Mayawati Picks Nephew Akash Anand To Lead BSP Troops In Bihar Ballot Battle, Win Dalit Votes
The Bihar assignment is also being seen by political observers as Mayawati’s bid to give Akash a base to prove his worth and regain stature within the party Akash Anand, who is the BSP’s chief national coordinator, has been tasked with not only winning over the Dalit voters but also other backward castes through ‘Bhaichara Committees’ (brotherhood committees) and strengthening the party in Bihar. File pic Another Dalit outfit has thrown its hat into the ring for the battle of Bihar votes. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, considered a Dalit messiah and a four-time chief minister of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, has made her intentions clear to contest all 243 seats in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. She has entrusted her nephew, Akash Anand, with the task, once considered her successor but later fell from grace, only to be brought back into the party fold. Akash Anand, who is the BSP’s chief national coordinator, has been tasked with not only winning over the Dalit voters but also other backward castes through “Bhaichara Committees” (brotherhood committees) and strengthening the party in Bihar. Party veteran and Mayawati’s trusted aide Ramji Gautam, a Rajya Sabha lawmaker, has also been deputed to assist Akash. Both held a party cadre meeting in Patna on June 26, and since then, the formation of Bhaichara Committees has begun. BSP has made it clear that it will not ally with any party in the Bihar polls and will contest all 243 seats. Akash Anand has the onerous task of picking the right candidates for all 243 seats and putting up an impressive fight to regain his stature within the party. The BSP, which formed the government four times in UP with Mayawati as the chief minister, has had a continuous downfall since 2012. The BSP has only one MLA in UP right now. The party peaked by winning five assembly seats in the 2000 Bihar assembly polls, and since then has managed to pick up a few odd seats in subsequent elections, failing to win any in the 2020 edition. Akash Anand, once considered Mayawati’s successor, was suddenly expelled from the party by her aunt earlier this year in March. Just before that, Akash’s father-in-law and senior BSP leader Ashok Sidharth was also expelled. Mayawati had accused Ashok Sidharth of factionalism and anti-party activities. But it was her expulsion of nephew Akash Anand that shocked the political class. Mayawati said that Akash was under the undue influence of his father-in-law and running a parallel structure within the BSP. As shocking as the expulsion was, within weeks, Akash Anand publicly apologised and was swiftly reinstated by Mayawati, who appointed him as the chief national coordinator, albeit with a warning to keep away from party affairs in UP and his father-in-law. Akash had then stated that he would devote his life to the party and that Mayawati was the supreme leader. Since then, he has been keeping a low profile and maintaining a distance from his father-in-law. On June 26, he was sent by Mayawati to the Bihar party workers’ meeting, and this would be his first big assignment since the comeback. The Bihar assignment is also being seen by political observers as Mayawati’s bid to give Akash a base to prove his worth and regain stature within the party. With union minister Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM also vying to consolidate Dalits behind them in Bihar, it would be a challenging task for Akash Anand. Reported By : Manmohan Rai Edited By : Pathikrit Sen Gupta Courtesy : News18 Note: This news is originally published on https:/news18.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
NHRC seeks government report on dalit torture in Ganjam
On June 26, the two SC persons were beaten up, forced to eat grass and drink drain water by some people belonging to other communities, on suspicion of illegal cattle smuggling in Ganjam district. BHUBANESWAR: The NHRC on Wednesday asked the state government to submit a detailed report in connection with the brutal torture of two dalit men over illegal cattle smuggling suspicion in Ganjam district. Taking suo motu cognisance of a media report, the apex human rights panel issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police directing them to submit report on the action taken in this matter within two weeks. On June 26, the two SC persons were beaten up, forced to eat grass and drink drain water by some people belonging to other communities, on suspicion of illegal cattle smuggling in Ganjam district. Their mobile phones were snatched and their heads forcibly tonsured. The Commission observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights. “The report is expected to include the action taken against the perpetrators and compensation, if any, provided to the victims,” the order stated. The incident led to nation-wide outrage after its video went viral on social media. Police have arrested nine persons so far. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Deported 45 days ago, transperson from Bangladesh slips back into Delhi — ‘to be with live-in partner’
Sources in the police said that Khan, despite being handed over to Bangladeshi authorities, did not return home in May A team from the Delhi Police’s Foreigner Cell, which has been apprehending Bangladeshis staying in India illegally, was in for a surprise when they found that a person they had deported to Bangladesh only 45 days ago, with assistance from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), was back in the Capital. The transgender, Suhan Khan (30), was apprehended in a raid near Azadpur Mandi on Monday. During questioning, Khan allegedly said that he had returned to India to be with his friend, whom he claimed was his lover, and had been staying at Outer Delhi’s Nihal Vihar. Khan had been arrested by the same team from the Foreigner Cell on May 15, while he was found begging in the Azadpur Mandi area, sources in the police said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh said that Khan’s return to India and getting apprehended again highlights both the persistent efforts by some individuals to re-enter the country illegally and the unwavering vigilance of the Delhi Police. “This incident sends a strong message that any attempt to circumvent legal immigration processes will be met with strict action,” he added. Sources in the police said that Khan, despite being handed over to Bangladeshi authorities, did not return home in May. “He stayed for a few days in temporary shelters near the Akhaura integrated check post in Agartala and somehow managed to trespass the border again. He then took a train to Delhi and reached Nihal Vihar by bus – all in the same month of his deportation,” a source said. “Khan said he was in love with his live-in partner, which is why he came back to India,” the source added. Khan, a native of Sylhet district in Bangladesh, had initially come to Delhi 10 years ago. He had illegally crossed the West Bengal border and arrived in Delhi, where he initially worked as a daily wage labourer and later became a beggar at traffic signals. On May 15, he was deported for the first time. According to a senior police officer, the FRRO will be informed about the development. “The deportation process is handled by the FRRO. Under this, deportees or individuals staying illegally are sent back to their countries in batches or groups. The India-Bangladesh border is so porous that despite the deployment of the Border Security Force, people can still cross it easily,” the officer said. Earlier, many Bangladeshi nationals had re-entered India months or weeks after their deportation, he added. Courtesy : Hindi News
‘Bihar first, Bihari first’: Chirag Paswan reveals reason behind his Bihar poll entry; says opposition all ‘jittery’
NEW DELHI: Union minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday said that he wants to contest the upcoming assembly elections “for the sake of Bihar,” and brushed aside attempts by “jittery” rivals to block his path. Addressing a rally titled Bahujan Bhim Sankalp Samagam at Rajgir in Nalanda, the home district of CM Nitish Kumar, Chirag slammed the opposition INDIA bloc, accusing them of misleading voters. He urged people to be careful against the “false narrative” of the bloc which “alleged during the Lok Sabha polls last year that the Constitution will be under threat if Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a third consecutive term.” “They are trying to play the same trick again in the run up to assembly polls. But you must remember that the worst attack on Constitution came during the Emergency when the Congress was in power and countless young men, mostly Dalits, minorities and OBCs, had been forcibly sterilised,” said the Lok Janshakti Party president. The Hajipur MP further criticised the Congress for allegedly using minority concerns as a political tool. “Today the Congress and its allies are busy trying to present themselves as the champions of minorities by attending a rally in Patna where they are opposing the Waqf Act which had been brought for the benefit of poor Muslims. They should be asked about the Turkman Gate massacre,” he said. Chirag also took aim at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for aligning with the Congress “just for the sake of power”. He challenged him to “seek an apology from Rahul Gandhi for excesses during the Emergency, the sufferers of which include his own father (RJD president Lalu Prasad)”. He went on to attack Rahul Gandhi for “carrying a red copy of the Constitution”, accusing the Congress of sidelining Babasaheb Ambedkar while in power. “It was the government of VP Singh, supported by the BJP, in which my idol and father late Ram Vilas Paswan a minister, that Bharat Ratna was given to Babasaheb, his picture was installed in Parliament and the report of Mandal Commission, put by the Congress in cold storage, was implemented,” he said. Talking about the issue of reservation, Chirag said that the opposition keeps on raising a “false alarm.” “The opposition keeps raising the false alarm that reservation will be scrapped. Let me give you the guarantee that this is not going to happen, as long as Chirag Paswan is alive,” he assured the people. Reflecting upon his comeback to the Bihar politics, he said that it symbolised people coming back to the state after fleeing from the lawlessness during the RJD rule. “Many people are jittery that I want to come to Bihar. They are trying to know whether I will be contesting elections here. I wish to tell them, I want to contest assembly polls for the sake of Bihar. So that my dream of Bihar First, Bihari First is realised,” he said. Chirag said that even though hurdles are being placed through his way, he won’t be discouraged, adding that previous attempts to weaken him by splitting his party and creating rifts in his family had failed. He urged his party workers to spread out across all 243 assembly constituencies and campaign for the NDA’s victory with the same determination as if he himself were contesting. “You give me NDA’s victory in assembly polls. I will give you a developed Bihar,” he added. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul Gandhi to visit state on July 11
Bhubaneswar: Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge are scheduled to visit Odisha on July 11 to attend the party’s ‘Save Constitution’ event in Bhubaneswar, Congress state president Bhakta Charan Das informed on Tuesday. During the visit, the party is likely to highlight the alleged rise in crimes against women in the state. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
CM Yogi, Rahul, Priyanga & others wish Akhilesh on 52nd b’day
Lucknow: As Samajwadi Party national president and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav celebrated his 52nd birthday on Tuesday, wishes poured in for him from all quarters. UP CM Yogi Adityanath took to social media platform ‘X’ to say: “Heartiest congratulations to UP’s former CM Akhilesh Yadav on his birthday.” The leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, hailed Yadav for being a strong voice of PDA (backward, Dalits, minorities). “Best wishes to Akhilesh Yadav bhai on his birthday. May you remain healthy and happy. We will fight for justice and equality with you, shoulder to shoulder,” he said in his message. Priyanka Gandhi, too, had a similar message for Yadav, where she hailed him as a bold voice for PDA. She wished for him a long and healthy life, assuring him of her support in his fight for social justice. Yadav’s uncle Shivpal described him as a symbol of new thinking, public service and struggle. “Your visionary leadership and commitment to socialist values will give a new direction to the future of the state. May God always keep you healthy and give you continued success on the path of public welfare,” he said. Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal also congratulated Yadav. In a message on ‘X’, he wrote: “Best wishes to the SP National President and former UP CM on his birthday. May God give you a healthy and long life.” Sanjay Singh, AAP MP and the party’s UP in-charge, described Yadav as a person who was fighting for the rights of PDA and for democracy and the Constitution, while wishing him on his birthday. In his message for Yadav on social media, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin said: “May you carry forward the torch of social justice in the land of VP Singh, lighting the way for progressive politics and stand ever stronger against regressive ideologies, in the proud legacy of your father Mulayam Singh Yadav.” Others who wished Yadav included UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana, deputy UP CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, UP panchayati raj minister OP Rajbhar, Union minister Anupriya Patel, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, NCP MP Supriya Sule, and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
MP: Arson in tribal hut in Ashoknagar, bloody conflict between two sides over occupation of forest land!
As soon as the information about the incident was received, Chanderi police reached the spot and handled the situation. Later, Collector Aditya Singh and SP Vineet Kumar Jain also reached the village and inspected the spot. Bhopal. In Sirsaud village of Chanderi police station area of Ashoknagar district of Madhya Pradesh, a dispute between tribal and Yadav community over occupation of forest land on Sunday turned into a bloody conflict. During the dispute, a hut of tribal women was set on fire, due to which tension spread in the village. A tribal woman was injured in the incident, while a person from the other side has been seriously injured by an axe. Women of the tribal community alleged that former village sarpanch Suryabhan Yadav arrived with several people and a tractor to occupy the forest land. When the tribals told them to stop and not remove their hut, the Yadav side abused and assaulted them. The women say that the hut was set on fire and they were threatened to vacate the house. The tribal woman injured in the incident has been admitted to Chanderi Civil Hospital. On the other hand, information has come to light that Suryabhan Yadav of the Yadav side was hit by an axe in the stomach. He was referred to the district hospital after first aid. The Yadav side alleges that the tribal youths suddenly attacked them when they went to sow. The Yadav side also claims that the tribal women themselves set fire to the hut so that false cases could be made. A video has also surfaced regarding this claim, in which a man is telling the women that “You are setting fire yourself, I am making a video.” However, after the video, the women are seen moving away from the hut. As soon as the information about the incident was received, the Chanderi police reached the spot and handled the situation. Later, Collector Aditya Singh and SP Vineet Kumar Jain also reached the village and inspected the spot. Police force has been deployed in view of the seriousness of the dispute. On the complaint of the complainant Ajay son of Palla Adivasi (23 years), a case has been registered against 15 named and some unknown people of Yadav community under section 115(2), 296, 351(2), 191(3), 326(g) of BNS and section 3(1)(R), 3(1)(S), 3(2)(v-a) of SC/ST Act. On the other hand, on the complaint of Suryabhan Yadav, a case has been registered against 9 named and 4-5 unknown people of tribal community under section 115(2), 118(1), 296, 351(2), 3(5), 191(2), 191(3) of BNS. At present, the situation in the village is under control under police surveillance, but this incident of burning of huts and violence is raising many serious questions about the safety of the tribal community and forest land rights. Courtesy : Ankit Pachauri, Hindi News
Wife of tribal professor who wrote a letter to PM seeking ‘justice’ appeals to media: ‘Please support us in our fight against caste discrimination in MNNIT’
In her letter, Vanaja has urged the media to play the role of the “fourth pillar of democracy” and highlight the matter. Hyderabad- Media is called the fourth pillar of democracy and at a time when the hope of justice from the executive and judiciary is lost, many people consider media as their last hope and appeal for help. Nimmakayala Vanaja, wife of Assistant Professor Dr. M. Venkatesh Nayak, who wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi complaining about caste discrimination in MNNIT Allahabad (Prayagraj), has also taken such a step. She has written an open letter to media organizations and appealed to highlight her husband’s struggle that has been going on for 8 years. Dr. Nayak belongs to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community and has alleged caste discrimination, ban on promotion and administrative harassment in the institute since 2017. Dr Nayak had detailed the attempts at the institute to “deliberately ruin” her career. According to Vanaja, no action was taken despite “all evidence and documents” provided to all concerned authorities, including the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST). In her emotional letter to the media, Vanaja lamented the neglect of teachers from the underprivileged community: “When honest, hardworking ST teachers are subjected to injustice, no one listens to their voice. Despite repeated attempts by my husband to approach the media, no one came forward to highlight their struggle. If honest, dedicated and hardworking teachers like him are not given a platform to express the injustice they are facing, how can they expect justice?” She referred to earlier cases such as that of Dr Subrahmanyam Saderla of IIT Kanpur and Dr Vipin Veetil of IIT Madras, where reports of caste discrimination made national headlines. In the letter, she wrote, “This is not the first time such discrimination has taken place in premier institutes. We have seen similar cases before – Dr Subrahmanyam Saderla at IIT Kanpur, Dr Vipin Veetil at IIT Madras and many others whose painful experiences made headlines. Today my husband is facing a similar situation. Despite giving his best in education and research, he is harassed only because of his caste identity.” Institutional neglect a trend? Dr Nayak says her promotion to the post of associate professor in 2025 was deliberately withheld. Complaints to MNNIT’s SC/ST cell and the education ministry were met with no action. Allegations of “misrepresentation” were levelled by her lawyer in the Allahabad High Court. Vanaja, in her letter, has urged the media to play the role of the “fourth pillar of democracy” and highlight the matter. “After every avenue is closed, we have come to you,” she wrote, seeking media coverage to pressurise the authorities. Courtesy : Geetha Sunil Pillai, Hindi News
Prayagraj: Dalit minor girl recovered from Kerala, accused of forced conversion and terror recruitment; two arrested
15-year-old girl from Phulpur lured to Kerala, where she was forced to convert and engage in terror activities; two accused arrested Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh). A case has come to light in which a 15-year-old Dalit girl from Prayagraj district was lured to Kerala and forced to convert and engage in terror activities. Giving information about this on Monday, the police claimed to have busted an alleged radical network. According to the police, the conspiracy came to light when the teenager escaped from their clutches in Kerala and contacted her mother with the help of local police. Two accused have been arrested in the case. According to the report published in HT, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kuldeep Singh Gunawat said that on May 8, this girl was allegedly lured from a village in Phulpur area. Somehow she reached Thrissur railway station and called her mother from there. The DCP said, “The teenager was being forced to join jihadi activities. After contacting Kerala, she was brought back to Prayagraj and is currently kept in a one stop center for security reasons.” The police have arrested 19-year-old Daraksha Bano and Mohammad Kaif. Apart from them, a case has also been registered against an unknown person who had threatened the victim’s family over the phone. In the preliminary interrogation, the teenager told that the same gang was trying to recruit other minor girls by targeting them. On June 26, the victim’s mother had lodged a written complaint at the Phulpur police station that her daughter was lured and taken away. After approaching the police, she also received threatening calls from an unknown number. According to DCP Gunawat, the girl was first lured with money and introduced to some suspicious people, then forcibly converted and later pressured to join terrorist activities. According to the victim’s statement, Kaif drove her to Prayagraj Junction railway station on a motorcycle and molested her during this time. Daraksha Bano then took her to Delhi by train and then to Kerala, where she was introduced to unknown people associated with the radical network. The DCP said that the accused were working as an organised gang who were conspiring to mislead the girls and push them into anti-national and terrorist activities. The police have formed three special teams to investigate the case thoroughly, which are engaged in exposing the entire network. Courtesy : Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi News
Refusal to cut hair of Dalit students: Big action by police on centuries-old untouchability in Karnataka village!
Caste-based discrimination in Kinni Sultan village of Aland taluk, Dalit students denied service in salon. Karnataka: Police have registered a case under SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act in the case of a salon owner refusing to cut hair of students of Dalit community in Kinni Sultan village of Aland taluk in Kalaburagi district. According to the police, some students of Dalit community had gone to the salon to get a haircut on Friday. It is alleged that the salon owner refused to serve them saying that they are following the traditions of their ancestors. It is worth noting that recently incidents of refusal to cut hair of Dalits had come to light in this area. Despite having three salons in the village, Dalits have to go to Aland town 14 km away or Tadkal village 5 km away to get a haircut. Only after the police warned of strict action, the barbers of the village agreed to serve Dalit customers. Based on a complaint by a Dalit man, the police have registered a case against salon owner Premnath Shinde under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Aland taluk social welfare department assistant director Vijayalakshmi Holkar visited the village to gather information about the incident. Courtesy : Rajan Chaudhary, Hindi News