BJP plans to boost Dalit, women representation in UP cabinet, org
Lucknow: Amid speculations of expansion of the Yogi cabinet and rejig in UP BJP organisation, the spotlight has come on Dalits and women, the two key electoral blocs that play a key role in determining the fate of parties. The development is significant even as BJP plans to step up its social coalition to counter the PDA plank of the Samajwadi Party and its ally Congress in the run-up to this year’s panchayat elections and 2027 UP polls. A senior BJP functionary said the party plans to elevate a Dalit face in the Yogi cabinet to mobilise the SC community. The state cabinet currently has 9 Dalit ministers — 2 cabinet (Baby Rani Maurya and Anil Kumar), 2 state ministers with independent charge (Gulab Devi and Asim Arun), and 5 state ministers (Dinesh Khatik, Sanjiv Gond, Manohar Kori, Suresh Rahi and Vijay Laxmi Gautam). Dalit ministers thus make up a little over 16% of the total strength of the council of ministers, comprising 54 members. This is relatively lower given the fact that SCs account for 21% of the UP population. Sources said cabinet expansion—up to a limit of 60 ministers—may see weightage being given to Dalits. The party think tank believes that the existing representation did not fully translate into political traction, particularly among non-Jatav Dalits and first-time voters, especially during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP tally plunged from 62 to 33. The talk of promoting a Dalit face, sources said, may not just be an addition, but also a possible upgrade in visibility, portfolio weight, or political positioning—a move designed to counter the SP’s attempt to mobilise the Dalit-OBC by heightening their grievances. Likewise, BJP’s organisational unit in UP also contemplates playing a Dalit card to blunt the opposition’s increasing aggression vis-a-vis the narrative of social justice. The move will attain significance days after the BJP appointed Union minister and 7-time MP Pankaj Chaudhary, a Kurmi, as the new UP BJP chief. Organisationally, 8 out of 45 members in the state unit are Dalit. This is a little over 17%, numerically, leaving room for induction of more Dalit faces. Experts said unlike the cabinet, organisational changes have a deeper and long-lasting electoral impact. More Dalit functionaries at the state level can improve the cadre-level messaging, booth management and grievance redressal, especially in the rural and semi-rural pockets where panchayat polls are due soon. Focus on Dalits, sources said, will also be crucial during the appointment of party functionaries as members of boards and corporations, besides nomination as members in the municipal corporations. Experts said the possibility of women also gaining the spotlight will serve the purpose of reinforcing the BJP’s governance narrative around welfare delivery (Ujjwala, PM Awas, Mission Shakti, etc.), which has widely resonated with women voters in recent elections. 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 minor girl abducted, village youth accused: Previously accused of molestation, police register case
A case of abduction of a minor Dalit girl has come to light from the Sheeshgarh police station area of Bareilly. It is alleged that a young man from the same village lured the girl away. Based on the complaint of the victim’s mother, the police have registered a case against the accused and started an investigation. In her complaint to the police, the woman stated that Ajay (son of Lekhraj) from the village had been harassing her 15-year-old daughter for a long time. He would make obscene comments to her whenever she passed by. A complaint had been filed at the police station earlier regarding this matter, after which the accused had promised not to repeat the mistake and a compromise was reached. The victim’s mother also alleged that Narendra and Chhotu from the village provided protection to the accused Ajay. Ajay would often sit at their house and molest and harass the girl. According to the complaint, on the night of January 10, around 2:00 AM, when the girl’s parents returned from Delhi, their children were asleep. Upon waking up in the morning, they found their minor daughter missing. After questioning the villagers, it was learned that the accused Ajay had lured the girl away. When the victim’s parents went to the accused’s house to inquire, the accused’s family members misbehaved with them and tried to evade the matter. The mother has expressed apprehension that her daughter’s life and honor are both in danger. She has demanded that the police administration recover her daughter safely as soon as possible and take strict action against the accused. Sheeshgarh Police Station Inspector Harendra Singh said that a case has been registered against three people, including the accused youth, based on the victim’s complaint. The girl will be recovered soon. Sunny Goswami | Mirganj Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit Student Beaten While Returning from School: Dozen Youths Attack with Rods, Sticks, and Belts in Sakaldiha
A Dalit minor student was brutally beaten by a dozen youths while returning home from school in the Sakaldiha police station area of Chandauli. The incident occurred around 2:30 PM on Tuesday near the Bhojapur railway crossing. The victim’s father, along with villagers, reached the police station and filed a written complaint against half a dozen youths, including a known history-sheeter. Lakshmi Narayan Gautam, son of Pancham Ram, a resident of Barthi village in Sakaldiha police station area and currently serving in the CRPF, is an 11th-grade student at Dr. Ambedkar School in Bhojapur. On Tuesday, after school was dismissed, as Lakshmi Narayan was returning home, he was surrounded by about a dozen youths near a garden in Bhojapur village on the Bhojapur-Chaturbhujpur road. It is alleged that the attackers, with their faces covered, attacked the student with belts, sticks, and rods, causing him to fall to the ground. Lakshmi Narayan sustained serious injuries to his back and hands, where marks from the sticks, rods, and belts are clearly visible. Fellow students who came to his rescue were also severely beaten by the attackers. The broad daylight assault caused panic in the area, and passersby were terrified. The victim’s father, Pancham Ram, said that his son had recently been in a motorcycle accident in which he broke his arm. He had not yet recovered from that injury when this attack occurred. Pancham Ram has filed a complaint at the police station demanding strict action against the accused. In this regard, Sakaldiha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Dilip Srivastava said that a police team has been dispatched to the spot to apprehend the accused as soon as the information was received. Gyanendra Kumar Singh | Sakaldiha, Chandauli Courtesy: Hindi News
Why the 16-year campaign to rename Marathwada University after BR Ambedkar still matters
The annual commemoration of the struggle on January 14 enables Dalits to gain a political education from their lives, rather than relying on theoretical models. Why the 16-year campaign to rename Marathwada University after BR Ambedkar still matters The Namantar Shahid Smarak in Aurangabad. | JAIBHIM5, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Standing on the Indora Bridge in Nagpur, one can catch a glimpse of the Namantar Shahid Smarak – a memorial to 27 Dalit activists who were killed during the 16-year Namantar Andolan that started in 1978 to have Marathwada University renamed after BR Ambedkar Not surprisingly, some members of the upper castes and land-owning feudal classes in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region opposed this demand for a gesture that would pay tribute to the architect of India’s Constitution for leading the struggle for equality and his efforts to democratise education. Among them was Shiv Sena head Bal Thackrey. “Gharat nahi peeth ani magtay vidyapeeth,” he sneered. You don’t have a loaf of bread to eat, but you want a university. Significant markers of the movement included the Long March in 1979, which set out from Nagpur for Aurangabad, 470 km away; the Jail Bharo Andolan to court arrest between 1978 and 1994; and several attacks on protestors by feudal-caste groups that opposed the name change. This movement also helped shape the course of a Dalit literature. The struggle ended with a compromise on January 14, 1994, to rechristen the institution as Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University. To remember the sacrifices made by the Dalit protestors and to advance the effort to create an egalitarian society based on the principles of humanity, the struggle is commemorated across Maharashtra with key events in Aurangabad (now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) and Nagpur on that date each year. The annual event offers hope and opportunities for Dalit politics by connecting with the idea of “true politics” that gives a voice to those who are marginalised, making them active participants instead of mere subjects who must conform to the dictates of the state and society. This true politics supports the discourse of natural rights, equality and intellectual freedom, empowering Dalits to express dissent. Commemorations such as this one enable Dalits to gain a political education from their lives, rather than relying solely on theoretical models. During the 16-year struggle, the opposition to the Namantar Andolan brought into the open the deep-rooted feudal and caste nexus that had permeated society and politics in Marathwada and Maharashtra in general. It also laid bare the “politics of humiliation” being practised by these groups, undermining the demand by Dalits for dignity and respect. The Andolan was a response to these Brahmanical power structures. It was a “rejection of rejection”, as political scientist Gopal Guru has described the process. The government and dominant groups have established a “mnemonic hegemony”, or the power to shape how history is told and which is sidelined. The Namantar Aandolan challenged the power of feudal caste groups to dictate history by asserting its own “mnemonic sovereignty”. The justified demand to rename the university to Dr Ambedkar University reflected a fairer version of history that had been sidelined by the feudal upper-caste groups. Dalit students began using the name “Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar University” in their official correspondence even before their demand was granted. They started their own journals and media platforms to communicate their version of events, avoiding mainstream media platforms that were biased in favour of the elite. The Andolan employed creative methods of storytelling – for instance, using protest songs that shared its struggles and documented the violence perpetrated by both state and non-state actors. The Andolan’s Long March of 1979 made the fight against caste injustice visible. The movement revived the memories and spirit of the Dalit Panther, a militant organisation founded in 1972, inspired by the Black Panther movement in the US. The Andolan, which began as the Namantar Andolan, culminated not with a name change but a name extension – a namvistaar. It revealed the state’s apathy towards Dalit claims for dignity, as well as the state’s tendency to protect the feudal caste-class nexus. But there were crucial victories. The Andolan had encouraged solidarity between various Dalit sub-castes. For instance, Pochiram Kamble, who is commemorated in the Nagpur memorial, belonged to the Mang community in a struggle where Mahars (the sub-caste to which Ambedkar belonged) were in the majority. Also commemorated on the memorial is Abdul Sattar, marking the shared history of hardship and oppression between Muslims and Dalits. As a young person wondering whether Viksit Bharat has a place for Dalits or if the community is being used as pawns in Hindutva’s battle against minorities, January 14 is an opportunity to look back on a crucial campaign and try to understand the crucial lessons that Marathwada’s Namantran Andolan offers to navigate a course for Dalit true politics as it embraces the future. Nikhil Sanjay-Rekha Adsule is a senior research scholar at IIT-Delhi. His X handle is @beingkhilji. Nikhil Sanjay-Rekha Adsule Courtesy : Siasat Note: This news is originally published on https:/thesiasatdaily.in/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit farmer dies after assault by neighbour in Kanpur Dehat; six arrested
A 50-year-old Dalit farmer died after being allegedly beaten by his neighbour and his relatives in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur Dehat district, police said on Monday. Six people, including the main accused and his wife, have been arrested in connection with the case, The Indian Express reported. The deceased, identified as Devkinandan Paswan, succumbed to his injuries on Monday evening. His wife, Mamta, who was also injured in the attack, is currently undergoing treatment. According to the police, the incident occurred on Sunday evening in Malikpur village when the accused, Govind Singh, allegedly arrived at Paswan’s house in an intoxicated state and began abusing him over a minor issue. When Paswan and his wife protested, a heated argument broke out. Police said Singh’s wife, who was present at the spot, then called her brother and other relatives from the neighbouring Kanpur district. The group allegedly assaulted Paswan and his wife, leaving both seriously injured. When Paswan’s daughter, Gomti, tried to record the incident on her mobile phone, the accused allegedly snatched the phone and threw it away, police said. After receiving information, police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital. Due to the severity of their injuries, they were later referred to a hospital in Kanpur. Paswan’s condition continued to worsen, and he eventually died during treatment. Gomti later filed a complaint at Shivli police station against Singh, his wife, and some unidentified relatives, following which an FIR was registered for assault and other charges. Police said that after news of Paswan’s death spread in the village, the accused tried to flee, prompting raids to trace them. “We have arrested six persons, including those named in the FIR and their relatives. After Paswan’s death, the case has been converted into murder,” said Praveen Kumar Singh, Station House Officer of Shivli police station, adding that all the accused would be produced in court on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a heavy police force has been deployed in the village, which has a mixed population, to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident following the killing. Earlier in April, in a shocking incident in Isota Lohagpur village under Karchhana tehsil in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district, a 35-year-old Dalit farmer, Devi Shankar, was allegedly murdered by upper-caste Hindu men, who later partially burnt his body in an orchard, police said. Courtesy : Maktoob Media Note: This news is originally published on https:/maktoobmedia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit Woman Raped After Accused Conceals His Religious Identity, Obscene Videos Made: Repeated Sexual Exploitation Through Blackmail, FIR Registered on Court Order
A case of sexual exploitation of a 22-year-old Dalit woman by concealing religious identity has come to light in the Garhmukteshwar police station area. It is alleged that the accused hotel owner gained the trust of the woman and her family by identifying himself as a Hindu, then drugged her, raped her, and made obscene photos and videos to blackmail her. Through this, the accused repeatedly sexually exploited the woman. The victim stated that about eight months ago, two young men came to her house to buy a buffalo. The deal did not go through, but they kept coming back to her house. One of these men introduced himself as Ajay Kumar and a hotel owner. The accused said he needed an employee to work at the hotel counter and arranged a job for the woman’s mother at a salary of Rs. 15,000 per month. It is alleged that after taking the woman to the hotel, the accused gave her a narcotic substance. While she was unconscious, he raped her and made obscene photos and videos. Fearing social stigma and disgrace, the woman did not share this with anyone and stopped going to the hotel. After some time, the accused called and revealed that his real name was not Ajay, but Yunus. He threatened that if she did not comply with his demands, he would make the photos and videos go viral on social media. After this, the accused called the woman to different places and raped her several times. The victim alleged that when she resisted, the accused would use casteist slurs and verbally abuse her over the phone, mentally harassing her. Police Station In-charge Inspector Devendra Singh Bisht said that on the orders of the court, a case has been registered against Yunus, a resident of Mohalla Madrasa in Garhmukteshwar city, under serious sections including rape, threats, blackmail, and the SC/ST Act. The police are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. Shahrukh Khan | Garhmukteshwar Courtesy: Hindi News
Telangana CM Reddy suggests co-opting transgender persons as corporators in civic bodies
Hyderabad, Jan 12 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday suggested to his cabinet colleagues that transgender persons be co-opted as corporators in civic bodies in the upcoming municipal elections to ensure their representation. Speaking at an event where he inaugurated day care centres for senior citizens, Reddy also said the state would soon introduce a law to deduct 10-15 per cent of the salary of government employees who do not take care of their elderly parents. He noted that Telangana has already provided employment opportunities to transgender persons in the Hyderabad police commissionerate and other government departments. “My appeal to my cabinet colleagues is this: municipal elections are approaching. We can nominate co-opted corporators in the corporations. If a transgender person is nominated in every corporation as a corporator, they will have representation in legislative bodies,” he said. Citing the example of minorities being co-opted as members in Zilla Parishads and municipalities, he said transgender persons could raise their issues if given membership in civic bodies. Reddy suggested that a decision on the matter could be taken at the next cabinet meeting. He said the day care centres for senior citizens being set up under the ‘Pranam’ programme are being described as the first of their kind in the country. Observing that some senior citizens are neglected by their children, Reddy said the government would introduce legislation in the upcoming budget session to deduct 10-15 per cent of the salary of government employees who neglect their parents, with the amount credited to the parents’ bank accounts. “We can say that those who are not taking care of their parents are not fulfilling their responsibility towards society,” he added. The chief minister also said the government would announce a health policy during the budget session to provide medical treatment for all citizens in the state. Referring to the caste survey conducted by the Congress government in Telangana, he claimed that the Centre “bowed to pressure from it and announced a caste census as part of the national census.” Reddy also said former Union Minister S Jaipal Reddy is an inspiration for all persons with disabilities, having excelled as a parliamentarian and leader while living with a disability. The Telangana government had earlier appointed transgender persons as traffic assistants in Hyderabad. On the occasion, the chief minister distributed retrofitted motorised vehicles, battery-operated tricycles and other aids to persons with disabilities. PTI SJR SSK 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
Defence objects to allowing new material at evidence stage in defamation case against Rahul Gandhi
Pune: The defence lawyer, Milind Pawar, on Tuesday filed a written objection before a special MP/MLA court in the city against the court allowing new material to be introduced at the evidence stage, without it forming part of the original record, in an ongoing defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of the Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, has filed the case regarding the Congress leader’s alleged defamatory speech against the Hindutva icon, in London in March 2023. The court has concluded the recording of Satyaki’s chief examination, and the case is at the stage of cross examination by the defence lawyer. The case has been posted for next hearing on Feb 6. Satyaki had earlier submitted a CD, containing the alleged defamatory speech, along with a 65B (verification) certificate under the Indian Evidence Act, but it could not be played in court due to some unknown technical reasons. At a subsequent hearing, Satyaki presented a couple of pen drives along with a verification certificate and the court allowed them to be played. The defence lawyer then orally objected to this but the court overruled the objection on the basis that Satyaki had made an oral request. On Tuesday, the defence submitted a written objection before commencing with the cross examination of Satyaki. It stated that overruling the objection was “illegal, procedurally irregular, and contrary to the mandatory provisions of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, because electronic evidence cannot be admitted, exhibited, or played without following the due procedure prescribed by law.” The defence objection stated, among other things, that the Supreme Court has consistently held that the complainant cannot be permitted to introduce new facts, documents, or electronic material at the stage of chief examination which were neither pleaded in the complaint nor disclosed earlier, as such a course would impermissibly expand the scope of the complaint, amount to filling up lacunae in the prosecution case, and cause serious prejudice to the defence. Following the filing of the written objection, and upon the request made by advocate Pawar, the court adjourned the matter for further cross examination. 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
Himachal fire tragedy: Toll rises to 10 in Arki market blaze; 9 Nepalese nationals, 8-year-old among dead
SHIMLA: The death toll in the fire at Arki market in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district was revised to 10 on Tuesday.Rahul Jain, additional deputy commissioner, Solan, said nine Nepalese nationals and an eight-year-old child from Bihar had died in the blaze that broke out in an old wooden residential building and spread to nearby shops and buildings after multiple cylinder explosions. Three more human remains were found after a 30member National Disaster Response Force team from Slapper in Mandi and a sniffer dog squad joined search operations. Jain said, “Only human remains are being found, as this was an extremely severe fire. Only one injured child was recovered on Monday, who later died in the hospital.” Three more human remains were found after a 30-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team from Slapper in Mandi district and a sniffer dog squad joined search operations at Arki market in Solan district on Tuesday. Rahul Jain, additional deputy commissioner of Solan, said a total of 10 people, including nine Nepal nationals and an eight-year-old child from Bihar, had lost their lives in the fire. “So far, we did not recover any complete body. Only human remains are being found, as this was an extremely severe fire. Only one injured child was recovered on Monday, who later died in the hospital,” he added. Jain said the rescue teams recovered two human remains on Monday and three on Tuesday, which the forensics team collected and stored for possible DNA matching later. A joint search operation involving NDRF, SDRF, the district administration, police, home guards, and fire department teams is set to resume on Wednesday morning. The Solan deputy commissioner ordered a magisterial inquiry into the complete incident on Monday. DNA samples from the deceased persons’ family members were collected, and identification of the recovered remains will be possible only after DNA results, said SDM Arki, Nishant Tomar. The police registered an FIR under Section 287 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter, said SP Gaurav Singh. Also, legal action is being taken against the damaged 4-storey old wooden building owner, Rajeev Gupta, under the Essential Commodities Act, as at least 6 LPG cylinders stored in the building exploded during the blaze. The owner was using his building’s ground and first floor for commercial purposes, and the top 2 floors were rented out to migrant labourers from Nepal and Bihar. The search operation was also obstructed on Monday due to encroachments made in the carriageway at the site, as the search teams were not able to move JCB earth excavator machines smoothly. 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
‘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