TN CM Vijay hosts Rahul Gandhi at his house, discusses alliance over lunch
Sources said the two leaders discussed the current political situation and the alliance’s future plans for an hour. CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay hosted Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at his residence in Neelankarai on Saturday. This was their first meeting since the TVK-led Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance was formed in Tamil Nadu. Rahul, who arrived at the Chennai airport from Delhi in the afternoon, went to Vijay’s residence, where the chief minister greeted him with an embrace and hosted a lunch for him. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Ghulam Ahmad Mir, and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore accompanied Rahul during his meeting with Vijay. Sources said the two leaders discussed the current political situation and the alliance’s future plans for an hour. After the meeting, Vijay and Rahul left in the same car and stopped at 7Padel Cafe, owned by cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in Palavakkam. Rahul and Vijay were flanked by Manickam Tagore, Ghulam Ahmad Mir and Congress Assembly floor leader Tharahai Cuthbert at the cafe. Rahul then headed to Island Grounds for the ‘Voice of Students’ student interaction programme. The Rahul-Vijay meeting, coming ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Chennai on Sunday, gained significance as TVK MLAs and state Congress leaders had been engaging in a battle of words over the prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. While a section of the TVK MLAs has called Vijay a PM candidate, Congress leaders have maintained that Rahul remains the undisputed choice of all the party’s allies, including the TVK. Saturday’s meeting appears to have helped clear the air for leaders and cadres of both parties amid questions from other political parties in the state over the TVK’s stance on the special intensive revision (SIR). 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
CJI Surya Kant refuses to meet Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi
The CJI, however, has not expressed any opinion on the Congress leaders’ proposed march to the Supreme Court on Monday, as mentioned in the letter addressed to him, they said. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi during a meeting in Ahmedabad. AICC via PTI/file Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday turned down a request from Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for a meeting on Monday to discuss issues relating to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Sources said the CJI has formally responded to a letter written to him by the Leader of Opposition, underlining that such a meeting would be inappropriate as the issues sought to be raised with him were pending before the Supreme Court for adjudication. The CJI is understood to have stated that under the constitutional scheme, the Supreme Court cannot interfere with the functioning of the Government on its administrative side. The Congress leaders have been asked to approach the top court on the judicial side for protection of fundamental rights, sources said. Any petition filed by the Congress leaders can also be heard along with already pending matters, they added. The CJI, however, has not expressed any opinion on the Congress leaders’ proposed march to the Supreme Court on Monday, as mentioned in the letter addressed to him, they said. A Bench led by CJI Kant had on May 27 upheld the validity of SIR exercise. Article_Author Satya Prakash Courtesy : The Tribune Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetribune.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Owaisi urges ‘Muslims voters’ to build own leadership, takes aim at SP and Congress
Asaduddin Owaisi, the India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief, on Sunday widened his party’s political outreach in Azamgarh in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, where he called for “greater political independence among minority communities”. Targeting both, the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and his ally the Congress, Owaisi urged voters from the minority communities, to move beyond traditional political loyalties. During his address, the AIMIM chief spoke about Muslim political representation, the legacy of national leaders and the law governing the appointment of election commissioners. He argued that minority communities should build their own political strength instead of relying on figures associated with traditional parties. “We no longer need a Gandhi or a Nehru; we need our own leaders… No one speaks about our suffering. Yet today, the police detain someone and order them not to stage a protest for a year… I see people from within our own ranks saying, ‘Oh Muslims! Support them; the likes of Nehru and Gandhi will emerge from among them’… That is the difference between them and Owaisi. They say, ‘Support them’. I say, ‘You become the leader’. We are not slaves to anyone; we will not simply run after someone just because they claim to be the next Nehru or Gandhi… We no longer need a Gandhi or a Nehru; we need our own leaders,” he said. Since Independence, minority voters have frequently backed the Congress and regional parties such as the SP, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Owaisi argued that such electoral support had not resulted in proportionate representation in positions of power. Owaisi takes swipe at Congress Taking a potshot at the opposition, Owaisi referred to the historical relationship between Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. He used the episode to question whether established parties genuinely empower minority leaders or primarily seek their communities’ electoral support. “Nehru wrote that if we removed the Maulana [Abul Kalam Azad], it would cause damage. So, it became evident that only the Muslim vote was desired. Gandhi was saying, ‘Do not appoint Azad; appoint some other Muslim instead’… What Gandhi had suggested back then is exactly what Akhilesh has put into practice today…” he said. Owaisi presented these developments as an example of what he described as the tokenisation of minority representation by mainstream political parties. He linked his criticism to Akhilesh Yadav’s distribution of election tickets, alleging that the SP had failed to encourage genuinely independent Muslim leadership. Targets Yogi’s ’80:20′ political narrative Earlier in the day, Owaisi also criticised Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s frequently cited “80% versus 20%” political formulation, arguing that economic inequality deserved greater attention. Countering the chief minister’s framing, the AIMIM leader described the divide as one between “99% and 1%”, shifting the focus towards disparities between the economically disadvantaged majority and a small, affluent section. Citing data from the Uttar Pradesh department of economics and statistics for 2024–25, Owaisi said Azamgarh ranked fourth among districts in the state in terms of the number of people living in poverty. “The state’s department of economics and Statistics acknowledges that Azamgarh ranks fourth among the districts in Uttar Pradesh with the highest number of poor people. This is what the UP government’s data for 2024–25 reveals, yet the chief minister speaks of an 80% vs. 20% divide,” the AIMIM chief said. 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
BJP’s rural push ahead of 2027 polls to focus on Dalits, marginalised sections
Lucknow: BJP has decided to ramp up its organisational and electoral groundwork across rural constituencies of the state, signalling an aggressive strategy to take the poll battle to the village level in the run-up to the assembly elections. The party has given a call for “Gramodaya se UP Vijay” (winning UP by winning villages) to sharpen its focus on rural areas by scaling up campaigns to boost public outreach besides taking schemes of Narendra Modi govt at the Centre and Yogi Adityanath govt in UP to the grassroots. The strategy — learnt to be drafted jointly by BJP central leadership and RSS — figured prominently during the recent review meeting of the party’s national general secretary and UP in charge Vinod Tawde, who has been camping in different regions of the state to intensify the groundwork. A senior UP BJP functionary said that special focus would be laid on reaching out to the marginalised sections of the society, essentially Dalits and other socially oppressed classes. Sources said that BJP is focusing on rural areas to make deeper inroads into regions where the opposition holds sway. The move also assumes significance for BJP, which has historically drawn much of its support from urban voters but has steadily broadened its appeal across rural Uttar Pradesh since 2017, eroding the traditional strongholds of regional parties such as SP and BSP. According to past surveys by various agencies, including Lokniti-Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), of the 403 assembly seats in UP, as many as 308 are predominantly rural. Of the rest, 60 are semi-urban while 35 seats are urban. Sources said that as part of the strategy, senior party functionaries would be tasked to reach the rural areas and establish a dialogue with the socially and economically poor sections and those who have benefitted from any of the schemes rolled out by BJP govts. RSS cadre will assist BJP in the ambitious drive that aims to take feedback from the beneficiaries and the deprived section before taking corrective measures. The campaign, a senior UP BJP functionary said, would be executed through a coordinated effort of the organisational leadership, MPs, MLAs and the local leadership. Former state functionaries will also be asked to give their feedback to boost the campaign and address any possible disenchantment within the larger organisational apparatus. Sources said that BJP aims to build a bridge between govt, the organisation and the public so that the grievances and feedback of the people could reach the organisation. 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
Modi silencing dissent, but spirit of democracy can’t be crushed: Rahul Gandhi
As New Delhi witnessed a complete clamp down by security personnel against the protests called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of silencing dissent. He said the internet was shut down in the national capital and students were beaten up during protests, however, the Prime Minister does not understand that the game is over. “They are silencing voices as you saw in Delhi. The entire city was shutdown, internet was shutdown. Police was beating students. BJP released their own ‘goondas’ who were beating and thrashing students,” Rahul said while addressing students at the party’s outreach programme ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ in Chennai. Addressing thousands of students from across the city, Rahul, who had earlier held a meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, slammed Modi over the alleged police action on student protesters. “Modi is destroying India’s democracy. Centre is killing curiosity. But he doesn’t understand that the game is over. The Opposition has surrounded Modi and Shah and their coterie. Mogambo Modi is destroying democracy in India, but I assure you that nobody is going to crush the spirit of this country however powerful or resourceful he might be,” Rahul said amid applause from the young crowd. “Modi has been compromised by financial forces and global forces. He is fighting for his survival. The mood in India is catching up with him. Students have nothing to fear as we assure them that the entire coterie of Modi will pay for its deeds,” the LoP added. “I guarantee you this. Stand up against injustice. Never stop asking questions,” he urged the students. The Congress leader’s remarks came as protests rocked Delhi over demands for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He linked the importance of dissent and questioning to the role of students in a democracy, arguing that curiosity was essential for progress and innovation. Article_Author Animesh Singh Courtesy : The Tribune Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetribune.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Chalo Delhi’: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy tells Congress leaders
The chief minister has called upon all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, MLAs, MLCs, and key Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) leaders to attend the protest programme in Delhi. HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has asked key Congress leaders from Telangana to reach Delhi on October 12 and participate in a protest to be organised by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). The chief minister has called upon all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs), corporation chairpersons, District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents, and key Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) leaders to attend the protest programme in Delhi. Earlier, Delhi Police stopped Revanth as he was on his way to express solidarity with Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/tthenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul Gandhi: ‘My message to students: you have nothing to fear. We are standing with you’
NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: The opposition came out strongly to condemn the action against protesters with the leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi launching a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that “Mogambo Modi” is destroying India’s democracy. “There is no force in this world that is going to stop Modi from facing justice. I guarantee you!, “ Gandhi said. “My message to all the students: you have nothing to fear. We are with you, and we are going to make sure that Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Mohan Bhagwat, Ajit Doval and this group of conspirators who have destroyed Indian democracy and are using Gyanesh Kumar to steal elections are brought to justice,” Gandhi said without naming the Cockroach Janta Party before a packed Island Ground venue at the sixth edition of his youth outreach programme, ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ in Chennai. “As you saw today in New Delhi, the entire city was shut down, the internet was shut down, police were beating students, and the BJP unleashed its own goondas to thrash students,” Gandhi said. “Mogambo Modi” is destroying India’s democracy, he added, likening the prime minister to the dreaded villain from the Bollywood hit ‘Mr. India’ played by the late actor Amrish Puri. At this point the screen behind him played a scene from the 1987 movie with Modi’s face superimposed on Amrish Puri. “Mr Modi doesn’t understand that the game is over,” he added. “I want to tell all the students in Delhi, do not worry. Stand up for everything you believe in and never stop asking questions,” Gandhi said asserting “we are standing with you.” “Mr. Modi, do whatever you want. Call out all the police: 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, whatever you want,” Gandhi challenged in a post on X. “We are going to ensure that this regime and the people who have attacked our Constitution are defeated,” he added. Meanwhile, as part of the ongoing agitation of the opposition the INDIA MPs, leaders, workers and all concerned citizens will be holding a massive protest march against “Gyanesh & Co” Congress general secretary organisation KC Venugopal said. “A delegation of our senior leaders will submit a memorandum to the Hon’ble CJI for his intervention in this crisis, he added. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, leaders Jairam Ramesh, K C Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too came out strongly against the police action and the attempts by the authorities to prevent people from protesting. The day also saw many senior Left party leaders including former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and TMC chairperson and former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee detained as they tried to join the protests. Mamata Banerjee said that the situation in Delhi had gone “beyond Emergency; it has become Super Emergency ,” after she was detained along with party leaders outside the TMC Delhi office located at 61, South Avenue. She held an impromptu dharna at the Dwarka police station where she was detained with five other TMC MPs. CPM, CPI and CPML Liberation top leaders MA Baby, D Raja and Dipankar Bhattacharya strongly condemned the “widespread repression” unleashed by the Delhi Police on peaceful protesters. Other INIDA allies including Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Aditya Thackeray and NCP (SP)’s Supriya Sule also came forward to condemn the attempt to stop protests, restrictions and the detentions. 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
CJP protest: Airfares soar as train services hit; slight rise in last-minute bookings
NEW DELHI: The unprecedented clampdown in Delhi in the wake of CJP protest, including cancellation of several trains to the city, saw a “slight increase” in last-minute bookings on flights to and from Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) for this weekend. Airfares on some routes saw a surge, too.Travel industry insiders said the shift could become more pronounced if the agitation and the restrictions on movement continue longer as the festive season begins Monday with Navratri. “There has been a slight increase in bookings on Delhi flights for this weekend. It is too early to say anything for sure in terms of train and bus passengers moving to air as the weekend flights in the pre-festive season were pretty full and the fares were anyway high,” said an airline official. A senior official of a leading online travel agency (OTA) said: “Till Friday night, we didn’t see a major spike in spot fares from Lucknow, Prayagraj and other parts of UP. Only spot fares on Varanasi-Delhi route for Saturday were higher by 15% over a month back. So far, there is no substantial increase in flight demand.” OTA sites showed Varanasi-Delhi one-way fares starting at Rs 6,200 and going up to Rs 14,000 Saturday – higher than usual. The big worry for airlines and Delhi airport is passengers, crew members and other staff being able to reach IGIA in time due to the feared large-scale disruption of metro service and impacted traffic movement. If the protest continues for a longer duration and pushes up demand for air travel, then airfares – which are anyway higher due to spiralling operating costs from higher jet fuel prices and a crashing rupee – will soar further, according to travel industry stakeholders. Airfares from Amritsar surged sharply Friday, with some flights touching Rs 8,000 against the usual one-way fare of around Rs 4,000. Fares for the Saturday flight from Ludhiana saw fluctuations throughout the day, soaring as high as Rs 12,987 before falling to Rs 4,301 at 8 pm. “Those with onward travel plans, especially international flights, have limited choices and are having to buy expensive tickets to avoid further cancellations or missing their connections,” said Dalip, a travel agent in Amritsar. There was no big change in flight and cab fares from Chandigarh to Delhi till Friday evening. 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
Congress stays away, Left & AAP to join CJP stir against CEC
NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janta Party’s invitation to all opposition parties to join its Oct 10 demonstration against EC’s functioning under CEC Gyanesh Kumar saw only the Left, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool and AAP openly backing its agitation. While the Left and AAP have announced their participation, it was not clear till Friday night whether Mamata’s party would be part of the CJP protest. Before she reached Delhi, Mamata had told reporters that she may join the Oct 10 protest at Jantar Mantar, but added that nothing could be confirmed as yet. “We have maintained a relationship with them (CJP) and have extended our support, while any further decision regarding our participation will be taken later,” she had said. The Left, Mamata TMC and AAP had earlier backed and participated in the CJP-led student agitation over the NEET-UG paper leak issue, which led to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as education minister. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal will be joining with his family. Amid all this, Congress is keeping its distance from the CJP protest, with Rahul Gandhi to be in Chennai for the next edition of ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ Saturday. “I appeal to everyone in the country to reach Jantar Mantar in the largest possible numbers. This is not about any one individual or political party; this is about the country. The protest at Jantar Mantar begins Saturday. I will be there, and my entire family will join me. Everyone should come there,” Kejriwal said. On Friday, CPM general secretary MA Baby went all out to file a petition in Supreme Court challenging the restrictions imposed ahead of Saturday’s protest, while TMC national spokesperson Saket Gokhale wrote to acting Chief Justice of Delhi HC seeking suo motu cognisance of cancellation of railway services and closure of metro stations. Sharing the letter on X, Gokhale extended “full support” to CJP and “every citizen demanding free and fair elections”. TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien also put out a post strongly supporting CJP. Left parties CPM, CPI, CPI(ML)L, RSP and All India Forward Bloc issued a joint statement asserting that the right to assemble and protest is a fundamental right. “We have been in the protest all these days. That will continue tomorrow too,” Baby told TOI emphasising that the Left will be present in full force at the protest. 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
Rashtriya Janshakti Samaj Party threatens hunger strike: One-day sit-in in Ayodhya, demands action in cases of Dalit victims
The Rashtriya Janshakti Samaj Party (Uttar Pradesh) held a day-long sit-in at Tikonia Park in Ayodhya on October 9, 2026. Led by State Vice President Anil Kumar Rawat, a memorandum addressed to the Governor was submitted to the District Magistrate, Ayodhya. The memorandum demanded legal action in pending cases of Dalit victims. The party warned that if the demands are not met by October 14, 2026, its workers will begin an indefinite sit-in, fast-unto-death, and hunger strike from October 15. The party’s main demands: A case be registered for the Dalit victim, Meenawati (Anil Rawat’s wife), in the September 27, 2026 incident. A charge sheet be filed and the accused arrested in Kotwali Nagar FIR No. 702/2025. A high-ranking officer should investigate FIR No. 391/2026 against the Bikapur SDM Peshkar, and the victim’s family should be provided with protection. The accused named in FIR No. 424/2025, dated December 2025, including Ashish, Shivakant, Vindu, and Shrikant, should be arrested. The false FIR No. 425/2025 filed against Anil Kumar Rawat and others should be withdrawn. Prabhakar Nath Chaurasia | Civil Lines (Atal Nagar), Ayodhya Courtesy: Hindi News