Rahul Gandhi ridiculed globally too, says BJP on student quizzing him on 1984 riot
NEW DELHI: BJP on Sunday lauded the Sikh student who questioned Rahul Gandhi over the massacre of Sikhs in 1984 and said it was telling that the Congress leader was being “ridiculed not just in India, but around the world”. The student asked Rahul what attempts he was making to reconcile with the Sikh community and referred to the 1984 riots in his lengthy poser when the Congress MP was having an interaction session with students at Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the US on April 21. The video of the interaction was uploaded on Saturday on the Watson Institute’s YouTube channel. BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared a snippet of the video and said the student had directly reminded Rahul of the “unfounded fear-mongering” he had done about Sikh identity under BJP rule. Questioning Rahul’s previous remarks on religious freedom under BJP rule, the Sikh student said, “You create fear among Sikhs about what BJP would look like. We want freedom of expression, which has not been allowed under the Congress in the past.” The student also referred to the Anandpur Sahib resolution, which he claimed the Congress mis-characterized as a separatist manifesto. He criticized the party’s failure to reconcile with the Sikh community and pointed to convicted former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar as evidence of lingering impunity, and said, “Many more Sajjan Kumars are sitting in Congress party.” In response, Rahul admitted that Congress had committed many “mistakes” when he was not there, but added that he was more than happy to take responsibility for everything the party had ever done wrong. He pointed out that he had publicly stated that what happened in the 1980s was “wrong”. BJP also attacked Rahul for calling Lord Ram “a mythological figure” at the same interaction. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Caste census: Congress targets BJP with Supreme Court affidavit, Parliament reply
NEW DELHI: Even as Congress claims PM Narendra Modi buckled under its pressure to reverse his earlier decision on enumerating caste, the party Sunday added a twist by releasing a 2021 govt answer in Parliament in which it had stated that it will not conduct a caste census in 2021 as a policy decision, and also quoting a Centre’s affidavit beseeching Supreme Court not to order a caste census against the govt policy. The opposition party asked the PM if he will accept that he has taken a U-turn on the issue. To amplify its attacks on BJP, Congress has directed its state units to hold statewide rallies at the assembly level to showcase the role of Congress and Rahul Gandhi in making caste census a reality, with the directive that they should highlight that BJP has been against the idea. The party also asked its netas to intensify the demand for removal of 50% barrier on reservations and for implementation of quotas in private educational institutions. Home ministry told Lok Sabha on July 20, 2021, that govt had taken a policy decision not to enumerate caste in the census. Also, as per Congress, PM Modi government told SC on Sept 21, 2021: “The exclusion of information regarding any other caste [outside of SCs and STs] from the purview of census [2021] is a conscious policy decision taken by the central govt.” Congress spokesman Jairam Ramesh said, “Evidence abounds on Modi’s sudden, complete, and desperate U-turn on the caste census… Will he explain to the people and Parliament the reasons for the change in govt’s policy?” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘My brother took up cause’: Priyanka Gandhi says government ‘pressured’ for caste census
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday, while welcoming said that the central government agreed to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census due to pressure. While speaking to the media in Wayanad, Kerala, she said that her brother Rahul Gandhi had raised this issue in Parliament and was mocked for it. “The government has been pressured. My brother took up this cause last year. He has been saying it again and again; the entire BJP was against it. BJP ministers, the Prime Minister himself. When my brother spoke in Parliament, he was also ridiculed by them for speaking in favour of this,” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said. — priyankagandhi (@priyankagandhi) “I feel that now they have come under pressure because everybody, the whole country, realises that this is a necessity. It is needed now, and I’m glad they have come under pressure. I am happy that they have announced something. I hope that whatever they do, they do it in a proper fashion, in the proper way, so that the correct facts come out,” she added. Earlier in the day, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling the government’s change in position on the caste census a “sudden and desperate U-turn”. In a post on social media, Ramesh pointed out that the Modi government had earlier opposed a caste-based census. He cited three examples to show how the government’s position has changed. In April 2024, during a television interview, Prime Minister Modi had called those demanding a caste census “urban naxals”. — Jairam_Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) The Cabinet committee on political affairs, led by Prime Minister Modi, decided last week to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census. After the cabinet meeting, information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the media that this decision shows the government’s commitment to the nation’s overall interests. At the same time, the Congress party passed a resolution asking for the immediate implementation of clause 5 of Article 15 of the Constitution to allow reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Dalits, and Adivasis in private educational institutions. The resolution also said that updated caste data should be used to strengthen reservation policies. Clause 5 of Article 15 allows the government to make special provisions for the progress of socially and educationally backward classes or for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, including in private educational institutions. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Dalit seers seek funds for mutts; meets CM Siddaramaiah
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured the seers that funds would be allocated to mutts in the coming days A delegation of seers from Dalit and OBC communities met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his residence in Bengaluru on Saturday. A delegation of seers from Dalit and OBC communities met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his residence in Bengaluru on Saturday. | Photo Credit: Seers belonging to the Dalit and OBC communities met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday and demanded allocation of funds to mutts belong to the Dalit and backward communities. The Chief Minister assured the seers that funds would be allocated to mutts in the coming days. The delegation submitted a petition to the Chief Minister seeking allotment of land for opening a gurukula in Chitradurga district for providing training for OBC and Dalit priests. Mr. Siddaramaiah directed the officials to identify the land for the purpose. Courtesy : The Hindu Bureau, The Hindu Note: This news is originally published on https://thehindu.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Caste census is our priority, it’s RaGa’s victory: Cong
Bhopal: Presidents of Congress Scheduled Caste Cell and Scheduled Tribe Dept on Friday described the announcement of caste census a “historic step” towards social justice and inclusive development. In a joint press conference, Scheduled Caste Cell chief Pradeep Ahirwar and Scheduled Tribe Dept chief Ramu Tekam reiterated the party’s commitment to the caste census, and said without caste data, schemes will remain “incomplete and biased”. On Wednesday, the Centre announced to conduct the caste census. Ahirwar and Tekam said the caste census issue raised by Lok Sabha LOP Rahul Gandhi has received support at the national level. “Dalits, backward classes, and tribal society are now aware of their rights. The Modi govt is procrastinating on this issue, which is further increasing social inequality,” Ahirwar said. Addressing the media, Ahirwar said, “The caste census will prove to be a milestone in the direction of social justice and an egalitarian society.” Tekam said, “Caste census is Rahul Gandhi’s victory. We support it, but the central govt should give a clear timeline as to when it will be done. The Telangana govt has presented an excellent model for this. Now the time has come to break the limit of 50% reservation.” The party’s state OBC cell president Pawan Patel said: “This is the victory of Rahul Gandhi’s tireless efforts. Just as Mahatma Gandhi liberated the country, in the same way, Rahul Gandhi will liberate the country from the policies of BJP.” The state Congress’ minority cell member, Wasim Qureshi, said: “The caste census is the voice not only of OBC, SC, and ST, but of every marginalised community in the entire country. This is the foundation stone of social justice, and the Congress stands strongly for it.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Court issues notice to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul in National Herald case
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court issued a notice on Friday to Congress functionaries Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and others in a money-laundering case related to the National Herald newspaper. The court observed that the right to be heard at any stage of proceedings breathes life into the right to a fair trial. The court of special judge Vishal Gogne was hearing arguments on whether a notice is required to be issued to the accused in view of the proviso to BNSS Section 223. “The right of the accused to be heard at the cognisance stage must be liberally applied to proceedings under PMLA before the special court as a continuation of the recent jurisprudence on PMLA, which has read the constitutional mandate and rights into PMLA,” the judge said. The case is at the stage of consideration regarding notice. On April 25, additional solicitor general SV Raju, appearing for ED, submitted that under the new legal provisions cognisance of the chargesheet cannot be taken without first hearing the accused. On April 9, ED filed a chargesheet before the court that mentions Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as accused numbers 1 and 2 under Secs 3 and 4 (which deal with money-laundering and its punishment) and Sec 70 (offences by companies) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The charges, if proved, attract a maximum imprisonment of seven years. The chargesheet names seven accused – five individuals and two private companies – Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, Sunil Bhandari, Young Indian, and Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd. On Friday, during the hearing, the ASG submitted before the court that in an ED case where notice was not issued, it was taken to the Supreme Court and SC had stayed the proceedings. The judge, taking note that the proviso to BNSS Sec 223 is a salutary provision in furtherance of the right to be heard as part of a fair trial, said, “It is designed to protect accused persons against improper implication by permitting them to make submissions prior to the court taking cognisance of the offences in question. The BNSS is therefore a progressive legislation in this regard and records among its objectives and reasons a ‘citizens-centric criminal procedure’ as the ‘need of the hour’.” This benevolent intent of BNSS should be read in favour of the accused rather than the investigation agencies when a right to be heard is to be accorded at any stage of the proceedings, the judge said. The court said it does not come to any “detriment” if the accused is permitted to make submissions on the question of cognisance. “In this adherence to the principles of fair hearing, the right to be heard is not inconsistent with any of the powers vested in the ED for investigation or the presumptions as well as the burden of proof stipulated under the PMLA,” said the court. The court also noted the submissions of the ASG that ED is not opposing such a notice precisely because it is a votary of a fair trial. The court listed various reasons for issuing notice, including that the proviso to BNSS Sec 223 creates a sui generis right of the accused to be heard at the cognisance stage and is not inconsistent with the complaint procedure or other provisions under PMLA. “Such a right does not defeat or diminish the operation of any provision of PMLA. The proviso to BNSS Sec 223… is required to be read in favour of the proposed accused persons,” the court said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul Gandhi forced PM Modi’s hand on caste census, claims Congress
NEW DELHI: As Congress toasted Rahul Gandhi for championing the “caste census” which forced Modi govt to accept the demand after 11 years of “stubborn refusal”, the Gandhi scion Friday told Congress Working Committee the party should take up an issue and stick to it for sustained periods to bring about a change. It is learnt Congress will centre stage its role in making caste enumeration a reality during ongoing “samvidhan bachao rallies” at state, district and assembly-levels. The party is also likely to mount a strong campaign for caste quotas in private educational institutions under Article 15(5), and a constitutional amendment to remove the 50% cap on reservations. Calling for urgent action on the decennial census as the govt has not given a timeline or budget for conducting it, CWC sought an “immediate debate in Parliament”. It cautioned that caste enumeration should not become “a jumla like women’s quota”. CWC brainstormed over Centre’s decision to enumerate caste in the next decennial census and celebrated Rahul as “strongest and most consistent voice demanding a nationwide caste census.” The CWC resolution noted that Rahul raised the issue at 2022 Udaipur session and Raipur plenary in 2023. “In Parliament, in speeches across the country, and during the Bharat Jodo Yatras, Rahul has asserted that caste enumeration was essential for deepening social justice,” it said. With Congress exuding a sense of victory, Rahul is learnt to have told the gathering the party should adopt action-oriented programmes, so the campaigns yield results Briefing reporters, Sachin Pilot and MP Saptgiri Ulaka took potshots at PM Modi by saying, “A big leader said ‘bantenge to katenge’ and called Congress ‘urban naxal’. They called caste enumeration a poison for society. But under Congress and Rahul’s pressure, Modi govt understood that public sentiment was with Congress.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Jyotirmath Shankaracharya ‘expels’ Rahul Gandhi from Hinduism for his remarks on Manusmriti in Parliament
DEHRADUN: Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati Saturday ‘excommunicated’ Congress MP Rahul Gandhi from Hinduism, saying his remarks on Manusmriti in Parliament ‘insulted Sanatan Dharma’ and the Congress leader had failed to reply to requests for clarification sent three months ago. In an announcement at the Shankaracharya Ashram in Badrinath, the seer said he waited three months for a reply from Gandhi after he claimed that Manusmriti “protects rapists” during a speech in Parliament. The Shankaracharya added that a reminder had also been sent, but no response came. “During his speech, he first targeted ruling party members and then made the comment against Manusmriti. It is our dharm-grantha (religious text). Pointing a finger at the ruling party’s benches, Gandhi had said it is written in ‘your book’, which means he does not regard himself as a Hindu. A person who does not regard Manusmriti as his text cannot be a Hindu.” The Shankaracharya said Gandhi was acting against Hinduism. “We took a decision that he should be banned from temples and priests should not perform pooja for him,” he said. Incidentally, the Shankaracharya had last year come out in support of Gandhi’s comments in Lok Sabha, which had sparked controversy. In his first speech in Parliament as leader of the opposition, the Congress leader had accused BJP leaders of dividing people along communal lines during the debate on the Motion of Thanks for the President’s address. In response, PM Modi claimed that Gandhi had referred to the “entire Hindu community as violent.” To this, Rahul Gandhi replied, “Narendra Modi ji is not the entire Hindu community, BJP is not the entire Hindu community, RSS is not the entire Hindu community”. Swami Avimukteshwarananda had at the time asserted that Gandhi’s speech did not contradict Hinduism “We heard Rahul Gandhi’s entire speech. He is clearly saying that there is no place for violence in Hinduism. There is nothing wrong in that,” the seer had said. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Shankaracharya said that the sanctity of the pilgrimage sites must be protected and only ‘Sanatan Dharma’ followers should undertake the Char Dham yatra. “People should not come for leisure. If they come with a pure heart, they will gain spiritual benefits. Non-believers should be barred from entering the four dhams,” he said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Revanth to Centre: Form GoM, expert panel for caste census
Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy has urged the Centre to constitute a Group of Ministers (GoM) and an experts committee for caste census across the country. He also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set a clear timeframe to complete the exercise, preferably within a year. Welcoming the Centre’s decision to include caste data in the next census, Revanth thanked the PM and emphasised that the Telangana govt was ready to cooperate, offering insights from its own caste survey without seeking political mileage. He said Telangana has become a role model in conducting such surveys. “The GoM and experts committee should be constituted separately to visit various states and hold consultations with political parties, stakeholders, and civil society on the caste census,” Revanth said at a press conference at his Jubilee Hills residence on Thursday. He explained that Telangana’s GoM and experts committee had visited every district, interacted with stakeholders, and collected representations from the public during its caste survey. Highlighting regional variations in caste classification, the CM said the experts committee must consider state-wise differences. “For instance, the Boya community is classified as OBC in Telangana but as ST in Karnataka. Similarly, Lambadas are tribals in Telangana but considered OBC in Maharashtra. There needs to be a consensus on these differences,” he said. When asked if the Centre’s move was politically motivated, particularly in light of the Bihar elections, Revanth refrained from making direct allegations. “I do not want to get into political accusations, especially when the move benefits people. But it’s clear that the BJP govt was compelled to act,” he said. He credited Rahul Gandhi for initiating the talk around caste census, asserting that the Congress leader promised a caste survey in Telangana and fulfilled the promise. “The credit goes to Rahul Gandhi,” he added. The CM said the state govt has already submitted its report to the Centre. “If needed, an official delegation is ready to go to Delhi to make a Power-Point presentation,” he said. On whether the Centre’s caste census data would override Telangana’s findings, Revanth clarified, “Central data prevails. However, Telangana’s survey was carried out systematically and scientifically, with a GoM and experts committee guiding the process.” He detailed the scale of the Telangana survey stating that 57 questions, spanning eight pages, were asked, with 95,000 enumerators covering every household in the state within 90 days. The process was supervised by top govt officials and the state-level GoM. “Telangana has shown the way. This is a historic exercise pending for nearly 100 years,” the CM claimed. Commenting on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Revanth claimed that the Congress had warned the public about the BJP’s alleged intent to remove reservations and alter the Constitution. “The people didn’t give the BJP a clear majority. With only 240 seats, their plans have been stalled,” he said. He also questioned why BJP-ruled states undertook caste surveys if the BJP opposed them. “The BJP has been in power for 11 years and governs 16–17 states. Why were caste surveys conducted only recently,” he wondered. Revanth said the BJP, despite its initial opposition, had been forced to support caste census due to Congress’s pressure. He recalled the Congress-led protest at Jantar Mantar, where leaders from most parties participated, except the NDA allies. Regarding the stalling of ‘Operation Kagar’ in Chhattisgarh, the CM said: “There is no place for violence in a civilised society. The party believes in dialogue with Maoists, and a policy decision will be taken soon.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rajiv Gandhi had opposed in Parliament
Rajiv Gandhi’s speech and the Congress’s stance damaged the party’s popularity among OBC communities. As a result, the Congress’ political base in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar weakened, and the party never again got an absolute majority at the Centre. Rajiv Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha that the government had decided to implement the Mandal Commission report at a time when the country already had a lot of serious problems. He said, ‘The problems of Kashmir have been solved by the government. The situation has never been this bad since independence. The situation in Punjab is also very bad. Assam is also on the same path. Tamil Nadu is also close to it. The Prime Minister himself had said that the country should be prepared for war… Apart from this, tension is increasing between the North and the South over language…” He said that there are many similarities between that time and today. There was peace in Kashmir for some time, but now tension has increased again. The government is having a dispute with the southern states over language. The government has not ‘prepared the ground’ for this big decision. He said, ‘The proof of this is that people are being killed, buses are being burnt, trains are being burnt and buildings are being demolished.’ He said that on one hand the Prime Minister is asking the country to be ready for war, and on the other hand he is dividing our society. Then Congress gave reservation After 16 years, the Congress UPA government took another step to implement the Mandal Commission report. They reserved 27% seats for OBCs in colleges like AIIMS, IIT and IIM. This decision was also opposed a lot. Upper caste people said that the government is eliminating merit and is doing this only for votes. What was BJP’s stand? At that time BJP was in the opposition. BJP supported reservation, but said that the benefit of reservation should also be given to poor people, irrespective of their caste. BJP also said that creamy layer i.e. rich people of backward classes should not get reservation. What is the connection with Jammu and Kashmir? After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, the Modi cabinet has taken a big decision on caste census. 26 people were killed in this attack. The tension between India and Pakistan has increased a lot. Common people Want a response to this attack. In 1990, when the Mandal Commission recommendations were implemented, there was a similar atmosphere. Actually, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was bad in those days too. Terrorism had increased a lot. Many Hindus were targeted and killed. Lakhs of Hindu families were forced to migrate from Kashmir. VP Singh was under a lot of pressure regarding the situation in Kashmir. About the author Anubhav Shakya After studying journalism from IIMC in 2021, he entered journalism with Zee News. Born in Etah, UP but studied in Aligarh. After writing national and international news there for about one and a half years, he is now working in the news team at Navbharat Times. Courtesy : Anubhav Shakya, NBT, Hindi News