Shopkeeper did obscene act with Dalit girl: absconding for three days in Unnao, anger in Dalit organization, 24 hours ultimatum given
A shopkeeper in Safipur Kotwali area of Unnao did obscene act with an 8-year-old Dalit girl. The girl had gone to the shop to buy toffees. Shopkeeper Naushad Ali called her inside and did obscene act. When the girl vomited, the accused abused her using casteist language and drove her away. The victim went home and told the family about the incident. The family immediately reached Safipur Kotwali and lodged a complaint. Kotwali in-charge Subrat Narayan Tiwari has registered a case under POCSO Act and SC/ST Act. Even after three days, the accused is absconding. Dalit organizations from Kanpur, Rae Bareli, Gonda and Unnao have submitted a memorandum to Safipur Area Officer Madhunath Mishra. They have demanded the arrest of the accused within 24 hours and bulldozer action. Local people say that the delay in providing justice to the Dalit victim shows discrimination. There is anger in the society that if the victim belonged to another class, the action would have been faster. The organizations have demanded the administration to take the matter seriously. On the other hand, Safipur Kotwali police claims that raids are being conducted at possible places in the surrounding districts to catch the accused and he will be arrested soon. The accused should be arrested immediately and sent to jail. Kotwali police says that the accused is being searched and will be arrested soon. Police teams are raiding possible hideouts. Courtesy : Hindi News
Dalit Minor Girl Abducted From UP; Forced To Convert, Join Terror Activities In Kerala
A minor girl in UP’s Prayagraj was allegedly subjected to religious coercion and abuse after she was abducted and taken to Kerala. Two people have been detained in the case. Two people were detained on charges of abducting a minor girl and forcing her to convert to Islam. The incident was reported from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. According to the details, the girl, belonging to the Dalit community, was abducted and taken to Kerala, where she was being trained for terror activities. One of the members of the gang, belonging to the Muslim community, was also accused of molesting the girl. The police were interrogating more people in connection with the case, and further investigations were ongoing. On May 17, a minor girl was allegedly gangraped in broad daylight in UP’s Sultanpur by three men, including a minor. The incident happened when the Dali girl was on her way to school. The police arrested two accused and detained the third. The arrested accused were sent to judicial custody for 14 days, and the minor was sent to a juvenile home. Later, the National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognisance of the case, seeking a fair and time-bound investigation of the crime. In January this year, the Kerala Police arrested two people in connection with the sexual assault of an 18-year-old Dalit girl in Pathanamthitta district. It was alleged that when the teen was 13 years old, one of the accused had sent obscene messages and pictures to her through his mobile phone. He was also accused of procuring obscene pictures and videos of the teen. Furthermore, allegedly when the girl was 16 years old, the accused took her on a bike to Achankottumali near her house and raped her in a rubber farm in an uninhabited area. Later, during the investigation, it was revealed that the accused showed it to the other accused, who were his friends. Curated By : Vani Mehrotra About the Author Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks. Courtesy : News18 Note: This news is originally published on https:/news18.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘I think RSS has moved on’: Did Shashi Tharoor defend the Sangh? Here’s what Congress MP said on Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Manusmriti’ charge
‘I think RSS has moved on’: Did Shashi Tharoor defend the Sangh? Here’s what Congress MP said on Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Manusmriti’ charge’I think RSS has moved on’: Did Shashi Tharoor defend the Sangh? Here’s what Congress MP said on Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Manusmriti’ charge NEW DELHI: Amidst the growing rift with the Congress Party, Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday appears to have sided with the RSS-BJP over the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s accusation that the RSS wanted ‘Manusmriti’, not the Constitution. While answering to a question over Rahul Gandhi’s tweet that the RSS-BJP want Manusmriti instead of the Constitution, Congress MP said that historically the Raebareli MP is right as then RSS chief MS Golwalkar had said that one of the greatest flaws of the Constitution is that there is nothing of the Manusmriti in it. “But I think the RSS itself has moved on from those days,” Tharoor said. “Historically, he’s (Rahul Gandhi) referring to the fact that that was a criticism expressed at the time of the adoption of the Constitution. Mr Golwalkar, amongst others, said that one of the greatest flaws of the Constitution is that there is nothing of the Manusmriti in it, but I think the RSS itself has moved on from those days. So, as a historical statement, it’s accurate, whether it’s a reflection of how they feel today. The RSS should be in the best position to answer that…” Tharoor said while talking to reporters. Shashi Tharoor’s widening rift with the Congress Party has come under renewed spotlight after a string of pointed remarks and cryptic social media posts seemingly challenging the party’s leadership. One such post read, “Don’t ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one.” This, followed by a series of similar messages, signaled growing tensions between Tharoor and the party. The tensions between Tharoor and Congress leadership rose after he praised PM Modi’s diplomacy during Operation Sindoor in a Hindu article, describing his “energy” and “dynamism” as assets for India’s global standing. The PMO shared the piece, fuelling speculation about Tharoor’s loyalty. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge indirectly rebuked him, suggesting his praise for PM Modi was inappropriate. “We say nation first, but some consider Modi first, country later. What can we do about that?” he asked. Tharoor, however, clarified that his remarks reflected national interest, not support for the BJP. 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.
Preamble Row Flares Up- After Tharoor’s ‘RSS Moved On’ Bombshell, RJD Slams VP Dhankhar’s Comments
The ongoing Preamble debate has intensified, with sharp political exchanges following remarks by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who said the Constitution’s Preamble was altered during the Emergency to add “socialist” and “secular,” calling preamble the “seed” of the Constitution. RJD MP Manoj Jha hit back, asking if the issue is with the words or their inclusion. Earlier, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had responded to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Manusmriti’ tweet, noting historical RSS criticism of the Constitution but claimed the RSS has “moved on.” The row was first triggered by RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale, who questioned the additions during an Emergency anniversary event. 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.
Congress leadership stuck in its own incompetence trap
Congress’s crown prince Rahul Gandhi has continued to level allegations against the Election Commission over the Maharashtra election results. Unable to digest the defeat in Maharashtra, Rahul Gandhi has targeted the Election Commission. Rahul Gandhi has continued to make a series of false allegations against the Election Commission, saying that the voter turnout in Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ Nagpur South constituency has increased by 8 percent. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while dispelling Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, presented the statistics of the increase in voters in the constituencies of the Congress- Sharad Pawar led faction’s MLAs. After the results of the assembly elections were announced, the dreams of UBT, senior leader Sharad Pawar and the national leadership of the Congress were shattered. Due to the success of the Lok Sabha elections, the leaders of the MVA were living in the belief that they had also won the assembly elections. The leaders of the MVA were not ready to accept that the success in the Lok Sabha elections was an accident. Even a senior leader like Sharad Pawar forgot that such accidents do not happen frequently in politics. Crown Prince Rahul Gandhi’s flight had soared as he won 99 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul Gandhi, who is under the illusion that winning 99 seats is a testament to and victory for his leadership, has been living with many such misconceptions about himself. The propaganda of constitutional amendment, the atmosphere of terror created by urban Naxalite forces in many sections of society had an impact on the Lok Sabha elections. The issue of the forms distributed by the Congress to attract voters in the Lok Sabha election campaign came to light after the results. The Haryana assembly elections were held after the Lok Sabha elections. In that election, the voters gave the Congress a shock . The air of the propaganda of constitutional amendment had cleared during the Haryana elections. To win the elections, special effort has to be made on the organizational side. The organization has to pay attention to many things like registration of new voters, corrections in the names in the old voter list, registration of young people voting for the first time, exclusion of names of deceased voters. The Congress organization has not been in the habit of paying attention to such issues for many years. Due to the influence of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the Congress got a large majority in the Lok Sabha elections in 1971 and 1980 as well as in the assembly elections of many states. Until the 1970s, the Congress organization was significantly active from Vilaages to Delhi. Many activities like registration of party members, study camps for leaders and workers were carried out by the Congress. Mrs. Indira Gandhi gradually dismantled the Congress party organization. The groups that served the Nehru-Gandhi family started gaining respect and position in the government and the organization. Thanks to Pandit Nehru’s grace, Mrs. Indira Gandhi got an important position in Congress. However, after that, Mrs. Indira Gandhi had to struggle a lot while establishing her leadership. And in the post-Emergency elections, Mrs. Indira Gandhi returned to the masses after being jolted by the electorate. Rahul Gandhi is not used to doing politics by struggling in this way. Therefore, he has taken up a one-point program to level all allegations against the Election Commission. With this, he wants to cover up the flaws in his leadership. Mrs. Indira Gandhi recognized the discontent among the voters due to the differences in the Janata Party. Indira Gandhi appealed to the voters using this same issue. Rahul Gandhi’s leadership has repeatedly failed to attract voters to the Congress. Rahul Gandhi was the Congress’s chief campaigner in the 2012 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Since then, Rahul Gandhi has been consistently rejected by the voters. Congress won the assembly elections in states like Karnataka and Telangana due to the struggle of the local leadership. Rahul Gandhi has not contributed anything to this victory. Instead of finding out the reasons why the voters are consistently rejecting him and changing his behavior accordingly, Rahul Gandhi has adopted the crooked path of propaganda. Rahul Gandhi is trying to create unrest and dissatisfaction among the voters by spreading absolute false information. A few months ago, Rahul Gandhi crossed all limits of falsehood while participating in the debate on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha. During the debate, Rahul Gandhi raised questions on the Agniveer scheme and alleged that martyr status is not given in the central government’s Agniveer scheme. Apart from this, he had alleged that the families of martyred Agniveer soldiers were not given assistance either. At this time, Rahul Gandhi mentioned the martyred Agniveer Akshay Gawate of Buldhana. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said in the Lok Sabha that Rahul Gandhi’s allegation was completely false. Also, after Rahul Gandhi’s claim, the father of martyr Agniveer Laxman Gawate said that he had received a total of Rs 1 crore 10 lakh in assistance so far. Even after that, Rahul Baba continued his false narrative. Saying, ‘The protection of truth is the basis of every religion!’ Rahul Gandhi had claimed on the social media platform X that the family of martyred firefighter Ajay Singh had not received any financial assistance from the army. The very next day after Rahul Gandhi made this claim, Ajay Singh’s father clarified that he had received compensation from the army. A video of Ajay Singh’s father Charanjit Kala, requesting not to politicize this issue, went viral on social media. Following the results of the Maharashtra assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi has continued his business of spreading false information with the sole intention of creating distrust and suspicion among the people about the government and the system. The Election Commission has given detailed and to the point answers to every question of Rahul Gandhi. Still, he has not stopped his false narrative. Instead of adopting the challenging path of going into the masses and undergoing the struggle to build an organization, the prince
Mitr Clinic gets new avatar: India’s first transgender clinic in Hyderabad gets new lease of life
HYDERABAD: Mitr Clinic, India’s first exclusive clinic for transgenders set up in 2021 in Narayanguda, had a new lease of life after one of India’s top MNCs came to their rescue to fund the clinic after USAID stepped back. Having reopened on May 2, 2025, the Mitr Clinic has donned a new name – Sabrang. Managed by the YR Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRGCARE), an NGO focusing on HIV/AIDS treatment, the clinic will be open from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm. It was in Jan 2025 when the clinic was forced to close after its funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was halted. All USAID funding was frozen following an order from US President Donald Trump. As a result, many members of the transgender community who were dependent on the clinic found it difficult to access the healthcare they needed. “Many prefer to come to this clinic since it provides privacy to the transgender community. Until Jan, the clinic used to serve 350 members of the LGBTQIA+ community,” said a member of the community. For 24-year-old Radhakrishnan, who works as a traffic assistant with the state police, Sabrang is where he hopes to continue his transition to a trans man. “For a few months, when the clinic was closed, I struggled. I was used to visiting Mitr regularly for hormone therapy. I had nowhere else to go when it was shut,” he said. Similarly, Ayesha Meera, a transgender woman who used to work as a counsellor for Mitr and now works as an advocacy officer for the Trans Equality Society, said: “I used to live in Tenali and travel 7-8 hours every day for hormone therapy at Mitr. Now that the clinic is open again, I can continue doing it.” Meanwhile, June being Pride Month, the clinic manager organised a pot-luck on Saturday, attended by their regular patients. “Here, I am not made to feel ashamed, and I feel comfortable. At other clinics, I was taunted and looked down upon,” a transgender person told TOI. “The HIV treatment programme is extensive. They provide PREP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, a medication to prevent HIV, anti-retroviral therapy, and PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, a medication to cure HIV). It’s also a place for the community to socialise and bond – it’s more like a second home,” said Rohit Mohite, a sexual health manager. 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.
Bengaluru’s Rainbow Habba 2025 showcases transgender achievers
The occasion featured India’s first transgender ventriloquist, Jaanu, and a trans woman gym trainer, Ani Mangalore.They shared their experiences and challenges. Rainbow Habba 2025, which celebrates gender and sexual diversity, was held on a grand scale in the city on Saturday. The occasion featured India’s first transgender ventriloquist, Jaanu, and a trans woman gym trainer, Ani Mangalore. They shared their experiences and challenges. Siddappa Hukkeri from Belagavi was felicitated for securing a peon’s post in the the Hassan District Court through the 1% reservation for transgender individuals. During his felicitation, Hukkeri highlighted the role of Manohar Elevarthi, Rajesh Srinivas, and Nisha Gulur from Sangama Foundation, an LGBT rights group based in Bengaluru, which had submitted a Public Interest Litigation in 2022 seeking 1% reservation in state government jobs for transgender minorities to help trans people earn a respectable livelihood rather than resort to begging. Courtesy : DH Note: This news is originally published on https:/deccanherald.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Saree-Bindi and Surgery: Five Bangladeshis living as transgenders in Delhi caught, used app for this work
Police campaign against illegal immigrants continues in Delhi. On Saturday, more than 100 slums in Ashok Vihar were searched. From where 18 were caught including five Bangladeshis living in the guise of transgenders. The Foreign Cell of North-West District has caught 18 Bangladeshis living illegally, out of which five were living as transgenders. Police have recovered seven phones from their possession, in which the banned IMO app was downloaded. With the help of the app, they used to talk to their relatives living in Bangladesh. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police of the district, Sikandar Singh, said that under the campaign, the police team conducted a thorough search of 100 slums and 150 lanes in Ashok Vihar these days. During this, a suspicious person was caught and interrogated. At first he told that he was a citizen of West Bengal, but on strict interrogation, he confessed to being a Bangladeshi citizen. On his information, the police caught a total of 13 members of his family. It included 10 adults and 3 children. They were living in India without any documents. At the same time, the police have arrested five Bangladeshi citizens from the same area who were asking for money at traffic signals in the guise of transgenders. All of them used to wear heavy makeup, saree, salwar suit, fake hair, bangles, bindi to look like women. During interrogation, they told that they had also undergone hormonal treatment and minor surgery to hide their identity. Some had also changed their voice and gestures. The police officer said that all those arrested are residents of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The police presented all of them in the Foreign Registration Office for deportation. From where they have been sent to the detention center. Published by: Anuj Kumar Courtesy: Hindi News
HAU Student Protest: Haryana Govt Determined to Deny Education to Girls, Says Rahul Gandhi; Outrage After Girl Students Allegedly Locked Inside Hostel Without Food Or Water.
Hisar: As the student protest at Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) entered its 18th day, Parliament’s leader of the opposition, Congress member Rahul Gandhi, on Friday condemned the state govt over its handling of female students, accusing it of inhumane treatment and authoritarian tactics. Citing a video showing women locked inside their hostel without food or water, Rahul accused Nayab Singh Saini;s govt of suppressing female students’ right to education. “The Haryana govt is hell-bent on stopping girls from studying. What is happening today has never happened in Haryana’s history,” he said, calling the administration’s actions “dictatorial”. The controversy erupted after hostel residents — mostly postgraduate and PhD scholars — were told suddenly to vacate on Thursday evening. University authorities announced the merging of two women’s hostels and cut off mess services without warning. Students said they were locked inside for more than five hours with no food, water, or explanation. Police arrived late at night and provided them with minimal relief. The following morning, officials refused to restart services, reportedly telling students to “go talk to the govt”. A student’s health reportedly deteriorated overnight due to hunger. JJP’s Digvijay Singh Chautala joined the protest earlier in the day and found university staff absent from campus. Former student unionist Rajesh Jakhar linked the unrest to broader privatisation pressures in education, warning: “Just as govt schools are being shut for private profit, the same is now being planned for universities.” Meanwhile, retired ICAR scientist Virendra Singh Lathar filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission, denouncing the university’s actions as “inhuman” and demanding accountability. With political voices growing louder, the standoff highlights escalating tensions between students and the state over access, equity, and the future of public education in Haryana. Caption: Rahul Gandhi’s tweet condemning the Haryana govt Caption: Digvijay Singh Chautala of the Jannayak Janta Party joins protesting students at Haryana Agricultural University on Friday. MSID:: 122116750 413 | 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.
‘Casually, farcically changed’: VP Dhankhar weighs in on Preamble debate
‘Casually, farcically changed’: VP Dhankhar weighs in on Preamble debate’Casually, farcically changed’: VP Dhankhar weighs in on Preamble debate NEW DELHI: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday called the Preamble as the ‘soul of the Constitution’ and hit out at the Indira Gandhi-led government for ‘changing something which is not changeable and alterable.’ Speaking at a book launch event, Dhankhar acknowledged that India was the only country where the Preamble had been amended, a reference to the 42nd Amendment enacted during the Emergency in 1976. “But this Preamble was changed by the 42nd Constitution (Amendment) Act of 1976,” he said, as quoted by news agency PTI. “Preamble of any constitution is its soul. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution is unique. Except Bharat, [no other] Constitution’s Preamble has undergone change and why? Preamble is not changeable. Preamble is not alterable. Preamble is the basis on which the constitution has grown. Preamble is the seed of the Constitution. It is Soul of the constitution but this Preamble for Bharat was changed by 42nd Constitutional Amendment act of 1976, adding words Socialist, Secular and integrity” he said. — VPIndia (@VPIndia) The Vice President’s remarks came following comments by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, who questioned the legitimacy of the inclusion of “secular” and “socialist” in the Preamble — a position that has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. On Thursday, Hosabale speaking at an event marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency said that “secular” and “socialist” were inserted into the Constitution during a period of authoritarian rule and should now be reviewed. He said these terms were not part of the original draft authored by Dr B R Ambedkar and were forcibly added during a time when civil liberties were crushed and democratic institutions undermined. BJP leaders including Union ministers Jitendra Singh and Shivraj Singh Chouhan said any “right-thinking citizen” would support such a review. “The word secularism was added during the Emergency. It should be removed. The country should think about this,” Chouhan said, arguing that equality of all religions is already the Indian ethos. Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC echoed the sentiment, suggesting that terms like “pseudo-secularism” have undermined India’s democratic principles. Rahul Gandhi: ‘RSS wants Manusmriti, not Constitution’ Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the RSS-BJP of harbouring a hidden agenda to dismantle the Constitution and deny the poor and marginalised their rights. “RSS-BJP doesn’t want the Constitution. They want Manusmriti. They aim to strip the marginalised and the poor of their rights and enslave them again,” he posted on X. — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) Congress MP Jairam Ramesh accused the RSS of never accepting the Constitution. “The RSS has NEVER accepted the Constitution of India… The RSS and the BJP have repeatedly given the call for a new Constitution. This was Mr Modi’s campaign cry during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” he posted on X. 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.