A Dalit woman was raped after entering her home under the pretext of delivering milk.
Kaushambi. Kaushambi. A woman in Kaushambi district, Uttar Pradesh, has filed a serious rape allegation against a young man. The victim alleges that the man she considered her brother, upon finding her alone at home, forced himself on her. The woman says the accused arrived at her home under the pretext of delivering milk, seized the opportunity, committed the crime, and fled. The victim has filed a police complaint demanding action. However, she alleges that despite filing a complaint, she has not received the desired action at the local level, and is now searching for justice. The accused entered her home under the pretext of delivering milk. According to the victim, she was already acquainted with the accused, Mohammad Wajid. The woman considered him her brother, and because of this trust, he would frequently visit her home. The woman alleged that on the day of the incident, the accused arrived at her home under the pretext of delivering milk. The woman was alone at home at the time. After entering the house, the accused locked the door from inside and forced himself on her. Woman alleges rape In her complaint to the police, the victim stated that the accused raped her after throwing her onto the bed. The accused fled the scene after the incident. She says she informed her family about the incident and then went to the police to file a complaint. The victim has demanded strict action against the accused. Questions raised about police action The victim alleges that despite filing a complaint, the police did not take immediate action. The woman says she has been running around authorities seeking justice. Police officials say the case is being investigated based on the complaint. They have stated that further legal action will be taken based on the facts revealed in the investigation. Action will be taken after investigation The police say that in such cases, action is taken based on the victim’s statement, medical examination, and other evidence. All aspects are being considered during the investigation. The incident has sparked widespread discussion in the area. The woman has demanded strict action against the accused and his immediate arrest. Questions about women’s safety have been raised again. This incident has once again raised questions about women’s safety and relationships of trust. The victim alleges that the man she trusted like a brother committed the crime against her. The administration is demanding an impartial investigation into the case, ensuring justice for the victim, and strict action against the accused. Shantanu Roy Courtesy: Hindi News
Dalit family attacked over two-day-old dispute: Police report alleges assault after entering home in Patti
A Dalit family was attacked in Nevaji Ka Purwa (Parsanda) village, in the Patti police station area of Pratapgarh, over a two-day-old dispute. The victim has filed a police complaint, accusing some villagers of assaulting him on the road and entering his home and assaulting his wife and daughter. Attack over old dispute Jaiprakash alias Dabbu, son of Ramchandra Pasi, a resident of Nevaji Ka Purwa, stated in his application to the police that he was on his way to get wheat ground on Saturday afternoon at around 12 noon. He is alleged to have been stopped by four or five people from another community in the village due to a dispute over water two days earlier. Beaten after knocking down his bicycle According to the victim, the accused knocked him down from his bicycle and began assaulting him. He ran for his life, but the accused pursued him with sticks and rods, reaching his home. It is alleged that they entered the house and assaulted Jaiprakash’s wife and daughter, injuring all three. A complaint has been filed against the accused. Following the incident, the injured family reached the Patti police station around 5 p.m. on Saturday evening and filed a complaint against the accused, demanding action. Police have received the complaint and begun investigating the matter. They say that further legal action will be taken based on the investigation. Shivakant Pandey | Belkharnath Dham, Pratapgarh Courtesy: Hindi News
With BSP in decline, can Congress become the new voice for dalits in UP?
By appointing dalit leader Rajendra Pal Gautam and reaffirming its commitment to the PDA plank, Congress aims to attract a major portion of the dalit vote, capitalising on the perceived decline of the BSP ON SAMAJWADI PARTY chief Akhilesh Yadav’s birthday on July 1, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did more than post a greeting on X. In his message, he reaffirmed the Congress’s commitment to the PDA plank—comprising pichda (backward), dalit and alpsankhyak (minority) communities—signalling a shared direction for the two parties and cementing the alliance ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. The Congress had already sent a political message to the PDA four days earlier by appointing dalit leader Rajendra Pal Gautam as its Uttar Pradesh in-charge. Although the state unit president heads the party organisation, Gautam—born in Delhi but with roots in UP—has stepped beyond his role and begun directly reaching out to dalits, who account for about 22 per cent of the state’s population, the state’s largest social group. Muslims make up around 19 per cent and Yadavs roughly 13 per cent, both traditionally the Samajwadi Party’s core support base. About 95 per cent of Muslims and 82 per cent of Yadavs reportedly voted for the SP-Congress alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The alliance’s challenge is to expand beyond this Muslim-Yadav base, and the most promising constituency seems to be the dalits. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, around 40 per cent of dalits voted for the INDIA bloc, while the remaining votes were evenly split between the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party. With Mayawati’s declining electoral fortunes and increasingly limited political engagement, the opposition believes a vacuum has opened in dalit politics. Political observers say many dalits shifted to the INDIA bloc in 2024 because the BSP was not perceived as effectively voicing their concerns, while the Congress successfully campaigned around the allegation that the BJP was trying to change the Constitution and weaken reservations for backward communities. The Congress now hopes for a repeat of 2024. The Constitution campaign helped the SPCongress alliance win 43 of Uttar Pradesh’s 80 Lok Sabha seats. This time, with the 2027 assembly elections heading towards a bipolar contest, the Congress believes dalit mobilisation can convert parliamentary gains into assembly seats. According to political analyst Aditya Rathi, if the Congress is able to establish itself as the party of dalits, many non-Jatav dalits, who make up around 50 per cent of the dalit population, and a significant section of Jatavs could shift towards the party. It is this possibility that the Congress believes Gautam can help unlock. Gautam belongs to the Jatav community, which accounts for nearly half of the state’s dalit population. While he may not be a widely recognisable dalit face, Congress leaders say his appointment has generated interest on the ground. “Dalits know his name because he has earlier been an activist for their cause,” said a Congress leader. If the Congress is able to strengthen its organisational structure and communication strategy, it believes it can strengthen the alliance’s position in nearly 100 assembly seats where dalits form more than 30 per cent of the population. The SP’s core Muslim-Yadav base enabled it to win 111 assembly seats in 2022. A broader dalit-Muslim-Yadav consolidation could push it beyond the majority mark of 202 seats in the 403-member assembly. The SP’s outreach has broadened to include non-Yadav OBC communities as well, apart from dalits. It is not overtly focusing on Thakurs, the community to which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath belongs. Akhilesh is seeking to expand the coalition rather than rely solely on the Muslim-Yadav bloc that has defined SP for decades. “UP is a mini India,” Gautam said. “Dalits, Muslims and Other Backward Classes account for more than 60 per cent of the state’s population and want a proportionate share, but right now only a few communities helm the affairs. Dalits have suffered for centuries.” The Congress, Gautam said, wanted to strengthen the alliance. “There is clarity that the INDIA bloc will contest together. The struggle of dalits that is going on right now can only be taken up by a national party. There is a need to take up their issues; if we won’t, then who will?” The Congress is hoping to secure at least half of the dalit vote this time. Until the early 1980s, dalits—alongside Muslims and Brahmins—were the Congress’s core vote bank in the state. The rise of Kanshi Ram and Mayawati’s Bahujan movement gradually shifted dalits to the BSP, while Muslim and Brahmin votes got dispersed among regional parties and the BJP, leaving the Congress marginalised in the state. According to Verender Guddu, former general secretary of the party’s state unit, the Congress still had a committed base that continued to support it. “In almost every assembly seat, there are 2,000 to 5,000 votes that people will give to the Congress on its name. In some seats, that number will be more than 10,000,” he said. Once dalits return to the party, the Congress believes it could attract Muslims and sections of Brahmins. That possibility presents its own challenge, though. A stronger Congress could make the SP wary of conceding too much space during seat-sharing negotiations. Santosh Bhartiya, political analyst and former Lok Sabha member, said the Congress currently lacked an organisational structure or grassroots presence to contest alone. “The party’s real focus is not 2027, but the 2029 Lok Sabha elections,” Bhartiya said. “From this perspective, whether Akhilesh wins or loses in 2027 serves the Congress’s long-term strategy, as it aims to rebuild its social coalition by bringing Muslims, a significant section of dalits and other communities into its fold.” Badar Bashir Courtesy : The Week Note: This news is originally published on https:/theweek.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Mayawati alleges Opposition using Dalit organisations to mislead Bahujan society
Congress party hit back adding the BSP chief is reading out from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) playbook and weakening the Bahujan and marginalized cause The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday (July 12, 2026) alleged that Opposition parties are engaged in misleading and misguiding the Dalit and other sections of the Bahujan society in various ways by putting forward some Dalit organizations and misleading the public through baseless promises and claims and false propaganda. Ms. Mayawati dubbed the demonstration and road blockade as political and electoral gimmicks. “As is well known that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), unlike other parties, does not believe in demonstrations, road blockade, uproar, vandalism of government and private properties and other violent incidents and misleading the public through baseless promises and claims and false propaganda etc., to achieve its political and electoral interests. The BSP, the only Ambedkarite party in the country that is completely free from all such political and electoral gimmicks and is dedicated to the welfare and well-being of the entire society, especially the poor, laborers, exploited, oppressed and neglected, following the principle and policy of ‘Sarvajana Hitaya and Sarvajana Sukhaya’, and the living proof of this is the comprehensive public interest, welfare and development of the BSP-led government in Uttar Pradesh for four times, and the ‘rule of law by law’ in matters of crime control and law and order,” wrote Ms. Mayawati, on X. The BSP president further added, “Apart from providing an ideal constitutional government in a vast state like U.P., it is also crystal clear that unlike the opposition parties and the Dalit organisations and parties working at their behest, the BSP does not indulge in politics of deceit and fraud, nor does it shed crocodile tears for them, nor does it change its colour like a chameleon for narrow selfish interests. Rather, for the real benefit and welfare of crores of Dalits, tribals, backward classes, Muslims and other religious minorities, as well as the poor of the upper caste society, it wants to achieve the great goal of ‘social change and economic upliftment’ primarily through the master key of power by following the path shown by the great saints, gurus and great men born from time to time in the ‘Bahujan Samaj’, especially Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Shri Narayana Guru, Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, the most revered Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and the Bahujan leader, Honorable Shri Kanshi Ram.” Ms. Mayawati alleged that with the elections approaching, the Opposition parties, using tactics, want to further their political interests by putting guns on the shoulders of Dalit organisations and people with a slave mentality, and by opposing the BSP and Baba Saheb’s movement. “Therefore, people from all sections of society, especially Dalits and all those from the ‘Bahujan Samaj’, need to be extremely vigilant and cautious so that the evil intentions of the opponents do not succeed,” she cautioned, adding the BSP’s real concern in this regard is that the poor, laborers, unemployed youth, etc., as well as the exploited, oppressed, and other neglected people of society, should not become victims of government hatred, oppression, and terror when they take to the streets to raise their issues. Ms. Mayawati’s comment came in the wake of the murder of Lalita Gautam, a final-year BA student, aged 20. Days later her body was recovered from a sugarcane field in the Rohta area of Meerut district. Police arrested the victim’s alleged boyfriend, Ankush, in connection with the murder. He was later released on bail. Dalit groups and the victim’s family alleged involvement of more accused in the case protested outside the Collectorate on July 8 and 9, demanding for a renewed investigation. This demonstration escalated into confrontations between the protesters and law enforcement. The police used lathi charge to break up the gathering and took seven individuals into custody, and filed cases against approximately 50 unidentified persons for unlawful assembly and attacking police personnel, among other charges, in connection with the protest. Nagina MP and Azad Samaj Party (ASP) chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad and Congress delegation attempted to meet the deceased’s family and victims of police action. Ms. Mayawati’s comment is directed at the incident. Congress party hit back, adding that the BSP chief is reading out from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) playbook and weakening the Bahujan and marginalised cause. “It seems the BSP leader is taking lessons from feudal forces. In any democratic framework, people have the right to protest publicly to raise their concerns. It is well-known that the atrocities against marginalised sections have peaked under the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh; people from marginalised sections have to take to the streets for justice. To call it wrong is illogical and shows an anti-people mentality. Congress will continue its fight for justice against any form of injustice on any group of society and people,” said Shahnawaz Alam, National Secretary, Congress. Mayank Kumar 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
Viral video from Ganjam sparks outrage; Dalit youth alleges 3 days of illegal confinement and brutal assault
A disturbing video purportedly showing a youth being brutally assaulted inside a locked room has gone viral from Odisha’s Ganjam district, once again raising concerns over alleged vigilante-style violence. A disturbing video purportedly showing a youth being brutally assaulted inside a locked room has gone viral from Odisha’s Ganjam district, once again raising concerns over alleged vigilante-style violence. The incident is reported to have taken place under the jurisdiction of Berhampur Sadar Police Station. As per the allegations, the victim is a Dalit youth from the Sadar police station area. He was allegedly confined illegally in a locked room for nearly three days, during which he was physically assaulted and subjected to severe torture. The viral video allegedly shows the youth being mercilessly beaten inside the room. Four individuals can reportedly be seen in the footage, while one of them is seen assaulting the victim. The authenticity of the video, however, has not yet been independently verified. Along with the video, a written complaint naming the alleged attackers has also surfaced on social media. In the letter, the youth claimed that his life was under threat and stated that he had submitted written petitions to the President of India, the Prime Minister, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Director General of Police (DGP), and the Ganjam district administration, seeking immediate intervention. In the complaint, the youth alleged that he was pressured to participate in illegal activities. He claimed that after refusing to comply, he was beaten, unlawfully confined for nearly three days, and deprived of food and water during the period of his alleged captivity. The allegations contained in the viral complaint and video have triggered widespread concern, with many demanding a thorough investigation into the incident. As of now, there has been no official confirmation from the police regarding the authenticity of the video or the allegations made in the complaint. Further investigation in connection with the viral video and allegations is awaited. Author Vikash Sharma Courtesy : Odisha TV Note: This news is originally published on https:/odishatv.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Moradabad: A Dalit woman was forced to convert at gunpoint; Muslim couple arrested following complaint
In Moradabad, a Dalit woman was held hostage by a Muslim couple, a cleric, and two unidentified accused and forced to convert. It is being reported that the accused husband had been harboring an evil eye on her for a long time. Police in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, have arrested a Muslim couple for allegedly forcibly converting a Dalit woman by holding her hostage. Acting swiftly on the victim’s complaint, the police filed a case against the main accused, a Muslim couple and a cleric, and arrested and sent them to jail. The cleric and two unidentified accused involved in the incident are being sought. The accused forced the woman to convert at gunpoint. The incident is reported to have occurred in the Majhola police station area. According to the FIR lodged, the victim, a resident of Prakash Nagar, had close and familial relations with the family of the accused, Sultan Salahuddin, and his wife, Mehnaz (Mehraj Begum), for the past three years. Both families celebrated all festivals together. The woman had no idea that Sultan Salahuddin had an evil eye on her. It is alleged that on February 6th, Mehraj Begum lured the victim to her home. As soon as she arrived, Sultan Salahuddin, his wife Mehnaz, a cleric, and two unidentified men took her hostage. The accused then held their licensed pistols to her head and, threatening to kill her, forced her to convert to Islam in front of the cleric. The victim told the police that after the conversion, she was put under intense pressure to marry. When the woman strongly protested, the cleric present at the scene declared the forced marriage illegal, calling it against Islam and Sharia. The main accused, Sultan Salahuddin, refused to budge and shouted, “I will keep her as my wife.” Police filed a case against the accused couple and the cleric under 10 sections. When she resisted, the accused used casteist slurs, abused her, and held her captive in their house for several days. The victim alleges that Sultan Salahuddin subjected her to obscene acts and molestation during her captivity. The victim, who somehow managed to escape, was threatened with death if she complained. It is reported that the accused, Sultan Salahuddin, has a criminal history and has previously been charged with attempted murder in Badaun district. Given the sensitivity and seriousness of the case, Moradabad police took immediate action. Police have filed a case against the accused couple, Sultan Salahuddin, Mehnaz, the cleric, and two unidentified individuals under 10 serious sections, including kidnapping, molestation, threats to kill, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act (forced conversion), and the SC/ST Act. Both main accused arrested, search continues for the cleric and two other unidentified individuals. Providing information about the case, Moradabad SP City Kumar Ranvijay Singh said that yesterday (July 11), a complaint was received at Majhola police station from a woman living in Prakash Nagar. The victim alleges that an acquaintance, Sultan Salahuddin, and his wife invited her to their home, where she was abused, molested, illegally held captive, and forced to convert to Islam. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the police have immediately registered a case under relevant sections. The two main accused, Sultan Salahuddin and his wife Mehnaz, have been arrested and are being sent to jail. Teams have been formed to arrest the cleric and two other unidentified individuals involved in the incident; they will also be sent behind bars soon. Written By: Obaidur Rahman About the author Ubaidur Rahman is a senior and active TV journalist and ground reporter for ABP News. For the past 20 years, he has been covering political, criminal, wildlife, social, cultural, and investigative news in the Moradabad division of western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Prior to ABP News, he worked at several prominent organizations. After a Bachelor of Science, he earned a Diploma in TV Journalism and Broadcasting and an Adeeb-e-Kamil from Jamia Urdu University, Aligarh. Courtesy: Hindi News
South states join hands to crack down on drug trafficking
The officials agreed to hold periodic coordination meetings and exchange intelligence to track narcotics movement and dismantle drug syndicates. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Building on the success of Kerala’s flagship anti-drug campaign, Operation Toofan, five southern states, one Union Territory and central enforcement agencies have decided to set up a permanent interstate coordination mechanism to crack down on narcotics trafficking across the region. The decision was taken at a meeting of the police brass from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry and top officers of the central enforcement agencies, chaired by Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. The meeting also decided to appoint nodal officers of SP rank or above in all southern states to facilitate real-time intelligence sharing and ensure swift action against interstate drug trafficking networks. Central agencies, including the Narcotics Control Bureau, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Customs and Railway Protection Force, will also nominate nodal officers to strengthen inter-agency coordination. The officials agreed to hold periodic coordination meetings and exchange intelligence to track narcotics movement and dismantle drug syndicates. Speaking to media after the meeting, Chennithala said the interstate mechanism would soon launch joint operations to choke major routes used for trafficking narcotics into the state. Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala unveiling a banner during the Inaugural function of Operation Toofan : The Narco Hunt the state wide anti narcitics campaign at Government Cotton Hill GHSS in Thiruvananthapuram .Shashi Tharoor MP and General Education Minister N Shamsudeen are also seen. Surveillance against online, courier services to be stepped up Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge would visit Kerala on July 15 for follow-up discussions, he said. He said Kerala Police’s specialised anti-drug unit, the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force (DANSAF), will be upgraded into a dedicated anti-narcotics task force in all 20 police districts. Headed by DySPs, the permanent units will be strengthened with additional personnel and vehicles. Two more special NDPS courts would soon be established in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam, while the Centre’s proposal to set up 10 additional NDPS courts in Kerala would also be implemented to expedite the disposal of narcotics cases, the home minister said. Surveillance and enforcement would be stepped up against online platforms, courier services and “drop” delivery models, which are increasingly being exploited by drug traffickers, he said. The government would also launch a joint crackdown by the health department and police on the abuse of prescription medicines to curb the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs sourced through medical stores. Officials from neighbouring states said Operation Toofan has already curbed the flow of narcotics into Kerala. Chennithala said the next phase would focus on sealing all major entry points, including state borders, roads, buses, trains, airports and waterways, to prevent drug trafficking. Joint action lFive southern states to establish a permanent anti-drug coordination mechanism under Operation Toofan lState and central agencies to appoint nodal officers for real-time intelligence sharing lPeriodic coordination meets and intelligence exchange to continue lDANSAF to be strengthened as a dedicated anti-narcotics force in Kerala’s 20 police districts lCentre’s proposal to establish 10 NDPS courts in Kerala to be implemented; first in T’Puram & Ernakulam lEnhanced surveillance on online platforms, courier services and drop deliveries used for drug trafficking lNext phase to target all entry routes- road, rail, air, waterways and state borders 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
Cabinet expansion: Rahul Gandhi likely to summon CM DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah & BK Hariprasad to Delhi
Shivakumar was sworn in as CM along with 13 ministers on June 3. There are 20 vacancies in the cabinet. BENGALURU: With the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, expected to return to India from his foreign tour on Sunday evening, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, his predecessor Siddaramaiah and KPCC president BK Hariprasad are likely to be summoned anytime soon to New Delhi by the Congress high command to discuss the much-delayed cabinet expansion. Shivakumar was sworn in as CM along with 13 ministers on June 3. There are 20 vacancies in the cabinet. Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah and Hariprasad are prepared with a list of their loyalists to be pushed into the cabinet, sources told The New Sunday Express. Besides the high command, including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, will have their own nominees to ensure that the party returns to power in the 2028 Assembly polls, sources added. “Cabinet aspirants are curious to know if the expansion will happen before the month of Ashada, which many believe is inauspicious. Aashada starts on Tuesday (July 14),” sources added. Meanwhile, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said that the cabinet expansion will happen soon. “The CM and AICC chief have said this very clearly. In circumstances where an emergency-like situation arises—whether it is a drought or a flood—having a full-fledged cabinet ensures that responsibilities can be assigned to everyone so that relief can be provided to people without any delay,” Priyank added. When asked if the expansion will happen before Aashada, he said, “I don’t believe in that… When giving or taking power, who looks at all that? There is no connection between the two. Our responsibility is to look after our people. As you said, whether it is Aashada or Rahu Kala, everyone has their own faith and beliefs, but it should not affect governance.” Meanwhile, Jewargi MLA Ajay Singh, son of former CM N Dharam Singh, is a strong contender for a berth in the Shivakumar cabinet. Ajay said that the high command may call the state leaders to Delhi any moment for talks. Chamarajnagara MLA C Puttarangashetty, another contender, said that the expansion may happen in a day or two or after a month when Aashada ends. Srirangapatna MLA A B Ramesh Bandisidde Gowda asserted that he deserved to be a minister. “I will also organise the party in Mandya. If I am proven wrong, they can remove me anytime”, he said. Several other MLAs, including those elected for 3-4 times, such as Ashok M Pattan, have openly staked claim. “Rahul Gandhi will come tomorrow (Sunday). He will call the CM, former CM, and the KPCC President on Monday or Tuesday. I will tell our leaders not to just look at caste, but consider seniority too. I am a senior legislator in Belagavi district and the state. I was a Congress student leader… been in the party since the days of former CM D Devaraj Urs,” he said. Trouble for Zameer? Ahead of the formation of the Shivakumar cabinet in the first phase, an audio clip leaked allegedly involving former minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan allegedly conspiring to defeat the Congress candidate in Davanagere bypolls. This ruined his chances of becoming a minister in the Shivakumar cabinet. This time around, the Lokayukta approached the Governor seeking permission to prosecute him in a disproportionate assets case. One has to wait and watch to see whether Zameer will this time make it to the cabinet or not. Devaraj B Hirehalli 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
Government cannot be formed in TN without Congress’s support: TNCC president Manickam Tagore
The Congress meeting on Saturday was organised to condemn the BJP-led government over the NEET issue. Tagore said five students have died this year due to the medical entrance test. COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B Manickam Tagore said even if the party had won five seats in the Assembly elections, it has now reached a position where a government in Tamil Nadu could not be formed without its support. “We are in a position where we are the key to the lock. This is the time for us to be magnanimous,” he said, while speaking at a Congress party meeting held at Puliyakulam on Saturday. Tagore said the functioning of the Congress party in Tamil Nadu needs to change and that a clear ideology and truth must be taken to the people. “After Vijay assumed charge as chief minister, the situation where votes could be bought with money has changed,” he said, highlighting that this is the time for Congress and the party would progress with everyone’s trust and hard work. The parliamentarian also said that the party cadre are pleased that two Congress ministers are part of the state cabinet. The Congress meeting on Saturday was organised to condemn the BJP-led government over the NEET issue. Tagore said five students have died this year due to the medical entrance test. “The level of uproar witnessed when NEET aspirant Anitha died was not seen when student Keerthana ended her life recently in Coimbatore. We are just letting it pass by unnoticed,” he said, accusing the union government of moving on as if nothing had happened. He said three parliamentarians, on behalf of the TNCC, would visit the families of students who died. He said, “We will also visit the house of Keerthana and the party will provide financial assistance.” Further, Tagore alleged that NEET question papers were leaked at 90 locations across the northern states and accused the BJP and RSS of doing it in an organised manner. He said, “NEET paper leaks occur only in BJP-ruling states, not in Tamil Nadu. If an education system pushes our children to the point of suicide, we must question it. Only if Rahul Gandhi becomes the prime minister in 2029 can NEET be cancelled,” claiming that no other party in Tamil Nadu has been voicing against the BJP in the NEET issue, out of fear. Tagore also said the BJP and RSS continue to lose in Tamil Nadu as they have no understanding of the state. “BJP thought it could win by changing the person in charge, which did not work out. Now, someone else is going to enter under the name of a different organisation,” he said, in a veiled reference to former BJP state president K Annamalai. Meanwhile, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the meeting hall after party members from the Nilgiris demanded the removal of Nagaraj, an office-bearer in the Nilgiris district party, from his post. 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
Delimitation on agenda: Revanth to brief Rahul, Kharge on T’s seat surge
Hyderabad: With the Centre expected to revive key political reforms, including delimitation and women’s reservation, chief minister A Revanth Reddy is set to hold crucial discussions with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi during the upcoming Parliament session. The meeting is expected to focus on Telangana’s political roadmap, particularly the likely increase in assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies following delimitation. The monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled from July 20 to Aug 13, and Revanth is expected to meet the Congress leadership during this period. According to sources, the chief minister will discuss the likely expansion of constituencies across the country, with a special focus on Telangana. The state is expected to see a significant increase in representation, with assembly seats projected to rise from 119 to 182 and Lok Sabha constituencies from 17 to 26. The discussions are also likely to focus on the Congress party’s electoral strategy in Telangana in the event of delimitation being taken up by the Centre. Revanth has already sought to position Telangana at the centre of the party’s national plans. Addressing a public meeting in Khammam district on Friday, he declared that he would deliver 20 Lok Sabha seats from Telangana to the Congress and help Rahul Gandhi emerge as Prime Minister. The chief minister had also played a key role in mobilising support from several opposition parties against the BJP govt’s attempt to link the implementation of 33% women’s reservation with delimitation, a move that triggered widespread political debate. Apart from political issues, Revanth is expected to brief the Congress leadership on the performance of the Telangana govt over the past 30 months. “He is expected to share with them his plans for the remaining tenure of the Congress govt in Telangana on welfare, development, economic growth, investment fronts and also on the status of the Congress’s electoral promises,” said a source close to him. During his Delhi visit, the chief minister is also expected to meet Union ministers, subject to appointments. He is likely to take up issues related to Telangana’s infrastructure and urban transport requirements, including the Hyderabad Metro Rail expansion plans. Meetings with Union ministers Manohar Lal Khattar and Ashwini Vaishnaw are expected to focus on the proposed takeover of the metro rail project and its second phase expansion. While aspirants for cabinet berths are hopeful that the Congress high command may push for filling the two vacancies in the state cabinet, sources in the chief minister’s office indicated that Revanth is not inclined to undertake a cabinet expansion or reshuffle at this stage. 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