Allegations of discrimination against Dalit students at KGBV: They alleged caste-related abuses and forced them to clean; families filed a complaint at the District Magistrate’s office.
A case of alleged discrimination and inhumane treatment of Dalit students has come to light at the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Awasiya Vidyalaya (KGBV) in Asothar block, Fatehpur. The students and their families have accused some teachers of making caste-related remarks, not providing adequate food, and making them clean the bathrooms and other areas. At around 4:30 pm on Tuesday, the victim families reached the District Magistrate’s office and demanded an impartial investigation and action against the culprits. Geeta Devi, a resident of Sato village in Asothar block, stated that her granddaughters Kiran and Kashish, along with another student, Anjali, attend the school. According to the families, a complaint was made some time ago regarding the quality of the food at the school. This complaint was also investigated. It is alleged that the school administration became increasingly displeased with the students after this. Allegations of being threatened with expulsion for asking for food In a complaint letter submitted to the District Basic Education Officer, serious allegations have been made against teachers Parveen Bano, Aruna Gautam, and Preeti Gautam. The complaint states that female students were threatened with expulsion from the school if they asked for food. There are also allegations of assaulting older students if they protested. Allegations of caste-based humiliation and cleaning duties Families allege that female students were humiliated because of their caste. In addition to studying, they were also made to clean the school bathrooms and other areas. According to the complaint, comments were made linking the female students’ caste to cleaning duties, causing them mental distress. Demand for Fair Investigation and Security from the DM The victim families have demanded an impartial investigation from the District Magistrate. They demanded a safe and respectful environment for the female students and strict action against those responsible if the allegations are found to be true. They now await the district administration’s investigation and the action taken based on the investigation. Ram Chandra Saini | Fatehpur Courtesy: Hindi News
A Dalit student, distressed by harassment, left her studies for a year. She resumed her studies after being harassed again, and appealed to the Superintendent of Police in Amethi for justice.
In a village in the Amethi Kotwali area, a student, distressed by harassment, left her computer studies for nearly a year. The student alleges that some young men repeatedly harassed her, leading her to discontinue her studies. According to the student, when she resumed her computer studies after about a year, the accused young men began harassing her again. Distressed by the continued harassment, the student returned home and informed her family about the incident. The student then went to the Amethi Kotwali with her mother and filed a complaint with the police. It is alleged that after receiving no response at the police station, the student went to the Superintendent of Police’s office with her mother and demanded action. The Superintendent of Police took the matter seriously and directed the concerned police officers to investigate and take necessary action. The police then began questioning the student and gathering information about the case. Amethi Kotwali police station in-charge Shivakant Tripathi stated that the matter is being investigated based on the complaint. Further action will be taken based on the facts and evidence revealed in the investigation. Courtesy: Hindi News
Villagers oppose Dalit womans as anganwadi helper
Shivamogga: A controversy has arisen at Mugadthi village, located under the Heddaripura GP near Ripponpete in Hosanagara taluk of Shivamogga district, following the appointment of a Dalit woman as an anganwadi helper. Some villagers refused to send their children to the centre following her appointment. Shivamogga DC Prabhuling Kavalikatti took the matter seriously and directed the department of women and child development to inspect the location immediately. Responding to the directive, child development project officer (CDPO) Gayatri Ramachandra, along with personnel from the Ripponpete police station, visited Mugadthi on Monday and convened a meeting with the residents to address the situation. She clarified that the recruitment was carried out strictly in accordance with govt regulations and legal merit criteria. She said children must not be deprived of health and educational facilities provided at the anganwadi. Local villager Gururaj, who is also the president of Mugadthi Balamuri Ganapathi Temple, denied any caste-based discrimination or opposition in the village, stating that residents from all communities live together in harmony. He suggested the matter arose from a misunderstanding or miscommunication and assured full cooperation for the welfare of the children. 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
Top cop in Bihar’s Siwan removed amid row over use of AK-47 during student protest
SP Puran Kumar Jha, under whose command an AK-47 rifle was allegedly used during a student protest in Siwan on July 25, has been placed on the waiting list for a new posting. The Bihar government on Tuesday transferred the Superintendents of Police (SPs) of Siwan and Bhojpur districts, where police action against student protesters had triggered controversies. While Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha has been kept at police headquarters waiting for posting, Bhojpur SP Raj has been posted as SP of neighbouring Rohtas district. Jha courted controversy after police allegedly opened fire with an AK-47 during a students’ protest in Siwan on July 25, while Raj faced sharp criticism following the alleged killing of 28-year-old Bharat Bhushan Tiwari in a fake encounter. The Siwan SP’s removal from the post came hours after the state government told the Supreme Court that constable Abhishek Kumar, who allegedly opened fire with an AK-47, has already been put under suspension. The state government told the apex court that the constable fired four rounds from his AK-47 only after he felt trapped and surrounded by protestors, and the shots were fired in the air. The state maintained that nobody was injured in the police firing. Bihar government’s response was filed before the Supreme Court in proceedings arising from petitions alleging police excesses during protests over exam paper leak. The protests were held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi by supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party-led movement. Meanwhile, Raj, who was posted as SP of Bhojpur, has been transferred to Rohtas in the same capacity. Raj faced public backlash over the alleged killing of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari in a fake police encounter. Tiwari was shot five times even after he had surrendered before police. Jha and Raj are among 18 IPS officers transferred by the Samrat Choudhary government. According to a notification issued by the state home department, Hridaya Kant has been made SP of Nalanda, the home district of former chief minister Nitish Kumar. Similarly, Vinit Kumar, Saran SP, will be replaced by Roushan Kumar, who was the SP of Rohtas. Roushan has been made SSP of Saran district, while Vinit has been posted as SP, Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Bharat Soni has been made the new SP of Siwan. Awadhesh Dixit will take charge as SP of Bhojpur. Manish Kumar, SP, Special Branch, has been shifted to Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) in the same capacity. Senior officials, however, claimed that it was a routine transfer to improve law and order situation in the state. Ramashankar 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
‘Right way’: Rahul Gandhi lauds ‘understanding’ between Jharkhand govt, protesting students
Rahul Gandhi also vowed to change the system across the country to establish a framework that propels students forward rather than holds them back. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday praised the “understanding” reached between protesting students and the Jharkhand government, calling it the “right way” as Chief Minister Hemant Soren chose dialogue while the students exercised restraint and got their demands accepted. Gandhi also vowed to change the system across the country to establish a framework that propels students forward rather than holds them back. “An understanding has been reached between the students of Jharkhand and the state government, and the students have ended their hunger strike – it was heartening to hear this news,” Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X. “Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji and the Jharkhand government chose the path of dialogue and arrived at a solution. The students exercised restraint and made their demands accepted,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said. This is the right way – when students raise questions, they should get answers, he said. “We stand with every student in the country. And we will uproot and transform this recovery system, so that every student gets the full reward of their hard work and the right to fair competition,” Gandhi said. This system will change across the country, and a framework will be established that propels students forward, rather than holding them back, the former Congress chief said. Gandhi had written to Soren, urging him to personally meet representatives of the protesting students and take appropriate action to resolve the issue. He had said the students’ protest was peaceful and their demands legitimate, while asserting that the youth of India was its future and that “we owe them our solidarity and support at this moment of crisis”. The Congress is part of the ruling JMM-led government in Jharkhand. Students protesting against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations may take a call on withdrawing their demonstration on Tuesday after the state government cancelled all recruitment tests, including the JSSC-CGL exam, conducted by an outsourced agency since 2014. The announcement came after Soren chaired a marathon Cabinet meeting at the state secretariat on Monday. He also said an exam reforms committee headed by senior IAS officer Amitabh Kaushal would recommend measures to strengthen the recruitment examination process. “The government has decided to cancel the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) exam, which was one of the major demands of the protesting students. We have also decided to cancel all tests conducted by outsourced agency TSR Data Processing Pvt Ltd (TDPL) and the results published by it,” Soren had told reporters after the meeting. Student leader Devendra Mahto, who had been on hunger strike for 16 days over the alleged exam irregularities, ended his fast around midnight on Monday. Two protesters, Prem Nayak and Umme Habiba, also called off their hunger strike, while three others – Rahul Kranti, Sabita Kumari and Rupesh Pal – continued their fast. Students were seen celebrating and waving the Tricolour after the announcement. Activist Sonam Wangchuk congratulated Mahto over a video call, describing the government’s decision as a “victory for everyone”. 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
Sang same ‘Vande Mataram’ as national leaders: Kharge hits back at BJP over ‘incomplete’ charge
Kharge said if singing the version he did was a crime, cases should also be filed against the leaders who had sung it the same way. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday responded to the BJP’s criticism over his rendition of an “incomplete” ‘Vande Mataram’, saying he sang the version followed by national leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Talking to reporters in South Goa, Kharge said if singing the version he did was a crime, cases should also be filed against the leaders who had sung it the same way. The ruling BJP has alleged that the Congress chief sang an “incomplete” version of the national song during his public meeting in South Goa on Monday, and accused the grand old party of disrespecting the national song. Speaking over the controversy, Kharge said, “I sang the ‘Vande Mataram’ which Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru sang…the same song which Vallabhbhai Patel and Atal Bihari Vajpayee sang. If that is the crime, then file a case against Gandhiji, Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel.” Kharge said the BJP was unaware of the historical decisions taken by the Congress on the national song and the national anthem. “They don’t know that before they were born, the Congress had passed the resolution to decide about the national song and the national anthem,” he said. The Congress president said he had followed the version of ‘Vande Mataram’ that had been sung for decades. “I did what has been happening for the last 80 years,” Kharge 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
Sonia Gandhi memoir ‘Belonging’ to chronicle love, loss and six decades in public life to be out on November 10
The memoir traces her journey from post-war Italy to the centre of Indian politics and the Nehru-Gandhi family. NEW DELHI: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s long-awaited memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, will be published on November 10, publisher Alfred A. Knopf announced on Tuesday, offering a candid account of her journey from post-war Italy to the heart of Indian politics. At 19, while studying in Cambridge, England, Sonia met Rajiv Gandhi in 1965. Her life subsequently unfolded within the Nehru-Gandhi family, first largely away from politics and later at its centre. The memoir traces her transition from a private family life to public duty, shaped, she says, by grief and loss. “It was heartbreak and loss that threw me into the public world of politics. Up till then I had guarded my privacy fiercely,” Gandhi said in a statement issued through Knopf. The narrative is set against some of the most turbulent chapters in India’s post-Independence history. It recounts the death of Rajiv’s younger brother Sanjay Gandhi in a 1980 plane crash, Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her bodyguards in 1984 and Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination by an LTTE suicide bomber during an election campaign in Tamil Nadu in 1991. According to the publisher, the memoir also offers a portrait of Sonia Gandhi’s early years in India, learning Hindi, adapting to Indian customs and cuisine, and raising her children with Rajiv while living in the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi. Sonia Gandhi says the book seeks to move beyond the political mythology surrounding one of India’s most powerful families. “Much has been written about my family, but few narratives were able to reach into the truth of their motivations, their actions and even their very human failings,” she said. “In many ways, this book is a homage to their humanness.” Her own political career, which she initially resisted, eventually made her the longest-serving president of the Congress. The decisive chapter came after the 2004 general election, when Congress emerged as the largest party and formed the United Progressive Alliance. Gandhi led the alliance but declined the prime minister’s post, with Manmohan Singh becoming prime minister. The UPA subsequently governed India for a decade. Gandhi said writing the memoir required confronting experiences she had long kept private. “Writing about my life did not come easily to me. It meant opening myself up, sharing moments and experiences I had always held deep inside,” she said. The memoir, she added, ultimately revealed a connecting thread of “love and loyalty” running from her childhood in Italy to her decades in India. “My story also offers readers a unique perspective of the social and political changes I have witnessed for six decades in the beautiful country of my belonging,” Sonia Gandhi 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
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
AAP leader arrested for allegedly encroaching Dalit colleague’s property
New Delhi, Aug 17: Aam Aadmi Party’s National Council Member Sri Chand Vohra was arrested by Delhi Police from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, for alleged encroachment of the property of his party’s Dalit worker in south-east Delhi’s Jaitpur Extension, sources said on Monday. Sri Chand Vohra is the husband of AAP Councillor from Jaitpur, Hema Vohra. He has been named in a police complaint filed by AAP Dalit worker Rakesh Kumar over his alleged dispossession from his own property. A police complaint filed by Rakesh Kumar said that around three weeks ago, Vohra allegedly threw his belongings, kept on the first floor of the property, onto the street. Following an investigation, the police added penal sections relating to an alleged conspiracy to take possession of the plot. The penal provisions invoked in the case carry a maximum punishment of 10 years. Earlier, Delhi BJP questioned the silence of AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Saurabh Bharadwaj over the alleged harassment of their own party’s Dalit worker. Delhi BJP Media Head and Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor condemned Vohra’s alleged injustice against Rakesh Kumar and demanded early police action against him. Kapoor, along with BJP Chief Spokesperson Anil Gupta, asked Kejriwal to immediately ensure justice for the Dalit AAP worker by restoring possession of his plot and expelling Vohra and his wife from the party. The Delhi BJP Media Head said that Vohra has been directly associated with Kejriwal since the party’s formative days and had himself contested the Municipal Corporation election from Jaitpur in 2017. In 2022, his wife Hema contested the election and is currently serving as a Municipal Councillor. In 2019, on the pretext of setting up a private political office, Vohra took a vacant plot belonging to active Dalit AAP worker Rakesh Kumar in Jaitpur Extension. After about a year, Rakesh Kumar began asking for his plot back, but Vohra allegedly kept delaying the matter till 2022. Towards the end of 2022, Vohra’s wife Hema was elected as a Municipal Councillor from Jaitpur. According to the BJP leaders, this was followed by alleged harassment of Dalit worker Rakesh Kumar, which ended only after an FIR was registered at a police station around two weeks ago. Courtesy : TAT Note: This news is originally published on https:/theassamtribune.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
“Mallikarjun Kharge’s insult is a direct attack on the existence of Dalits,” Telangana Congress holds protest with appeal for unity against BJP
The alleged insult of Congress President in Haldwani has sparked widespread outrage in Telangana. The TPCC issued a stern warning to the BJP-RSS and appealed to Dalits to unite. New Delhi: The alleged insult to Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge has sparked widespread outrage within the Telangana Congress. On Monday, August 17, members of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) held a massive protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Congress leaders have made a clear call that the time has come for Dalits across the country to unite against the BJP’s policies. The protest was organized to protest the alleged “purification” of the stage after Kharge’s event in Haldwani, Uttarakhand. South Asians and Diaspora The main event of this strong protest was held in Karimnagar. Dr. Kavampally Satyanarayana, the party’s Scheduled Caste (SC) Cell Chairman and MLA, attended the protest. He described the humiliation of Kharge as highly condemnable and appealed to the marginalized sections of society to unite. The controversy began on August 13th. Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress chief, alleged that some individuals associated with the BJP had desecrated the stage immediately after his speech at the Ramlila Maidan in Uttarakhand. Expressing deep regret over this act, Kharge said that coming from a Dalit background, the incident had made him acutely aware of the “sting of untouchability.” Addressing the protesters at the protest, MLA Satyanarayana sharply attacked the ruling party. He said that this humiliation of Mallikarjun Kharge was not just an attack on one person, but on the self-respect and existence of the entire Dalit community. It should not be taken lightly at any cost. He urged all Dalits to stand firmly against the BJP’s discriminatory and oppressive policies. People and Society The TPCC directly blamed the BJP, which is in power at the center, for this purification ritual. Congress leaders said the ruling party should bow its head and take accountability to prevent such discrimination in the future. Satyanarayana issued a stern warning to the BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and the Sangh Parivar, urging them to remain vigilant. He accused these organizations of staging a hypocritical drama. Citing the Haldwani incident, he clarified that this mentality of the BJP is an insult to democratic spirit and a blatant violation of constitutional values. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News