It is scary to imagine what would have happened without Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and the Constitution,” the former deputy CM said. He pointed out that landlords used to dominate the politics in Warangal. “But without bowing my head or making even the slightest mistake, I have continued in politics for 30 years,” he pointed out. Srihari said during the previous BRS government, then MLA Thatikonda Rajaiah sold posts, jobs and even welfare schemes. “He even cheated Dalit people by taking money from them before they could benefit from the Dalit Bandhu Scheme,” the Station Ghanpur MLA pointed out. The former deputy CM maintained that those who work hard for the party and support people will be given first priority in Congress Courtesy : Deccan Chronicle Note: This news is originally published on https://deccanchronicle.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Stalemate over cabinet expansion, new TPCC team continues
Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy, along with Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, met AICC general secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday. They discussed candidates to be finalised for five of the six vacant cabinet berths, the new TPCC team — which includes four working presidents and a large team of vice-presidents and general secretaries, among other crucial issues. However, the discussions remained inconclusive regarding the finalisation of candidates for the cabinet and the new TPCC team. There is a possibility that Revanth Reddy may extend his stay in the national capital by another day to meet KC Venugopal again. If he does stay back, he is also expected to meet AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, depending on their availability, either on Monday or Tuesday. Mahesh Goud will remain in Delhi. He is also expected to attend the Telangana Congress BC leaders’ meeting with Rahul Gandhi on Monday, focusing on the caste census and the 42 per cent BC reservation Bill passed by the state assembly. However, there is no confirmation on whether the chief minister will also attend this session with Rahul Gandhi. The AICC has invited state ministers, Congress MPs, MLCs, MLAs, and corporation chairpersons from the Backward Classes communities for a meeting in Delhi on May 26 to discuss the caste census conducted by the Telangana govt. Sources in the AICC mentioned that it was an hour-long meeting where Revanth also discussed the strategy to be adopted on political platforms in connection with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) reportedly naming him in the National Herald-Young India money laundering case, in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been named as A-1 and A-2. “The discussions mainly focused on the new TPCC team and social and district equations to be followed. Though there was a discussion on cabinet expansion too, it mainly centred around whether to take up the crucial exercise — pending for over one-and-a-half years — before the panchayat elections or after that. The Congress govt in Telangana wants to go for the rural local body polls when the monsoon is in full swing and after releasing Rythu Bharosa financial assistance to all the eligible farmers, and this could be in June or July,” said an AICC leader. The AICC leadership has also been delaying the finalisation of names for TPCC’s new team, pending for eight months since B Mahesh Kumar Goud took over the reins of the state unit of the party from chief minister Revanth Reddy in Sept 2024. 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.
Hemant govt must take initiative for OBC reservations in edu institutions: Cong
Jamshedpur: The ruling alliance party, Congress, has appealed to the Hemant Soren govt to take the initiative for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations in educational institutions across the state. Making the appeal, state Congress in-charge Koppula Raju said Article 15 (5) of the Constitution allows the state to make provisions for the betterment of socially and economically backward classes, concerning their admission to educational institutions. While speaking at the Samvidhan Bachao Rally at Sakchi on Sunday, the Congress leader said the state govt must take the initiative without any delay. Raju also said party leader Rahul Gandhi played a pivotal role in driving the Narendra Modi govt at the Centre to give its nod for the caste census. “From the streets to Parliament, Rahul Gandhi fought for the rights of the OBC community which forced the Modi government to bow before the legitimate demand and agree to a census of the backward classes,” Raju said, addressing the crowd at the Sakchi parking zone. Stating that protecting the Constitution is the responsibility of all Indians, Raju further said, “Congress has taken the lead but it is the responsibility of all citizens to participate in the campaign to uphold the democratic values, principles and constitutional provisions.” During the rally, the party passed a resolution praising the armed forces for their commendable feat in ‘Operation Sindoor’. The bravery and courage demonstrated by the soldiers ensured a strong military response to Pakistan, he added. Speaking on the occasion, state Congress president, Keshav Mahato Kamlesh, said the Modi govt failed to align with the spirit of the Constitution, claiming that it was grossly undermined by the Centre with its activities in the last 11 years. The rally was necessitated to make the common people know how the Modi govt is violating the Constitution, Kamlesh said. Top party leaders of the state attended the rally organised by the East Singhbhum district Congress committee. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Congress ki Ram Ram kar ke hi chhodenge’: BJP hits back at Jairam Ramesh’s ‘unfit body’ remark on Niti Aayog meet
NEW DELHI: BJP on Saturday slammed Jairam Ramesh for calling the NITI Aayog an “Ayogya” (unfit) body, saying such remarks will only create controversy and harm the Congress party itself. Speaking to news agency PTI, BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said that, “This is a meeting of Team India to take decisions for the country’s development. Jairam Ramesh is finding fault in this too.” “Jairam Ramesh Congress ki Ram Ram kar ke hi chhodenge (Jairam Ramesh will finish off the Congress),” he added. These remarks came after the Congress leader called the NITI Aayog an “Ayogya” (unfit) body and criticised the Centre, claiming the meeting was “yet another exercise in hypocrisy and diversion.” In a post on X, Ramesh raised 6 questions about the Centre’s development goals under the ‘Viksit Bharat’ mission, expressing doubts over the purpose of the NITI Aayog meeting. He questioned the Centre’s development claims, asking “What kind of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) it would be if: Those in power themselves break social harmony with harmful words and actions. Institutions like Parliament, judiciary, universities, media, and constitutional bodies are undermined for political gain. India’s core values are attacked openly. Economic inequality grows while wealth stays with a few. The country’s rich diversity is deliberately disrespected and erased. Not only freedom of speech is under threat but freedom after speech is also endangered.” — Jairam_Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) The Congress leader made his remarks as Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog on Saturday. The meeting focused on the theme ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047’. Hussain called the NITI Aayog meeting a “Team India meeting” and criticised the Congress for opposing it. “NITI Aayog is a big institution of the country. It makes policies for the country. In its meeting, eminent people, including chief ministers, are sitting together to make the country develop. The Congress has started objecting to it also,” he added. — PTI_News (@PTI_News) The BJP representative also took a swipe at leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s Kashmir visit, saying, “Bahut der kar di huzoor aate aate’ (It took you a long time to visit),” he said. “Recently, he went to Bihar to do politics at Ambedkar Hostel. Now, he is missing the people of Poonch and Uri,” Hussain alleged. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi visited Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir to meet victims of cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops. He spent over an hour with the affected residents, including families who lost loved ones in the shelling that took place between May 7 and May 10. 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.
‘Shashi Tharoor is looking for berth in BJP’s sleeping cells inside Congress’: CPI Kerala slams Lok Sabha MP
‘Shashi Tharoor is looking for berth in BJP’s sleeping cells inside Congress’: CPI Kerala slams Lok Sabha MP’Shashi Tharoor is looking for berth in BJP’s sleeping cells inside Congress’: CPI Kerala slams Lok Sabha MP NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India (CPI) Kerala Secretary Binoy Viswam on Sunday took a swipe at Shashi Tharoor over him leading one of the delegations for briefing partner countries and said that Thiruvananthapuram MP is looking for a berth in the BJP’s sleeping cells inside Congress. In a post on X, the CPI Kerala secretary said, “@RahulGandhi Gandhi’s concern about BJP sleeping cells inside Congress is not so simple. It seems that @sashhitharoor is in search of his berth in that cell. @BJP4India knows how to make use of such elements. For them, even the fight against terrorism is a hunt for party gains!” The comments emerged after Tharoor accepted a government invitation to head a multi-party delegation overseas to present India’s position against Pakistan regarding terrorism, despite his name not being included in Congress’s official nominations. Tharoor defended his acceptance on Saturday, stating he perceived no political agenda. He explained that Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju formally requested his leadership of the delegation, considering his diplomatic experience. “I see no politics in it. According to me, politics become important when we have a nation. We all are Indians. When the nation is in crisis and the central government seeks the help of a citizen, what other answer would you give,” he explained to reporters. The Congress party had put forward different representatives: former Union minister Anand Sharma, deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain, and Lok Sabha MP Raja Brar, following the government’s request for four MPs for the delegations. 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.
To consolidate SC votes, BJP to reach out to 6,000 influential Dalits
Lucknow: In a bid to consolidate support among Scheduled Castes, BJP has decided to launch another outreach campaign aimed at engaging 1,000 influential Dalit personalities in each of the six organisational regions of Uttar Pradesh. The campaign will be spearheaded by party’s SC Morcha in coordination with senior state functionaries. A campaign plan was recently drawn up by the BJP central leadership, which asked the state unit to reach out to the various sub-castes within the Dalits, including Jatavs, Pasis, Koris and Dhobis. “We will gather broader feedback from the influential sections amongst the Dalit and take corrective measures wherever needed,” UP BJP SC Morcha president Ram Chandra Kannaujia told TOI on Friday. The campaign is seen as part of a broader electoral strategy to counter opposition narratives while reinforcing the BJP’s footprints in the SC-dominated constituencies. BJP has demarcated UP into six organisational regions: Kashi, Gorakhpur, Awadh, Kanpur, Braj and western UP. Sources said that a dedicated team of party functionaries has been tasked to identify prominent Dalit people, including retired bureaucrats, teachers, social workers, religious figures, community leaders and professionals, whose influence could potentially impact a collective opinion within the SC community. The outreach comes at a time when the BJP faces stiff competition from the Opposition, primarily the Samajwadi Party and its ally Congress, besides the BSP, which have historically enjoyed significant support among Dalit voters. Kannaujia said that the campaign will aim to intensify its messaging around social justice, economic empowerment, and welfare measures targeted at SC communities. Experts said that personal interaction with influential Dalit figures can help dispel perceptions of exclusion and infuse a sense of political inclusion amongst the Dalit community. The campaign also aims to highlight the role of Dalit leaders within the BJP itself. Plans are also afoot to organise felicitation programmes and community service events in Dalit-dominated areas. These events will serve as platforms for dialogue on govt policies and community welfare. The development comes days after BJP initiated a ‘dialogue’ programme in various districts. The programme was spearheaded by state general secretary (organisation) Dharam Pal Singh. These meetings aimed to boost the morale of Dalit functionaries and prepare them for future campaigns, sources said. Though assembly elections are still two years away, BJP’s early start signals its intent to consolidate its support base and blunt any early moves by its political rivals. Party analysts believe that the Dalit vote, which constitutes over 21% of UP’s population, could be a deciding factor in several tightly contested seats. “The idea is not just to win elections, but to win trust,” said a BJP SC Morcha leader. “Our party believes in Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and we are proving that through direct engagement and representation,” 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.
Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: Chirag Paswan’s LJP To Aggressively Court Dalit Votes With ‘Bahujan-Bheem Sankalp Samagam’; Plans To Contest Independently Within NDA
Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan is gearing up to reach out to all Dalit communities to bolster his party`s prospects in Bihar assembly election, due in October-November. Patna: Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan is gearing up to reach out to all Dalit communities to bolster his party`s prospects in Bihar assembly election, due in October-November. Dalits constitute 16.04 percent of the population of the state and play a dominant role in deciding the outcome of any poll in the state. On the other hand, Paswan is the second largest caste in Bihar after Yadav, as they constitute 5.311 percent of the state`s population. LJP (RV)`s state executive held a meeting in Patna on Friday and unanimously passed a resolution for Chirag playing a role of a prominent leader of Bahujan-Bheem Samaj. The party has also planned to organise ‘Bahujan-Bheem Sankalp Samagam’ to reach out to Dalits more aggressively. In another important issue, Chirag`s party through the resolution made it clear that it would contest the assembly election by keeping its independent identity intact. It is seen as LJP`s ploy to extract maximum number of seats from BJP in the assembly election. Chirag has asserted on several occasions that he would contest an election as an NDA ally. Former professor of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Pushpendra Kumar Singh said, “Chirag understands very well that his party’s growth in NDA will be limited if he depends only on Paswan votes and so he will definitely like to reach out to other Dalit castes.” Although Chirag apparently commands a significant support of his caste members (Paswans), the dynamics would change if his uncle and former union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras joins the I.N.D.I.A bloc and makes inroads into Paswan votes with the help of its allies like RJD, Congress and left parties, he noted. LJP leader is also facing challenge from Congress as the latter after appointing a Dalit (Mallikarjun Kharge) as its national president has now made a Dalit (Rajesh Kumar) its state president, he asserted. Another challenge is that after BSP supremo Mayawati losing much of her clout in Bihar, her party`s votes in the election are more likely to go to INDIA bloc, he claimed. “Chirag will prefer to field his party candidates on seats in the state polls, mainly falling under the Lok Sabha constituencies of his five MPs,” he remarked. Courtesy : Dheeraj Kumar, TFPJ Note: This news is originally published on https://thefreepressjournal.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Rok sako to rok lo’: Rahul Gandhi’s message to PM Modi, Nitish Kumar in Bihar
‘Rok sako to rok lo’: Rahul Gandhi’s message to PM Modi, Nitish Kumar in Bihar’Rok sako to rok lo’: Rahul Gandhi’s message to PM Modi, Nitish Kumar in Bihar NEW DELHI: “Nitish ji, Modi ji, rok sako to rok lo,” said Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, after he was stopped by police on his way to Ambedkar hostel in Bihar’s Darbhanga. However, the Congress leader managed to enter the premises amid political drama and questioned the chief minister, “what is he afraid of?” The incident occurred when Gandhi reached outside Ambedkar hostel. His convoy was stopped from entering the premises where he was scheduled to interact with students at the party’s ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ event. ‘Rok sako to rok lo’ Taking to X, he wrote in Hindi, “Nitish ji and Modi ji, stop me if you can – the storm of caste-based census will bring a revolution in social justice, education, and employment.” — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) ‘Double engine dhokebaaz sarkaar’ While addressing a gathering in Darbhanga, he called the NDA government in Bihar “double engine dhokebaaz sarkaar.” “The Bihar Police tried to stop me. But they could not stop me because your power (minority community) is watching over me. We told PM Narendra Modi that you have to conduct census. Under your pressure, PM Narendra Modi announced caste census in the country. Scared of your pressure, he placed the Constitution on his forehead. But their government is against democracy, the Constitution, and the minorities. This is the government of Adani-Ambani and not yours,” Gandhi said. “I guarantee that the moment our government forms in India and in Bihar, and implements everything that you deserve,” he added. ‘Nitish ji, what are you afraid of?’ In a post on social media platform X, Gandhi questioned Bihar CM Nitish and said, “NDA’s “double engine dhokebaaz sarkaar” in Bihar is preventing me from interacting with dalit and backward students in Ambedkar Hostel. Since when has dialogue become a crime? Nitish ji, what are you afraid of? Do you want to hide the state of education and social justice in Bihar?” — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) According to Congress, Gandhi’s car was stopped by police before reaching the hostel, prompting him to proceed on foot to meet the students. “India is a democracy, it is run by the Constitution, not by dictatorship! No one can stop us from raising our voice for social justice and education,” he posted on X. — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) ‘Pre-planned conspiracy’ Meanwhile, the Bihar Congress accused the district administration of attempting to sabotage the programme. Darbhanga deputy mayor Nazia Hasan called the last-minute cancellation of permission a “pre-planned conspiracy.” “If the administration did not want to grant us permission, they could have denied it the day we asked. But cancelling the permission at the last minute was a part of a pre-planned conspiracy. The preparations here had been going on for the last 4-5 days. The reason is that the government fears losing its seat in Darbhanga. They are scared that if Rahul Gandhi comes here, he will unite and motivate the youth. Rahul Gandhi does not require a mic or a stage for his voice to be heard. A street and a crossroad are sufficient for him,” Hassan told ANI. National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) president Varun Choudhary echoed the criticism, calling the JDU-BJP government “anti-Dalit and anti-students.” He claimed the event was sabotaged after the administration learned that a large number of students planned to attend. “This shows that the JDU-BJP government is anti-Dalit and anti-students… The students have declared they will only get up from here once they meet Rahul Gandhi. What is the JDU-BJP government scared of? The truth is that the students will reveal their poor condition under the JDU-BJP government to Rahul Gandhi. The preparations for today’s programme had been going on for some time. But permission for the programme was deliberately cancelled last night when the administration found out that the students are planning to attend the event in large numbers,” Choudhary told ANI. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Congress condemns FIR against Rahul
Patna: A day after the Darbhanga district administration lodged an FIR against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for attending an event at Ambedkar Hostel without permission, the party criticised the move on Friday while urging the state govt not to implicate dalit students. Speaking to the reporters, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar claimed police were attempting to arrest around 100 dalit students who had invited Rahul to participate in the ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ event. “The police have gone all out to arrest these poor students whose names appear in the FIR. We strongly condemn this police action,” Kumar said, adding that the students should not be dragged into a political conflict between the Congress and the govt. Kumar said, “We neither fear the bullets of the NDA govt nor their FIRs. The Congress stands firmly with dalits, OBCs, EBCs and minority students. They need not be afraid. Rahulji is with them.” Krishna Allavaru, the party’s Bihar in charge, said the administration had initially extended support during preparations but suddenly withdrew permission. “Our leader went there to interact with students, not to hold a public rally. The Bihar govt’s last-minute decision clearly shows it fears the Congress and Rahul,” Allavaru claimed. Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee’s working president Jignesh Mevani said, “The registration of an FIR against Rahul and dalit students proves that the NDA is opposed to dalit, backward, extremely backward and tribal communities.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
UP BJP org rejig: Dalits, OBCs likely to weigh in prominently
Lucknow: OBC and Dalit communities are expected to weigh in prominently as the BJP gears up to reboot its organisational machinery at the ground level by inducting around 90,000 functionaries in over 1,500 out of 1,918 mandals (divisions). Sources said the party plans to recalibrate 80% of the mandals — a local organisational unit within the party’s hierarchical structure — even as the party draws up a broader blueprint of a strategy to counter opposition in the run-up to the 2027 UP assembly polls. A mandal is a key operational layer in the BJP’s grassroots machinery, enabling it to maintain a strong local presence. It is one level below a district and usually corresponds to a group of a few municipal wards or several village panchayats, mainly a sub-division within a district for efficient grassroots-level political and organisational functioning. According to BJP sources, the party will appoint over 60 functionaries in each of the over 1,500 mandals where the party has already appointed a president. A similar exercise will be undertaken in the remaining over 400 mandals after the appointment of presidents. The new team is expected to have a sizable presence of OBC, Dalit and women functionaries, a move that could align with BJP’s focus on strengthening its grassroots presence and bolstering its social coalition, which catapulted the party to an overwhelming majority in UP in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections. The induction of OBC and Dalit functionaries at the grassroots, experts said, could allow the BJP to counter the opposition’s Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA) card, which dented the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by shrinking its tally from 62 to 33 in UP. A senior BJP functionary said the induction of a good number of women functionaries at the mandal level is also on the cards. Speculations are rife that women may comprise around 33% of the total functionaries at the mandal level. Is that happens then it would be a strategic move by the party, which has been prioritising gender inclusivity by ensuring significant representation of women functionaries in the new appointments. The party also plans to engage the upper caste leadership strategically at the grassroots level as part of its broader organisational revamp. While OBCs and Dalits form the numerical majority and a critical voter bloc, upper castes (like Brahmins, Thakurs, Baniya, and Kayasthas) have traditionally been a core support base for the BJP. The party aims to retain their influence while expanding its appeal to marginalised groups. In March this year, the party had named 70 new district presidents, of whom 39 were from the upper caste, 25 were OBCs and six Scheduled Caste. 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.