UP: SP Focuses on Dalit Votes! A Major Dalit Conference in Agra on November 15th, Akhilesh Yadav to Be Chief Guest
Agra News: Ahead of the 2027 Assembly Elections, the Samajwadi Party will hold a major Dalit conference in Western Uttar Pradesh on November 15th at the GIC Grounds in Agra. Akhilesh Yadav will be the chief guest. Sunil Saket, Agra: Ahead of the 2027 Assembly Elections, the Samajwadi Party has intensified its efforts to strengthen its political base among Dalit voters in Western Uttar Pradesh. As part of this strategy, a major Dalit conference in Western Uttar Pradesh is being held on November 15th at the GIC Grounds in Agra. SP National President Akhilesh Yadav will be the chief guest. The party is preparing to mobilize a large number of workers and supporters from various districts of Western Uttar Pradesh for the conference. Recent reports have also confirmed the Agra conference on November 15th and Akhilesh Yadav’s presence. SP National General Secretary and Rajya Sabha member Ramji Lal Suman held a press conference on Saturday regarding the preparations for the conference. He said that from Agra, a message will be sent to politically unite the Dalit community in western Uttar Pradesh. The SP’s strategy is to strengthen the PDA (Backward, Dalit, and Minority) social equation. This effort by the party comes at a time when all major parties are busy balancing social equations for the 2027 assembly elections. “BJP is a communal party” Ramji Lal Suman, targeting the BJP and RSS, said that a large number of people in western Uttar Pradesh are opposed to the RSS’s ideology. Calling the BJP a communal party, he said that those who want to remove the BJP from power are joining the SP. He said that issues such as the rights, reservation, employment, and social respect of the Dalit community will be prominently raised through the conference. Suman accused the government of working towards weakening reservation. He also raised the issue of the lack of government jobs and recruitment through outsourcing. Referring to incidents of damage to statues of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, he claimed that 151 statues of Baba Saheb have been vandalized recently, but the government has not taken any action against them. This figure of 151 statues damaged was also recently claimed by the Samajwadi Party. A Look at the BSP’s Political Base The SP’s strategy also reflects an attempt to reach out to the BSP’s traditional Dalit base. Suman also launched a political attack on the BSP and Mayawati, and spoke of the SP’s increasing acceptance among Dalit voters. He said that the BSP’s vote share, which was 30 percent in the last two assembly elections, has now dropped to 9 percent. The choice of Agra for the conference also has a political message. The party is trying to reach out to Dalit voters in Western Uttar Pradesh and integrate the PDA equation into the election campaign. The November 15 conference will be a major public platform for this strategy. Recent reports have also described the conference as an attempt to expand the SP’s reach among Dalit voters. What did he say about the Deputy CM’s statement? Regarding the Deputy Chief Minister’s statement on Akhilesh Yadav, Suman said that he did not want to respond to the statements of smaller leaders. He said that the SP will contest the 2027 elections based on its strategy and organization, and that the Dalit conference to be held in Agra will prove to be historic. However, on the question of crowd gathering, he said that while he has not estimated the crowd size, a large influx of his workers from Western Uttar Pradesh will be expected. Edited by: Devesh Pandey About the Author Devesh Pandey works for Navbharat Times Online. He is a member of NBT’s Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand digital team. Devesh has 9 years of extensive experience in digital, web, and broadcast journalism. He joined Navbharat Times Online in May 2025. Courtesy: Hindi News
Sant Ravidas Yatra is part of BJP’s Dalit outreach program
Multi-state outreach seeks to deepen party connections among Dalit communities before key elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to strengthen its outreach among Dalit voters in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand through the Sant Ravidas Yatra, which was launched across eight states. The fourth phase of the yatra is also set to begin soon. The BJP launched the Sant Ravidas Yatra from Varanasi on July 29, the birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas, which coincided with Guru Purnima. The yatra has so far passed through states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. A key feature of the yatra is that it has received support not only from Dalit communities but also from people belonging to other sections of society. The Sant Ravidas Yatra will have a total of five phases. The first phase, the Kalash Vandan Abhiyan, was completed from July 29 to August 31 and received a strong response. The second phase was the Sant Sampark Abhiyan, under which the BJP connected around 80,000 saints, sadhus and maths across the country with the yatra. The third phase is the Samrasta Yatra, scheduled from October 5 to November 5. It will begin from Jalandhar in Punjab. The yatra is being viewed as being directly linked to the Punjab elections. The fourth phase will be the Chhatrawas Sampark Abhiyan, scheduled from November 26 to January 15. To prepare the plan for this phase, the yatra’s coordinator and BJP national vicepresident Lalsingh Arya has convened a meeting in Delhi on October 9. The fifth and final phase of the yatra will continue until February 20. Religious and cultural programmes will be organised during this period, with the yatra concluding in Varanasi on February 20. There is a possibility that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself may attend the concluding ceremony in Varanasi. Varanasi is also his parliamentary constituency. The objective of the Sant Ravidas Yatra was to connect Dalits with the BJP. Punjab has a 33 per cent Dalit population, the highest in the country, while Dalits account for around 22 per cent of the population in Uttar Pradesh. A large section of these votes has traditionally gone to Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The BJP is focusing on this Dalit vote. Sources said the BSP has continued to receive 12 to 14 per cent of the Dalit vote in Uttar Pradesh even in its weakest electoral phases. According to sources, the BJP initially planned the Sant Ravidas Yatra with Dalit voters in Punjab in mind. Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were later included in the yatra’s programme. By: Sanjay Sharma Courtesy : TSG Note: This news is originally published on https:/thesundayguardian.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
NHRC team to visit Kendrapara on October 5 over Dalit sarpanch ‘assault’
The NHRC took cognisance of the complaint and directed its registry to forward a copy to the district magistrate, and the superintendent of police seeking an inquiry and a report. KENDRAPARA: A team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will visit Kendrapara on October 5 to conduct an inquiry into the alleged assault and mistreatment of Tikhiri gram panchayat sarpanch Chameli Ojha (33), a Dalit woman, three months ago. Ojha, the sarpanch of the panchayat under Mahakalapada block, was allegedly assaulted and manhandled by police and the block development officer (BDO) of Mahakalapada on June 11 after she raised allegations of corruption against officials, according to the complaint. The NHRC team will conduct a spot inquiry and examine officials, eyewitnesses, police personnel and other persons connected with the case. The commission has informed the Kendrapara collector and superintendent of police about the visit, Collector Raghuram R Iyer said on Friday. Earlier, Human Rights Front (HRF) India chairperson, Manoj Jena filed a petition before the NHRC on July 14, alleging that Ojha had been falsely implicated in a case registered on the complaint of the Mahakalapada BDO under charges including attempt to murder, causing hurt and obstruction of a public servant. The NHRC took cognisance of the complaint and directed its registry to forward a copy to the district magistrate, and the superintendent of police seeking an inquiry and a report. The SP submitted a report to the commission on June 27, stating that three FIRs had been registered in the matter and that they were cross-cases. Ojha had earlier written to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi alleging that officials were hindering development works in her gram panchayat by withholding payments to persons who had executed tasks. In her letter, she alleged that she had gone to the BDO’s office on June 11 to request clearance of pending bills, but the BDO and others abused her. She further alleged that the police assaulted and misbehaved with her inside a vehicle while taking her to the police station. Ashis Senapati 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
SP MP discusses preparations for Dalit convention: Arrives in Pinahat for November 15th event in Agra
Samajwadi Party National General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman arrived in Pinahat on Saturday evening to discuss preparations for the Dalit convention to be held in Agra on November 15th. The MP met with local party workers and villagers to inquire about the program’s outline and arrangements. During the meeting, the SP MP urged party workers to ensure maximum participation of the public and supporters. The workers welcomed him and pledged to make the convention a success. Senior leader Harishankar Sharma, Vice President Sudhir Dubey, Ramsanehi, Sonu Tomar, Vijay Singh Pradhan, Suraj Bhan, Arvind, and Nand Kishore, along with several prominent party workers, were present. Sumit Sharma | Pinahat (Agra), Agra Courtesy: Hindi News
Ambedkar Nagar News: Dalit hospital operator stripped and beaten
Ambedkar Nagar. Police have filed a case against two accused in the case of beating, robbery, and inhumane treatment of a Dalit youth, a hospital operator, in Deoria Bazaar, Rajesultanpur. An FIR has been registered against Ankit Pandey and Raja Singh, naming them under eight serious sections, including robbery, assault, intimidation, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The investigation of the case has been handed over to the Circle Officer, Alappur. Hospital operator Siddhant Kumar, a resident of Bariyarpur, Malipur, stated in a complaint to the police on Thursday that on October 1st, at around 1 p.m., Ankit Pandey called him and invited him to the Tenduaikala underpass. Upon reaching there, Ankit took him in his car and took his car to his home, giving it to Raja Singh. According to Siddhant, upon reaching home, the two men held him hostage. He is alleged to have been stripped, beaten with a belt, and subjected to casteist abuses. The accused also forcibly snatched his mobile phone. The victim has also alleged that approximately 50,000 rupees kept in the car and the car were taken away. He has also been accused of making him lick spit. Alappur Circle Officer Jitendra Singh stated that an FIR has been registered and the matter is being investigated seriously. Based on the facts and evidence revealed in the investigation, legal action will be taken. Courtesy : Hindi News
Police cremated Dalit youth without family consent: BJP
Chandigarh: Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon alleged that Punjab Police cremated the body of Sanamdeep Singh, a 23-year-old Dalit resident of Kanoi village in Sangrur district, without the consent or presence of his family members after he died by suicide on Sept 26. “The incident reflects the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Punjab and the AAP govt’s failure to safeguard the rights of Dalit families,” Dhillon alleged. Dhillon was accompanied by Sangrur BJP district president Daman Bajwa, Sanamdeep’s brother Ravi Singh, father Paramjeet Singh, and cousin Vikramjeet Singh, who recounted the family’s version of events. “Punjab is passing through a difficult phase. We are receiving regular complaints of atrocities and discrimination against Dalits under the AAP govt. Even though Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann hails from Sangrur, such incidents continue to be reported from the district,” Dhillon alleged. Accusing the police of acting under the influence of a sitting minister, Dhillon said, “The law-and-order situation has deteriorated to such an extent that the victim’s last rites were not allowed to take place in his own village or in the presence of his family. The police cremated the body without the family’s consent and even abducted the victim’s mother.” He further alleged that the state govt had turned a blind eye to the matter and said the BJP had urged senior police officers to conduct a thorough probe. The party has also sought information regarding the whereabouts of the victim’s mother and demanded that she be reunited with her family. According to the family, Sanamdeep worked as a stone mason and had been involved in a long-standing dispute with the village sarpanch, whom they described as being associated with the AAP. The family alleged that continued pressure and harassment linked to the dispute drove him to consume a poisonous substance at his home. He later died while undergoing treatment at Sangrur Civil Hospital. Vikramjeet Singh claimed the dispute dated back to 2019 when Ravi Singh’s mobile phone allegedly fell near the sarpanch. “When Ravi approached him to retrieve the phone, the sarpanch used casteist slurs and assaulted him. Instead of acting against the sarpanch, the police later booked seven members of our family in another case to pressure us into withdrawing the complaint. Sanamdeep also spent some time in jail in connection with that case,” he alleged. The family further alleged that they had kept Sanamdeep’s body in the hospital mortuary for five days while peacefully protesting and demanding action against the sarpanch, including the registration of charges under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. “Initially, the police refused to record our statements and kept asking us to provide proof. Later, they cremated our brother without our permission and in the absence of family members,” the family alleged. Sangrur SSP Ravjot Grewal could not be reached for comment. 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
NHRC team to visit Kendrapada on Oct 5 over assault on Dalit sarpanch
Kendrapada: A team from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will visit Kendrapada on Oct 5 to conduct an inquiry into an alleged assault and mistreatment of Tikhiri gram panchayat sarpanch Chameli Ojha (33), a Dalit woman, in June. Ojha was allegedly abused and assaulted by police and the block development officer (BDO) of Mahakalapada, under which the panchayat falls, on June 11 after she raised allegations of corruption against officials, according to a complaint. The NHRC team will conduct a spot inquiry and examine officials, eyewitnesses, police personnel and others connected with the case. Kendrapada collector Raghuram R Iyer said on Friday that the commission has already intimated him and the superintendent of police (SP) about the visit. Earlier, a human rights group filed a petition before the NHRC on July 14, alleging that Ojha had been falsely implicated in a case registered on the complaint of the Mahakalapada BDO under charges, including attempt to murder, causing hurt and obstruction of a public servant. The NHRC took cognisance of the complaint and forwarded a copy to the district magistrate and SP, seeking an inquiry and expeditious report. The SP subsequently submitted a detailed report to the commission on June 27, stating that three FIRs had been registered in the matter and that they were cross-cases. Ojha had earlier written to chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, alleging that officials were hindering developmental works in her gram panchayat by withholding payments. In her letter, she alleged that she had gone to the BDO’s office on June 11 to request clearance of pending bills, but the BDO and others abused her. She also alleged that police assaulted and misbehaved with her inside a vehicle while taking her to police station. 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 youth’s ashes collected under police watch; kin released
Sangrur: Tension continued in Sangrur on Friday as the family of 23-year-old Dalit youth Sanamdeep Singh collected his ashes under heavy police deployment, a day after police took possession of his body, conducted a post-mortem and carried out the cremation amid protests. Police also released 12 detainees, including eight members of the victim’s family, even as no arrests have been made so far of the village sarpanch and three others named in the FIR for allegedly abetting Sanamdeep’s suicide. Sanamdeep, a resident of Kanoi village, died on Sept 26, a day after allegedly consuming poison. His family accused the village sarpanch and three others of harassment and had refused to allow a post-mortem until the accused were arrested. On Thursday, police forcibly took possession of the body, broke through a protest by family members and supporters, conducted the autopsy and cremated the body while detaining relatives and opposition leaders. The action drew sharp criticism from civil rights groups and opposition parties. The episode has sparked a political confrontation between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party government in chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district. Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa was denied permission on Friday to meet senior Congress leader Rajinder Singh Deepa at Central Jail, Patiala. Deepa was arrested during Thursday’s clash between police and protesters outside Sangrur civil hospital and was later shifted to Patiala jail. In a letter dated Oct 2, 2026, jail superintendent Gurcharan Singh Dhaliwal said visits were restricted to family members, relatives and legal counsel under the Punjab Prisons Rules, 2022. As Deepa had authorised only his wife and son-in-law as visitors, permission for Bajwa’s meeting request was declined, he said. After visiting the bereaved family, senior Congress leader and former cabinet minister Raj Kumar Verka accused the state government of being insensitive towards Dalits and demanded that provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act be added to the FIR. “If justice is denied to the Dalit community, followers of Baba Saheb Ambedkar across the country will make life difficult for the chief minister. The pot of sins is full,” Verka said. Defending its decision to cremate the body, police said on Thursday that the Senior Medical Officer had issued multiple notices warning that the corpse was rapidly decomposing and that, under Section 301 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), causing indignity to a dead body is an offence. Police claimed repeated notices were served on the family, but they refused to accept them due to political influence. Police said an FIR had already been registered on Sept 28 at Sadar Sangrur police station under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) and Section 3(5) of the BNS against the village sarpanch, his brother, a former panchayat member and a woman on the complaint of Sanamdeep’s father. However, police alleged that Congress leader Rajinder Deepa and other outsiders had prevented the family from agreeing to the post-mortem, insisting on arrests before the procedure could take place. According to the police, protesters turned violent when authorities proceeded with legal formalities, allegedly damaging property, using abusive language and attacking officials. Police said minimal force was used to disperse the crowd. Following the clash, City Sangrur police registered FIR No. 194 against Rajinder Deepa and three others under various sections of the BNS, including assault on a public servant, and secured 14 days’ judicial remand for the accused. Family members of the deceased who had been taken into preventive custody on Thursday were released on Friday. 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
Uproar over Dalit woman’s roadside delivery amid untouchability allegations
Rani Vanvasi, a 20-year-old pregnant woman gave birth on the roadside outside government district hospital in Bhadohi on September 29, after she was allegedly denied admission for delivery; the victim’s family also alleged that hospital staff failed to provide timely treatment and did not admit her. Uproar escalated on Friday (October 2, 2026) after a video went viral showing a Dalit woman who was allegedly denied admission at the government hospital in Bhadohi district during labour pain and forced to deliver outside the hospital in public. While the victim’s family and Opposition parties alleged untouchability, claiming feudal elements are running the government in Uttar Pradesh, the authorities said disciplinary action has been taken against personnel found guilty of partial negligence. “The family categorically alleged that hospital staff failed to provide timely treatment and did not admit due to her caste affiliation, this is so sad and inhuman that even after 79 years of independence, untouchability and discrimination prevails in government system, forcing a Dalit woman to give birth on the roadside, outside a government hospital. The feudal elements within the administrative system are emboldened by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. The fight of the Samajwadi Party (SP) for justice, equality is against such tendencies,” said Sunil Singh Yadav ‘Sajan’, the SP spokesperson. “The incident is a cruel, evil act, which is unacceptable in a civilised society,” said Ajay Kumar Lallu, a senior U.P. Congress leader. In the matter, Rani Vanvasi, a 20-year-old pregnant woman gave birth on the roadside outside government district hospital in Bhadohi on September 29, after she was allegedly denied admission for delivery. The victim’s family also alleged that hospital staff failed to provide timely treatment and did not admit her. Ms. Vanvasi eventually went into labour near the hospital gate while she and her family were leaving. Women accompanying her used saris or a sheet to provide privacy as she delivered the baby beside the road. “The victim had a hemoglobin level of around five grams per deciliter, indicating severe anemia. She was referred to a higher-level facility in Mirzapur but in the meantime the pain started. Upon learning of the incident, I immediately arrived at the scene and provided appropriate medical assistance. Currently, both the infant and mother are completely healthy and recovering at the district hospital. Disciplinary action has also been taken against personnel found guilty of partial negligence. The remaining statements were found to be untrue,” said the Chief Medical Officer of the Hospital. 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
‘100% Govt Failure’: Rahul Gandhi BASHES BJP Over Deaths Of 30+ Tribal Children In Balaghat
Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi visited Jagla village in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district to meet families of tribal children who have died in recent months amid reports of suspected infectious diseases and malnutrition. More than 30 children, primarily from the Baiga tribal community, have reportedly died in the Birsa block. Gandhi alleged that the government has failed to provide adequate healthcare, education, employment and support on issues including land rights, MGNREGA and the Forest Rights Act. He called the situation a “complete government failure” and said he would raise the issue in the Lok Sabha, including concerns affecting tribal communities across the country. 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