Why Chirag Paswan is Blowing Hot and Cold on the Modi Government Since the Gen Z Protests
Understanding the politics of Chirag Paswan, Abhijeet Dipke and Chandrashekhar Azad in the context of the deep sense of disenchantment with the ruling regime among Dalit communities. Union minister of food processing industries Chirag Paswan’s vocal opposition to how the Narendra Modi government handled the October 10 protests against the revision of voter lists and election chief Gyanesh Kumar reflects the unease within his own social base regarding the current government. The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader, with five Members of Parliament and 19 legislators in Bihar and one in Jharkhand, knows that the leading light of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), Abhijeet Dipke, belongs to a Scheduled Caste and is from Maharashtra – the home turf of Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar. This can explain why Paswan has been blowing hot and cold ever since the CJP-led agitation began, and why his comments on the Modi government, though occasional, merit a closer look. After all the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) hardly ever speak up. There is a growing restlessness among the Dalits in large parts of India, especially Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab, where the socially and economically weakest sections have waged long and arduous struggles for their uplift. There is growing concern over rising unemployment among these sections, who are also struggling to keep pace with the rapid changes to workplaces brought by new technologies. The Generation-Z amongst the Dalits are finding it difficult to adjust to the frequent occupational shifts they are being forced to make. On the political front, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), with its primary base in Uttar Pradesh, appears to have lost all hope of returning to power, at least in the near future. In Punjab, the Dalits, though constituting about one-third of population, find themselves leaderless ever since the demise of Kanshi Ram, who revived the Scheduled Castes movement in the 1980s after the death of Dr Ambedkar. In Maharashtra, too, Dalit groups have splintered, disintegrated or have migrated away to support the BJP. After 2014, in Bihar too, Chirag Paswan’s father, the late Ram Vilas Paswan, and his uncle, Pashupati Kumar Paras, deemed it fit to toe the line of the saffron party for their own political survival. In Uttar Pradesh, Chandrashekar Azad is trying to fill the vacuum created by the weakening of the BSP. He floated the Azad Samaj Party and won the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Nagina. CJP’s arrival, Dipke’s rise But the sudden emergence of Abhijeet Dipke on the forefront of the nationwide youth agitation, which started on the issue of exam paper leaks, has taken Dalit leaders by complete surprise. Though Dipke never projected himself as the leader of the Dalit community, the way he has shot into the limelight had alarmed those who claim to champion the cause of the Scheduled Castes. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, also a Dalit, does not fall in this category as the Grand Old Party is essentially an umbrella group, not one that espouses the cause of any one social group. Chirag leads a faction of the LJP, founded on November 28, 2000, by his father after breaking away from the Janata Dal (United). The father-son duo never trusted Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) leader, who later became the longest-serving chief minister of Bihar. Nitish Kumar’s antipathy for the Paswans can be recalled, in particular, from how the Mahadalit Commission, formed by his government, excluded just the Dusadhs – one of the 22 Scheduled Castes in Bihar – from those who could access special schemes and packages announced for the entire state’s Dalits. Dusadh is the caste community to which the Paswans belong, and it is numerically the strongest amongst Bihar’s Schedule Castes, with the population share of 5.31%. They follow only the Yadavs, who account for 14.26% of the population, in terms of numerical strength. According to the 2023 Caste Survey conducted by the Bihar government, the Scheduled Castes in Bihar account for around 19.65% of its population. Chaotic times for Dalit politics There is a growing sense of unease and fear, among Chirag Paswan and other Scheduled Caste leaders that Dipke can marginalise them. Paswan, in particular, knows that the NDA in Bihar is in a state of chaos – almost all its major constituents, even the BJP itself, and the JD(U) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha headed by Upendra Kushwaha, are embroiled in infighting. The defeat of the BJP candidate from all important Bankipur seat in Patna in the recently held by-poll is a pointer to the true state of affairs in Bihar, beyond just the Dalit voters. The ruling combination in Bihar has become leaderless and rudderless. Knowing that age is on his side, the Paswan often flexes his muscles. Indeed it is a fact that the BJP’s dependency on him would increase as the JD(U) progressively weakens. Remember that Paswan was hurriedly inducted into the NDA in March 2024, just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections that year. Pashupati Kumar Paras was virtually kicked out from the Modi Cabinet on March 19, 2024. What is more, the BJP, in July 2021, not only triggered the splintering of the LJP but also made uncle Paras Union fertiliser minister. While four other party MPs were asked to side with Paras, Chirag Paswan was left alone. Ram Vilas Paswan’s son was being punished for stabbing the NDA during the 2020 Assembly elections, in which he had put up 137 candidates. The bungalow to allotted to his father was evicted and his bust installed on the premises was also removed. But ahead of the 2024 election, the BJP was hurriedly reminded of young Chirag’s hold over 5.31% voters – the Dusadh community. He was prevented from crossing over to Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Aware of his importance within the NDA, especially with the saffron party increasingly cornered by youth and Opposition protests over the SIR, Chirag is often takes what may be construed as an independent line. He strongly criticised
Three Dalit minors were abducted from their homes, held hostage, beaten, and half their heads were shaved. They stopped attending school out of fear.
A case of alleged brutality against three Dalit minor children has come to light in Singrauli. The family alleges that the children were forcibly abducted from their homes, beaten, subjected to casteist slurs, and half their heads were shaved. The children are so terrified after the incident that they have stopped attending school. After receiving the complaint, the Superintendent of Police has ordered an investigation… Brutality against Dalit minors in Singrauli: Allegations of heads being shaved on suspicion of theft. Singaroli: A case of alleged assault and inhumane treatment of three Dalit minor children has come to light in Baghadih village, under the Bargawan police station area of Singarauli district, Madhya Pradesh. The victim’s family has alleged that the children were forcibly abducted from their homes, beaten, abused, and half their heads were shaved. The family has demanded strict action and an investigation to ensure the safety of the children. According to family members Urmila Saket, Jagdish Saket, Harishchandra Saket, and Nandlal Saket, the incident occurred on October 1. They allege that Govind Singh, Balram Singh, Indrabhan Singh, and Harinarayan Bais forcibly took their children, Lavkush, Karan, and Ramlal, from their home. They were then allegedly beaten and half of their heads were shaved. These allegations were confirmed only after a police investigation. Children Scared After the Incident, Stopped Going to School The family says the three children are terrified after the alleged incident. They say the incident has had a profound impact on them and they are not attending school out of fear. The family also alleges that they have been receiving death threats since the incident. The court has also accused Govind Singh of being involved in the alleged illegal sand mining. However, this claim has not been independently confirmed. The family says they want an impartial investigation into the entire matter so that the children can get justice and are free from any danger. Alleging chase from the police station, family reaches SP’s office The victim’s family alleged that they had gone to the Bargawan police station with a complaint, but instead of being heard, they were rebuked and chased away. Subsequently, the family reached the Singrauli SP’s office and the Ajak police station, demanding action in the matter. The family requested an investigation into the alleged assault, caste-related abuses, head shaving, and threats, and ensuring the children’s safety. What did the SP say? According to Singrauli SP Shiyaz KM, preliminary information revealed that the children were accused of theft and the victim reported them to the police. The SP stated that a compromise was reached since the children were minors at the time. According to the SP, after receiving the family’s complaint, the Bargawan police station in-charge has been instructed to investigate the matter. He clarified that no one has the right to take the law into their own hands. After investigating the allegations, including assault and head shaving, legal action will be taken based on the facts. Edited by: Chaitanya Soni•Reported by: H Singh About the Author Chaitanya Das Soni is a Consultant Writer at Navbharat Times Online. He works on the Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh desk. He has 23 years of experience working in news agencies, newspapers, electronic media, and magazines. He has worked in the field and on the desk as a contract reporter, senior reporter, and sub-editor. Courtesy: Hindi News
Delhi To Launch 1,300 Pink Electric Autos With Women, Transgender Drivers
The scheme is also aimed at making the last-mile travel safer and more convenient for women, particularly those travelling to and from Metro stations early in the morning or late in the evening. Delhi To Launch 1,300 Pink Electric Autos With Women, Transgender DriversThe DURGA scheme was approved by the Delhi Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on September 23. Delhi residents could get the option of booking pink electric autos through ride-hailing apps, with the government planning to bring women and transgender drivers onto these platforms without onboarding or subscription charges. The Delhi government on Sunday said it would ask ride-hailing companies to waive these charges for drivers selected under its DURGA E-Auto Scheme, which provides for 1,300 electric autorickshaws. If the companies agree to list these vehicles on their platforms, commuters could book an auto through their phones instead of looking for one on the road or at an auto stand. A Safer Last-Mile Ride For Women? The scheme is also aimed at making the last-mile travel safer and more convenient for women, particularly those travelling to and from Metro stations early in the morning or late in the evening. The government wants to provide another transport option for passengers covering the last stretch of their journey, often between a Metro station and their homes or workplaces. The Transport Department has also sought dedicated parking and charging spaces from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) at Metro and Namo Bharat stations. The focus on safety comes days after the National Commission for Women issued guidelines for app-based transport services, recommending stricter driver verification and an option for women travelling alone to request a woman driver, where available. 1,300 Pink Autos, 130 Slots For Transgender Drivers The DURGA scheme was approved by the Delhi Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on September 23. Of the 1,300 vehicles planned in the first phase, 1,170 will be reserved for women and 130 for transgender persons, who will be able to own and drive the autos to earn a living. The vehicles will be allotted across Delhi’s 13 revenue districts, with each district having a maximum quota of 90 autos for women and 10 for transgender applicants. Transport Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh said the scheme was intended to help women and transgender persons earn independently while increasing their participation in the transport sector. How Will The Autos Be Allotted? Applications will be processed through a dedicated online portal developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). District-level committees headed by District Magistrates will examine applications, with verification carried out every week. If eligible applicants outnumber the available slots in a district, allotments will be decided through an online lottery. Those selected will receive Letters of Intent, while registered owners will be issued identity cards, DURGA jackets and caps. Beneficiaries will also be eligible for purchase incentives under Delhi’s EV Policy 2026, which provides Rs 50,000 for eligible electric autos registered in the first year, subject to conditions. The government has not specified how much each beneficiary will ultimately pay for the vehicle. Delhi tried a similar push earlier. In 2022, 1,406 electric auto permits were reserved for women, but only 743 applied in the initial round, prompting another round of applications. The government also plans a two-phase study to assess the scheme’s impact on beneficiaries’ incomes and livelihoods. Courtesy : NDTV Note: This news is originally published on https:/ndtv.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit student attacked, no FIR even after four days: Family appeals to SSP for justice, accuses police of neglecting their pleas
A Dalit student was attacked in Fugana, Muzaffarnagar. It is alleged that Rudraksh, a Class 11 student, was assaulted outside the school. The incident occurred on October 7th, but even four days later, no FIR has been filed in the case. Rudraksh studies at Kisan Inter College, Kharar. He stated that four students at the school frequently harassed him and used casteist slurs. When he complained to a teacher, the accused students became enraged. On October 7th, after school was over, four students with their faces covered attacked him with sticks and rods outside the gate. Rudraksh suffered a head injury and fell unconscious. He was first referred to CHC Budhana and then to the district hospital. The victim’s family alleges that they were not heard at the Fugana police station. Now, the family has appealed to the new SSP, Suraj Rai, for justice. Kharar Police Post in-charge Abhishek Chaudhary stated that all the children involved in the fight are minors; their parents are being called and action will be taken. Arjun Kumar | Budhana (Muzaffarnagar), Muzaffarnagar Courtesy: Hindu News
SP’s Dalit Mahasammelan in Agra, Akhilesh Yadav to attend: Event to be held on November 15th, target to gather 100,000 people; clarion call for 2027 elections
The Samajwadi Party is holding a Dalit Mahasammelan in Agra on November 15th. Party National President Akhilesh Yadav will attend. A meeting was held at the district office to prepare for the event, in which leaders and workers participated and responsibilities were assigned. Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman stated that the convention will be held in western Uttar Pradesh. The party has set a target of gathering 100,000 people. Metropolitan President Shabbir Abbas stated that Akhilesh Yadav will be the chief guest. SP leaders stated that there is discontent among the Dalit community against the BJP government. They believe that only the Samajwadi Party can defeat the BJP. This Mahasammelan is being considered a clarion call for the 2027 assembly elections. Merjuddin | (Partial) of Tajnagri Phase-1, Agra Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit girl suicide: NCSC seeks Madurai Collector’s report
In a communication received by the district administration on October 5, the panel has asked Madurai District Collector Nishant Krishna to submit a report on the incident. MADURAI: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the suicide of a Dalit girl at Usilampatti on 25th August, whose mother alleges that she took the extreme step after the two were humiliated by a government school headmistress when they sought admission to Class 11. In a communication received by the district administration on October 5, the panel has asked Madurai District Collector Nishant Krishna to submit a report on the incident. The Usilampatti police have registered an FIR under section 108 (abetment of suicide) of BNS and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Vimala Devi, headmistress of the Government Model Higher Secondary School in Usilampatti, who is now under suspension. The FIR was registered based on a complaint filed on August 28 by the girl’s mother, P Thavamani. However, police sources said they have been unable to proceed with the investigation because Vimala Devi has obtained an interim stay, and she is now on bail. In her complaint, Thavamani said that when she and her daughter approached the headmistress for admission on August 24, the headmistress got angry when the girl asked her mother not to fold her hands before her. The headmistress then asked the girl to leave the school. Thavamani alleged that the headmistress questioned the girl’s conduct for trying to join the school despite having already been admitted to the Government Kallar Higher Secondary School. The headmistress then allegedly phoned her counterpart there and enquired about the girl’s conduct on speaker mode. According to Thavamani, this upset the girl. The girl left the school crying and remained distressed after returning home. The following day, they went to the school where she had completed Class 10 and collected her Transfer Certificate. However, she died by suicide that evening when she was alone in the house, said the police source. The district education department suspended Vimala Devi for administrative inefficiency after a preliminary inquiry. The inquiry found that she did not handle the situation with the required administrative sensitivity and efficiency. A police source said the girl had scored 415 marks in Class X and joined the Biology-Mathematics stream hoping to become a nurse. But she found it difficult and asked her teachers to allow her to shift to the Commerce stream, but they did not accept the request. Since then, she has not shown interest in going to school, the source added. Gokul Vannan Courtesy : DT Next Note: This news is originally published on https:/dtnext.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
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
Nine transsexuals booked for robbing transgender person of ₹6.7L
Pune: A 30-year-old transsexual person filed a complaint on Friday with Kothrud police, stating that nine transgender people assaulted and threatened the person with religious conversion. The accused also robbed the complainant of Rs 6.7 lakh on Friday. Kothrud police have registered a case under the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, and robbery against nine transgender people. According to the FIR, the complainant lives near a temple in Kothrud. At around 7pm on Sept 22, the nine suspects allegedly entered the complainant’s house and made derogatory remarks against the religion of the complainant. They threatened and asked the complainant to abandon their religion and convert to another religion. Kothrud police said the suspects assaulted the complainant with a belt and bamboo sticks. They also threatened to kill the complainant did not give them 50% of the money earned through begging. The suspects then allegedly robbed the complainant of Rs 6.7 lakh cash. 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
Dalit man falls at upper-caste men’s feet for burial permission in Tamil Nadu
Two Dalit men in Erode were allegedly forced to fall at dominant caste men’s feet to bury an elderly relative at a common ground. The state SC/ST commission has called it a human rights violation and sought action against those involved and officials present. In a shocking instance of caste-based humiliation in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district, a Dalit man reportedly fell at the feet of dominant caste men to seek permission to bury an 80-year-old relative at a common burial ground, as police and revenue officials watched without intervening. The incident took place on October 5, when Chenni, an 80-year-old man who died of old age, was to be buried at the common burial ground in Perumpalli village in Erode district. Members of a dominant caste community allegedly opposed the burial, claiming that people belonging to the Dalit community could not be buried at the common burial ground. Chenni’s family maintained that the burial ground was meant for everyone and that members of all communities had the right to use it. During the ensuing dispute, members of the dominant caste community reportedly demanded that the Dalit family members fall at their feet if they wanted to bury the deceased there. Two members of the Dalit community subsequently fell at the feet of men from the other community and worshipped them, according to the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Adi Dravidar and Scheduled Tribes. The incident took place in the presence of police and revenue officials, who were accused of remaining passive spectators instead of intervening to prevent the humiliation and ensure that the family could carry out the burial. SC/ST COMMISSION SEEKS ACTION AGAINST OFFICIALS Taking cognisance of the incident following media reports, video footage and complaints, the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Adi Dravidar and Scheduled Tribes issued a notice to the Erode District Collector and the SP, seeking action against those involved and a detailed report on the incident. In its notice issued under Section 9 of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Adi Dravidar and Scheduled Tribes Act, 2021, the commission described the incident as a human rights violation. It said the police and revenue officials present at the spot should have intervened when members of the Dalit community were made to fall at the feet of people from the other community. The commission also flagged the alleged failure of the police to provide the necessary protection for the burial at the common ground. It noted that preventing the burial of Chenni’s body was illegal and referred to Article 21 of the Constitution and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The notice directed the Erode District Collector and the SP to take action under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the members of the other community involved in the incident and submit a detailed report by October 30, 2026. The authorities were also asked to report on the disciplinary action taken against the police and revenue officials who allegedly failed to take precautionary measures or intervene during the incident. The commission’s notice followed video footage published by newspapers and circulated on television and social media on October 9, as well as complaints submitted by political and social organisation representatives. ERODE COLLECTOR SAYS INQUIRY UNDERWAY Speaking to India Today, Erode District Collector S Kandasamy said an inquiry was underway to establish the full details of the incident. By:Anagha Courtesy : India Today Note: This news is originally published on https:/indiatoday.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