Free LPGs, expanded free travel for women, transgender persons; Parandur Airport scrapped: TN Vijay
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced that three LPG cylinders would be provided free of cost every year to 1.34 crore families in the State. He also announced the expansion of the free bus travel scheme for women and transgender persons, which is currently limited to ordinary buses. Under the new ‘Vettri Payanam Thittam’, they will be allowed to travel free of cost on mofussil buses operating between districts, as well as express and deluxe buses operated by the MTC in Chennai and by transport corporations in Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchy and other cities. The scheme will come into effect on October 2. Making the announcements under Rule 110 in the Assembly, Vijay also said the proposed second airport at Parandur had been dropped and the government was exploring alternative sites for the project. 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
Mayawati says, ‘Demand for reservation on economic basis not right’:Dalits have faced casteism for centuries, don’t protect reservation opponents
BSP supremo Mayawati has lashed out at the demand for reservation based on economic criteria at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. She said on Sunday that Dalits have been victims of casteism for centuries. In such a situation, the demand for reservation based on economic criteria is not right. Targeting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati wrote on ‘X’: Rahul, who sat on dharna outside the police station in Delhi, did not go to get the anti-reservation protest happening at Jantar Mantar right next door stopped. He did not even try to go and explain to the protesters. This clearly exposes Congress’s anti-reservation mentality. The BSP supremo appealed to the central and state governments not to give any kind of shelter or protection to anti-reservation elements. She told political parties that cheap politics should be stopped on sensitive and important issues like reservation. New demand for reservation based on economic grounds is not right at all Mayawati termed the demand for reservation based on economic grounds as anti-national and a blow to the spirit of the Constitution. She made it clear that Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) have been harassed for centuries. Constitutional measures in the form of reservation were created to protect them from this casteist oppression. In such a situation, the new demand to implement reservation based on economic grounds is not appropriate at all. Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar had said that ‘renunciation of casteism is the greatest patriotism.’ People not getting benefits is not due to reservation, but a result of corruption BSP supremo said – Every year, huge budgets are spent by governments to eradicate poverty. Not receiving its benefits is the result of government system failure and corruption, not reservation. The real benefit of economic reservation (EWS) implemented for poor families of general category is not reaching them; there is more deception in that too. Attempt to strengthen Dalit and deprived vote bank Political experts say that by opposing reservation on economic basis, Mayawati is trying to strengthen BSP’s traditional Dalit and deprived vote bank. BSP’s politics has long revolved around the issue of social justice and rights of deprived sections. At a time when protests took place at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding changes in the reservation system and reservation on an economic basis, Mayawati is trying to present herself as the strongest advocate of reservation and constitutional rights. Know about the ‘Remove Reservation Movement’… It should be noted that a protest against reservation was held at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Friday, 21 August. A large number of people gathered in the ‘Remove Reservation Movement’. They demanded the implementation of reservation based on economic criteria while opposing the caste-based reservation system. The protesters also demanded changes in some UGC rules and the reservation system. Keeping the movement in view, Delhi Police made tight security arrangements. Some protesters were also taken into custody. Courtesy : Bhaskar English Note: This news is originally published on https:/bhaskarenglish.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Who Is Anagha Sasi, The Dalit Scholar Protesting At Kerala University?
Sasi, a PhD scholar in the Department of Environmental Studies, has been sitting on an indefinite protest demanding action against faculty members and others whom she accuses of caste-based abuse, harassment and obstructing her research Dalit PhD scholar Anagha Sasi is protesting at Kerala’s Malayalam University over alleged caste discrimination and academic harassment. Sasi has accused faculty members of denying research support, assigning non-academic work and obstructing her PhD progress. Student groups, Dalit organisations and activists have extended support and demanded an independent inquiry. A protest by Dalit research scholar Anagha Sasi at Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University in Kerala has drawn support from student groups, Dalit organisations and activists, after she alleged caste discrimination, academic harassment and denial of research facilities. Sasi, a PhD scholar in the Department of Environmental Studies, has been sitting on an indefinite protest demanding action against faculty members and others whom she accuses of caste-based abuse, harassment and obstructing her research. She has also demanded registration of a case under the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, along with action on complaints related to alleged ragging and academic retaliation, The Hindu reported Who Is Anagha Sasi? Anagha Sasi, from Kolenchery in Kerala, joined Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University in 2024 as a research scholar in the Environmental Studies department. She has alleged that despite completing her PhD coursework, she has been unable to progress with her research due to delays in academic support, approval processes and access to facilities. Sasi claimed that her annual progress report was delayed and that the university did not convene her Doctoral Committee, affecting her research work and putting her fellowship from the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment at risk. ‘Harassment And Denial Of Research Support’ Sasi has alleged that she faced caste-based discrimination from the beginning of her association with the university. She claimed that she was assigned non-academic tasks, including sweeping classrooms, dusting books and files, carrying boxes, cleaning laboratory equipment and arranging materials in classrooms and the department. She also alleged that she was denied research assistance, access to laboratory facilities and support during fieldwork. At times, she claimed, she was made to stand in corridors without seating. According to Sasi, her research guide Arun Babu and faculty member Jaini Varghese were among those named in her complaints. She alleged that Babu told her she would have to follow his instructions to continue her PhD. “I did not come to your house and ask you to come here for a PhD. If you want to do a PhD, you must obey what I say; otherwise, go somewhere else, go to IGNOU,” Sasi alleged he told her. She further claimed that she was told her fellowship was granted because of her caste rather than merit and alleged that she faced threats over the continuation of the fellowship. Complaints And Demand For Independent Probe Sasi said she submitted complaints to the university’s Registrar, Vice-Chancellor, Research Director and the SC/ST Cell in August 2025. She also approached the Higher Education Minister and the Chief Minister but alleged that no effective action was taken. She has disputed the university’s claim that she failed to revise her research synopsis, saying she had submitted multiple revisions but did not receive adequate guidance from her research supervisor. Dalit rights activist Sunny Kappikkad has supported Sasi’s protest, saying the matter reflects wider concerns of caste discrimination in higher education and should not be treated merely as an academic disagreement. Kappikkad also alleged that the university should have informed police after receiving a caste discrimination complaint involving an SC student and demanded an independent inquiry. Student Groups Rally Behind Protest Several student and social organisations have expressed solidarity with Sasi, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Ambedkarite Democratic Front, Kerala Students’ Union, Muslim Students’ Federation, Student Islamic Organisation, Kerala Dalit Federation and Fraternity Movement. AISA national president Neha Bora visited the protest site and expressed support. “Let casteism be defeated! Enact Rohith Act!” Bora said in a post on X. P.K. Navas, MLA, also visited the protest site and called for an external inquiry, while Welfare Party of India Kerala president Razak Paleri demanded an independent investigation. However, the widening support for her protest has increased scrutiny over the university’s handling of her complaints and the broader issue of caste discrimination in higher education. Sasi has said she will continue her indefinite protest until action is taken. Courtesy : Outlook India Note: This news is originally published on https:/outlookindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rajasthan High Court questions police as probe into attack on Dalit family changes hands six times
High Court seeks affidavits from investigating officers and supervisory committee over delay in probe into alleged land encroachment and attack on Dalit family The police investigation into a case of alleged land encroachment and attack on a Dalit family in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district changed hands six times in the last two years, prompting the High Court to intervene. There was also a complete absence of supervisory review of the pending probe. The victim, Jitendra Kumar, 24, a resident of Bharatpur’s Bayana block, moved the High Court seeking a fair investigation, completion of the probe and filing of a chargesheet in the case. The first information report (FIR) was registered on May 10, 2024, following an attack on Mr. Kumar and his family members. The “politically influential” people who allegedly attacked the Dalit family in Kair village in a bid to encroach upon its agricultural land also registered an FIR against the victims. Though the police found the counter-case to be frivolous, the original case has been probed by as many as six investigating officers without any conclusion. “Despite the lapse of 26 months and a provision in the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, for completion of probe in 60 days, the police have failed to act,” Mr. Kumar said in his writ petition. The investigating officers included a Circle Officer and five Additional Superintendents of Police, including one serving in the civil rights cell. The offences for which 12 accused belonging to the Gujjar community were booked under the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST (PoA) Act included rioting, attempt to commit culpable homicide, causing grievous hurt, unlawful assembly, criminal trespass and criminal intimidation. The present investigating officer, Dinesh Kumar Meena, stated in the High Court that the offences against the accused had been proved and the result of the probe would be submitted in the trial court within two weeks. Justice Shubha Mehta at the High Court’s Jaipur Bench observed earlier this week that the failure to complete the investigation in time was “concerning” and no satisfactory reason had been given for the delay. The petitioner also stated that calling him to join the probe every time after the change of hands amounted to his harassment. The court directed the Public Prosecutor to obtain affidavits from all investigating officers named in the factual report, “explaining why the probe was not completed in 60 days and reasons for the subsequent delay”. Similar affidavits were also sought from the officers forming the supervisory committee under Rule 7(3) of the SC/ST (PoA) Act. Welcoming the High Court’s order, the Centre for Dalit Rights (CDR) said here on Sunday (August 23, 2026) that the investigation could have been completed and the accused arrested if the authorities had complied with the statutory review mechanism. The matter will come up in the court for further hearing on September 7. The members of the supervisory committee include the Home Secretary, Director General of Police, Social Justice & Empowerment Secretary, and Director of Prosecution. CDR Director Satish Kumar said though the committee was required to review pending cases under the SC/ST (PoA) Act once every quarter, the meetings were not held regularly and no relief was granted to Dalit victims. 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
Outrage in UP’s Muzaffarnagar over minor Dalit girl’s gang rape; two arrested, govt assures strict action
The police have registered a case against both accused under Sections 64(1) and 70(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. In a shocking case in Uttar Pradesh, a Dalit minor girl was allegedly abducted and gang-raped in Muzaffarnagar, triggering massive public outrage. According to the police, the minor victim, 17, was recovered following a three-day search operation. Two accused, including a doctor, have been arrested in connection with the alleged abduction and gang rape. The accused have been identified as Nazim and Mohammad Adil. According to the police, the girl was allegedly abducted by Nazim. Mohammad Adil is accused of assisting Nazim in the crime. After receiving information regarding the girl’s disappearance and the suspected offence, the police launched an extensive search operation to trace her whereabouts and identify those allegedly involved in the incident. The investigation was intensified as teams searched multiple locations and examined CCTV footage from across the area. Investigators reportedly scrutinised footage from around 600 CCTV cameras to establish the movements of the accused and trace the missing girl. Speaking to reporters, the victim’s mother described the incident as a serious atrocity against her daughter and demanded the strictest punishment for those responsible. “This was a very serious atrocity against a Dalit girl. It is an extremely grave injustice against girls and our community and the entire society. We do not want anything except the death penalty. We want justice. We want bulldozers to be used against all the accused’s properties, including the house and the college,” she said. Uttar Pradesh Minister Kapil Dev Agarwal said the victim had been missing for several days and that the police action was being pursued seriously. Speaking to reporters, Agarwal said, “A young girl had been missing for four days; she is a minor belonging to the SC community. When she was recovered, according to the statement given by the child as conveyed to me by her family members, multiple individuals gang-raped her. Not once or twice, but repeatedly, three to four times.” “Individuals from a specific community were found involved in this. Police shot one of them in the leg while he was trying to flee, and two have been arrested and sent to jail,” he added. The Minister further said that the strictest possible action would be taken against those found responsible and that clear instructions had been issued to the district police leadership to ensure there was no compromise in the investigation. “The strictest possible action will be taken, and instructions have been issued to the Police Captain (SSP) that there will be no compromise under any circumstances,” Agarwal said. He further said that the names of a school and a hospital had emerged during the investigation and that action would be taken against them if their involvement or complicity was established. “Furthermore, since the names of a school and a hospital have surfaced, if they are found complicit during the investigation, the strictest action will be taken against them as well. The perpetrator, anyone who commits such an act, clearly has a depraved, sickening mindset. And the government is dealing strictly with such elements,” the minister said. Agarwal also said that provisions of the Gangsters Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act would be invoked in the case. According to investigators, police teams worked extensively to trace the girl and establish the movements of the accused. CCTV footage from approximately 600 cameras was examined as part of the operation, helping investigators narrow down the locations and movements linked to the case. After the recovery of minor on Friday, the police confronted accused Nazim later that night, during which he was injured in the leg. His accomplice, Doctor Mohammad Adil, was also arrested. The police have registered a case against both accused under Sections 64(1) and 70(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. After being produced before a court, both accused were sent to judicial custody on Saturday, officials said. Courtesy : The Statesman Note: This news is originally published on https:/thestatesman.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Four Sirwar cops suspended after Dalit woman’s rape and murder
Raichur: Four personnel attached to Sirwar police station have been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with the rape and murder of a Dalit woman from Hokrani village in Sirwar taluk. Raichur SP Arunangshu Giri issued suspension orders against sub-inspectors Bheemareddy and Veeresh, and constables Devaraj and Nagaraj, following allegations that they failed to respond appropriately after the woman was reported missing. According to the SP, the victim’s parents informed the police on the evening of Aug 19 that she had gone missing. However, when family members approached the police station to lodge a complaint, the personnel allegedly failed to act promptly and did not visit the village for spot verification. The alleged negligence sparked protests on Aug 22 by the victim’s relatives and members of Dalit organisations. They submitted a complaint to Ballari IGP Dr Harsha PS, the Raichur deputy commissioner and the SP, demanding strict action against the police personnel accused of failing in their duty. Following the allegations and the public outcry, the SP ordered the suspension of the four personnel pending further inquiry into the matter. 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 violence cases face bias wall as conviction rate remains low under SC/ST Act
Odisha records a 10.8 per cent conviction rate for SC cases, while one Puri family says its trial is yet to begin eight years after the alleged attack Ashok Sethi, 48, and his family have been assaulted, ostracised and forced out of their native village in Odisha because of their Dalit identity. The family’s ordeal points to a deeper malaise that subjects members of the Scheduled Caste community to social and institutional discrimination, resulting in delayed justice and low conviction rates in caste-based violence. The conviction rate in cases registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act hovers at 34 per cent, much below the overall conviction rate of 53 per cent in criminal cases. Sethi, who hails from Nuagaon village under the Satapada gram panchayat in Puri district, said the majority of the 150 families residing there belonged to general and OBC categories. Sethi’s family used to wash villagers’ clothes and got around 10kg of paddy per year from each family as part of a barter system prevalent in the village. In 2000, Sethi’s family demanded payment in cash instead of kind, which the villagers refused. A penalty was imposed on the family, and they were ostracised. “I got married in 2000. The villagers did not allow us to put up a marquee in the village for the wedding because we did not agree to work under the barter system. They said it was below their dignity to walk under the canopy as we are Dalits. My sister’s marriage could not be held in the village in 2007,” Sethi, who now lives in Kathuaredi village under Brahmagiri block, around 26km away, told The Telegraph. In 2017, some villagers cut down trees from a plot of land belonging to Sethi’s family. The situation worsened in July next year when the villagers attacked the family, took away their cows and belongings, injured female members and destroyed their house. The family had no option but to move out. They stayed at a cyclone shelter near Chhotapur village, about 20km from Nuagaon, before shifting to Kathuaredi. On Sethi’s complaint, an FIR was registered at Brahmagiri police station under the SC/ST Act for caste-based violence. Sethi said the FIR did not mention Section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder), although the family had specified it in their written complaint. “The discrimination was not limited to the villagers. We faced institutional bias from the police. The seven accused were arrested and granted bail within 10 days. Most importantly, the trial has not started even though eight years have passed,” Sethi said. “We have not visited our village since 2018. The villagers have taken over our land. We are living on rent at Kathuaredi,” he said. Baghambar Patnaik, a human rights activist, has filed a case with the Odisha Human Rights Commission seeking a direction to the police to expedite adjudication of the case and rehabilitation of the victims. A public interest litigation was filed in Orissa High Court, which in 2020 directed the rehabilitation of the family in Nuagaon village. Patnaik said the state government would have to recover the family’s land from the villagers and build a house for them before they could return. “They are unable to go back because the government machinery is not taking any steps to recover the land and construct a house. It shows that the government is not sincere about delivering justice to the victims,” Patnaik said. Rashmita Samantaray, the sarpanch of the Satapada panchayat, declined to comment on the issue. “I do not know much about this case,” she said. Last month, Congress Rajya Sabha member Chandrakant Damodar Handore sought information about the number of cases pending investigation under the SC/ST Act and the conviction rate. In a written reply on July 22, minister of state for social justice Ramdas Athawale furnished data, which showed that the national conviction rate stood at a mere 33.9 per cent for SCs in 2024. In Odisha, the conviction rate was 10.8 per cent. “The responsibility of maintaining law and order, investigation, protection of life and property of the citizens, including crime against members of SC and ST communities, rest with the respective state governments,” Athawale had said. CM on Ravidas, Phule Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday said Guru Ravidas envisioned a society with no place for any form of discrimination, fear or injustice while Dr B.R. Ambedkar considered education the most powerful tool for social transformation. Saini spoke about how Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule challenged social orthodoxies, opened the doors of education for all, and made historic contributions, especially towards women’s education. Ambedkar regarded education as the most powerful instrument of social transformation and fought for the rights of deprived sections and equal opportunities, he said. Basant Kumar Mohanty Courtesy : The Telegraph Note: This news is originally published on https:/thetelegraph.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Pellet injury shattered my Delhi Police dream’: Youth whose FIR came after Rahul’s protest
Jhajjar: The young man for whom Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi staged a protest at a Delhi police station on Friday had once dreamt of joining the Delhi Police. Jhajjar resident Sahil Lochab says that dream came crashing down on July 20, when he was allegedly hit by pellets during a protest at Jantar Mantar and lost vision in his right eye. Sahil, from Bhupania village, drove a taxi alongside his studies to support his family and was preparing for Delhi Police recruitment. He had enrolled in a graduation programme through Delhi University’s School of Open Learning to balance his studies with work. Sahil’s family moved to Najafgarh around 10 years ago. His father Deepak has been disabled since childhood and had worked occasionally as a private taxi driver. Sahil says he began driving at a young age, contributing to household expenses and helping fund his younger brother’s education. Recounting the Jantar Mantar incident, Sahil said he suddenly felt pellets strike his chest, arm and right eye. “When I turned around, I saw a person in a blue uniform carrying a large firearm, from which several pellets were fired,” he alleged. His face, hand, chest and eye began bleeding and he lost vision in the right eye, he said. He was initially taken to a nearby hospital before being referred to Safdarjung Hospital and subsequently AIIMS. Sahil alleged that paramilitary personnel used pellet guns during the protest and he had sought an impartial investigation to establish who fired the pellets and under what circumstances. During his treatment at AIIMS, Sahil said, a team associated with Rahul Gandhi contacted him and helped arrange treatment and assistance for his family. He said Rahul Gandhi met him twice, once during a press conference and later at Parliament Street police station on Friday, when the FIR was registered. Sahil alleged that he approached Connaught Place and Parliament Street police stations several times seeking action but was sent back without the response he expected. He claimed that after Rahul Gandhi reached the Parliament Street police station, an FIR against unidentified persons was registered about six hours later. For Sahil, the injury has put his career plans and his family’s finances at risk. “I used to drive a taxi alongside my studies to support my family. I had dreamed of joining the Delhi Police. After losing the sight in my eye, it feels as if everything is over,” Sahil 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
Parliament monsoon session yet to be prorogued, BJP, Congress face off over women’s bill
NEW DELHI: BJP on Sunday sought to play back to Rahul Gandhi his pitch for women’s empowerment, by questioning his strident opposition to govt’s push for an early implementation of quota for them in Lok Sabha and assemblies. “He does not want to give rights to women. His words don’t match his actions,” Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said. BJP’s framing its attack on Rahul around the women’s quota coupled with the fact that monsoon session is yet to be prorogued gave another indication of the possibility of govt summoning the two Houses at short notice to take up its Constitution amendment bill for implementation of quota from 2029 with a nearly 50% rise in Lok Sabha seats. “What explains the abnormal delay now? Is the Union home minister still in search of his super-tainted 2/3rd majority to get the constitutional amendment bill on delimitation passed in a special session,” Congress’s Jairam Ramesh asked. Congress, too, was mindful of the possibility of a short upcoming session and claimed that BJP is still searching for “super tainted” majority in Lok Sabha, in what was a swipe at govt’s alleged attempts to split opposition parties to reach the two-thirds majority in the House needed for the bill’s passage. Ramesh said the gap between Parliament’s adjournment and its prorogation is generally two to four days. But the monsoon session, which ended on Aug 13, has not been prorogued yet. When a session is prorogued, govt has to go through the protocol for calling a new session that conventionally requires a gap of 15 to 20 days. Stepping up BJP’s attack on Rahul Gandhi, Fadnavis said he spoke about women’s empowerment from a public platform but has opposed the most revolutionary step to give women their due. BJP’s Smriti Irani said Rahul should positively respond to PM Modi’s appeal to political parties to support the implementation of women’s quota. On the Vande Mataram row, she said Congress should allow rendition of the song’s full version. While speculation has swirled over the revival of the bill to amend women’s quota law, which was defeated in April, govt has officially remained non-committal over any such move except acknowledging that it had sought Rahul’s view. The LoP in Lok Sabha reiterated his stand against it. Congress and its allies have said Lok Sabha’s strength should be frozen at its existing number and the quota should be executed within it. 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
Parliament passes Transgender Persons Amendment Bill, 2026 with Rajya Sabha approving it today
Parliament has passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, with the Rajya Sabha approving it today. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha yesterday by a voice vote amid an Opposition-led walkout. The bill seeks to redefine the category of transgender, removes the provision of self-perceived gender identity and excludes several socio-cultural identities as well as transmasculine individuals from its ambit. It also further defines transgender persons within a biological framework, based on intersex variations and differences in sexual development. Replying to the discussion on the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar said the government is compassionate towards the well-being of the transgender community. He said the Bill has provisions to empower the transgenders and give them dignity. The Minister said that the NDA government has taken several initiatives to bring transgender people to the mainstream and stop discrimination against them. Starting the discussion in the Upper House, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury said this bill dilutes the privacy of an individual provided under the Constitution. Opposing the Bill, Ms Chowdhury said self-identification cannot be taken away through bureaucratic certification. Criticizing the government, she said that the proposed bill undermines the fundamental rights and dignity of transgender persons. Calling such a move wrong and illegal, she argued that forcing transgender persons to provide their identity through official certificates is against the spirit of equality and dignity guaranteed by the constitution. She also questioned the government’s approach for not properly consulting with the transgender community before bringing the Bill. She also referred to the Supreme Court’s landmark NALSA judgement of 2014, which recognized the right of transgender persons to self-identify their gender. Ms Chowdhury said the proposed Bill violates the principles laid down in that judgement and fails to respect an already established legal framework. DMK MP Tiruchi Shiva also opposed the Bill, saying that even if the Bill is passed in Parliament with a majority, it will be struck down by the Supreme Court. He further added that the Bill violates Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21 of the Constitution and it deprives the community of the right to freedom, dignity and self-determination. Supporting the Bill, BJP MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni said, ” This Bill ensures justice, dignity, protection from criminalisation and legal safeguards for transgender persons. She also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing this bill with certain amendments in order to ensure that the benefits reach the deserving people in a proper manner. She said there is a need for a law that brings justice to real transgender individuals and punishes fake ones. Mrs Kulkarni said the benefits should be extended to those who are transgender by birth. She said that the amendment to extend punishment will bring down the rate of crime and forced identities. TMC’s Saket Gokhale said that 31% of Transgender people in India have attempted suicide because of the discrimination that they are facing. He alleged that now the government is going to start discriminating against them as though social discrimination were not enough. He called it unacceptable. Mr Gokhale expressed concern that gender is going to be decided by the Chief Medical Officer and a District Magistrate, and the bill does not prescribe any qualifications for the Chief Medical Officer. Sanjay Singh of AAP said the Bill is a big let-down for the transgender community. He accused the government of not doing anything for the community. RJD’s Manoj Kr Jha said that prejudices against transgender people should stop, and they should be able to live with dignity. He added that self-determination of gender should not be taken away. CPI(M)’s John Brittas said it is a black-letter day and the Bill is taking India a century back. He pleaded with the government to either withdraw the Bill or refer it to a Select Committee. Jaya Bachchan of the Samajwadi Party also questioned the government over the legislation. She sought to know what the urgency was in bringing the Bill, without examining it with the depth and care that it deserved. Courtesy : NOA Note: This news is originally published on https:/newsonair.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights