‘Gyanesh Chor’: Congress steps up protests across country, demands CEC’s removal
The developments come amid an intensifying confrontation between the Congress and the Election Commission over the functioning of the poll panel, including SIR. The Congress on Monday took to the streets against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, holding protests across the country and burning his effigies amid the SIR row, and said the groundswell against him will only increase till he is removed. Congress workers protested outside CEC Kumar’s residence in Agra and raised slogans while defacing the main gate and a wall of the house with spray paint. They put up stickers and pasted pamphlets outside his Vijay Nagar home and wrote “Gyanesh Gaddar Gyanesh Chor” — calling the CEC a “traitor” and a “thief” — in Hindi. Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters who tried to scale barricades at many places, including Jaipur and Bhopal. The protests came as opposition parties, which have been critical of CEC Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, called for his immediate removal after it came to light that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over a 10-month period to decisions and orders, some of which they said were issued without their knowledge. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said the party will deliberate on further strategy on the issue on Tuesday when its top decision-making body – the Congress Working Committee – will meet here. “We are going to fight this seriously. This issue concerns the entire country, the existence of our democracy and the survival of our country… The Election Commission’s own people have exposed them…. he is propagating the BJP’s philosophy and has become a BJP worker,” he claimed. The opposition INDIA bloc is also likely to meet on September 30, where they will discuss their future strategy for the CEC’s ouster and sign and file another notice for his removal in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. “The Congress has protested in 1000+ districts today. Mr. Gyanesh, this is just the beginning. The groundswell will only grow from hereon. My advice to Modi-Shah, sack Gyanesh before the streets are filled with people rejecting your Vote Chori shenanigans,” AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said on X. Delhi Congress workers gathered at the party office on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg and tried to march to Nirvachan Sadan, but police stopped them by erecting barricades. The Indian Youth Congress also organised a protest in Delhi and its members were stopped by the police at the IYC office from marching to the Election Commission office. Some protesters wore masks of Kumar and had their hands bound in metal chains, symbolising their claim that “the CEC was acting in BJP’s interests and the EC’s hands were tied”. “In Agra, Congress workers blackened with soot the house of ‘Gaddar Gyanesh’. The way Modi and Shah, in collusion with Gyanesh, have looted elections across different parts of the country over the past several years is directly an act of treason against the country. We will ensure that Gyanesh is punished,” the IYC said on X. A Congress worker wears a mask of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and poses with chained hands during a protest against the CEC in Jammu on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. Kumar, a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Kerala cadre, was appointed election commissioner to the poll panel on March 15, 2024, after retiring from service on January 31, 2024. He assumed charge as the 26th CEC on February 19 last year. The developments come amid an intensifying confrontation between the Congress and the Election Commission over the functioning of the poll panel, including SIR, with party leader Rahul Gandhi accusing CEC Kumar of “treason” and asking him to turn an approver for “vote chori”. “Gyanesh Kumar will go. But the system that made him do this will also have to answer,” he said in a post on X. The Congress also held protests at several places in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, among others, accusing the CEC of acting in favour of the BJP. Congress’ Haryana unit held demonstrations and marches across the state, demanding a comprehensive review of all election-related decisions taken during Kumar’s tenure and the alleged changes made in the electoral rolls post SIR. Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the party’s Haryana affairs in-charge Sanjay Dutt, state party chief Rao Narender Singh, former Union minister Birender Singh, and MLAs and MPs took part in the protest, where Kumar’s effigy was burnt. Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress’ Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and state party chief Govind Singh Dotasra were among senior party leaders detained by police during a protest march to the State Election Commission office in Jaipur over alleged vote theft and irregularities in SIR. Soon after the march began at Shaheed Smarak, the protesters came across multiple layers of barricades. When they tried to push through the barricades, police used water cannons to disperse them. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring led a protest in Ferozepur, accusing CEC Kumar of “subverting and sabotaging” democracy in the country. The protesters also burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the CEC. Warring alleged that Kumar had “subverted and sabotaged” the electoral process and claimed that 13.8 crore voters had been “single-handedly disenfranchised” through deletion from electoral rolls. The Congress held protests at district headquarters in Srinagar, with the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera leading a demonstration at the Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters. “We will keep fighting until he resigns, because in this country, elections will not be possible if such people remain,” Khera said. Maharashtra Congress also organised protests across the state and submitted memoranda to district collectors seeking action against Kumar. Party workers held a dharna in Mumbai and other districts, including Pune, Kolhapur, Solapur, Nashik, Nagpur, Amravati, Thane, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Chandrapur, Nanded, Latur, Beed, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Dharashiv,
Congress to begin Bharat Jodo-2 in Karnataka tomorrow
Hariprasad said the padayatra will start at 1 pm and conclude with a rally in the constituency in the evening. BENGALURU/SHIVAMOGGA: State Congress President BK Hariprasad on Monday said the Congress will launch ‘Bharat Jodo-2’ in Karnataka from September 30. The campaign will start from Shikaripura, Shivamogga district, and cover 84 assembly segments where the Congress lost in the 2023 Assembly polls. On September 30, 2022, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra had entered Karnataka. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Hariprasad said the padayatra will start at 1 pm and conclude with a rally in the constituency in the evening. Congress workers and leaders from across districts will take part in the padayatra, during which they will discuss drought and other issues with the people, and also create awareness about alleged wrongdoings by the Chief Election Commissioner, he said. Shivamogga district minister Madhu S Bangarappa told reporters that a massive convention will be organised in Shikaripura on September 30 to commemorate the Bharat Jodo Yatra undertaken by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi four years ago. It will start at Kittadandi village at 10am, and the march will pass through Kote, Hosanagara, Mattikote, Hosanagara Cross and Nelavodlu village, before culminating at the APMC Yard in Shikaripura. Responding to a question, the minister asserted that he was committed to ensuring the defeat of Shikaripura MLA and state BJP president BY Vijayendra in the next Assembly election. He alleged that Vijayendra had secured victory by a narrow margin. “Our target is to defeat Vijayendra in Shikaripura in the next Assembly elections. Vijayendra is preparing to launch a padayatra. Let him do so, but not against the Congress. Instead, he should undertake a padayatra against corruption, for which his father BS Yediyurappa was the architect,” Madhu Bangarappa said. 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
Rahul Gandhi discusses NSUI’s defeat in the DUSU elections, questions NSUI’s ticket distribution and strategy, advises learning from mistakes.
Rahul Gandhi’s meeting following the NSUI’s crushing defeat in the DUSU elections discussed strategy, ticket distribution, and organizational preparations. The need for accountability and organizational reform after losing all four central positions was emphasized. New Delhi: On Monday, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, held a meeting to review the reasons for NSUI’s defeat in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. The meeting, attended by Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, NSUI in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar, and National President Vinod Jakhar, discussed the organization’s poor performance in the elections and the selection of candidates in detail. The meeting stated that the DUSU elections were a major test for NSUI, but the defeat in all four central positions exposed serious organizational and strategic shortcomings within the organization. The meeting emphasized the need for accountability and organizational reform. Questions Raised About Ticket Distribution The NSUI failed to win a single central post in the DUSU elections. Two candidates who rebelled after being denied tickets received more votes than the organization’s official candidates. The meeting also discussed why these candidates were denied tickets and what shortcomings were found in the selection process. Rahul Gandhi had requested a detailed report on the reasons for the defeat. Based on this report, Monday’s meeting reviewed the election strategy, ticket distribution, and organizational preparations. Describing the elections as a crucial test for the NSUI, it was stated that the defeat in all four central posts cannot be viewed as a simple electoral defeat. Serious shortcomings in the organization’s strategy and functioning were exposed. According to sources, the meeting emphasized accountability and addressing organizational shortcomings. It was also discussed that changes to the NSUI’s organizational structure would be made in the coming weeks. This meeting took place a day before the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Tuesday. Reported by: Hemant Rajoura • Edited by: Ashok Upadhyay About the Author Hemant Rajoura is a special correspondent for Navbharat Times. He covers the politics of major opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and RJD, in-depth. He also keeps a close eye on important news related to health, science, and policy. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Only one of 728 remains’: Rahul’s new charge against EC over Delhi’s Bela Estate voter list
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday again targeted the Election Commission and CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing the case of Delhi’s Bela Estate, where he claimed 727 of 728 names were removed from the voter list. Sharing a video of his phone call with the SDM over the SIR exercise on X, the Rae Bareli MP wrote, “728 people live in Bela Estate on the banks of the Yamuna. After SIR, only one name remains in the voter list – the other 727 names have been struck off.” He said the residents had been living in the area for decades and had voted in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2025 Delhi assembly elections. “In 2023, their homes were demolished – but they didn’t go anywhere, they’re still right here,” Rahul said. — rahulgandhi (@rahulgandhi) Rahul said he visited the residents in their jhuggis and heard directly from them about what they alleged had happened during the SIR exercise. He said he also spoke to the SDM over the issue. “On the phone with the SDM, I said exactly this – having a house or not has no connection to the right to vote. CEC Gyanesh Kumar himself has said that “House Number 0″ is for the homeless. Yet, 727 people’s names have been struck off,” he wrote. Former Congress president further criticised the SIR exercise, calling it “a method of vote theft” and alleging that it was taking away the only political power available to some of the country’s poorest citizens. He also targeted chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid a controversy over an Indian Express report on alleged differences between the CEC and the other two election commissioners. “Gyanesh Kumar will go. But the system that made him do this will also have to answer,” Rahul said. 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
BJP SC Morcha threatens Statewide protest, seeks ‘White Paper’ on dalit welfare funds
The Telangana BJP SC Morcha has threatened to lay siege to Scheduled Caste (SC) Corporation offices across all districts on Tuesday, alleging that the Congress government has pursued “anti-Dalit” policies and failed to deliver on its welfare promises. The organisation also demanded the release of a White Paper detailing the utilisation of funds allocated for Dalit welfare. In a statement, SC Morcha State president Kanthi Kiran accused the government of neglecting Dalit welfare and diverting funds meant for the community. He alleged that Dalit welfare was being projected through “statistical jugglery on paper” while unemployed Dalit youth continued to suffer due to a lack of tangible benefits. Referring to statements made by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in the Assembly, Mr. Kiran said the government had claimed to allocate nearly ₹1.20 lakh crore under the Scheduled Caste Special Development Fund (SCSDF) over the 2024, 2025 and 2026 financial years, amounting to about ₹40,000 crore annually. However, he alleged that there was little evidence of the funds translating into benefits on the ground. The BJP leader also questioned the Congress’ Chevella Declaration promise to provide financial assistance of ₹12 lakh to every Dalit family. He claimed that although nearly five lakh applications had been received under the Rajiv Yuva Vikasam self-employment scheme, none had been approved or implemented so far. Mr. Kiran said the government’s failure to provide expenditure details despite three Right to Information (RTI) applications filed with the Hyderabad District SC Corporation and District Collectors had raised serious concerns. He demanded that the proposed White Paper disclose department-wise allocations from the SC Development Fund, actual expenditure incurred and the number of beneficiaries who received assistance under self-employment schemes. ‘Anti-CEC rally’ faulted Meanwhile, BJP leaders including party spokesperson N.V. Subash, vice-president B. Narsaiah Goud and Legislature Party leader A. Maheshwar Reddy condemned what they described as an “anti-Chief Election Commissioner rally” and accused the State government of misusing the police machinery to suppress the Opposition while permitting Congress-backed protests against a constitutional authority. The leaders alleged that the Congress was targeting CEC Gyanesh Kumar because it was uncomfortable with measures aimed at ensuring greater integrity of electoral rolls. Dr. Goud challenged Congress governments in various States to resign if they had doubts about the electoral process, while Mr. Reddy demanded evidence to support allegations against the Election Commission, claiming that recent clarifications had reinforced public confidence in constitutional institutions. The Hindu Bureau 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
SP eyes Agra, the ‘Dalit Capital’ of UP, betting on youth and women voters to increase its vote share by 27,000 in each seat.
UP Assembly Election 2027: The Samajwadi Party is organizing a Dalit convention in Agra on November 15th. All local organizations are being contacted for this purpose. Sanjay Singh, Agra/New Delhi: In view of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, Akhilesh Yadav has set a target of increasing his vote share by at least 27,000 in each assembly seat. In this effort, the Samajwadi Party has focused on two categories of voters: women and youth, to return to power. The party is also trying to woo Dalit voters who have been drifting away from the party amid the electoral decline of the Bahujan Samaj Party in recent years. As part of its strategy to woo Dalits, the SP has decided to organize a Dalit convention in Agra on November 15th. Agra is also known as the Dalit capital of North India due to its large population of SC voters. Ramji Lal Suman touring Western UP SP National General Secretary Ramji Lal Suman said, “I am touring various districts in Western UP to invite SC voters to attend this convention. We are in contact with local SC organizations to ensure a large turnout at the convention. We will tell voters that the BJP does not care about the interests of SC voters.” Aim to reduce BJP’s vote share by 27,000 in each seat It should be noted that former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav recently announced that his party has set a target of increasing its vote share by 27,000 votes in each assembly seat. His party will work to reduce the BJP’s vote share by 27,000 in each assembly seat. This was the margin of victory in 93 seats. The Samajwadi Party aims to strengthen its booth-level organization, conduct door-to-door outreach, and reverse the narrow margins of lost seats in the 2022 elections. The SP had approximately 93 seats where the margin of victory was this close. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the SP gained an edge in 72 seats where the BJP won. The SP is aiming to maintain this lead and expand it to other assembly constituencies. Dalit Voters Up to 30 Percent Of the total 20 to 20.57 lakh voters in Agra, Dalit voters constitute approximately 30 percent, or approximately 600,000 to 6.2 lakh. This is a reserved seat, and BJP’s SP Singh Baghel was elected MP here in 2024. Will the Samajwadi Party secure Dalit votes in the UP elections? Share your opinion in the comment section. Click to comment. Edited by: Vaibhav Pandey About the Author Vaibhav Pandey is a Senior Journalist/Assistant News Editor at Navbharat Times Online. He has 18 years of experience in the media industry. Vaibhav Pandey joined Navbharat Times Online in 2018. Currently, he closely monitors news from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Courtesy: Hindi News
Aishwarya Rutuparna Pradhan: From School Struggles To India’s First Transgender Civil Servant
Aishwarya Rutuparna Pradhan, from Odisha, overcame family and social challenges to become a recognised transgender civil servant. Aishwarya publicly embraced her identity after the 2014 Supreme Court ruling. Aishwarya Rutuparna Pradhan’s journey from a small village in Odisha to public service has been shaped by education, hard work and the courage to live by her identity. Aishwarya was born as Ratikant Pradhan in Kanabagiri village of Kandhamal district. She has spoken about facing questions and discrimination over her gender identity from a young age. During her school years, comments from teachers and people around her made her education difficult at times. However, she continued to focus on her studies and her goals. From a village to higher education After school, Aishwarya moved to Bhubaneswar for higher education. She completed her postgraduate studies in Public Administration and later studied English Journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). Her college and hostel years also came with challenges. She has spoken about facing jokes, discrimination and difficult situations because of her identity. Despite these experiences, she continued her education and worked towards building a career in public service. Her mother and sister also supported her as she came to terms with her identity and pursued her ambitions. April 2014 became an important turning point in Aishwarya’s life. She began publicly expressing her identity and started wearing sarees. The decision brought questions and reactions from people around her, but she continued to stand by who she was. She later worked as a Commercial Tax Officer after clearing the Odisha Financial Service examination in 2010. Aishwarya’s story has since received attention for increasing the visibility of transgender people in government service. Media reports have described her as the first transgender IAS officer in the country. Her journey from a village in Odisha to public service highlights the role of education and determination in overcoming social barriers. It is also a story of someone who continued to pursue her goals despite facing discrimination because of her gender identity. Edited by: Priyanka Negi Courtesy : NDTV Note: This news is originally published on https:/ndtv.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Deb to pray at Gufa Mandir, have lunch at Dalit party worker’s home during MP visit from Sep 30
Bhopal, BJP national general secretary Biplab Kumar Deb, who was recently appointed the party’s Madhya Pradesh in-charge, will begin his two-day visit to the state from September 30 with a temple visit and have lunch at a Dalit party worker’s home before holding a series of organisational meetings in Bhopal. The BJP appointed Deb, a Lok Sabha member from West Tripura, as its Madhya Pradesh in-charge last week, replacing Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council member Mahendra Singh. The former Tripura chief minister’s first visit to Madhya Pradesh since taking up the new post comes ahead of panchayat and urban local body elections expected in June-July 2027, followed by Assembly election towards the end of 2028, party leaders said on Sunday. Deb has earlier worked as the BJP’s co-in charge of West Bengal, where the party won 207 out of 294 Assembly seats in polls held in May there, ending the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year rule. “Deb will travel directly from the airport to the famous Gufa Mandir in Lalghati area on September 30, where he will offer prayers to Budhe Hanuman. He will then have lunch at the Shastri Nagar residence of Meena Jatav, a Dalit party worker,” a BJP leader said. Deb will later visit the residence of a BJP booth president in the Kotra Sultanabad area and interact with party workers over tea, he added. In the evening, Deb will meet former Madhya Pradesh BJP organisational general secretary Kaptan Singh Solanki and state Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar before interacting with party workers at the state BJP headquarters and attending a meeting of the state core group. When Deb was Tripura chief minister, Solanki was the governor of the state. Deb also shared a close working relationship with Tomar when the latter was the Union minister for rural development and agriculture and farmers’ welfare, the leader said. The two worked together on agriculture, rural development and implementation of central schemes in Tripura, and Tomar had appreciated Deb’s working style, he said. Before leaving for Delhi on October 1, Deb will hold a meeting with state BJP office-bearers and divisional in-charges, he added. The BJP has been in power in MP since 2003, except for a 15-month period, between December 2018 and March 2020, when the state had a Congress government led by Kamal Nath. PTI LAL BNM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. Courtesy : The Print Note: This news is originally published on https:/theprint.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Man, aides booked for assaulting dalit man over tank dispute
Madurai: Alanganallur police have registered a case under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against a man and his associates for allegedly assaulting and hurling casteist slurs at a 46-year-old dalit labourer, who questioned illegal fishing and water channel encroachments in Podumbu village. This follows a direction from Madras high court asking police to act, based on a petition from Pon Marimuthu, 46, a resident of Gandhiji Nagar Colony Street in Podumbu. According to the FIR, on May 6 when PWD officials inspected the spot, Marimuthu objected to unauthorised leasing of fishing rights in two local tanks which allegedly fetched up to ₹15 lakh illicitly. He alerted PWD officials regarding water drainage and blocking of inlet channels leading to the local water bodies. Irked by this, the suspect, identified as Kumar, and his associates reportedly confronted him at a local farm garden. Marimuthu alleged that they attacked him, grabbed him by the neck, hurled caste-based abuse, and attempted to tie him up inside the farm. Alanganallur police registered an FIR on Sept 24 against Kumar and unidentified fishing leaseholders under relevant sections of BNS, along with sections of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Further investigation is underway. 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
33 years on, land docus still elusive for 120 Dalit beneficiaries in Vellore
When contacted, a social justice department officer told TNIE that the special tahsildar has been instructed to review all files pertaining to Ambedkar Nagar. VELLORE: Thirty-three years have passed by since 120 Dalit families made Ambedkar Nagar at Chinna Allapuram in the district their home after the then Adi Dravidar welfare (ADW) Department assigned them housing site pattas, but they continue to lead a life of uncertainty as they complain that the land records are yet to be updated in their names. Blaming official apathy, after a court ruling over the land’s ownership, for the situation, the residents urge the government to honour its allotment and provide them with e-pattas. It was in 1993 when 120 families from the Arunthathiyar community, who were residing on Mariamman Temple Street in Kaspa, were assigned pattas by the ADW department–now renamed as Social Justice Department–for 120 sq m each in the land parcel at what was then Allapuram. Chinna Allapuram’s Ambedkar Nagar is behind the Circuit House. Even as the revenue department was yet to follow up on the ADW department’s allotment like subdividing it and issuing pattas to the 120 beneficiaries, one of the original landowners moved court against the land assignment in 1994. In 1995, the district court issued an ex parte judgment in favour of the petitioner after the defendants—the special tahsildar and the district collector—neither appeared for hearing nor filed written statements. The court had granted a permanent injunction against the defendants, sources said. AI in sports video 2AI in sports video 2 Meanwhile, finding the land records not reflecting their names, the beneficiaries of the ADW allotment at Ambedkar Nagar have been knocking on government officials’ doors to update the documents. During one such effort by the ADW allotment beneficiaries, the then special tahsildar issued a statement on February 2, 2024, stating that a case against the patta assignment is pending and that any revision could be done only after the court’s “final judgment”. “All the officials we meet ask us to file an appeal for the patta record update. We don’t have the resources for that. In fact it is the government’s job, not ours,” said Venkatesan M, a beneficiary and a daily wage worker. When contacted, a social justice department officer told TNIE that the special tahsildar has been instructed to review all files pertaining to Ambedkar Nagar. “Next week we will visit the area and check the possibility of issuing an e-patta (to the 120 beneficiaries),” the official said. A revenue official also promised to look into the matter. Keerthana Chris 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