RaGa targets Didi, TMC hits back with ‘feeding dogs’ jibe
Kolkata: Congress’s Rahul Gandhi went after Trinamool while campaigning in Bengal on Saturday, asking why the ED had summoned him for 55 hours of questioning while CM Mamata Banerjee — in whose state numerous alleged scams had surfaced — had faced no such scrutiny. Trinamool hit back hard, calling Gandhi’s remarks “irresponsible” and pointedly noting that he had been “feeding his dog” while Trinamool seniors were being hounded by central agencies. “I am on bail. A case is lodged against me every 10-15 days. I was questioned by the ED for 55 hours. How many hours was Mamataji questioned? Have they snatched her home or disqualified her from the assembly?” Gandhi asked at rallies in Serampore, Shahid Minar and Metiaburuz. He alleged that Modi attacks Banerjee during campaigns but stays silent after elections — proof, he said, that “Congress is their real enemy, not Trinamool.” Gandhi cited the Saradha and Rose Valley alleged scams as evidence of Trinamool’s corruption and accused both Modi and Banerjee of prioritising power over jobs. “What Modi is doing in India, Mamataji is doing in Bengal. They promised five lakh jobs in 2021; in reality, 84 lakh youth registered for unemployment allowance,” he said. He also blamed Banerjee for “goonda raj,” coal smuggling and the conditions that allowed the RG Kar rape and murder to occur. Trinamool hit back immediately. Trinamool senior and state minister Shashi Panja called Gandhi’s remarks “irresponsible,” saying Trinamool seniors were receiving ED and CBI summons even during elections “while he was busy playing with his dog and feeding it biscuits.” She questioned Congress’s credibility as a BJP challenger, noting the party had lost Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi and Bihar after the Lok Sabha elections. “Let the people of Bengal — and later India — decide who is truly capable of defeating the BJP,” she 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
Grievance meeting: Dalit functionaries seek action over subsidy fraud targeted at women
Mangaluru: Dalit functionaries have demanded action against a man accused of duping several women on the pretext of arranging bank subsidies. At the SC/ST grievance meeting held at the city police commissioner’s office on Saturday, Dalit functionary SP Anand alleged that Mohammed Ummar reportedly collected between Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 each from around 15-20 women in and around Pandeshwar, assuring them of subsidies. However, the women did not receive any benefits, and the accused allegedly failed to turn up on the promised date. Anand also suspected that more women could have fallen victim to the fraud. Responding to the complaint, DCP (law and order) Mithun HN directed the police station concerned to register a case and initiate action. Paurakarmika Sangha president Anil Kumar alleged that women sanitation workers who had filed a sexual harassment complaint against a Mangaluru City Corporation sanitation inspector, now absconding after an FIR, were being threatened to withdraw the case. Since he claimed that there were call recordings, the DCP directed officials to collect call recordings and register a case. Anand and Anil Kumar also alleged that a senior sanitation worker couple were paid meagre wages without any benefits. To this, DCRE Mangaluru Range SP Simon CA said the matter would be verified upon examining relevant documents and asked leaders to follow up at his office. Concerns were also raised about anti-social elements creating a nuisance in Kudkorigudde and claimed they were not allowed to put up a banner for Ambedkar Jayanti. The DCP said organisers must remove banners and flexes immediately after events and that such conditions should be included while granting permission. On the proposed Ambedkar Circle, ACP (traffic) Najma Farooqi said reports from the traffic police, NITK and MCC engineers had been submitted to the deputy commissioner. DCP (crime and traffic) K Ravishankar suggested that a Dr BR Ambedkar statue could be installed at the ‘V’-shaped junction at the end of Light House Hill Road towards Ambedkar Circle. A representative urged the police to hold grievance meetings at the community level to improve outreach. Leaders also sought justice for a deceased woman, alleging that a sub-contractor had misappropriated funds belonging to her. When a woman raised a past domestic violence incident, the DCP (law & order) directed Surathkal police to visit her house under the Police Mane Mane Beti programme. The DCP (crime) said if SC/ST-related cases are not resolved at the inspector level, leaders should approach ACPs for redressal. 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
“Blindness”: Court Asks Tamil Nadu To Roll Out Transgender Rehabilitation Plan
The court reiterated that transgender persons are protected under Articles 14, 15, 16 and 21, which guarantee equality and the right to live with dignity. Chennai:In a significant push for transgender welfare, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to design and implement a comprehensive rehabilitation scheme at the taluk (sub-district) level, focusing on dignity, inclusion and sustainable livelihoods. The direction came while hearing an anticipatory bail plea filed by a YouTuber accused of sharing a video linked to a transgender person’s self-immolation near a police station in Srivilliputhur. While granting relief in the case, the court widened its scope to address the broader challenges faced by the transgender community. Case Background The petitioner, YouTuber V Sarathkumar, was charged under Section 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for allegedly circulating misleading content about the police through a video on the incident. He told the court that he had only reshared content already in circulation and deleted it after realising its impact. After reviewing the material, the court noted that the allegation was limited to retransmission and granted anticipatory bail. Court Flags Social Neglect The bench used the case to highlight the continuing marginalisation of transgender persons. Justice KK Ramakrishnan observed, “The tragedy is not in their birth, it is in the blindness of society which… has driven them into conditions of extreme marginalisation.” Stressing the need for equal treatment, the court added, “They are entitled to be accepted as equals… participants in the common destiny of this nation.” Calling out institutional inaction, the judge said, “This Court cannot be a mute witness to the indignities suffered by a vulnerable class… Judicial compassion must translate into enforceable rights.” Directions To The State The court pointed to gaps in the implementation of the Supreme Court’s 2014 NALSA judgment and issued a set of directions: Develop a comprehensive rehabilitation scheme at the taluk level Create self-employment and livelihood opportunities Ensure access to education, healthcare and welfare support Promote inclusion and dignity in public life The Chief Secretary has been asked to coordinate across departments and file a compliance report by July 26, 2026. Constitutional Basis The court reiterated that transgender persons are protected under Articles 14, 15, 16 and 21, which guarantee equality, non-discrimination and the right to live with dignity. It noted that failure to implement these rights continues to deepen inequality. The matter will be taken up again on August 3, 2026, to review the state’s progress. 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
‘Why are there not 36, 38 or 40 cases against Mamata?’ Rahul says BJP’s real fight with Congress not TMC in Bengal
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday intensified his attack on the Centre during the West Bengal assembly election campaign, questioning why chief minister Mamata Banerjee has not faced multiple criminal cases despite serious corruption charges linked to the Trinamool Congress (TMC). He asked why there are not ’36, 38 or 40 cases’ against the TMC chief even as he himself continues to face several legal proceedings. Addressing a public meeting at Sahid Minar Ground, Gandhi alleged that while the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has pursued multiple cases against him, no similar investigative action has been taken against Mamata Banerjee. He claimed this was because the TMC supremo does not directly confront the BJP in the same way as the Congress does. “Today I have come here, I am out on bail. Narendra Modi took away my official residence. He took away my Lok Sabha membership. Why are there not 36, 38 or 40 cases against Mamata Banerjee? The entire Bengal knows that people of the Trinamool have indulged in corruption. The Saradha chit fund scam was done by people of the Trinamool. It ruined 17 lakh investors. There are unpaid dues of Rs 1,900 crore. The Rose Valley chit fund scam took money from lakhs of people. There is extortion in the form of ‘goonda tax’ collection. But Narendra Modi, RSS and BJP have not conducted any investigation against Mamata ji. They do not attack Mamata ji. Why? Because they know that the real fight is not with the Trinamool. The real fight is with the Congress party,” he said. Gandhi siad Mamata and PM Modi are “two sides of the same coin”, considering that none of them care about the aspirations of the common people. “The Prime Minister claims that he is a true nationalist. But he had done nothing for the poor people. He had done everything for the millionaires. Before the Left Front rule, Congress ruled West Bengal. At that time there were several industries in the state,” he said. The Congress leader added, “Mamata Banerjee, too, like PM Narendra Modi, does not care for employment generation for the youth. Both the Prime Minister and the West Bengal Chief Minister are bothered about themselves. What PM Narendra Modi is doing in India, that is exactly what Mamata Banerjee is doing in West Bengal.” The Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition further compared investigative scrutiny faced by him with what he described as the absence of ED or CBI action against the West Bengal CM. Stating that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned him for 55 hours over five consecutive days, the Congress leader asked, “For how many hours was Mamata Banerjee interrogated?” Gandhi reiterated that no central probe agencies were acting against the TMC chief. In a separate poll rally at Serampore in Hooghly district for the second phase of West Bengal assembly elections, Gandhi said: “This is because she does not fight the BJP directly.” He also highlighted the legal cases pending against him and said he is required to travel frequently across states to attend court proceedings. Gandhi said, “My house was taken away, my Lok Sabha membership was taken away; there are 36 cases against me.” The Congress leader said that he has to travel to various states like Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar every 10-15 days to fight the cases registered against him. “I want to ask how many cases have been registered against Mamata Banerjee by Narendra Modi?” he asked. Gandhi asserted that only the Congress takes on the BJP on ideological grounds, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi targets him, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and others consistently. Claiming that PM Modi criticises the TMC chief only during election periods, he said, “Let the Bengal elections end; Narendra Modi will not speak a word against Mamata Banerjee.” He further said that the BJP understands only the Congress can challenge its ideological framework, not the Trinamool Congress. Gandhi accused the TMC leadership of destroying industry and contributing to unemployment in West Bengal, alleging that jobs are distributed through political connections. “One has to have a relative in the TMC to get a job in Bengal, else he will not get any,” he said, accusing the chief minister of working for the interests of “goons” and party workers. Gandhi also alleged that major scams such as Saradha and Rose Valley occurred under the TMC regime, affecting lakhs of investors. He further alleged widespread coal smuggling, illegal mining and what he termed “goonda tax” collection in the state. He accused the TMC of similar behaviour towards opposition workers as the BJP allegedly does in other states. Gandhi also referred to the 2021 TMC poll promise of five lakh jobs, questioning its implementation, and cited unemployment-related concerns in the state. The remarks come amid heightened political exchanges between the Congress, BJP and TMC during the ongoing election campaign in West Bengal. The polling for Phase I of the assembly elections concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a significantly higher voter turnout of 91.78 per cent, according to the Election Commission. The second phase of the polling will be held on April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4. 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 girl case probe: Andhra Pradesh HC raps police
Expressing serious concern, the court criticized the police for failing to support the victim and instead allegedly pressuring her family to withdraw the criminal case. VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has come down heavily on the police for allegedly attempting to shield ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders accused of sexually harassing a minor Dalit girl in West Godavari district on Friday. Expressing serious concern, the court criticized the police for failing to support the victim and instead allegedly pressuring her family to withdraw the criminal case. The case pertains to a complaint filed by a 13-year-old girl on February 18 in Bhimavaram, accusing local political leader Chennu Chanti and his son of sexual harassment and caste-based abuse. Based on her complaint, a case was registered under relevant provisions, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. However, the victim’s family later approached the High Court, alleging that police officials were threatening them to withdraw the case and were not conducting a fair investigation. During the hearing, Justice Yadawalli Lakshmana Rao strongly reprimanded the police, questioning their conduct and impartiality. The court observed that it is the duty of the police to investigate the complaint thoroughly and file a charge sheet, rather than speculate about alleged political motives behind the complaint. The judge expressed displeasure over statements made by Bhimavaram DSP Raghuveer Vishnu, who reportedly suggested political involvement in the case. “Do you have divine insight to claim political motives?” the court asked, adding that such determinations fall within the jurisdiction of the judiciary, not the police. The judge further criticised the delay in arresting the accused, noting that the incident occurred in February but no significant progress had been made. The court also expressed shock after reviewing parts of the victim’s complaint, stating that the allegations reflected disturbing and shameful conduct that would make any civilised society ‘bow its head in shame.’ It accused the police of derailing the investigation and acting under external pressure. In strong remarks, the court told the officials to resign from the service if they were unable to withstand political pressure. It also questioned the alleged intimidation of the victim’s mother and emphasised that the police must act lawfully and independently. Finding the DSP’s explanation unsatisfactory, the court directed the West Godavari Superintendent of Police to appear in person with all case records. The matter has been adjourned to May 1 for further hearing. 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, Kejriwal to campaign in Bengal today
Kolkata: Congress MP and LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is set to campaign in Bengal on Saturday, while former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will campaign for Trinammol candidates. Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, who is already in Bengal, held a roadshow for TMC in Bhatpara on Friday. Rahul had campaigned for Congress candidates in north Bengal ahead of the Phase-1 polls, where he spoke against both TMC and BJP. Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren has also campaigned for TMC in Bengal. Kejriwal said a political backlash was emerging in Bengal against the SIR exercise, claiming that “Modiji’s SIR is turning against him” in the context of the high voter turnout. In a post on X, he wrote: “It’s coming to light that in Bengal, votes are being cast firmly against SIR.” A senior TMC neta said: “Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav have backed CM Banerjee in her fight not only against BJP but also against the combined might of central agencies and EC.” 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
The Dalit settlement in Humayunpur North will receive a new water supply connection.
Due to the water crisis in Gorakhpur, General Manager Raghuvendra Kumar and Sub-Engineer Surya Sen Malla inspected the Dalit settlement. Local residents expressed their anger over the lack of water supply. Following this, the Jalkal Department initiated the interconnection of a new pipeline and assured the provision of water tankers as needed. Gorakhpur, Chief Correspondent. Finally, on the tenth day, Jalkal General Manager Raghuvendra Kumar, along with Sub-Engineer Surya Sen Malla, visited the Dalit settlement on Humayunpur North Main Road in Digvijaynagar Ward No. 16 to inspect the area. Local residents expressed their anger vehemently. Following the General Manager’s instructions, the Jalkal Department began the work of reconnecting the water supply pipelines in the Dalit settlements. For the past 10 days, residents of the slums on Humayunpur North Main Road have been facing a drinking water crisis in the scorching heat. Local residents have been complaining to Councilor Rishi Mohan Verma. Following the councilor’s complaint, the Jalkal department provided a water tanker, but the problem remained unresolved. A few days ago, following pressure from the councilor, the interconnection pipeline at the main intersection and the street corner was dug up and inspected, but no solution was found. Local residents and the councilor allege that water is not reaching people’s homes due to insufficient pressure. Finally, after councilor Rishi Mohan Verma and local residents applied pressure, Jalkal Manager Raghuvendra Kumar and Sub-Engineer Suryasen Mall arrived on the scene on Friday. They assured that the water supply pipeline to the Dalit settlement would be reconnected to the main pipeline. They directed the work to begin immediately. Until then, two water tankers will be provided regularly. Courtesy: Hindi News
Bike snatched in Ayodhya, ‘goonda tax’ demanded: Dalit harassment case registered on SSP’s instructions
A case of snatching a bike and demanding ‘goonda tax’ in exchange for its return has come to light in the Bikapur Kotwali area of Ayodhya district. On the orders of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), the Kotwali police have registered a case against one named and several unidentified accused under serious sections, including Dalit harassment. Shiv Shankar, a resident of Vaijapur Shivgarh in Sultanpur district, stated in his complaint to the SSP that he belongs to the Scheduled Caste. His daughter, Rinku Kumari, is married to Rohit Kumar, a resident of Khajuri village in the Bikapur area. He had gifted his daughter a Bajaj Pulsar bike, financed by Bajaj Finance, as a wedding gift. According to Shiv Shankar, on March 30, 2026, his daughter and son-in-law had gone to the Community Health Center in Bikapur. During the incident, some people assaulted them, hurling casteist slurs at them, and snatched their bike. After reporting the incident to Dial 112, police arrived at the scene, apprehended the accused, and brought them to the police station. Police then stated that some installments on the bike were outstanding. The victim contacted the finance company and paid all outstanding installments on April 9, 2026, and obtained a NOC (No Objection Certificate) and a No-Dues Certificate. The company clarified that there were no outstanding dues on the vehicle and it could be returned. Despite this, it is alleged that Romesh Patel (address unknown), the bike snatcher, is demanding a “goonda tax” in exchange for returning the vehicle. The victim submitted a petition to the Bikapur police station, requesting the return of the bike, but the police initially refused to register a report. Action was taken after the matter reached the SSP. Inspector-in-Charge Amarendra Bahadur Singh stated that a case has been registered on the SSP’s instructions, and legal action is being taken. Kaushal Kumar Shukla | Bikapur (Ayodhya), Courtesy: Hindi News
Maharashtra | Quotas within quota
The volatile debate over SC sub-categorisation sharpens in the state. In special focus is the Buddhist Dalit cohort Before caste quotas return to the national headlines with the Census, Maharashtra is offering a sneak preview of the wars that lie ahead—with a proposed quota within a quota for Dalits. The siege is on the very birthplace of reservations in India, centred around Buddhist Dalits, the erstwhile Mahars, who exited Hinduism with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in 1956. So the chief question is on uneven development within Dalit communities, but a volatile subclause has been tagged: religion. The Scheduled Castes have a 13 per cent quota. In 2011, they numbered around 13.2 million out of Maharashtra’s 112.3 million population. Hindu Dalit bodies allege Buddhist Dalits, the largest sub-bloc at about 60 per cent, secure most of the benefits; the latter refute this narrative. ‘HINDU VS BUDDHIST’ This old debate will now be addressed within a formal process. In March, a one-man committee under former Patna High Court judge Anant Manohar Badar submitted its report on sub-categorisation of SC reservations. The state has appointed another committee, under chief secretary Rajesh Aggarwal, to invite suggestions and objections and conduct hearings—though the report is not public yet. A total of 59 castes are in the state’s SC list. Despite a rise in reach, the Sangh parivar has struggled to shed its Brahminical image. With disruptions in the Dalit sphere like Bhima-Koregaon behind it, Sangh affiliates have countered with inroads into Hindu Dalit groups like the Matangs and Charmakars, who form the bulk of Hindu Dalits. New ring-fencing of categories, they say, will protect their interests. This has a precedent in the state’s 30 per cent OBC quota: 11 per cent within that is set aside for Vimukta Jati (VJ) and Nomadic Tribes (NTs); the latter spectrum is further subdivided into denotified tribes or VJ (3 per cent), NT B-category (2.5 per cent), C-category (Dhangars, 3.5 per cent) and D-category (Vanjaris, 2 per cent). RESERVATIONS OVER IT Such a prospect for Dalits splits even the Mahayuti into a spectrum of opinions. Some BJP leaders, like MLC Amit Gorkhe, seek sub-quotas; others, like former BJP Rajya Sabha MP Amar Sable and ex-minister and NCP MLA Rajkumar Badole, well, have reservations. Sable demands a “fact-finding committee” to prove uneven benefits. Badole questions the haste around the Badar panel. “The new Census will yield contemporary data on the economic, educational, and political progress made by various SC casteswhy not first wait for its results,” he asks. Badole also puts his finger on the key political point: any quota within a quota would divide the sense of consolidation among Dalits, whom he calls a homogenous class insofar as having been equal victims of untouchability. “A Presidential order is needed to include a caste in the SC category. How can it be left to the discretion of states to go in for sub-categorisation?” he asks. Opposition leaders like Dr Amb-edkar’s grandson Prakash and former Congress minister Nitin Raut, too, have slammed the move. Raut questions the empirical and technical basis of the exercise, and asks how political reservations would be split. Five Lok Sabha seats and 29 assembly seats in Maharashtra are reserved for SCs. Vikram Gaikwad of the Matang Samaj Sangh, a face of the second largest Dalit group, insists quotas presently pass over “the deprived sections”. Splitting them into four sub-categories will ensure all castes will benefit, instead of a select few, goes the line. The government says the process is on, though social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat admits the Badar report needs to be made public for the public to file their objections and suggestions. Outside the policymaking sphere, the move promises to run into the main current of Dalit empowerment politics. Sociologist P.G. Jogdand, former dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Mumbai, says sub-categorisation is not in line with the constitutional scheme. “This is part of divide-and-rule politics,” he alleges. Refuting the contention that Buddhist Dalits had “cornered” quota benefits, he says the community is simply more numerous and was also the first to take to education and hence enabled to avail the opportunities. The counter is six decades old. In 1965, the B.N. Lokur committee had noted: “It has been in evidence for some time now that a lion’s share [of quota benefits] is appropriated by numerically larger and politically well-organised communities. The smaller and more backward communities have tended to get lost, though more deserving of special aid.” That was the logic behind the Supreme Court’s August 2024 permission for state-level sub-quotas. Dhaval S. Kulkarni 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
Disabled Dalit groom assaulted for riding horse
The police have so far arrested four persons in connection with the incident. n a shocking incident, a disabled Dalit groom riding on a horse during his wedding was forcibly pulled off the horse, abused with racial slurs and thrashed by some the upper caste men in a village in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh. According to Damoh SP Shrutkirti Somvanshi, all the four arrested persons have been booked under the SC/ST Act and were produced in a court on Friday afternoon, from where they were sent to jail. The SP said that the police have also written to the Damoh Collector to take stringent action against the accused under the National Security ACT (NSA). The incident occurred two days ago in village Bijori Pathak when the disabled Dalit groom, Golu Ahirwar, was riding a horse during his wedding ceremony. He was manhandled and hurled with casteist abuses before being beaten up. Some of his family members, including women and elderly, were also assaulted. Courtesy : The Statesman Note: This news is originally published on https:/thestatesman.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights