Revanth Reddy government betrayed Dalits and Adivasis, failed to implement SC/ST Declaration, says KTR
BRS leader KT Rama Rao accused the Congress government of betraying SC and ST communities by not implementing its poll promises. He said only K Chandrashekhar Rao could restore Telangana’s progress and urged voters to reject the Revanth Reddy regime. Kamareddy: Terming the Revanth Reddy government anti-Dalit and anti-tribal, BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Friday said the government was betraying SC and ST communities by failing to implement the Chevella SC/ST Declaration, which was released by AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls. Addressing the Dalit “Atmagourava Garjana” meeting held at Kamareddy on Friday, Rama Rao dubbed the Congress manifesto the biggest lie of the century, which deceived all sections of Telangana. He asserted that only K Chandrashekhar Rao could restore the State’s progress. “KCR fought for 14 years to realise Telangana and honoured Ambedkar like no other Chief Minister, by naming the State Secretariat after him and installing a 125-foot statue in Hyderabad,” he said. The BRS working president said that while Chandrashekhar Rao implemented the Dalit Bandhu scheme to empower SCs, the Congress promised to enhance the benefit to Rs 12 lakh and came to power. He ridiculed the Congress leaders for delivering nothing after promising Rs 6 lakh for Dalit and tribal housing, 26 per cent quota in government contracts under the SC/ST Declaration. Charging the Revanth Reddy government with mismanagement, Rama Rao said farmers were denied timely Rythu Bandhu aid and loan waivers were slashed from Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore. He remarked that promises of Aasara pensions, one tola gold for brides, and two lakh jobs for youth had all proven to be empty slogans. “Gurukul schools became an abode for scores of talented students from weaker sections under the BRS regime. But today, they have become unsafe, with hundreds of students dying due to food poisoning, while Revanth Reddy spent Rs 1.35 lakh on a plate of food during a visit to Vemulawada,” he said. He rubbished Congress leaders for spreading lies about debt, and stated that only those who could generate revenue could govern effectively. While the people of Telangana benefited during the K Chandrashekhar Rao government, money was now flowing only into Rahul Gandhi’s account under the Revanth Reddy regime, he stated, urging the people to use their vote as a weapon to oust the oppressive Congress regime and ensure a BRS victory in the upcoming local body elections. Warning that only a strong mandate could bring Revanth Reddy and his officials to their senses, he promised that the BRS would continue its fight for Dalits and tribals to ensure justice. Courtesy : Telangana Today Note: This news is originally published on https://telanganatoday.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Two held for beating 3 Dalit youths in UP village
Aligarh (UP), Two people were arrested for allegedly beating three Dalit youths in a village here, police said on Friday. According to police, the incident occurred on Tuesday evening in Musepur Jalal village during a house-warming celebration in one of the victims’ houses. An argument broke out between the accused and the victims, which soon turned violent. The accused, identified as Ravi Kumar and Govind, thrashed the Dalit youths, police said. Following the incident, some local leaders staged a protest against the violence at the police station and blocked traffic on the Aligarh-Agra Highway on Thursday. They demanded justice and the arrest of the accused. Circle Officer (Iglas) Mahesh Kumar said that the situation was soon brought under control in the area. A case was registered under sections 191(2) (rioting), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt ), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The accused were arrested on Friday. Further investigation is underway, he added. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI) 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.
Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav Accuses BJP Of Targeting Poor, Dalits & Minorities By Shutting Schools
Yadav alleged that the BJP’s education policy is not only regressive but also discriminatory in nature. “Their aim is clear—they want to create an unequal society where the marginalized remain uneducated and voiceless,” he said. Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has sharply criticized the Uttar Pradesh BJP government, asserting that it is “ruining basic and primary education.” He accused the ruling party of deliberately targeting the poor and PDA (Pichhde, Dalit, and Minority) communities by closing government-run schools, thereby robbing their children of a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. Yadav alleged that the BJP’s education policy is not only regressive but also discriminatory in nature. “Their aim is clear—they want to create an unequal society where the marginalized remain uneducated and voiceless,” he said. By systematically shutting down schools in rural and underprivileged areas, the government is paving the way for private institutions that are financially inaccessible to common citizens, he added. He further stated that instead of improving infrastructure, filling vacant teaching posts, or modernizing classrooms, the government is dismantling the very foundation of public education. “The education of future generations cannot be compromised for political or economic motives,” he remarked. Akhilesh also expressed concern that such actions are in direct violation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act and run counter to the vision of inclusive growth. “If local schools disappear, where will the children of laborers, farmers, and daily wage earners study? What future are we offering them?” he asked. He urged citizens, especially educators and civil society, to raise their voices against this “dangerous trend” and vowed that his party would restore dignity, access, and equality in education if voted back to power Rahul M Courtesy : TFPJ Note: This news is originally published on https://thefreepressjournal.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Cong accuses BJP of misleading Dalits over internal quota
Mysuru: Congress MLC D Thimmaiah on Friday accused BJP functionaries like former Union minister A Narayanaswamy and former DCM Govind Karjol of misleading the Dalit community over the internal reservation issue. Speaking to reporters after holding a meeting with community leaders at Jaladarshini guest house, he said that the Congress govt has constituted Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission to provide internal reservation to Scheduled Castes. The commission also completed the census of the population of all the Scheduled Castes to collect accurate data and information about its population. Even though the state govt is waiting for this report, a few BJP-supported Madiga community leaders and BJP functionaries have called for a statewide protest on Aug 1 against the state govt, accusing it of delay in providing internal reservation. He said that the state govt will implement the findings and recommendations of the Nagamohan Das Commission after it submits the report. Instead of waiting for the report, the BJP functionaries and their supporters are misleading the community by organising the protest, he said. During their tenure, BJP functionaries of the Madiga community, including Govind Karjol and Narayanaswamy, did not make any sincere attempts to ensure internal reservation, he charged. Govt denying quota for Madigas: Arun Kumar BJP functionary R Arun Kumar, who is head of Madiga Meesalathi Horata Samithi, on Friday described the state govt as an enemy of the Madigas community and accused it of denying internal reservation. Speaking to reporters, he accused the social welfare minister HC Mahadevappa of opposing internal reservation. Though the Supreme Court asked to provide internal reservation, the state govt delayed it, he charged. 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.
‘These figures are solid proof of Bahujans being deprived of their rights and Manuism’, Rahul Gandhi presented proof of low participation of SC-ST, OBC!
Opposition leader and Congress party MP Rahul Gandhi has targeted the Modi government on the very low number of Bahujans – Dalits, backward, tribals – in Indian universities. New Delhi: In many government institutions in the country, from low to high, the number of Bahujans like Dalits, backward, tribals is negligible. In many institutions, posts have been lying vacant for years, but appointments have not been made on them till date. On this issue, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday cornered the Modi government at the Centre. Posting on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Rahul Gandhi wrote, “These figures presented by the Modi government in Parliament are solid proof of Bahujans being disenfranchised and institutional Manuwad. In central universities, 83% of Professor posts for ST, 80% for OBC and 64% for SC have been deliberately kept vacant. Similarly, 65% of Associate Professor posts for ST, 69% for OBC and 51% for SC have also been left vacant.” He further wrote, “This is not just negligence, but a well-planned conspiracy to keep the Bahujans out of education, research and policies. Due to lack of adequate participation of Bahujans in universities, the problems of deprived communities are deliberately hidden from research and discussion. In the name of NFS (Not Found Suitable), thousands of deserving SC, ST, OBC candidates are being declared ineligible under Manuwadi thinking and the government is not ready to take any responsibility. This is completely unacceptable. All vacant posts should be filled immediately – Bahujans should get their rights, not Manuwadi boycott.” These questions raised by Rahul Gandhi are like questions raised by just a handful of questions from the ocean of questions. In fact, its seriousness is even more shocking. According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 6,549 teaching posts are vacant in central universities, of which 3,669 are from reserved categories (SC/ST/OBC). Delhi University (900 vacancies), Allahabad University (622 vacancies), and BHU (532) have the highest number of vacancies. Reserved positions for SC/ST/OBC have also seen a decline in institutions of national importance (such as IITs, IIMs, NITs) and other central government institutions. According to 2013-14 data, the share of upper caste Hindus in these institutions was 70.2%, while the share of reserved categories was lower than expected. Representation of SC/ST/OBCs in higher positions in ministries (such as PMO, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence) is negligible. For example, the PMO has no SC/ST and only 4 OBCs as against 21 upper castes. Reasons for vacancies in government institutions Many experts and social activists believe that reserved positions are deliberately kept vacant in higher education institutions due to “institutional Manuvaad”. Candidates from reserved categories are rejected citing “Not Found Suitable (NFS),” which is seen as a conspiracy to eliminate reservation. Apart from this, lack of transparency in the interview process and upper caste dominance in selection committees is also a reason. The practice of hiring teachers and employees on contract instead of permanent appointments has increased in government institutions. Reservation policy is not applicable in contract and private sector, due to which SC/ST/OBC candidates do not get opportunities. Technically, the scope of vacancies in reserved posts is also increasing due to lack of government recruitment and privatization policies. Obviously, Dalit and tribal students and teachers have to face caste discrimination in higher education institutions, due to which many qualified candidates are reluctant to make a career in these institutions. Rohith Vemula’s suicide (2016) is a prime example of this. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Will Samajwadi Party become the new destination for Dalits? SP’s big bet in Lucknow
As part of its strategy to break into the Dalit vote bank, the Samajwadi Party is trying to create a new social equation through Ambedkar Vahini. Lucknow – Moving beyond its traditional backward class (OBC) based politics, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has now become active in presenting itself as a broad social alliance. In this episode, the party is going to organize the first national convention of its Dalit wing Baba Saheb Ambedkar Vahini in Lucknow on July 27. Launched on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti in 2021, through this Vahini, the SP is trying to reach the Dalit community at an institutional level, especially when the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is struggling to handle its traditional vote bank and new Dalit leadership is emerging in many areas. This convention will try to connect 400 to 500 representatives from across the country, which will be a big and important milestone for the Ambedkar Vahini. Formed nearly three decades after the inception of the SP, this frontal organisation aims to build cadres and spread political awareness among the Dalit community. Rambabu Sudarshan, general secretary of Baba Saheb Ambedkar Vahini, said, “Our first national convention will be held in Lucknow, in which Vahini national president Mithailal Bharti will be the key speaker. The agenda of the convention will include issues like atrocities on Dalits under BJP rule, abolition of reservation through outsourcing and the recent alleged attack on Dalit MP Ramji Lal Suman.” BSP’s weakening support base and new search for Dalit voters This convention is taking place in a political scenario where the Mayawati-led BSP, which was once considered the only choice of Dalits, is now facing continuous electoral defeats. Since 2017, the BSP’s support base has declined and its core vote bank — especially the Jatav community — is looking for new options. If we talk about electoral figures, the BSP won 25.95% votes and 80 seats in the 2012 UP assembly elections. In 2017, it fell to 22.23% votes and 19 seats, while in 2022, the party won only one seat with just 12.88% votes. The decline is also evident in Lok Sabha elections — 19 seats (24.67%) in 2004, 20 seats (27.42%) in 2009, zero seats (19.77% vote share) in 2014, and 10 seats (19.42%) in alliance with the SP in 2019. Not just Dalits, SP is also in search… Prashant Trivedi, associate professor at the Giri Institute of Development Studies, says, “SP’s efforts to reach out to Dalits are not one-sided. Dalit society, especially the Jatav community, is also now re-evaluating its political options.” He says, “When SP and BSP formed an alliance in 2019, this trend got strengthened. Even after the alliance broke, Akhilesh Yadav never made personal attacks on Mayawati, which Dalit voters liked.” He said, “In 2024, SP and Congress formed an alliance, due to which the traditional identity of Dalits started getting associated with Congress again. Congress used to be the first choice of Dalits – now the same memory is emerging again in the new political circumstances. The politics of Uttar Pradesh is now moving towards the Bihar model, where Dalits and backwards are coming together on one platform.” From symbols to organization: SP’s changed strategy The strategy of SP to reach out to Dalits has now gone beyond symbolism and reached the organizational level. During the 2019 elections, SP started celebrating the birth anniversaries of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and Kanshiram, and also installed a statue of Ambedkar in the party office along with the statue of Lohia. 2021 saw the formal launch of the Ambedkar Vahini and the same year the SP called upon workers to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti as ‘Dalit Diwali’. In 2024, the party organised a week-long Swabhimaan-Samman Samaroh (self-respect) celebrations across the state on Ambedkar Jayanti, with events organised in collaboration with the Samajwadi Scheduled Caste Front. The same year, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav unveiled a bronze statue of Ambedkar in Etawah, in a sitting posture, to be installed in BSP offices. Along with this, several prominent BSP leaders also joined the SP — including Afzal Ansari, R.K. Chaudhary, Mithailal Bharti and Ram Prasad Chaudhary — indicating the growing influence of Dalit leadership in the party. PDA formula and growing acceptance The centrepiece of the SP’s social strategy is the PDA — that is, the backward, Dalit, minority alliance. It aims to organise these three sections on a political platform. The success of this formula was seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the SP performed its best in the last ten years by winning 37 seats alone. This convention to be held in Lucknow is not just a symbolic program but is being considered an important step towards organizational empowerment of Dalit leaders and strengthening their participation in the party. As the politics of Uttar Pradesh is moving from social polarization to new equations, SP’s effort to establish itself as an inclusive social alliance can determine the direction of the state’s politics. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Opposed molestation… and was killed! Dalit farmer gets justice after 17 years
In 2008, Dalit farmer Saheb Singh was beaten to death in Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh. Now the SC/ST court has held the main accused guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 30,000. Mainpuri (Agra): After nearly 17 years, a special SC/ST court in Mainpuri on Wednesday convicted the main accused Anand Kumar (48) in the murder case of Dalit farmer Saheb Singh and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on him. According to the police, on 22 December 2008, Saheb Singh and his son Ashok were returning from the field in Gangsi village of Mainpuri, when they were attacked by neighbor Anand Kumar, his father Munnalal Rai and uncle Hari Prakash with sticks and heavy objects. Both were seriously injured in the attack. Saheb Singh died during treatment. Additional District Government Counsel (ADGC) MP Singh said that Saheb Singh had complained against the neighbour’s son Anand Kumar for molesting his daughter-in-law. Tension had increased between the two families over this matter, which became the reason for this violent attack. According to the complaint of Saheb Singh’s wife, the accused had also used caste-related abuses and provoked others. The police had filed a charge sheet in this case under section 302 (murder) of IPC and sections of SC/ST Act. Accused Munnalal and Hari Prakash have died during the trial. The court held the main accused Anand Kumar guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 30,000. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
Everyone was invited to the temple, but not Dalits! Gujarat HC seeks response from state government on allegations of boycott
20 people from the Rabari community filed a petition to quash the FIR challenging the allegations of boycott of Dalits. Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has issued a notice to the sarpanch of Paldi village panchayat in Banaskantha district and the state government. The notice has been sent on a petition filed by 20 villagers seeking quashing of an FIR registered under the Scheduled Castes/Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The petitioners all belong to the Rabari community and are accused of boycotting the Dalit community. The case is related to the Prana-Pratishtha ceremony of Dudheshwar Mahadev temple held in Paldi village between April 28 and 30. According to the FIR, all the communities of the village and surrounding areas were invited to the ceremony, but members of the Scheduled Castes were deliberately not invited. The complainant is the 55-year-old sarpanch of the village and comes from the Scheduled Caste. The FIR alleges, “The organisers not only did not invite people from the Scheduled Castes, but our contributions were also rejected. It was a well-planned conspiracy to humiliate our caste and socially ostracise us. We were treated like untouchables.” Regarding the delay in filing the complaint, the sarpanch said that he did not complain earlier so that the religious event would not be disrupted. But later keeping in mind the sentiments of the people of his caste, he lodged a complaint at the Bhildi police station on May 9. While conducting a preliminary hearing on this petition on Tuesday, Justice Nirjar Desai passed an order, “Notice is issued to the respondents, the return date of which is August 5, 2025. The Additional Public Prosecutor on behalf of the state has accepted the notice. Respondent No. 2 is allowed direct service through the concerned police station.” Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
80% OBC, 64% Dalit and 83% Tribal Professor-level Posts Vacant: Govt Data
The gap is most prominent in appointments made from the Scheduled Tribe community, while the maximum number of vacancies were filled under the general category. New Delhi: The government has admitted that there is a huge backlog in filling posts allocated for reserved categories in higher education, as mandated by a 2006 Act of parliament. The backlog is particularly striking if you look at the post of professor. Appointment of candidates from the general category outweigh those from the reserved categories, with postings from Other Backward Caste (OBC), Dalit and Tribal communities showing a far bigger gap. For instance, only 84 professors from the OBC community have been appointed against the sanctioned strength of 423. That means a vacancy rate of 80%. Meanwhile, only 111 professors belonging to the Dalit community have been appointed in the last five years, when at least 308 should have been. That is a vacancy rate of 64%. Similarly, 144 professors from the Tribal community should’ve been appointed, but only 24 made it. That is a vacancy rate of 83%. The total number of sanctioned posts for professor, associate professor and assistant professor in central universities, across all categories, as of June 30, 2025, was 18,951. Of these, 14,062 were filled, leaving 25% posts vacant. In the general category, only 15% of the seats remain empty while reserved categories stand out for their vacancy rate. For OBCs, a total of 3,688 posts were due. Of these, 2,197 had been filled, leaving a vacancy of 40%. Similarly, only 1,599 appointments were made from the Dalit community out of the 2,310 posts due. This translated to about 30% vacancies. The gap is most prominent in appointments made from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community. Of the 1,155 sanctioned posts, only 727 appointments were made. This means 37% of the seats were left vacant. The highest number of seats were filled under the general category, according to data revealed in the Rajya Sabha by the Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar, in reply to a question raised by Professor Manoj Kumar Jha, of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, calling for data on posts and vacancies in the past five years. The Wire Staff Courtesy : The Wire Note: This news is originally published on https://thewire.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Gujarat HC issues notice in plea to quash FIR over Dalit community’s boycott at temple ceremony
AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court has issued a notice to the state govt and the sarpanch of Paldi village panchayat in Banaskantha district in response to a petition filed by 20 villagers booked under the SC/ST Atrocity Act on allegations of boycotting the Dalit community during a temple’s consecration ceremony. According to the case details, 20 accused persons, all belonging to the Rabari community, filed the petition requesting the HC to quash an FIR filed with Bhildi police station on May 9. The FIR was filed by the 55-year-old sarpanch of the village, complaining that during the consecration ceremony of Dudheshwar Mahadev temple between April 28 and 30 in Paldi village, people belonging to all the communities from Paldi and surrounding villages were invited. But the members of the scheduled castes were not invited. The sarpanch belongs to the SC community. “However, the accused persons, who were the organisers, did not invite the members of the scheduled caste, and our contribution was also not accepted. The complainant is a village sarpanch and is responsible for the village affairs, but the accused persons hatched a criminal conspiracy to discriminate against our caste and boycotted the complainant’s community. They insulted our community by practising untouchability,” the FIR reads. For a month-long delay in filing the complaint, the complainant stated in his FIR, “I did not complain earlier to see that the ceremony was not disturbed, but considering the sentiments of my caste members, I have come to lodge my complaint.” After a preliminary hearing, Justice Nirzar Desai passed an order on Tuesday that stated, “NOTICE to the respondents returnable on August 5, 2025. Learned Additional Public Prosecutor waives service of notice on behalf of respondent No.1 – State. Direct service to respondent No.2 through concerned Police Station is permitted.” 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.