UP BJP president meets Dalit veteran to bolster outreach
Lucknow: UP BJP chief Pankaj Chaudhary met party’s former national general secretary of Scheduled Caste wing Diwakar Seth on Makar Sankranti as part of his ongoing outreach to BJP old guards for seeking organisational support. Seth, a Jatav Dalit, was associated with many senior BJP leaders, including former President Ram Nath Kovind and former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee. Seth has stayed away from party activities for the past few years due to ill health. Sources said the idea for the meeting was mooted by BJP’s SC wing functionaries amid the party’s bid to consolidate Dalits support. “The party will always be grateful to the workers who nurtured it during difficult times by dedicating their energy, time, and resources to the organisation. BJP not only remembers its workers but also stands by them like a family in their joys and sorrows,” Chaudhary said. Analysts said that by meeting Seth—a veteran Dalit leader with deep ideological roots in BJP—Chaudhary has signalled his continuity with the party’s long-standing Dalit outreach narrative. The meeting was significant in the wake of BJP’s focus on strengthening Dalit-OBC social coalition to counter the opposition’s PDA (Picchda–Dalit–Alpsankhyak) pitch which dented the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Analysts said Seth’s Jatav identity will lend resonance to BJP’s Dalit outreach. Reason: Jatavs were traditionally seen as a core support base of the BSP. Any engagement, however symbolic, with influential Jatav leaders will allow the BJP to project inclusivity and historical association with the Dalit community, which accounts for around 21% of the total voters in UP. Soon after taking charge as UP BJP president last month, Chaudhary has been meeting party veterans. He visited Ayodhya and Mirzapur to meet former UP BJP presidents Vinay Katiyar and OP Singh, respectively. Both Katiyar and Singh come from the Kurmi community like Chaudhary. 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
Transgenders in UP’s Bhadohi allege pressure for religious conversion; police order probe
Bhadohi (UP), A group of transgender people here has alleged that members of their own community pressured them to convert to Islam, police said on Thursday. Additional Superintendent of Police Shubham Agrawal said around a dozen transgenders came to the Suriyawan Police Station Wednesday evening and accused their guru, Manju Haji, and others of forcing them to embrace Islam. Agrawal said a dispute initially arose over territorial rights to alms. On January 7, a transgender, Bijli, filed a complaint alleging that Manju Haji and another transgender, Lal Chand alias Pooja, were threatening her for seeking alms in the area assigned to her. Station House Officer Manish Dwivedi called both sides for talks on the same day, but the matter could not be resolved, the officer said. On Wednesday, Bijli submitted a fresh complaint, alleging pressure to convert, insisting she is a Hindu. Agrawal said preliminary inquiry did not find evidence of forced conversion, but the new complaint had been handed over to Circle Officer Ashok Kumar Mishra for investigation. “Forcible religious conversion is a serious offence. If the probe establishes such acts, a case will be registered, and legal action will be taken,” he said. PTI COR KIS VN VN VN 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
Maharashtra civic polls: Rahul Gandhi accuses EC of ‘gaslighting citizens’; BJP takes ‘khandani chor’ jibe
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Election Commission of “gaslighting citizens” after claims surfaced that marker pens were used to ink voters’ fingers during Maharashtra civic polls, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election. “Election commission gaslighting citizens is how trust has collapsed in our democracy. Vote Chori is an anti-national act,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X. The issue triggered a political row after opposition parties alleged the ink could be wiped off easily, raising concerns about the integrity of the polling process. State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare rejected the allegations, saying marker pens have been used for local self-government elections in the state since 2011 and that the ink is indelible. The BJP slammed Rahul’s attack on poll body and asked if he ‘accepting defeat’ before the counting of votes ends. “Bahana brigade back! Accepting defeat before counting ends? Rahul Back to doing what he does best. Discredit , distort & disinform. Khandani chor now regurgitating claims of Thackerays. By the way what came out of allegations Rahul made on Bihar elections vote chori?” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a post on X. The BMC election, held after an eight-year gap, recorded a voter turnout of 52.94%, according to figures released by the SEC on Friday. Polling concluded on Thursday. The election for India’s richest municipal corporation was marked by allegations from the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance, which were later denied by the SEC. The previous BMC polls were held in 2017, and the term of the last elected mayor, Kishori Pednekar, ended in March 2022. The new election is expected to pave the way for Mumbai to get a mayor after nearly four years. According to the SEC, 54,76,043 voters cast their ballots out of 1,03,44,315 registered voters. The turnout included 29,23,433 men, 25,52,359 women, and 251 transgender voters across 277 wards. In absolute numbers, about 3.7 lakh more men voted than women. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the controversy, alleging the opposition was preparing excuses for an expected defeat. “The Election Commission has used marker pens several times in the past. I feel some people are preparing to blame something for the result tomorrow,” he 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
Dalit’s Land Encroached Upon by Thugs in Jalalabad: Victim Files Complaint with CO, Investigation Ordered
In the Jalalabad tehsil area of Shahjahanpur, a Dalit man’s land has allegedly been forcibly occupied by local strongmen. The victim has filed a complaint with the Circle Officer (CO), who has ordered an investigation into the matter. Rohit Kumar Valmiki, a resident of Barua village in the Madnapur police station area, stated in his application to CO Ajay Kumar Rai that he had purchased 0.401 hectares of land out of a total of 0.535 hectares in plot number 964 in Barua village through a sale deed and was in possession of it. He alleges that a man named Dhirendra Singh, son of Satyapal, fraudulently registered his name on the land. Attempted Forcible Occupation According to Rohit Kumar, recently Dhirendra Singh, along with several accomplices, arrived at his land with a bulldozer and illegal weapons and attempted to forcibly occupy it. When Rohit Kumar and his sons reached the spot and tried to stop them, Dhirendra Singh and his associates allegedly launched a life-threatening attack on them. They also hurled caste-based abuses and threatened to kill them. The victim, Rohit Kumar Valmiki, has appealed to the Circle Officer for justice. Considering the seriousness of the matter, Circle Officer Ajay Kumar Rai has directed the concerned police station to investigate and take necessary action. Ram Niwas Sharma | Jalalabad Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit Youth Beaten Up in Ayodhya, Allegations of Extortion: Case Not Registered Even After Victim’s Complaint, SHO Says Investigation Underway
A serious case of a Dalit youth being beaten up in Ayodhya’s Amaniganj area for refusing to pay extortion money has come to light. The tractor driver and his Dalit assistant allege that they were demanded Rs. 10,000, and when they refused to pay, they were assaulted. The incident took place near Baba Khaki Das Dharam Kanta on the Amaniganj-Milkipur road near Nandoli village in the Khandasa police station area. According to the victim, their tractor was stopped by a Bolero vehicle, and money was demanded. When they refused to pay, the Dalit youth was severely beaten and his clothes were torn. The victim has filed a complaint with the local police. The police said that they have received complaints from both sides in this matter. The preliminary investigation has revealed that there was a scuffle, and allegations of extortion have also surfaced, which have been corroborated by the statements of several people. The victim’s side has alleged that a woman and her two associates assaulted them. There is also talk in the area that the said woman and one of her associates are of a criminal nature and have previously been to jail in criminal cases. However, the police have not yet officially confirmed this. Local people are also discussing that widespread extortion is being carried out in the area by two alleged journalists and a person with a criminal background. This has created an atmosphere of fear among village heads and other elected representatives. People say that these people reach anywhere and exert pressure, and there are also complaints of them threatening and extorting illegal gains in the name of inspecting the area’s cow shelters. Station House Officer Surendra Kumar Sonkar said that Sub-Inspector Rajendra Prasad is thoroughly investigating the entire incident. Further legal action will be taken after the investigation is complete. Courtesy: Hindi News
Court orders FIR against 5 for ‘bid to rape’ 16yo Dalit girl
Pilibhit: Following directions from the court of additional district and sessions judge, a case was registered against five men for allegedly wrongfully restraining, molesting and attempting to rape a 16-year-old Dalit girl while she was returning home late at night from a village fair in Pilibhit on Nov 6 last year. “After hearing my sister’s screams for help, some residents rushed to the spot and rescued her. The accused, aged between 19 and 24 years, fled after local residents arrived but not before threatening to rape her in future,” the girl’s brother said. The brother told the court that when he approached the police station, the cops took his and his sister’s thumb impressions on blank papers. And instead of taking legal action against the accused, police charged his two cousins under BNS sections 126 (wrongful restraint) and 135 (assault or criminal force used to wrongfully confine a person) and sent them to jail. He said he later sent a fresh complaint to the superintendent of police by registered post but received no response, after which he sought court’s intervention in the matter. SHO Brijveer Singh said on Wednesday, “In compliance with the court’s orders, the five named accused have been booked under BNS sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 74 (criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 3(5) (criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention), and 351(3) (criminal intimidation).” Meanwhile, the complainant alleged that despite his sister being assaulted and insulted with caste-based slurs, police failed to invoke appropriate sections of the Pocso Act or the SC/ST Act in the FIR. When asked why sections of the Pocso Act and the SC/ST Act were missing from the FIR, the SHO said, “The appropriate provisions would be added once the police receive documents verifying the girl’s age and caste.” 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
Transgender League Gathers Pace as Jamshedpur FC’s Inclusive Football Initiative Expands
Jamshedpur: The Transgender League organised by Jamshedpur FC under its grassroots programme, the Jamshedpur Super League, continued to build momentum as the third match week concluded, highlighting growing participation, improved competitiveness, and increasing community engagement. A Platform Beyond Football For many participants, the league is more than a sporting competition. It offers visibility, dignity, and a rare opportunity to play organised football in a safe and respectful environment. Players have spoken about how the initiative has boosted confidence and encouraged members of the transgender community to step onto the field without fear or hesitation. Rising Confidence on the Pitch As the league enters its third week, teams are showing better coordination and sharper gameplay. The improvement reflects regular match exposure and a growing sense of belonging among players, many of whom are experiencing structured competitive football for the first time. Community-Driven and Inclusive The Transgender League has emerged as a strong community-led effort, supported by organisers, volunteers, and local football stakeholders. By ensuring continuity week after week, Jamshedpur FC has underlined its long-term commitment to inclusion and grassroots development. Part of a Broader Grassroots Vision Introduced within the Jamshedpur Super League framework, the Transgender League reflects the club’s wider philosophy of “football for all”. The initiative has gained recognition as one of the few dedicated football leagues for the transgender community in India, demonstrating how sport can break social barriers and foster inclusion. Teams, Players and Format The league features seven teams—Jamshedpur FT, Chaibasa FC, Chakradharpur FC, Jamshedpur Indranagar FC, Noamundi FC, Saraikela FC and Kolhan Tiger FC—comprising around 70 players from diverse backgrounds. Participants include Tata Steel employees, daily-wage labourers, small business workers and aspiring footballers. Played in a five-a-side format, the competition consists of 42 fixtures in total, with each team scheduled to play 12 matches, ensuring equal opportunity and sustained engagement throughout the season. Courtesy : The Avenue Mail Note: This news is originally published on https:/theavenuemail.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Even if effort fails … ‘: DK Shivakumar shares cryptic post after meeting Rahul Gandhi
BENGALURU: Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar shared a cryptic post on Wednesday after his meeting with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. In the post on X, he said: “Even if the effort fails, the prayer does not fail.” The post follows a brief, exclusive interaction between Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Shivakumar at Mysuru airport on Tuesday, which triggered fresh speculation over a possible change of guard in the state, even as chief minister Siddaramaiah insisted there was no discussion of politics. Rahul, on his way to Gudalur in Tamil Nadu, arrived at Mysuru’s Mandakalli airport around 2pm on a special flight. He was received by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who had earlier flown together to Mysuru. Within minutes, Rahul left by helicopter for Gudalur, while the Chief Minister and his deputy exited the airport separately. Later, when Rahul returned to Mysuru ahead of schedule on his return to Delhi, Shivakumar reached the airport early and had a three-minute one-on-one conversation with the former AICC chief on the tarmac. Siddaramaiah joined them subsequently, after which Rahul interacted briefly with both leaders before leaving on a special flight around 5.45pm. The exclusive exchange between Rahul and Shivakumar, coming amid sustained speculation over a possible change of guard in the state, sparked renewed political buzz. Shivakumar also shared pictures of the meeting with reporters. However, neither he nor Siddaramaiah addressed the media. Earlier, Shivakumar was present when Mysuru city police presented a guard of honour to Siddaramaiah but stayed away when the Chief Minister spoke to reporters. Shivakumar later left for a star hotel in the city, where he briefly stayed while awaiting Rahul’s return. Siddaramaiah went to his residence in Ramakrishna Nagar. Asked about the meeting later, Siddaramaiah said, “It is the media which is speculating a change in CM, but there is no confusion or issues between Shivakumar and me. Some MLAs have spoken without knowledge. Only Shivakumar and I can speak on this. A decision on a change, if any, will be taken by the party high command and we both will abide by it.” To avoid a repeat of scenes witnessed during AICC general secretary KC Venugopal’s visit to Mangaluru airport last month — where supporters of the CM and Shivakumar shouted slogans backing their leaders for the CM post — Congress and police decided to bar party workers from entering Mysuru airport on Tuesday. 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
Rahul Gandhi’s support for Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’: Message to DMK or push for new coalition with TVK in Tamil Nadu?
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi’s strong support for actor-politician Vijay after delay in censor certification for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief’s film ‘Jana Nayagan’ has set tongues wagging about a possible political realignment in poll-bound Tamil Nadu. ‘Jana Nayagan’, which is widely publicised as Vijay’s final film before his full-fledged entry into politics, was slated for a Pongal release on January 9. However, the film ran into last-minute hurdles after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) did not issue certification in time. Rallying behind Vijay, Rahul attacked the Centre and said the I&B ministry’s “attempt to block” ‘Jana Nayagan’ was an attack on Tamil culture. He also targeted the Prime Minister and said: “Mr Modi, you will never succeed in suppressing the voice of the Tamil people.” The TVK has been quick to acknowledge Rahul’s support as a “friendly gesture.” While the Tamil Nadu Congress has denied any “political motive” behind Rahul’s gesture, the fact remains that this comes at a time when the grand-old-party’s ties with its old ally DMK has been tense over demands of power sharing. The DMK and the Congress have been partners in Tamil Nadu for long and have contested several elections together, but the grand-old party has not been a part of the DMK government in the state. The Congress wants that to change now. When Congress MP Manickam Tagore said the time has come to move beyond seat-sharing and initiate discussions on the sharing of power, he was echoing the sentiments of a section of the party. However, this “power sharing” proposal was nipped in the bud by the DMK. Ruling out any scope for coalition government, senior DMK leader and state minister I Periyasamy said: “There had never been a coalition government. The state had all along been helmed by the DMK on its own. There is no doubt about this stand of the party, there will be no coalition government and the chief minister is firm on this stand.” So, what should the Congress do? Continue with this arrangement that has been in place for years or chart a different course with a new ally? The politics of Tamil Nadu has traditionally been bipolar between two arch political rivals – the DMK and the AIADMK. However, 2026 could be different. There’s a third regional player in the fray. The entry of actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, fondly known as Thalapathy Vijay, has made the upcoming electoral contest interesting. Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has already made an impressive start giving jitters to the two established regional players. Vijay is confident that his TVK will script history in the elections – just as it had happened in the 1967 and 1977 assembly elections in the state. The DMK had won for the first time in 1967 while the AIADMK won elections a decade later. While the TVK has not opened its alliance cards, Vijay has made it clear several times that his party will not join hands with either the DMK or the BJP. The actor-politician had also said that if there were any alliance in the future, it would be led by the TVK and opposed to both the DMK and the BJP. It is in this context that Rahul Gandhi’s support for Vijay has raised interest. Already there have been speculations about a tie up after TVK’s national spokesperson Felix Gerald had called the Congress a “natural ally.” “The Congress and TVK are natural allies in terms of secularism and their stand against communalism. In that sense, we have always been natural partners. Rahul Gandhi and our leader are also friends,” Gerald had said. Adding fuel to this fire was senior Congress leader and head of the party’s Data Analytics Unit, Praveen Chakravarty, who later met TVK leader Vijay. Which brings us to the question: Is the Congress seriously considering a third front in Tamil Nadu under the leadership of Vijay or is the grand-old party using Vijay’s party to bargain “power sharing” deal and extra seats with the DMK? Perhaps, we may have some answers on Congress’s future course of action in the state after Rahul’s meeting with senior state leaders in Delhi on Jan 18 and 19. 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
Rahul wants Tamil Nadu govt to be a coalition, claim Congress netas
CHENNAI: Rahul Gandhi has endorsed the demand for power sharing in Tamil Nadu, two Congress functionaries told TOI. They said Rahul, who was in Gudalur on Tuesday, raised the matter in a casual conversation with TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai in the presence of Nilgiris MP A Raja of DMK, who reportedly replied that CM and DMK supremo M K Stalin would decide on the matter. TOI could not confirm it with Raja. “Rahul wondered why DMK was not accepting the idea of power-sharing when (PM Narendra) Modi is okay with it at Centre and N Chandrababu Naidu has done it in Andhra Pradesh,” said a Congress politician, who claimed to be privy to the conversation. He said Rahul referred to the “unconditional” support Congress had extended to M Karunanidhi in 2006 when DMK with 96 MLAs, didn’t have the majority to form govt. Another source, an AICC member, said he “was told” about Rahul being upset about DMK’s silence on Congress’s demand for three cabinet berths (as TOI reported last week). “Rahul is said to have directed Selvaperunthagai to convince DMK, and Raja, who was present, said his ‘Thalaivar’ (Stalin) would decide on power sharing,” he said. Rahul, after an event at a Gudalur school on Tuesday, travelled to the helipad in a car with Raja, Selvaperunthagai and AICC member Girish Chodankar. 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