Sachin Pilot to participate in major protest seeking justice for farmer Gulzar, who died by suicide in Punjab
The AAP has accused the BJP, Congress and SAD of their alleged attempt to exploit a tragic death for political gains, asserting that the bereaved family must be allowed to grieve with dignity. CHANDIGARH: Amid continuing factionalism in the Punjab Congress, Sachin Pilot will visit the State for the first time on September 15 after taking over as the general secretary in charge of the state unit. He will participate in a major protest that will focus on the demand for justice for 47-year-old Gulzar Singh, a Dalit daily wager who died by suicide. Former Member of Parliament Vijayinder Singla said that the ‘Main Bhi Gulzar’ campaign aims to urge the government to take action against whosoever is involved in Gulzar’s death. “We have launched the campaign in solidarity with the victim’s family. We have requested everyone in Sangrur and other parts of Punjab to join this initiative by putting up the ‘Main Bhi Gulzar’ display picture on their social media handles and help us amplify the family’s voice against injustice and stand in solidarity with them,” he said. Singla added that the victim’s family had alleged that they were forced by the district administration and the Sangrur police to cremate Gulzar without ensuring family traditions. Meanwhile, the AAP has accused the BJP, Congress and SAD of their alleged attempt to exploit a tragic death for political gains, asserting that the bereaved family must be allowed to grieve with dignity. In the demonstration, Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh, Raja Warring, Leader of the Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, Former Chief Minister and MP from Jalandhar, Charanjit Singh Channi, Former Deputy Chief Minister and MP from Gurdaspur, all other MPs, sitting and ex-MLAs and other party leaders will take part. The party plans to march towards the official residence of state finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema in Sector 3, demanding that he be booked for abetment of suicide in this case and arrested. They are also demanding his dismissal from the Bhagwant Mann-led cabinet. However, it is highly probable that the Chandigarh Police is expected to stop the Congress leadership in front of the Punjab Congress Bhawan in Sector 15 and not allow them to move forward, as has been the case in past protests. Meanwhile, Pilot has clarified that the grand old party will not project a chief ministerial candidate before the 2027 Assembly elections. Pilot is expected to come by road from Delhi, but his official schedule has not yet been made public. Till date, the rival camps led by Channi and Warring had continued to hold separate protests, meetings and outreach programmes, underlining the lack of cohesion within the state unit. Warring had been saying that party leaders would soon come together on a common platform to take on their political rivals, while Channi welcomed the appointment of Pilot. The Congress high command had replaced Bhupesh Baghel with Pilot in an apparent bid to ease tensions between the Channi and Warring camps. While both factions publicly welcomed the move, their actions on the ground indicate that differences remain unresolved. Pilot said that the Congress would contest the polls under a collective leadership model, with Rahul Gandhi leading the campaign. The statement, “No announcement on CM candidate until party secures majority in Assembly elections”, comes at a time when supporters of former CM Channi are demanding that he be declared the chief ministerial face of the party for the 2027 elections. If at all the Congress sticks to this stance, it would mark a departure from its earlier stance in the previous assembly elections, as the party had projected Capt Amarinder Singh as its chief ministerial candidate in 2012 and 2017, while in 2022 it went to the polls with then chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi as its CM face. Harpreet Bajwa Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Congress spars with RJD on MLC seat allocations in Bihar, to field eight candidates
A day after Lalu Prasad’s RJD announced candidates for six out of the eight seats, the Congress on Saturday said that the grand old party will field its candidates on all eight seats. PATNA: Differences have emerged within Opposition Mahagathbandhan ahead of elections for eight seats in the Bihar Legislative Council (MLC). The Election Commission is set to announce the election schedule for four graduate and as many teacher constituencies soon. A day after Lalu Prasad’s RJD announced candidates for six out of the eight seats, the Congress on Saturday said that the grand old party will field its candidates on all eight seats. “Congress was not taken into confidence before releasing candidates’ list by RJD,” party leader Asit Nath Tiwary said. He accused the RJD of not following coalition dharma and said that the decision to release the names of candidates for the election was taken by the top brass of RJD. But Congress, which is an ally of Mahagathandhan, was not taken into confidence while finalising the seats it wanted to contest, Tiwary added. RJD has fielded Sanjeev Kumar Singh from the Patna teacher constituency, Dilip Kumar from the Patna graduate constituency, Nitesh Kumar from the Kosi graduate, Anil Kumar Jha from the Darbhanga graduate, and Prof. Jay Ram Yadav from Saran teacher constituency and Dr Rashmi Vinayak Gautam from Tirhut graduate constituency. While releasing the list, RJD leaders said that the two remaining seats were under consideration of the top leaders of the party. The seats are Darbhanga and Kosi teacher constituencies. Currently the seats are held by Congress leaders, including former state president Madan Mohan Jha. Jha was elected from Darbhanga teacher constituency. Congress leaders held a meeting in Patna on Saturday to finalise the list of nominees. BJP, JD(U) finalise names In the NDA camp, both the BJP and JD(U) have finalised the names of their candidates. Controversy erupted within JD(U) over the Patna graduate seat after party MLA from Mokama Anant Singh backed the candidature of Anuj Kumar against sitting MLA Neeraj Kumar. Ramashankar Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Congress begins preparations for Rahul Gandhi’s Indore Youth Event
Indore: Congress on Saturday began preparations for the Sept 19 Rahul Gandhi’s “Chhatron ki Goonj” programme irrespective of a formal approval of the venue decided for the event, the land in front of Regional Park in Indore. The inspection and preparation of the ground have begun and it will be ready for the mega event, Congress city president Chintu Choukse told TOI. Congress has paid over Rs 10 lakh to IDA for use of the ground for three days. The party has claimed that around 1.5 lakh students have registered for the programme and that around 20,000-30,000 of them are expected to attend the youth conclave. “We have paid the sum demanded for the use of land for three days. But a formal approval is awaited,” Choukse said. The ground opposite Regional Park is spread over around 2.25 hectares. Based on an estimated requirement of five square feet per person, it could accommodate around 25,000 to 30,000 people. However, the actual capacity could be lower as separate space will be required for the stage, parking, security arrangements, ambulances and other facilities. Congress had sought around 1.25 hectares of land for the programme. According to the IDA’s fixed rate, the rent was set at Rs 8.40 per square foot, resulting in a payment of around Rs 10 lakh, which was deposited by the party. Congress had alleged that lower charges were being levied for other events while it was being asked to pay a higher amount. Officials, however, said the fee was determined on the basis of the area of land and its use. Choukse said elaborate arrangements are being made to ensure the interaction between Rahul Gandhi and the youth. “Separate arrangements are made for the girls and boys to attend the event,” he said. The Congress city president said it has received support from the tribal organisation Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS) for Gandhi’s event. A recent meeting attended by Congress state in charge Harish Chaudhary, state Congress president Jitu Patwari, Manawar MLA Hiralal Alawa and JAYS office-bearers decided that the organisation would participate in the student-focused event. 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
‘Merely adopting blue colour doesn’t make anyone Ambedkarite’: Mayawati on SP’s student wing uniform
Akhilesh Yadav wearing a blue scarf around his neck during a press conference on August 21 has triggered a political row in Uttar Pradesh over Dalit interest. LUCKNOW: With the UP Assembly election inching closer, the colour blue is buzzing as the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are engaging in verbal spats over it. It may be recalled that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had launched the blue uniform for the Samajwadi Party’s student wing (SP Chhatra Sabha) recently. Moreover, three days before the launch of the uniform, Akhilesh Yadav had arrived wearing a blue scarf around his neck during a press conference. The move laid the path to a common belief that SP was seeking to woo Dalit voters through it. Meanwhile, BSP supremo Mayawati hit out at Akhilesh Yadav. Without naming him, she said on Friday that adopting the BSP’s blue colour, wearing a blue scarf around the neck, dressing in blue clothes or putting blue fabric on a stage would not change a party’s casteist mindset. Taking to social media platform X, Mayawati wrote: “If you genuinely care about the poor, Dalits, tribals, backward classes and other neglected sections, then all opposition parties, including the SP and Congress, must first cleanse their hearts and minds. Merely adopting the colour blue does not make anyone an Ambedkarite.” On the purported offer to Mayawati’s nephew Akash Anand to join the Congress, Mayawati said: “Congress is like a sinking ship. Why would anyone put their political future in darkness by joining it?” After Akash was expelled from the BSP, Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam had said that the doors of the Congress were open to Akash and that he would receive due respect. At a press conference in Lucknow on Thursday, when asked whether Akash Anand could join the SP, Akhilesh Yadav said: “You are a journalist; you tell him to come, and we will take him.” Similarly, BJP ally Nishad Party president Sanjay Nishad said, “Akash Anand should join us. He will be given full respect and a major responsibility. He could even be made national president. The dream of Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram remains incomplete, and we can all work together to fulfil it.” Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had said, “Akash Anand was speaking about his people, which Mayawati did not like.” Congress leaders also believe that decisions taken by the party have played a major role in damaging Akash Anand’s political career. Meanwhile, hitting out at the political rivals, Mayawati said: “Opposition parties have continuously changed their colours on issues concerning backward classes and Dalits. These parties say one thing and do exactly the opposite.” Questioning the Samajwadi Party’s PDA slogan, referring to backward classes, Dalits and minorities, she said the BSP was the only party working for the cause of the Bahujan Samaj. She described the BSP as the only well-wisher of Bahujan Samaj and the only Ambedkarite party. Mayawati added that those who were expelled from the BSP had switched parties several times. “This is a reflection of their selfish and opportunistic politics. Such people cannot do good for any party,” posted the BSP chief. She said a few expelled leaders, while acting at the behest of other parties, even go on to form small parties and organisations. Mayawati said: “SP and Congress cannot even contest elections without alliances. At the same time, when a major party forms the government, they cannot stay away from joining it.” Referring to Dr BR Ambedkar, Mayawati said that during his lifetime, he had warned members of the Bahujan Samaj to maintain distance from the Congress. She said it was important for the people associated with the BSP and its movement to understand those lines in the current political circumstances. Namita Bajpai Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
With eye on poll, BJP to begin ‘drug-free Punjab’ drive amid row over Dalit villager’s death
The campaign comes close on the heels of a row that erupted following the death of a Dalit villager, who was reportedly under pressure to apologise for questioning Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema over the supply of ‘chitta (synthetic drugs)’ in the State. With an eye on the 2027 Assembly poll, the BJP on Friday (September 11, 2026) announced the launch of ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatras’ from September 18 to “highlight the drug menace” in the State. State BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said the yatras will cover all 117 Assembly constituencies and turn the fight against drugs into a mass movement. He was addressing a press conference along with party national vice-president Manpreet Badal and former State chief Sunil Jakhar. Rahul Gandhi, Bhagwant spar over the alleged suicide of a Dalit man in Punjab The campaign comes close on the heels of a row that erupted following the alleged death by suicide of a Dalit villager, who was reportedly under pressure to apologise for questioning Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema over the supply of ‘chitta (synthetic drugs)’ in the State. Mr. Dhillon alleged that three major challenges are confronting Punjab – growing drugs menace, deteriorating law and order situation, and corruption. “The yatras are not merely an anti-drug awareness campaign, but an attempt to confront the grave threat that it poses to Punjabiyat, our culture, values and the proud identity of the land of the gurus. The drug crisis is tearing families apart, pushing Punjab’s youth, traditionally known for their contribution to the armed forces, sports and nation-building, towards violence and gang-related activities. It is also imposing a heavy financial burden on families forced into debt or to sell their land and assets for treatment,” he said. Punjab govt treats over 90,000 drug victims in rehabilitation centres Mr. Dhillon said BJP president Nitin Nabin will flag off the first yatra on September 18 from Pathankot district. It will be followed by marches from Fatehgarh Sahib (September 19), Fazilka (September 20) and Talwandi Sabo (September 21). In March, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had sought a chance to form the next government, promising that the BJP will free the State from the scourge of drugs within two years. (Those in distress can contact Tele MANAS at 14416 to seek help) The Hindu Bureau Courtesy : The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehindu.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Hyderabad cops detain man for posing as RaGa’s aide
Police said the accused misused Kanishka’s name and identity for wrongful gain and targeted candidates who had contested Assembly elections on tickets of different political parties. HYDERABAD: Hyderabad cyber crime police brought a 45-year-old habitual offender from a prison in Punjab on a PT warrant in an impersonation fraud case in which he allegedly posed as a political aide to Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and duped 14 people across the country of around Rs 3 crore in cash and gold ornaments. The accused, Gaurav Kumar alias Gora, a native of Punjab, was brought from Central Prison, Patiala. He was brought to Hyderabad for questioning in a case registered on July 1 based on a complaint by AICC secretary Jetti Kusuma Kumar. According to the complaint, Gaurav had been impersonating Kanishka Singh, an Indian politician and political aide to Rahul Gandhi. The accused allegedly contacted the complainant through WhatsApp calls and messages, offering political favours, positions and other benefits in exchange for money. The complainant provided call details and other evidence to police. No money was lost in this case. Police said the accused misused Kanishka’s name and identity for wrongful gain and targeted candidates who had contested Assembly elections on tickets of different political parties. He allegedly promised political support, positions and other favours in exchange for cash and gold. Further investigation is under way. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Don’t go public about quitting electoral politics: Rahul Gandhi to Siddaramaiah
The proposed caste enumeration as part of the 2027 Census also figured prominently during Siddaramaiah’s meeting with Rahul, the sources said. BENGALURU: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday reportedly advised former chief minister Siddaramaiah not to make public statements about quitting electoral politics. At a meeting with Siddaramaiah in Delhi, Rahul told him that such remarks could hurt the Congress. The two are learnt to have discussed the political situation in the state and party organisational and electoral issues for nearly one-and-a-half hours, sources close to Siddaramaiah said. Rahul is also understood to have told Siddaramaiah that the Congress needs senior leaders of his experience. Siddaramaiah is learnt to have explained that his decision is limited to electoral politics. He wants to remain active in public life and continue to raise issues concerning people. He cited his age and the changing nature of electoral politics for his decision not to contest the 2028 Assembly elections. Siddaramaiah recently said that he would not contest the 2028 Assembly elections, triggering speculation about his political future. He subsequently clarified that he had referred only to retirement from electoral politics and not active politics. Siddaramaiah, however, downplayed the significance of his meeting with Rahul. He told reporters that he had sought an appointment with Rahul and met him. The sources said Siddaramaiah also discussed filling two vacancies in the Shivakumar Cabinet and nomination of five MLCs. He is learnt to have proposed the names of some of his loyalists. Siddaramaiah is understood to have conveyed his concerns over his role being overlooked during the recent Cabinet expansion. He had backed Byadgi MLA Basavaraj Shivannanavar, a Kuruba leader, for a cabinet berth. However, the high command considered Chikkamagaluru MLC Gayathri Shanthegowda, also a Kuruba leader, before dropping her at the last minute. Political observers said Siddaramaiah is keen that his suggestions be given weightage while choosing Kuruba leaders for important posts, given his influence among the community members. Siddaramaiah also met AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal. The proposed caste enumeration as part of the 2027 Census also figured prominently during Siddaramaiah’s meeting with Rahul, the sources said. Rahul is learnt to have sought Siddaramaiah’s views on the Centre’s decision to include caste enumeration in the 2027 Census. Being a prominent Congress leader familiar with issues related to Backward Classes and member of the Congress Working Committee, Siddaramaiah could be assigned a key role in shaping the party’s response to the exercise. The sources said Siddaramaiah may have discussed the implementation of the findings of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission’s socio-educational survey. The meeting assumes significance as the Congress seeks to build its campaign around social justice, caste representation and the rights of Backward Classes ahead of the 2028 Assembly and 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Devaraj B Hirehalli Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul Gandhi Says India’s Education System Failing Young Generation, Flags 3 Key Issues
Rahul Gandhi criticised India’s education system, stating it is failing the youth it aims to uplift due to issues like paper leaks and high fees. The Congress leader’s remarks came ahead of the fifth edition of his ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ initiative. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said India’s education system was failing the very generation it was meant to lift and asked students, parents and teachers to tell him why they have lost hope in it. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said fixing the education system begins with listening to those who experience its failures every day. “India’s education system is failing the very generation it was meant to lift. Paper leaks. Crushing fees. Decaying infrastructure. Millions of young Indians work honestly, and the system still lets them down,” Gandhi said on X. “Fixing it begins with listening to those who experience its failures every day. Students, parents, teachers, tell me: why have you lost hope in the education system?” he said. Gandhi asked students, parents and teachers to share their experiences, evidence and ideas on an online link he shared. “Together, we will bring hope back,” Gandhi added. The Congress leader’s remarks came ahead of the fifth edition of his ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ initiative, which will be held in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore on September 19. He has asserted that hearing the voice of every student in the country is essential to changing the system. Gandhi has held four ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ events in Kota, Dehradun, Prayagraj and Pune. The last one in Pune on August 22 was for girl students. Courtesy : Times Now Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesnow.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
UP Election 2027: Akhilesh Yadav targets Brahmins, Dalits and Gen-Z with new PDA and blue gamcha strategy | Explained
With UP elections due in early 2027, the SP chief is redefining his party’s coalition, courting Brahmins with one hand and Dalits with the other — while BJP watches its most loyal vote bank show early signs of restlessness On August 5, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav stood before a Brahmin Sammelan at his party’s Lucknow headquarters and made a statement that carried considerably more weight than it appeared to on the surface. He declared that the ‘P’ in ‘PDA’ stands for ‘Pandits’. This was not a slip of the tongue. When Akhilesh coined the term PDA during the 2022 UP Assembly elections, the ‘P’ explicitly stood for ‘Pichhda’, meaning backwards or Other Backward Classes. That formulation was the foundation of the social coalition he was building: Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak — backward castes, Dalits and minorities. It was a direct challenge to the BJP’s dominant Hindu consolidation strategy and helped the SP make significant gains, even if it was not ultimately enough to form the government. Now, with the 2027 UP elections scheduled for February or March of next year, the ‘P’ has been expanded, or perhaps repositioned, to include Pandits. The question being asked across Lucknow’s political circles is whether this represents a genuine strategic evolution or an opportunistic repositioning. The answer, on examination, appears to be both, and that combination is precisely what makes it interesting. Why Brahmins Matter So Much in Uttar Pradesh To understand Akhilesh’s Brahmin outreach, you need to understand the electoral arithmetic of Uttar Pradesh at a granular level. Political analysts estimate that the Brahmin community can decisively influence outcomes in more than 115 of the 403 Assembly constituencies across the state. This is not simply a function of numbers — Brahmins constitute approximately 10 to 11 percent of UP’s population — but of their geographic distribution across constituencies and their traditional role as opinion leaders in rural and semi-urban settings. The data across successive elections makes the pattern unmistakable. In 2007, when Mayawati led the BSP to a landmark 206-seat majority, the party had achieved something genuinely unprecedented: it secured 16 percent of the Brahmin vote through a deliberate Brahmin-Dalit alliance strategy. The BJP still received 44 percent, but the split was significant enough to help the BSP sweep to a majority. The 2012 SP victory saw the party win 224 seats, partly on the strength of 19 percent of the Brahmin vote, double its 2007 performance of 10 percent. The BJP got 38 percent of Brahmin votes that year, with the community fractured across multiple parties. Then came 2017, and the numbers tell a stark story. Riding the Modi wave, the BJP secured approximately 83 percent of Brahmin votes and more than 300 seats. The SP collapsed to 7 percent of Brahmin votes. In 2022, the consolidation deepened further. The BJP captured 89 percent of Brahmin votes. The SP got 6 percent. Those two numbers, 89 and 6, are the context for everything Akhilesh is doing with the Brahmin Sammelan and the reframed PDA acronym. Even a modest swing in Brahmin votes, from 6 percent to 15 or 20 percent, could alter outcomes in dozens of constituencies. What Is Driving Brahmin Discontent With the BJP? The opposition’s narrative about Brahmin disenchantment with the BJP government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath centres on two overlapping allegations. The first is that Thakurs or Rajputs, the caste community to which Yogi himself belongs, have been disproportionately favoured for appointments across state administration, police postings and government positions. This allegation of Thakur dominance in the state’s power structure has been circulating within Brahmin circles for several years and carries enough traction that the BJP has felt compelled to respond. The second is the Maha Kumbh episode. Akhilesh has repeatedly alleged that Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, a revered religious figure with significant standing among Brahmins, was prevented from taking a holy dip during the Maha Kumbh. Whether or not this allegation is fully accurate, it has served as a powerful symbolic touchpoint for Brahmin grievance politics, suggesting that even high-status religious figures from the community are not immune to being marginalised under the current administration. At the Brahmin Sammelan, Akhilesh wove these threads together: the BJP targets SP workers, it targets Brahmins, and now it is even after the ‘P’ in PDA. The framing positions Brahmins not as a group being invited into the SP’s coalition out of political convenience but as a community that shares a common adversary with the SP’s traditional base. How much of this narrative has actually penetrated Brahmin opinion is difficult to assess. Many Brahmins in UP remain deeply sceptical of the SP, which they have historically associated with minority appeasement policies and a governance culture they see as hostile to their interests. The gap between Brahmin discontent with the BJP and Brahmin willingness to vote SP is wide, and bridging it requires more than a well-attended sammelan. The BJP’s Response: Playing Defence on Its Own Ground The BJP has not sat passively while Akhilesh pursues his Brahmin outreach. The party’s response has been both structural and strategic. Its appointment of Nagendra Nath Tripathi, an RSS ideologue, as national organiser for senior workers’ outreach is the most revealing signal. Tripathi previously served as BJP’s zonal general secretary for Bihar and Jharkhand and is considered an expert in grassroots-level organisation. Deploying him specifically for senior workers’ outreach, a category in which Brahmin party workers are prominently represented, is a clear message that the BJP intends to actively retain rather than passively assume the loyalty of its most historically reliable upper-caste constituency. Newly appointed UP in-charge Vinod Tawde has also specifically targeted the PDA strategy in his early public interventions, signalling that the BJP has decided to contest Akhilesh’s social coalition framing rather than ignore it. The BJP’s structural advantage in this contest is considerable. It has 89 percent Brahmin votes to protect rather than 6 percent to build from. Even if Brahmin discontent is real, translating it into votes for the SP
Cong will continue to fight for dignity of Dalits: Ganesh Godiyal
Dehradun, The political controversy over the alleged ‘purification’ of the Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani following Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally on 8 August further escalated today with hundreds of Congress leaders and workers marching towards the Chief Minister’s residence in Dehradun despite heavy rain. The protesters were stopped by the police near Hathibarkala, where barricades had been erected to prevent them from proceeding further. Tension prevailed for some time as Congress leaders and workers attempted to cross the barricades, resulting in pushing and shoving between the protesters and the police personnel. Some Congress leaders and workers were later taken into custody by the police. The protest, organised by the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee, was led by state president Ganesh Godiyal and saw the participation of party state in-charge Kumari Selja, Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya, former minister Harak Singh Rawat, former state Congress president Pritam Singh and several Congress MLAs and senior leaders. The protesters assembled at Parade Ground, where senior leaders addressed the gathering before the march towards the Chief Minister’s residence began. The Congress has stepped up its agitation over the alleged purification ritual performed at the Haldwani venue after Kharge addressed a public meeting there. The party has described the incident as an insult to its national president and an affront to democratic values and the dignity of the Opposition. Congress leaders have also objected to the alleged failure of the authorities to register FIRs on complaints submitted at various police stations against those responsible for the ritual, while an FIR has been registered against Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in connection with his remarks on the controversy. Addressing party workers, Godiyal said the Congress would continue its democratic agitation until action was taken against those responsible for the incident. He said the party was demanding accountability and would continue to raise the voice of the people and its workers before the State Government. Godiyal added that the party will continue to fight for the dignity of the Dalits and for the justice. Kumari Selja accused the BJP government in Uttarakhand of betraying the sentiments and trust of the people of the State. She alleged that the venue of a rally addressed by the Congress national president was subjected to ‘purification’ by people associated with the BJP after the programme. She alleged that the BJP is resorting to every possible tactic in view of the forthcoming elections and said the Congress would not remain silent on issues involving social discrimination and the dignity of its leaders. The Congress has also linked the controversy with the FIR registered against Rahul Gandhi and has alleged that the authorities are adopting a discriminatory approach by failing to act on complaints against those who conducted the alleged purification ritual while taking action against the Leader of the Opposition. It may be recalled that the protest had been planned as a major show of strength by the State Congress. The party workers from different districts reached Dehradun for the programme despite heavy rain at the time of the march. The large gathering also affected traffic movement in several parts of the city, with police and district administration making extensive security arrangements along the proposed route to the CM’s residence. The rally also threw the traffic arrangements across the city into disarray. Traffic jams were witnessed almost at all important roads in the city. The Police were unable to manage the traffic. As the protesters moved towards Hathibarkala, police stopped them at the barricading. Congress workers raised slogans against the State Government and demanded action against those responsible for the Haldwani incident. Several protesters climbed onto the barricades during the confrontation before being pushed back by the police. The situation remained tense for some time but did not escalate into major violence. As the Congress has turned the incident into a Dalit issue, the controversy has now widened far beyond Uttarakhand. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has raised the issue at the national level, while the party has been seeking action against those involved in the alleged purification ceremony. Congress leaders have argued that the incident carries implications beyond party politics and relates to the larger question of caste discrimination and social equality. The BJP, on the other hand, has rejected the Congress’ interpretation of the incident and has accused the Opposition of attempting to disturb social harmony for political purposes. The party had announced ‘Samajik Sauhard Sankalp Dharna’ programmes at its organisational district headquarters across Uttarakhand on Monday to counter the Congress campaign. A Zero FIR was registered in Bengaluru against BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt despite Bhatt and the BJP distancing from the purification event. Bhatt has maintained that the ritual was related to a havan after garbage had allegedly been left at the venue but the BJP had no connection to the purification exercise. The Congress protest in Dehradun also saw several prominent personalities joining the party in the presence of Kumari Selja and other senior leaders. Those who joined the Congress included former Roorkee mayor Yashpal Rana, former Yamkeshwar block chief Bhuvanesh Kharkwal, former principal and former chairman of the Haridwar Cane Committee Manoj Saini, former minister of state rank Ram Kumar Walia, former Dehradun Mandi Samiti chairman Ravindra Anand, advocate Sachin Kumar and others. By ARUN PRATAP SINGH Courtesy : Garhwal Post Note: This news is originally published on https:/garhwalpost.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights