Ramji Lal Suman arrives in Sambhal: Says, “If we want to defeat the BJP in 2027, the SP is the only option; Dalit convention to be held in Agra on November 15th.”
Samajwadi Party National General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman arrived in Sambhal on Tuesday afternoon. He held a meeting with party workers at the SP district office located at Chandausi intersection in the Raisatti police station area. The meeting discussed preparations for the Western Uttar Pradesh Dalit convention scheduled for November 15th in Agra. Suman called on party workers to mobilize to make the convention a success. He stated that he is visiting various districts in Western Uttar Pradesh to contact workers. He claims that a climate of excitement is building among the Dalit community regarding the 2027 assembly elections, and the SP is being considered an option to defeat the BJP. Regarding the ongoing rhetoric regarding an alliance between the Congress and the SP for the 2027 assembly elections, Ramji Lal Suman stated that an alliance will be formed. He added that under the current circumstances, both parties should work together. He stated that the Samajwadi Party has authorized National President Akhilesh Yadav to negotiate the alliance. According to him, talks regarding the alliance will take place between Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav. Suman appealed to leaders making statements regarding the alliance to exercise restraint. He said that such statements should not be made that could affect the alliance’s position. On the SP’s absence from the India Alliance meeting, he said, “There must have been a reason.” Regarding the SP’s absence from the India Alliance meeting in Delhi, Suman stated that the Samajwadi Party is part of the alliance. He stated that Akhilesh Yadav had stated his busy schedule and that a representative from the party had agreed to attend the meeting. Regarding the question about campaigning with Priyanka Gandhi and Dimple Yadav, he stated that the party leadership would decide where and with whom to campaign. Serious allegations leveled against the Chief Election Commissioner Regarding the question about Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Ramji Lal Suman questioned the functioning of the Election Commission. He alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner had made decisions in favor of the BJP and said that the Samajwadi Party (SP) has long questioned the Commission’s impartiality. His statement comes amid reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to the Commission’s decisions and procedures at least 14 times in the past 10 months. The Election Commission responded by stating that the Commission’s decisions were made with the consent of all three Election Commissioners. Around 200 workers were present at the meeting. Around 200 workers, including SP District President Asgar Ali Ansari, Sambhal MLA’s son Suhail Iqbal, Gunnaur MLA’s son Akhilesh Yadav, former Chandausi candidate Vimlesh Kumari, District General Secretary Krishnamurari Shankhdhar, Syed Akhtar Israeli, Ajay Kumar, Munshi Wahid, and Councilor Mohammad Rehan, were present at the meeting. Sunny Gupta, Sambhal Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Leniency will create lawlessness’: 4 get life for gang-raping Dalit woman at crematorium 12yrs ago
Agra: A court in Aligarh has sentenced four men to rigorous life imprisonment for gang-raping a 21-year-old Dalit woman at a crematorium in 2014. The court also imposed Rs 63,000 fine on each convict. Cautioning against showing leniency in such cases, special court (SC/ST Act) judge Pratibha Saxena observed: “If a lenient view is taken, it will create a state of lawlessness in society and strengthen the morale of criminals involved in heinous crimes like gang rape. Also, women will not only feel unsafe, but lose faith in the judicial process.” Special public prosecutor Chaman Prakash said, “While rejecting the defence plea for leniency, the judge further observed that the crime was ‘grave in nature’ as the accused had gang-raped a young Scheduled Caste woman, assaulted and humiliated her with casteist slurs.” The crime took place in 2014 when the woman had gone to collect dung cakes. The convicts were Manish Kumar (34), Sachin (30), Anju (35) and Vijay (25), all from the survivor’s village. Prosecution examined six witnesses, including the survivor and the investigating officer, during the trial. The accused were convicted under IPC 376D (gang rape), 323/34 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. 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
Deputy CM Bhatti calls for struggle to protect self-respect of Dalits
Vikramarka also criticised the action taken against Rahul Gandhi when he protested demanding registration of an FIR over the incident involving Kharge. HYDERABAD: Condemning the alleged insult to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday called for a united nationwide struggle to protect the self-respect of Dalits and Adivasis. Addressing a Dalit-Adivasi Self-Respect Conference organised by the Congress SC and ST MPs Forum in New Delhi, he said it was the responsibility of every citizen to protect the Constitution that established the values of equality, liberty, fraternity and the abolition of untouchability in the country. He recalled that the first resolution against untouchability was adopted under the leadership of the Congress, followed by the adoption and implementation of the Constitution. Vikramarka alleged that the BJP does not have faith in the Constitution. He criticised what he described as attempts to promote the ideology associated with the Manusmriti and Manu Dharma Shastra in place of constitutional values. “The Indian Constitution is what binds every citizen of the country together. Violating the Constitution means weakening the very foundations of the nation,” he said. He said that the “purification ritual” conducted in Haldwani following Kharge’s public meeting was a serious issue concerning the self-respect of Dalits. Vikramarka also criticised the action taken against Rahul Gandhi when he protested demanding registration of an FIR over the incident involving Kharge. He said that instead of taking action against those responsible, a case was filed against Rahul Gandhi. Stating that governments have a responsibility to implement the constitutional guarantees that ensure equal rights and dignity for all citizens, he said: “We cannot accept a situation where crores of people, including SCs, Adivasis and minorities, are treated as second-class citizens. We must all come together and fight for our self-respect.” 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
Dalit Funds a paper game or reality? BJP attacks Congress in Telangana, demands a white paper
The BJP SC Morcha has directly attacked the Congress government in Telangana for neglecting the Dalit Welfare Fund and election promises, demanding a white paper on the fund’s expenditure. Politics has heated up in Telangana over the issue of Dalit welfare. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Scheduled Caste (SC) Morcha has threatened to surround SC Corporation offices in all districts on Tuesday, calling the Congress government’s policies anti-Dalit. The organization directly alleges that the state government has completely failed to fulfill its election promises. It has also strongly demanded the release of a white paper on the use of funds allocated for Dalit development. SC Morcha State President Kanthi Kiran has launched a scathing attack on the state government. He alleged that the government is ignoring the welfare of Dalits and diverting their share of funds elsewhere. According to Kiran, the Congress government is falsely claiming Dalit development by juggling figures on paper. The ground reality is that unemployed Dalit youth are not receiving any concrete benefits and are still forced to wander in search of employment. Kanthi Kiran attacked the government, citing statements made by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in the Assembly. He reminded that the government had claimed to allocate approximately ₹1.20 lakh crore under the Scheduled Caste Special Development Fund (SCSDF) during the financial years 2024, 2025, and 2026. This amount amounts to approximately ₹40,000 crore each year. However, the BJP leader said that this huge amount is not visible anywhere on the ground improving the lives of people. Caste and Identity Groups Serious questions were also raised regarding the Congress’s famous Chevella Declaration. This manifesto promised financial assistance of ₹12 lakh to every Dalit family. Kiran claimed that approximately 500,000 applications have been received so far under the ‘Rajiv Yuva Vikasam’ self-employment scheme. Despite receiving such a large number of applications, not a single one has been approved, nor has the scheme been properly implemented. Questioning the transparency of the administration, the BJP leader stated that three RTI applications were filed with the Hyderabad District SC Corporation and the District Collectors. Despite this, the government has failed to provide details of expenditure, raising serious doubts. He demanded that the proposed white paper provide a complete breakdown of department-wise allocations from the SC Development Fund. The actual expenditure and the exact number of beneficiaries receiving benefits under self-employment schemes should also be made public. Meanwhile, Telangana politics has heated up over a rally against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Several prominent leaders, including BJP spokesperson N.V. Subhash, Vice President B. Narsaiah Goud, and Legislative Party leader A. Maheshwar Reddy, have strongly condemned this “anti-CEC rally.” BJP leaders have made serious allegations against the state government of misusing the police machinery. They say the government is using the police to suppress the opposition, while Congress-backed protests against a constitutional institution are being given free rein. These leaders alleged that the Congress is deliberately targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The main reason for this is that the Congress is feeling uncomfortable with the steps being taken to ensure transparency in the voter list. Dr. Gaur directly challenged the Congress, saying that if the Congress has so much doubt about the election process, its governments in various states should immediately resign. Meanwhile, Maheshwar Reddy demanded evidence to prove the allegations against the Election Commission. He clarified that recent clarifications have further strengthened public confidence in constitutional institutions. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
Congress to begin Bharat Jodo-2 in Karnataka tomorrow
Hariprasad said the padayatra will start at 1 pm and conclude with a rally in the constituency in the evening. BENGALURU/SHIVAMOGGA: State Congress President BK Hariprasad on Monday said the Congress will launch ‘Bharat Jodo-2’ in Karnataka from September 30. The campaign will start from Shikaripura, Shivamogga district, and cover 84 assembly segments where the Congress lost in the 2023 Assembly polls. On September 30, 2022, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra had entered Karnataka. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Hariprasad said the padayatra will start at 1 pm and conclude with a rally in the constituency in the evening. Congress workers and leaders from across districts will take part in the padayatra, during which they will discuss drought and other issues with the people, and also create awareness about alleged wrongdoings by the Chief Election Commissioner, he said. Shivamogga district minister Madhu S Bangarappa told reporters that a massive convention will be organised in Shikaripura on September 30 to commemorate the Bharat Jodo Yatra undertaken by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi four years ago. It will start at Kittadandi village at 10am, and the march will pass through Kote, Hosanagara, Mattikote, Hosanagara Cross and Nelavodlu village, before culminating at the APMC Yard in Shikaripura. Responding to a question, the minister asserted that he was committed to ensuring the defeat of Shikaripura MLA and state BJP president BY Vijayendra in the next Assembly election. He alleged that Vijayendra had secured victory by a narrow margin. “Our target is to defeat Vijayendra in Shikaripura in the next Assembly elections. Vijayendra is preparing to launch a padayatra. Let him do so, but not against the Congress. Instead, he should undertake a padayatra against corruption, for which his father BS Yediyurappa was the architect,” Madhu Bangarappa said. 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
BJP SC Morcha threatens Statewide protest, seeks ‘White Paper’ on dalit welfare funds
The Telangana BJP SC Morcha has threatened to lay siege to Scheduled Caste (SC) Corporation offices across all districts on Tuesday, alleging that the Congress government has pursued “anti-Dalit” policies and failed to deliver on its welfare promises. The organisation also demanded the release of a White Paper detailing the utilisation of funds allocated for Dalit welfare. In a statement, SC Morcha State president Kanthi Kiran accused the government of neglecting Dalit welfare and diverting funds meant for the community. He alleged that Dalit welfare was being projected through “statistical jugglery on paper” while unemployed Dalit youth continued to suffer due to a lack of tangible benefits. Referring to statements made by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in the Assembly, Mr. Kiran said the government had claimed to allocate nearly ₹1.20 lakh crore under the Scheduled Caste Special Development Fund (SCSDF) over the 2024, 2025 and 2026 financial years, amounting to about ₹40,000 crore annually. However, he alleged that there was little evidence of the funds translating into benefits on the ground. The BJP leader also questioned the Congress’ Chevella Declaration promise to provide financial assistance of ₹12 lakh to every Dalit family. He claimed that although nearly five lakh applications had been received under the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam self-employment scheme, none had been approved or implemented so far. Mr. Kiran said the government’s failure to provide expenditure details despite three Right to Information (RTI) applications filed with the Hyderabad District SC Corporation and District Collectors had raised serious concerns. He demanded that the proposed White Paper disclose department-wise allocations from the SC Development Fund, actual expenditure incurred and the number of beneficiaries who received assistance under self-employment schemes. ‘Anti-CEC rally’ faulted Meanwhile, BJP leaders including party spokesperson N.V. Subash, vice-president B. Narsaiah Goud and Legislature Party leader A. Maheshwar Reddy condemned what they described as an “anti-Chief Election Commissioner rally” and accused the State government of misusing the police machinery to suppress the Opposition while permitting Congress-backed protests against a constitutional authority. The leaders alleged that the Congress was targeting CEC Gyanesh Kumar because it was uncomfortable with measures aimed at ensuring greater integrity of electoral rolls. Dr. Goud challenged Congress governments in various States to resign if they had doubts about the electoral process, while Mr. Reddy demanded evidence to support allegations against the Election Commission, claiming that recent clarifications had reinforced public confidence in constitutional institutions. The Hindu Bureau Courtesy : The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehindu.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
SP eyes Agra, the ‘Dalit Capital’ of UP, betting on youth and women voters to increase its vote share by 27,000 in each seat.
UP Assembly Election 2027: The Samajwadi Party is organizing a Dalit convention in Agra on November 15th. All local organizations are being contacted for this purpose. Sanjay Singh, Agra/New Delhi: In view of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, Akhilesh Yadav has set a target of increasing his vote share by at least 27,000 in each assembly seat. In this effort, the Samajwadi Party has focused on two categories of voters: women and youth, to return to power. The party is also trying to woo Dalit voters who have been drifting away from the party amid the electoral decline of the Bahujan Samaj Party in recent years. As part of its strategy to woo Dalits, the SP has decided to organize a Dalit convention in Agra on November 15th. Agra is also known as the Dalit capital of North India due to its large population of SC voters. Ramji Lal Suman touring Western UP SP National General Secretary Ramji Lal Suman said, “I am touring various districts in Western UP to invite SC voters to attend this convention. We are in contact with local SC organizations to ensure a large turnout at the convention. We will tell voters that the BJP does not care about the interests of SC voters.” Aim to reduce BJP’s vote share by 27,000 in each seat It should be noted that former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav recently announced that his party has set a target of increasing its vote share by 27,000 votes in each assembly seat. His party will work to reduce the BJP’s vote share by 27,000 in each assembly seat. This was the margin of victory in 93 seats. The Samajwadi Party aims to strengthen its booth-level organization, conduct door-to-door outreach, and reverse the narrow margins of lost seats in the 2022 elections. The SP had approximately 93 seats where the margin of victory was this close. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the SP gained an edge in 72 seats where the BJP won. The SP is aiming to maintain this lead and expand it to other assembly constituencies. Dalit Voters Up to 30 Percent Of the total 20 to 20.57 lakh voters in Agra, Dalit voters constitute approximately 30 percent, or approximately 600,000 to 6.2 lakh. This is a reserved seat, and BJP’s SP Singh Baghel was elected MP here in 2024. Will the Samajwadi Party secure Dalit votes in the UP elections? Share your opinion in the comment section. Click to comment. Edited by: Vaibhav Pandey About the Author Vaibhav Pandey is a Senior Journalist/Assistant News Editor at Navbharat Times Online. He has 18 years of experience in the media industry. Vaibhav Pandey joined Navbharat Times Online in 2018. Currently, he closely monitors news from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Courtesy: Hindi News
Aishwarya Rutuparna Pradhan: From School Struggles To India’s First Transgender Civil Servant
Aishwarya Rutuparna Pradhan, from Odisha, overcame family and social challenges to become a recognised transgender civil servant. Aishwarya publicly embraced her identity after the 2014 Supreme Court ruling. Aishwarya Rutuparna Pradhan’s journey from a small village in Odisha to public service has been shaped by education, hard work and the courage to live by her identity. Aishwarya was born as Ratikant Pradhan in Kanabagiri village of Kandhamal district. She has spoken about facing questions and discrimination over her gender identity from a young age. During her school years, comments from teachers and people around her made her education difficult at times. However, she continued to focus on her studies and her goals. From a village to higher education After school, Aishwarya moved to Bhubaneswar for higher education. She completed her postgraduate studies in Public Administration and later studied English Journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). Her college and hostel years also came with challenges. She has spoken about facing jokes, discrimination and difficult situations because of her identity. Despite these experiences, she continued her education and worked towards building a career in public service. Her mother and sister also supported her as she came to terms with her identity and pursued her ambitions. April 2014 became an important turning point in Aishwarya’s life. She began publicly expressing her identity and started wearing sarees. The decision brought questions and reactions from people around her, but she continued to stand by who she was. She later worked as a Commercial Tax Officer after clearing the Odisha Financial Service examination in 2010. Aishwarya’s story has since received attention for increasing the visibility of transgender people in government service. Media reports have described her as the first transgender IAS officer in the country. Her journey from a village in Odisha to public service highlights the role of education and determination in overcoming social barriers. It is also a story of someone who continued to pursue her goals despite facing discrimination because of her gender identity. Edited by: Priyanka Negi 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
Deb to pray at Gufa Mandir, have lunch at Dalit party worker’s home during MP visit from Sep 30
Bhopal, BJP national general secretary Biplab Kumar Deb, who was recently appointed the party’s Madhya Pradesh in-charge, will begin his two-day visit to the state from September 30 with a temple visit and have lunch at a Dalit party worker’s home before holding a series of organisational meetings in Bhopal. The BJP appointed Deb, a Lok Sabha member from West Tripura, as its Madhya Pradesh in-charge last week, replacing Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council member Mahendra Singh. The former Tripura chief minister’s first visit to Madhya Pradesh since taking up the new post comes ahead of panchayat and urban local body elections expected in June-July 2027, followed by Assembly election towards the end of 2028, party leaders said on Sunday. Deb has earlier worked as the BJP’s co-in charge of West Bengal, where the party won 207 out of 294 Assembly seats in polls held in May there, ending the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year rule. “Deb will travel directly from the airport to the famous Gufa Mandir in Lalghati area on September 30, where he will offer prayers to Budhe Hanuman. He will then have lunch at the Shastri Nagar residence of Meena Jatav, a Dalit party worker,” a BJP leader said. Deb will later visit the residence of a BJP booth president in the Kotra Sultanabad area and interact with party workers over tea, he added. In the evening, Deb will meet former Madhya Pradesh BJP organisational general secretary Kaptan Singh Solanki and state Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar before interacting with party workers at the state BJP headquarters and attending a meeting of the state core group. When Deb was Tripura chief minister, Solanki was the governor of the state. Deb also shared a close working relationship with Tomar when the latter was the Union minister for rural development and agriculture and farmers’ welfare, the leader said. The two worked together on agriculture, rural development and implementation of central schemes in Tripura, and Tomar had appreciated Deb’s working style, he said. Before leaving for Delhi on October 1, Deb will hold a meeting with state BJP office-bearers and divisional in-charges, he added. The BJP has been in power in MP since 2003, except for a 15-month period, between December 2018 and March 2020, when the state had a Congress government led by Kamal Nath. PTI LAL BNM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. Courtesy : The Print Note: This news is originally published on https:/theprint.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Man, aides booked for assaulting dalit man over tank dispute
Madurai: Alanganallur police have registered a case under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against a man and his associates for allegedly assaulting and hurling casteist slurs at a 46-year-old dalit labourer, who questioned illegal fishing and water channel encroachments in Podumbu village. This follows a direction from Madras high court asking police to act, based on a petition from Pon Marimuthu, 46, a resident of Gandhiji Nagar Colony Street in Podumbu. According to the FIR, on May 6 when PWD officials inspected the spot, Marimuthu objected to unauthorised leasing of fishing rights in two local tanks which allegedly fetched up to ₹15 lakh illicitly. He alerted PWD officials regarding water drainage and blocking of inlet channels leading to the local water bodies. Irked by this, the suspect, identified as Kumar, and his associates reportedly confronted him at a local farm garden. Marimuthu alleged that they attacked him, grabbed him by the neck, hurled caste-based abuse, and attempted to tie him up inside the farm. Alanganallur police registered an FIR on Sept 24 against Kumar and unidentified fishing leaseholders under relevant sections of BNS, along with sections of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Further investigation is underway. 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