‘Preventing Dalits From Temple Entry Amounts to Untouchability’: Madras HC
The Madras High Court has held that preventing a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste from entering a temple or participating in a temple festival on caste grounds amounts to the practice of untouchability and violates the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 17 of the Constitution. Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy made the observation while hearing a petition filed by V Sundaram in connection with the Arulmigu Muthu Mariamman Temple chariot festival at Ramanayakkanpalayam in Salem district. ‘Nobody Can Be Prevented on Caste Grounds’ The petitioner had sought equal participation for members of the Milagu Kattan Adidravidar Community in the temple festival and directions to prevent certain individuals from excluding them. The Tamil Nadu government told the court that a peace committee meeting had been held and that everyone had been allowed to participate in the festival irrespective of caste or creed. It also said that disputes over “Karaikarargal rights” could be taken before a civil court. Sundaram’s counsel, however, urged the court to ensure that members of the community would not face similar exclusion during future festivals. The High Court referred to the Tamil Nadu Temple Entry Authorisation Act, 1947, and said that a person cannot be stopped from entering a temple because of caste. “This Court has also repeatedly passed orders that on the basis of a non existing thing called ‘caste’ nobody can be prevented entry or participation in the temple festival,” the court observed. The court further said that preventing a Scheduled Caste person from entering a temple on casteist grounds would amount to the practice of untouchability. “If any person prevents another person from entering the temple on casteist grounds, particularly if a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste is prevented from entering the temple, such an act would amount to the practice of untouchability and would constitute a violation of the fundamental right guaranteed under Article 17 of the Constitution of India,” Justice Chakravarthy said. The court added that those responsible for such acts could be prosecuted in accordance with law. State Assures No Discrimination The Tamil Nadu government assured the court that there would be no discrimination in participation in the temple festival in future years. The court clarified that disputes concerning the right to conduct or administer the festival could be pursued before the competent authority under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments framework or before the appropriate civil court. Since the festival was already underway and people from all communities had been allowed to participate, the court closed the petition. Courtesy : TOP Note: This news is originally published on https:/theobserverpost.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
FIR prod to Nadda over ‘purification’ incident; ‘essential to teach lesson,’ says Kharge
Hindutva activists had carried out the “shuddhikaran” at the venue of a Congress rally at Haldwani in Uttarakhand on August 8, Kharge, a Dalit, had told the Rajya Sabha on August 14 Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge has written to House leader J.P. Nadda reminding him of his assurance of investigation and action on the “purification” ritual conducted at the spot where the Congress MP had delivered a speech last month. Hindutva activists had carried out the “shuddhikaran” at the venue of a Congress rally at Haldwani in Uttarakhand on August 8, Kharge, a Dalit, had told the Rajya Sabha on August 14. “In response to my intervention, you stood up in the House and said, ‘Sir, what Honorable Kharge ji has said is indeed a very sad matter. It is not only sad for the Congress Party, but it is sad for all of us…. Whatever has happened will definitely be investigated. I want to say that the Bharatiya Janata Party never supports such activity. I condemn it, and the National President will also look into it deeply. The hurt caused to your sentiments is a matter of regret for all of us’,” Kharge wrote to Nadda on Wednesday. “But I am surprised that even after 24 days of this incident, not even a First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against the organisations and individuals involved in this heinous act in Haldwani. “The most objectionable aspect of this incident was that at the Ramlila Maidan site where I addressed the rally, purification was carried out in violation of the spirit of the Indian Constitution and human values.” Kharge, the Congress president, underlined how things had remained unchanged nearly a century after B.R. Ambedkar’s 1927 satyagraha for granting Dalits access to a water tank in Mahad in present-day Maharashtra. “Even when Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkarji drank the water from the tank during the Mahad agitation, people filled with casteist arrogance purified it by pouring 108 pots of cow urine and cow dung into it and chanting mantras,” he wrote. “I want to be clear that this issue transcends my personal responsibility or that of the president of the Indian National Congress, and it concerns the broader sentiments of millions of people who face this brutal reality daily. “It is essential to teach these wrongdoers a lesson. Therefore, this anger is not mine, but the expression of millions of such people; it is an issue of a mindset that directly affects a segment of society.” Kharge concluded: “Therefore, I once again request you that in the light of these facts and the assurance given in the Rajya Sabha, you should direct the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand to ensure that a First Information Report is registered against the persons and organisations involved in this incident….” His letter came days after Lok Sabha Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi vowed to get Kharge justice and demanded an FIR be registered under the SC-ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Instead, an FIR has been filed against Rahul — ironically, under the SC-ST Act — on the ground that he had insulted Dalits by falsely projecting the venue clean-up as a shuddhikaran against a member of the community. Congress supporters on Tuesday burnt copies of the ancient Hindu code Manusmriti, which lays down caste norms, in front of the RSS office here. The Congress has protested in several cities and submitted complaints to multiple authorities in Uttarakhand. Senior BJP leaders, including Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, have defended the shuddhikaran while giving it a communal angle, claiming it was a response to divisive slogans chanted at Kharge’s meeting by people from a particular community. The controversy comes at a time when the BJP is trying to persuade anti-reservation activists to shun aggressive protests against caste-based affirmative action. 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
Dalit woman panchayat president alleges caste discrimination, seeks action against officials in TN
Malarvizhi further alleged that her cheque-signing authority had been taken away, and that cheques for payments relating to works she undertook were being withheld. VILLUPURAM: Kodungal village panchayat president G Malarvizhi on Monday attempted to self-immolate at Villupuram Collectorate following administration inaction on her petition alleging caste discrimination. After police prevented her from self-immolating, she was allowed to submit her petition. Her petition sought action by the Villupuram collector against the panchayat vice-president, her relative, and certain local officials over alleged caste discrimination, intimidation, interference in her official duties, and attempt to strip her of her administrative powers. Malarvizhi told TNIE, “I belong to the Scheduled Caste community. Because of that, I was denied a chair at the panchayat office and prevented from hoisting the national flag during official occasions. I was also prevented from participating in panchayat-related activities for nearly four-and-a-half years.” She alleged that panchayat vice-president Muniyammal and her brother Kathavarayan, both caste Hindus, had kept the ward members under their influence and repeatedly threatened her with a no-confidence motion. “If I attempted to take decisions independently, the ward members would support a no-confidence motion and prevent me from functioning,” she added. She had brought the issue to the notice of the previous Block Development Officer (BDO) and the present BDO. However, they advised her to adjust with Kathavarayan instead of taking action on her complaints, she alleged. Malarvizhi further alleged that her cheque-signing authority had been taken away, and that cheques for payments relating to works she undertook were being withheld. She had also approached the Superintendent of Police’s office with a complaint, a few months back. Following discussions, she claimed, the persons concerned had assured her that such incidents would not recur. However, she alleged that the BDO, Kathavarayan, panchayat clerk Ramachandran, vice-president Muniyammal, and ward member Suresh subsequently pressured her to agree to an alleged commission of more than Rs 10 lakh in connection with 100-day employment scheme works. She claimed they ridiculed her and told her she could not do anything if she refused to cooperate. Malarvizhi urged the Collector to inquire into her allegations, take action against those responsible, release the pending payments for completed works, and restore her cheque-signing authority. Krithika Srinivasan 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
BJP trying to portray Rahul as anti-Dalit leader: TPCC president Jagga
Jagga Reddy also recalled that how the BJP had appointed Bangaru Laxman as its national president but later removed him, this reflected the BJP’s approach towards Dalit leaders. HYDERABAD: Accusing the BJP of deliberately misrepresenting Rahul Gandhi’s remarks to portray him as “anti-Dalit”, Congress working president T Jayaprakash Reddy on Thursday said that saffron party leaders have no moral right to level such allegations. Addressing the media at Gandhi Bhavan here, he said: “The BJP and its affiliated organisations had recently tried to create an anti-Dalit image for Rahul Gandhi.” Referring to “some BJP-affiliated organisations performing purification rituals” after AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge’s visit to Uttarakhand, he said: “Rahul Gandhi had questioned such conduct. He advised the BJP and its affiliated organisations against indulging in such practices. But the BJP is intentionally giving a distorted interpretation of Rahul Gandhi’s comments and using them for political propaganda.” The former Sangareddy MLA, who is popularly known as Jagga Reddy, said that Rahul Gandhi was the “boss” of the Congress but neither he nor his family members have any arrogance. “In contrast, the BJP functions with arrogance, and it routinely opposes and works against the Congress and its leaders,” he added. “Whenever Rahul Gandhi walks alongside Mallikarjun Kharge, he lends support to him,” Jagga Reddy said, citing this as an example of Rahul Gandhi’s respect for Kharge. Jagga Reddy also recalled that how the BJP had appointed Bangaru Laxman as its national president but later removed him, alleging that such decisions reflected the BJP’s approach towards Dalit leaders. 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
Karimnagar Dalit families’ Indiramma homes caught in 22A list
The listing has triggered panic among families who say they only learned of the restriction when they tried to deal with their properties. Hyderabad: Nearly 45 acres of land on which Indiramma houses were built for Dalit families decades ago in Karimnagar district has landed on the state’s prohibited property list under Section 22A of the Registration Act, leaving hundreds of beneficiaries unable to register or transfer their own homes. The affected land spans six villages in Gangadhara mandal: Gangadhara, Gattubuthkur, Garshakurthy, Kondaipalli, Burugupalli and Kachireddypalli, where the state government had allotted two guntas of land to each Dalit family in 1975-76 and constructed houses under the Indiramma scheme. The plots were registered in the beneficiaries’ names at the time, residents said, but were quietly added to the 22A prohibited list without any prior intimation. The listing has triggered panic among families who say they only learned of the restriction when they tried to deal with their properties. Many have since approached revenue officials and filed representations through Prajavani, the government’s public grievance redressal programme, demanding that the land be delisted. Kondaipally sarpanch Malliala Vinaysagar, also known as Thirupathi, said three acres in his village alone had been swept into the 22A list. About 80 Dalit families were sanctioned Indiramma houses there in 1975-76 and built them on patta land donated by a local landlord, patta land, not government or assigned property, he said. Officials who received the beneficiaries’ representation acknowledged the error and assured that the matter had been escalated to higher authorities for correction, Vinaysagar said. Gangadhara tahsildar Ambati Rajitha, responding to the concerns, distinguished assigned and patta land. Assigned land will continue to remain under the 22A restriction, she said, but houses built on patta land are eligible for removal from the list. In Kondaipally’s case, she said revenue records confirm the houses stand on patta land, and she has written to the district collector seeking the delisting. The houses will be removed once a response is received from higher officials, she added. The problem is not confined to Gangadhara. Agricultural land in Choppadandi mandal, including plots in Gumlapur, Ragampet, Chityalapalli and Chakunta, has also reportedly been caught up in the prohibited list, with affected landholders similarly filing representations through Prajavani. The Karimnagar cases mirror a wider pattern playing out across Telangana this year. Property owners in Hyderabad and several districts have reported valid plots, flats and houses being pushed into the 22A category, in some instances because a single subdivision within a survey number was classified as government land, dragging the entire survey number into the ban. In Patancheru constituency alone, BRS leader T Harish Rao has claimed more than 50,000 acres across five mandals were placed under the restriction. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has publicly assured that genuine owners will not lose their properties and has promised orders to denotify wrongly listed land. For the Dalit families of Gangadhara mandal, however, the assurance so far remains limited to verbal commitments from local officials, with the final decision resting on a response from the district collector’s office. Courtesy : TSD Note: This news is originally published on https:/thesiasatdaily.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
In letter, Sonia told of ‘administrative and political suppression’, says Telangana minister Surekha
A major grievance in the letter was the alleged curtailment of her authority as Minister. Surekha claimed that several important decisions were taken without her knowledge and that directions. HYDERABAD: Days before the AICC cleared her ouster from the state Cabinet, Endowments Minister Konda Surekha had sought Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s intervention, alleging that she was subjected to “sustained political and administrative suppression” by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and sections of the ruling party. On Thursday evening, Surekha released a 10-page letter dated August 22 that she had sent to Sonia Gandhi. The letter was also addressed to Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal and Meenakshi Natarajan. A major grievance in the letter was the alleged curtailment of her authority as Minister. Surekha claimed that several important decisions were taken without her knowledge and that directions from the CMO had reduced her role to a largely nominal one. She cited the constitution of the Yadadri Temple Trust Board and the transfer of funds meant for the development of the Sammakka-Saralamma temple as examples of being sidelined. She also alleged that her former OSD N Sumanth was removed without informing her and was subsequently subjected to police action. Surekha also alleged delays in funds for projects including the Smart City Model Bus Stand and Bondi Vagu development in her Warangal East constituency, claiming that several works had not received the same priority as those in neighbouring constituencies. She objected to Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari holding a review meeting with Endowments officials without informing her, saying such actions undermined the authority of the minister concerned. Surekha further alleged that local leaders and public representatives were being encouraged to act against her and that attempts were being made to politically isolate the Konda family in the erstwhile Warangal district. She also alleged that different political standards were being applied to Congress leaders, referring to Revanth’s remarks on former MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy’s possible electoral plans and his appeal at Parkal for the re-election of MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy. Another grievance concerned the show-cause notice issued to her over remarks made by her daughter, Susmita Patel. Surekha questioned whether a minister could be held responsible for the personal statements of a family member merely because she was the mother. Despite her grievances, Surekha said her faith in the Congress, its ideology, democratic values and national leadership remained unwavering. 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
Vijay will be PM with Rahul Gandhi’s support, says TVK MLA
The statements drew attention, with a section of TVK supporters putting up wall posters in Madurai and other parts of the state, claiming that Vijay would become the next PM. CHENNAI: The ‘Rahul or Vijay for PM’ debate is rumbling on with leaders of TVK and Congress wanting their chieftain to be the prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. While Congress leaders have made it clear that Rahul Gandhi remains their choice, TVK legislator Kanimozhi Santhosh on Wednesday said Vijay would become the PM, with Rahul himself paving the way for him. Kanimozhi – an astrologer – who claims to have predicted C Joseph Vijay’s ascension to CM-ship, was confident that Rahul will make Vijay the PM in 2029. On Wednesday, the Kavundampalayam MLA, before taking part in the Assembly proceedings, predicted that Vijay would become PM in 2029. She said the next PM would come from TN. She further elaborated, “It was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who helped our Thalapathy (Vijay) sit in the CM’s seat. So, he himself will hold Thalapathy’s hand and take him to Delhi in 2029 and make him sit there (as PM).” When asked by the media who would be Tamil Nadu CM if Vijay became PM, she replied, “Let’s see when it comes.” On the other hand, Congress is batting for Rahul, saying he has the support of the Tamil Nadu CM. Congress floor leader Tharahai Cuthbert on Wednesday told reporters that Rahul was the accepted leader and claimed that Vijay had also made it clear that Rahul should become the PM. She described the claims of TVK cadre as “fan mentality”. She said, “They still have a fan mentality. So naturally, they will consider their own leader to be the PM. There are no two opinions when it comes to the views of Vijay’s fans. There is nothing wrong in what they are doing. Therefore, you should not draw any conclusions based on this.” The statements drew attention with a section of TVK supporters putting up wall posters in Madurai and other parts of the state, claiming that Vijay would become the next PM. Meanwhile, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran and senior BJP leader Pon Radhakrishnan on Wednesday claimed that cracks are appearing in the TVK-Congress alliance over the PM’s chair issue. On Tuesday in Tenkasi, Energy and Law Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar told reporters that there was no confusion within the alliance, and urged the media not to blow the issue out of proportion. S Kumaresan 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
Raj Gopal backs high command on cabinet picks
Hyderabad: Munugode MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy on Thursday said decisions on the proposed cabinet expansion and allocation of ministerial berths rested entirely with the Congress high command, adding that he would abide by whatever decision party leader Rahul Gandhi takes. Speaking at Sarvel village in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district after laying the foundation stone for road development works, Raj Gopal Reddy said his priority was to ensure that Congress workers who stood by the party during its decade-long struggle against the BRS were given due recognition. “Leaders who worked for the party when it was in opposition should not be overlooked. Genuine Congress workers deserve justice,” he said. Amid speculation over the cabinet expansion, Raj Gopal Reddy said individual leaders had no role in deciding who should be inducted into the cabinet. “Who gets which post is for the high command to decide. I have complete faith in Rahul Gandhi and will abide by his decision,” he said. He clarified that his remarks should not be construed as a demand for any ministerial post, reiterating that his concern was to ensure deserving Congress workers received their due recognition. 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
Rahul Gandhi Punjab visit: Cong submits route, meeting plan
Chandigarh: With the BJP, AAP and SAD already hitting the ground for the Punjab assembly elections, the Congress’s top functionaries from Punjab on Thursday met Lok Sabha leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi’s team to plan his proposed visit to Punjab. AICC Punjab in charge Bhupesh Baghel, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and assembly LoP Partap Singh Bajwa also submitted a detailed plan covering routes and meetings for Rahul’s visit. AICC national media coordinator Hari Shankar Gupta had said on Wednesday that Rahul was likely to visit Punjab within 10 days, with the schedule almost finalised. The development comes as Punjab BJP is also preparing a four-phase anti-drug yatra covering all 117 assembly constituencies after mid-Sep. The party is finalising the schedule based on the availability of its national leadership. Rahul is likely to visit Punjab around mid-Sep, though the duration and dates have not been finalised. The state unit has proposed one-, two- and three-day options, with meetings planned with farmers, ex-servicemen and other sections of society. “There is no final decision on the duration. A proposal has been submitted to Rahul ji’s team, which handles logistics, route plans and meetings. After approval from his office, our preparations will begin,” Baghel told reporters. He said a date had been proposed but the visit would depend on Rahul’s availability. 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
FIR can’t silence Rahul; Congress will return to power, says DK Shivakumar
The CM urged the BJP to apologise to the entire country for the purification ritual carried out after AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a gathering in Uttarakhand. BENGALURU: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday predicted that the Congress would return to power in Karnataka in 2028, and at the Centre in 2029. Addressing a party protest at Freedom Park against what he described as a “malicious” FIR registered against Rahul Gandhi in Uttarakhand, Shivakumar said the Congress leader would neither apologise nor give an undertaking to authorities. “The BJP is trying to suppress everyone’s voice, and its last days are approaching. In 2028, the Congress government will come to power in Karnataka and in 2029, the Congress will form the government at the Centre,” he said. The CM urged the BJP to apologise to the entire country for the purification ritual carried out after AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a gathering in Uttarakhand. He termed it an insult to India’s social harmony. Shivakumar accused the ruling party of attempting to suppress voices critical of its actions. “Rahul Gandhi is a born fighter. Even if 100 cases are registered against him, he will not be afraid of such empty threats. Unlike others, Rahul Gandhi will neither give an undertaking nor apologise,” he said. Former CM Siddaramaiah alleged that filing an FIR against Rahul was a grave injustice. “A case of atrocities on Dalits has been registered for no reason. This is very regrettable. According to the Constitution, a case should be filed against those who practice untouchability. But the Central government is taking action against Rahul Gandhi with malicious intent to silence him,” he said. “PM Narendra Modi, BJP and Amit Shah have dared to silence the Leader of Opposition by filing an FIR. Congress workers staged a protest against them for smearing democracy, and were protesting in all districts,” KPCC president BK Hariprasad 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