Congress and the Politics of Purification: Rahul Gandhi Is Making a Long-Term Electoral Move Against Mallikarjun Kharge’s ‘Dalit’ Pawn
The Congress party is working tirelessly to capitalize on the Haldwani purification controversy in Uttarakhand. The Congress party sees the primary focus of this issue as the Chief Minister’s seat in Punjab, a position it could hold until 2029. New Delhi: The political underpinnings of the Haldwani incident in Uttarakhand, after a long hibernation, are becoming clear. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge dropped the alleged ‘purification’ bombshell in Parliament on the final day of the monsoon session. However, Rahul Gandhi hesitated in responding. Now, it appears the party has a strategy in place. On the last day of the monsoon session, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, alleged that after his rally in Haldwani, the venue was allegedly “purified” because he is a Dalit. A week later, Rahul Gandhi raised the issue in a press conference, for which elaborate preparations had been made. Now, with an FIR filed against Rahul Gandhi in this case, the Congress has made it a major part of its political campaign. Congress’s Last Hope in the Punjab Elections If we try to understand the politics behind this late raising of the issue by the Congress, it seems that it sees it as a straw to hold on to in the Punjab Assembly elections. This is because the Dalit or Scheduled Caste population in Punjab is approximately 32 percent. Speculation of a BJP-Akali alliance increases tension Some political pundits, long supporters of the Congress, saw the party as having considerable potential against the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. Because, apart from urban areas, the BJP has not been able to achieve much in rural areas. However, in the last few weeks, speculation about an electoral rift between the top leadership of the BJP and the Akali Dal has suddenly intensified. These speculations are pulling the rug from under the feet of Congress strategists. The Dalit CM card failed in 2022. In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, a large portion of the Dalit vote bank went to the Aam Aadmi Party. Its unexpected victory speaks for itself. A few months before the elections, after turning its back on Captain Amarinder Singh, the Congress tried Charanjit Singh Channi, but he proved to be a counterproductive for the party. It could not attract enough Dalit votes to Congress to put a brake on AAP. Hoping to capitalize on the ‘Constitution in Danger’ idea Charanjit Singh Channi is already said to be disgruntled in the internal politics of the state Congress. In such a situation, Congress believes that slogans like “Dalits are in danger” can keep its hopes of returning to power alive, even despite a possible BJP-Akali Dal alliance. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress and its allies have already tasted the “Constitution is in danger” election slogan. Congress confident of repeating 2024 in UP The “Constitution is in danger” narrative worked most favorably for the India Bloc in Uttar Pradesh. Even Samajwadi Party supporters were surprised to see a large number of Jatavs abandoning the elephant and opting for the paw and cycle. Congress sees the same hope in the “Dalits are in danger” slogan. Assembly elections are also being held in UP along with Punjab, where approximately 20 percent of the population is Dalit. Challenge from BSP, ASP, and BJP However, with the BSP and Chandrashekhar Azad’s Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), it will not be easy for the Congress and SP to break into the Dalit vote bank in UP in the assembly elections. Furthermore, the BJP has also maintained a strong hold among this community through its governments’ welfare schemes, especially among non-Jatav Dalits. However, the Congress is hopeful that the “Dalits are in danger” slogan, like the “Constitution in danger,” could also work in UP this time. Congress hopes for a slogan for 2029 If leaders like Rahul Gandhi are truly thinking ahead, they may also consider this narrative for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The Scheduled Caste population across the country is approximately 16 percent, and the Congress believes that if this strategy works, it could prevent the BJP from achieving an absolute majority in 2024, and this time it could even come close to power. Authored by: Anjan Kumar About the Author Anjan Kumar is an Assistant Editor at Navbharat Times Online and has been a journalist for over 24 years. He joined Navbharat Times Online in April 2025 and has covered politics in digital media for the past 10 years. Courtesy: Hindi News
Karnataka: BJP’s Vijayendra, Ashoka accuse Congress govt of failing farmers, Dalits
Raichur (Karnataka), State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress government in Karnataka, accusing it of corruption, failing farmers and Dalits, and mishandling recruitment and welfare schemes. Speaking at the launch of the BJP’s Ballari Chalo padayatra in Lingasugur, Vijayendra alleged that the government led by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was a “government of the corrupt, by the corrupt and for the corrupt” and asserted that the BJP’s agitation would continue until the government was removed from power. Vijayendra said the BJP would not withdraw its agitation merely because former Minister B. Nagendra had resigned in connection with the alleged Rs 187 crore Valmiki Corporation scam. “We will continue our fight until the entire money is returned to the Valmiki Corporation, SCP/TSP funds are restored for the welfare of Dalits, justice is delivered to victims of atrocities, and justice is ensured to farmers,” he said. Questioning Shivakumar’s remarks on why the BJP was continuing the padayatra after Nagendra’s resignation, Vijayendra alleged that the Congress government was anti-poor, anti-Dalit, anti-youth and anti-women. He also accused the government of using “drama” and shedding “crocodile tears” over Dalit welfare while allegedly diverting funds meant for their development. Vijayendra said Nagendra’s resignation was the “first victory” of the BJP’s agitation and questioned why he was re-inducted into the Cabinet despite having earlier resigned following allegations linked to the Valmiki Corporation. Ashoka also said the BJP’s struggle would not end with Nagendra’s resignation and claimed that more ministers would have to quit because of the party’s protests. “BJP’s struggle will not stop merely because B. Nagendra has resigned. We are fighting on issues including drought, the KPSC scam and Bidadi Township. Because of our agitation, more ministers will have to resign,” Ashoka said. He alleged that drought conditions prevailed in 175 taluks but the government had declared drought in only 101 taluks. He demanded that all 175 taluks be declared drought-affected and sought Rs 50,000 per acre as relief for farmers. Ashoka alleged that farmers growing sunflower, jowar and tur had suffered heavy losses and claimed that the government had not provided relief despite the worsening situation. He also alleged that villagers were facing difficulties in accessing drinking water. Turning to the Valmiki Corporation case, Ashoka alleged that Rs 187 crore meant for Dalits had been diverted and claimed that the money was used during the Telangana and Ballari elections. He said Nagendra was only a “scapegoat” and demanded accountability from the wider Congress leadership. On the alleged KPSC recruitment scam, Ashoka claimed that posts were being “sold” for large sums and alleged that rates had been fixed for various government positions. He said the BJP would raise the issue in the next Assembly session and demanded that everyone involved in the alleged irregularities be arrested and punished. Ashoka also alleged that Minister Priyank Kharge’s name had surfaced in connection with exam irregularities and claimed that another minister’s resignation was imminent. He said the BJP would continue its agitation over pending pensions, ration card cancellations, alleged garbage tender irregularities, the tunnel road project and Bidadi Township, among other issues. Ashoka further demanded the resignation of Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy over his recent remarks praising Islam. He urged Shivakumar to remove Rayareddy from the Cabinet, alleging that the minister had insulted Hinduism. The Ballari Chalo padayatra was attended by several BJP leaders, including Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, former Chief Ministers B.S. Yediyurappa, Jagadish Shettar and Basavaraj Bommai, former minister B. Sriramulu, BJP leaders and legislators, and a large number of party workers. Courtesy : Social News XYZ Note: This news is originally published on https:/socialnewsxyz.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul Gandhi: How did Maharashtra’s draft SIR list drop 2 crore voters, but add 39 lakh in 2024?
Mumbai: The Opposition lashed out at the exclusion of 2 crore votes in the draft SIR list in Maharashtra, with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi alleging this meant the 39 lakh voters added before the assembly polls in 2024 was vote theft. “Maharashtra 2024 – Suddenly 3.9 million voters were added between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. I said it then and I say it today. This was vote-theft,” he said on X. “And now in Maharashtra, 2.07 crore voters have been removed from the draft list – that’s every fifth voter. Which list was correct?,” he stated. “The BJP and the ‘Vote Theft Commission’ keep changing their tactics and they will continue to do so – the goal remains just one: BJP’s victory at any cost, and the end of India’s democracy.” Congress MP Pawan Khera added on X, “Either the electoral rolls for the 2024 Maharashtra assembly election were flawless – in which case the SIR has led to wrongful deletions. Or those rolls were questionable – in which case Fadnavis is heading an illegitimate government.” “But either way, one conclusion is inescapable. The integrity of India’s election has been compromised. And Gyanesh Gupta is the culprit.” NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar said on X, “There is a Damocles sword hanging on those with unmapped and anomalies statuses as well. In Maharashtra a large number of eligible citizen’s names have been excluded. We suspect that a significant number of duplicate voters have been included in this list published after the SIR process.” Anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania tweeted, “Every fifth voter in the state has been tossed out of the list. This has happened most severely in Pune, Thane and the Mumbai suburbs – places where the population of labourers, migrants and slumdwellers. This does not seem like a coincidence.” Damania said the sudden disappearance of 2 crore voter’s names from the list is “not merely an administrative blunder; it is a massive assault on democracy”. She demanded an independent inquiry and an extension of the period to file objections. 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
‘Political vendetta’: TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee cries foul after police grilling over scuffle case
NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party-led West Bengal government was pursuing “political vendetta” against his party after he was questioned for nearly six hours by Kolkata Police over the removal of an unauthorised billboard.The Trinamool Congress MP from Diamond Harbour said that the Suvendu Adhikari-led government was selectively targeting TMC by removing its signboards, freezing party accounts and initiating cases against its leaders and workers. “If they think they can silence us through false cases and arrests, they are mistaken,” Abhishek Banerjee told reporters as he walked out of Shakespeare Sarani police station after questioning. “They can question me but I am not scared, they are,” he said, adding that the police action was a bid to weaken TMC. The TMC leader also alleged that several party workers arrested in connection with the incident were subjected to “custodial torture”. “One of our workers, Tarik, was arrested and subjected to custodial torture. He secured bail yesterday, but 12 or 13 others remain in judicial custody,” he alleged. This comes days after a confrontation broke out when Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials, accompanied by police, entered the office premises to dismantle the billboard mounted on an iron structure facing the road. Private security guards, party supporters and some TMC leaders resisted the move, leading to a scuffle with police and civic officials. Police subsequently registered three FIRs and arrested several people. Abhishek, who has been named as an accused in two of the cases, was served a notice to appear before the police and arrived at the station around 12.15 pm, as TMC supporters gathered outside and raised slogans alleging that he was being targeted by the state government. The cases include sections pertaining to obstruction of government officials in the discharge of their duties, unlawful assembly, assault and harassment of women police personnel. 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
Cong fields 30 candidates under 30 for Jaipur civic polls
Jaipur: Congress is banking on younger faces in the Jaipur municipal polls, with 30 candidates below the age of 30 and 110 below 50 years. This takes the average age of its nominees to around 37, according to Jaipur in charge Rohit Bohra. The youngest candidate is Suman Bhati, aged 22, contesting from Ward 72. Bhati, from Jhalana slums, runs a laundry business. She said her own experience had shaped her priorities. “I‘m from an underprivileged area and have seen what situations women face in slums. If elected, I want to work on skill training, drug de-addiction camps and better policing. I also want CCTV cameras in my locality and regular patrolling by women police personnel,” she said. Breaking caste barriers is another issue on her agenda. For 23-year-old graduate Harshit Jain from Ward 46, transparency and accountability would be priorities. He wants a technology-based grievance-redressal system through which complaints can be categorised and routed to the departments concerned for resolution. Jain said he admires Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and followed Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ initiative. Both young candidates acknowledged their limited experience but said they are willing to learn. Jaipur in charge Rohit Bohra said the party had deliberately increased its focus on younger candidates. “Around 20% of our candidates are from Gen Z. Among all 309 urban local bodies going to polls, Jaipur has the highest number of Gen Z candidates,” he said. The party’s Jaipur district president Sunit Sharma could not be contacted for comment. 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
Kharge event row: Cong protests FIR against Rahul, alleges vendetta
Varanasi: Scores of Congress leaders and functionaries took out a protest march on Tuesday demanding immediate cancellation of the FIR lodged against party MP Rahul Gandhi in Haldwani district of Uttarakhand, alleging political vendetta by the BJP govt. Led by party district chief Rajeshwar Patel and city unit president Raghvendra Chaubey, the protest march began from Bageshwari Devi temple near Jaitpura police station and headed towards the Gandhi statue at Town Hall, Maidagin. Police stopped the march at Ausanganj crossing and accepted a memorandum addressed to the governor. Chaubey accused the BJP govt of double standards, alleging that no action had been taken even 20 days after the alleged insult of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the reported “purification” of a rally venue. Congress said its struggle would continue until the FIR is withdrawn and issues of justice are addressed. Congress functionaries said Rahul speaks for Dalits, backward classes, tribals, the poor and other deprived sections and is being targeted for raising issues of social justice, democracy and constitutional rights. A case was registered against Rahul at Kotwali police station on Sunday night. The FIR — lodged under BNS sections 196 and 299, along with section 3(1)(q) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 — followed a complaint by Amit Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar Colony in Haldwani and member of Shriram Sena Dharmarth Seva Samiti. Kumar, who belongs to the SC community, alleged that Gandhi gave a caste angle to routine cleaning work carried out at Ramlila Maidan on Aug 11, characterising the clean-up as an act of untouchability and a criminal offence during a news conference in Delhi. 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
SC/ST welfare minister sees Dalit politics behind Manjhi-Chirag row
Patna: BJP neta and SC/ST welfare minister Lakhendra Kumar Raushan on Monday said the war of words between Union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan over the demand for a review of the SC/ST reservation system was largely aimed at establishing themselves as the principal political figures of the Dalit community in Bihar. Raushan said both Manjhi’s HAM(S) and Chirag’s LJP(RV) were part of the NDA at the Centre and in Bihar, questioning why the issue had become a source of confrontation between them. With the Supreme Court allowing sub-categorisation within Scheduled Castes and empirical data available in Bihar to identify relatively more deprived communities, Raushan said the issue should be approached sensitively and without political posturing. “Both Manjhi and Chirag are senior NDA netas. They should first honestly start giving opportunities to other people from their respective communities to contest elections from SC-reserved constituencies,” Raushan told this newspaper. He questioned how many people outside their families had been helped by the two to advance politically. Raushan, who belongs to the Paswan community, said reservation was a constitutional right and should not be treated as charity. He said as long as Narendra Modi remained Prime Minister, nobody could tamper with reservation or alter its basic framework. The minister said a war of words would not resolve the issue and termed demands for ministers’ resignations over the controversy futile. RJD state president Mangani Lal Mandal said there was nothing wrong with reviewing reservation arrangements, arguing a review did not mean its abolition. Senior BJP functionary and revenue and land reforms minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal took a cautious stand, saying both Manjhi and Chirag were right from their respective perspectives. Former CM Nitish Kumar had created the Mahadalit category in 2007, covering 18 of Bihar’s 22 Dalit castes, to identify communities facing greater deprivation. Manjhi has sought sub-categorisation for greater benefits to the Musahar community, while Chirag fears such a move could affect the Paswan community’s political position within the larger Dalit constituency. 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
PSC ‘scam’ case: ED raids multiple locations in Chhattisgarh, including ex-CM Baghel’s PA
RAIPUR: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday conducted searches at multiple locations in Chhattisgarh, including at the premises of a personal assistant of former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel. The searches are part of a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities at the state Public Service Commission, officials told news agency PTI. Officials said a total of seven locations are being raided as part of the investigation launched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The probe relates to alleged irregularities in the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC). The premises being searched include those of K K Chandrakar, former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel’s personal assistant, officials said. Further details are awaited. 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
Telangana BJP chief N Ramchander Rao house-arrested ahead of Nalgonda visit
HYDERABAD: A political row erupted in Telangana on Tuesday after BJP state president N Ramchander Rao was placed under house arrest, with the party alleging that he was stopped from travelling to Nalgonda following an attack on the residence of district BJP president Nagam Varshit Reddy. Rao was scheduled to meet Reddy and his family after the latter’s residence was reportedly vandalised and his family members, including his mother, were allegedly assaulted by Congress workers on Monday evening, the state BJP said. In a post on X, Telangana BJP accused the Congress government of failing to take strict action against those responsible for the alleged attack and instead preventing Rao from visiting the affected family. The party said Rao had planned to travel to Nalgonda to meet Reddy and express solidarity with his family. It alleged that placing the state BJP chief under house arrest was an attempt to stop him from visiting the district. The development comes days after Rao hit out at Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on a ‘Shuddhikaran’ (purification) ritual following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s visit to Uttarakhand. Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Rao accused Gandhi of indulging in “cheap politics” and misinterpreting the ritual, claiming that members of the Dalit community had also taken part in it. Rao alleged that Gandhi was attempting to divide people on regional and caste lines and accused him of trying to create a divide between North and South India. “He wants to twist the facts and mislead the people,” Rao said, while alleging that Gandhi was also seeking to create divisions on caste lines in Uttar Pradesh. Rao also targeted Kharge, alleging that the Congress had opposed BR Ambedkar and defeated him in elections, besides claiming that the party did not confer the Bharat Ratna on him. 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
Vaiko backs Rahul as PM candidate; Tagore, Praveen Chakravarthy meet Vijay
Chennai: A day after Tamil Nadu tourism minister R Rajesh Kumar warned that Congress would pull its two ministers out of the state cabinet if TVK failed to accept Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha election, the ruling party chose not to respond publicly. Meanwhile, TNCC president Manickam Tagore and Congress MP Praveen Chakravarthy separately met chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday. TVK’s silence and the visit of Congress leaders signalled an effort by both sides to defuse the situation. Manickam Tagore said in an X post that not all surveys reflect public sentiment, a reference to the survey by a media house that said Vijay was third most popular PM candidate in the country next to PM Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. “Sometimes, numbers shown as voice of people are weapons intended to split people,’’ he said. Narrating a short story titled ‘a fox’s fake survey,’ Tagore said there are attempts to drive wedge between two friends through ‘fabricated numbers.’ Speaking at a public meeting in Kanyakumari on Sunday, Rajesh Kumar said Rahul Gandhi would be Congress’s prime ministerial candidate in 2029. He said the two Congress ministers in Tamil Nadu cabinet would quit if TVK refused to accept Rahul as PM candidate. The statement was a result of TVK ministers projecting Vijay as prospective PM candidate. On Monday, MDMK general secretary Vaiko joined the debate, backing Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate and urging Vijay to restrain TVK ministers. “Congress party leads INDIA bloc at the national level. Therefore, Rahul Gandhi is the only viable PM candidate from the alliance. There is simply no alternative,’’ he told reporters in Tirunelveli. Vaiko said Vijay would not have such aspirations and that it was the TVK ministers who were making remarks projecting Vijay as the PM candidate. “Ministers should not speak haphazardly about these matters. CM must direct the ministers to avoid such statements in the future,” said Vaiko. Meanwhile, Congress MLA Tharahai Cuthbert was allotted front row among leaders of opposition parties triggering speculation it was a fallout of Rajesh Kumar’s speech. However, Tagore clarified in a statement that it was a routine administrative exercise after her election as the party’s legislative leader. Speaker J C D Prabhakar also clarified that Cuthbert was allotted the seat because of her designation as floor leader. 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