BJP must light a diya to atone for its sins: Congress
New Delhi: Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi targeted BJP over “malgovernance” and “lighting of diyas” during its lamp-lighting campaign for PM Narendra Modi’s birthday. “In Balaghat, more than 30 tribal children have died amid illness, malnutrition and a lack of basic health facilities. The extent of the callousness is such that innocent lives kept slipping away, yet the response remained sluggish, and the govt kept sleeping,” Rahul told MP CM Mohan Yadav. “Chief minister, if you have found time after lighting lamps and holding celebrations, take a look at the ground reality in the state,” he said, while citing spurious medicines and hooch deaths. Kharge cited Maharashtra govt findings of healthcare markups exceeding 2,000%, saying, “on World Patient Safety Day, Modi govt stands exposed for turning patients into prey. Hospitals are charging a staggering 2,841% markup on basic medical consumables like IVs, according to the Maharashtra FDA, exposing the brazen robbery of common patients, especially in private hospitals.” He added, “food, retail and wholesale inflation are already very high and burning the pockets of common people. Perhaps, the BJP should light a diya to atone for its pathetic misgovernance and sins.” 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
‘BJP and EC join forces’: Rahul Gandhi slams EC over TMC name, symbol freeze
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed the Election Commission for barring TMC from using party name and symbol in the upcoming assembly bypolls in West Bengal, accusing the poll panel and Bharatiya Janata Party of joining forces to split a party. In a social media post on X, Rahul pointed towards the past examples of split in shiv Sena and NCP. “First Shiv Sena, then NCP, and now Trinamool Congress. Every time, the same pattern—BJP and the Election Commission join forces to split a party. Then its election symbol is snatched away,” the Congress leader said. “When an entire party can be stolen, it’s hardly surprising that the votes of millions of Indians can be stolen too,” he added. Rahul also said that “vote chori, sarkaar chori and now party chori have become the symbols of democratic decline” in the country. “Vote theft. Government theft. Now party theft—these have become symbols of our democratic decline. The ECI’s constitutional responsibility is to protect the mandate—but instead, it’s aiding those very forces that overturn the people’s verdict,” the Congress leader said. “This fight isn’t just Mamata Banerjee’s. It’s the fight of every political party, every voter who wants free and fair elections,” he added. Rahul’s remarks came after the poll panel, in its interim order, ruled that neither faction of TMC can use its name or “flowers and grass” symbol after acknowledging a split between factions led by Mamata Banerjee and Arup Roy. Both groups will have to contest the bypolls under different names and with election symbols allotted by the Commission. This arrangement will continue until the dispute is finally settled. EC said two rival groups each claimed to be the “real” party, requiring substantive determination under Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. It said the interim measure, based on precedents, would place them on an “even keel”. The poll panel has been hearing competing claims from the two factions over control of the party, its name and election symbol. Both sides have submitted documents and appeared before the Commission during the proceedings. The dispute reached the Election Commission in July after the rival factions staked competing claims to control of the TMC. The panel subsequently sought responses on issues including organisational control, authorised signatories, party assets, name and election symbol. 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
India’s transgender law change leaves many uncertain
Doctors face potential liability and lack clear protocols, while the online portal issuing transgender identity cards has shut down. Activists have challenged the law in the Supreme Court, arguing that mandatory medical verification violates constitutional rights to self-identification. Recent amendments to India’s transgender legislation have caused widespread disruptions in gender-affirming healthcare, leaving patients across the country without access to prescribed medications or safe medical supervision. The amendment introduced strict penalties for forcing individuals to assume a transgender identity through surgical, chemical, or hormonal procedures. While government authorities stated the changes aim to protect vulnerable groups from exploitation, forced identity, and trafficking, the lack of implementation guidelines has created severe uncertainty among healthcare providers. In Hyderabad, 23-year-old communications specialist and transgender activist Kali Sidharth Medepalli was forced to go 10 days without a prescribed testosterone blocker after her clinic abruptly halted treatment following the law’s passage. “Everything shut down,” Kali told AFP, describing how she experienced hot flushes and body aches before obtaining her medicine with an existing prescription to self-medicate. “Ideally, you should have a doctor doing this for you… I don’t know the future. I can’t plan it anymore.” Doctors face legal risks The regulatory ambiguity has placed medical professionals in a dilemma between potential legal liability and their professional duties. “How can I refuse care? I took an oath that above all do no harm,” said Sanjay Sharma, head of the Association for Transgender Health in India and a retired air force commodore. Sharma noted that while some private clinics continue to offer care, they are requiring extra paperwork, consent forms, and higher fees to protect themselves legally. This has created severe barriers for individuals without financial resources or strong support networks. Identity certification stalled The amendment has also disrupted the official process for updating legal identity documents. Applicants must now go through a designated medical board recommendation before a magistrate can issue a transgender identity certificate, but the government’s dedicated online portal has stopped functioning since the law took effect. Bhukya Ahalya, 21, who transitioned in 2025 and survives by begging at traffic signals, explained that she cannot secure regular employment without an updated identity card matching her gender identity. “Everyone wants me to move on from this life,” Ahalya told AFP. “But when I want to move on, when I want to earn a respectful life, I don’t get a TG (transgender) card.” The amendment is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court, with petitioners citing constitutional protections covering dignity, personal autonomy, privacy, and the right to self-identification. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment did not respond to requests from AFP for clarification regarding the rules or the status of the identity card portal. Courtesy : Roya News Note: This news is originally published on https:/royanews.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Bihar family performs teen’s ‘last rites’ after she marries Dalit boyfriend
PATNA: In a shocking display of anger over an inter-caste marriage, a family in Purnia allegedly performed the symbolic funeral of their 18-year-old daughter after she eloped with her boyfriend and married him in court. The family prepared an effigy carrying her photograph, took out a funeral procession through the locality and performed symbolic last rites after the woman admitted in a local court that she had married the man of her choice. The incident took place at Chapay village in the Town police station area of Purnia on Tuesday. Riya, a Part-I college student allegedly eloped with 24-year-old Minal Kumar on September 8 and married him in a court. Her father, Manoj Kumar Goswami, had subsequently approached Maranga police and filed a missing complaint, fearing that his daughter had been abducted. According to villagers, Riya and Minal had been in a relationship for around three years. Their houses are reportedly only about 100metres apart. The two initially saw each other while Riya travelled to college and gradually began meeting and talking. Two days ago, police reportedly recovered Riya from Delhi and produced her before court, where her statement was recorded. When she reportedly spoke in favour of Minal and said she had married him voluntarily, her father was deeply upset. He then decided to symbolically end his relationship with his daughter through a funeral ceremony. By Monday night, preparations for the unusual ceremony had begun. According to the villagers, the family made an effigy of Riya and prepared a poster carrying her photograph. Villagers were invited the next morning to participate in the procession. The effigy was then carried out from the house on a bier in a funeral procession through the village. People reportedly raised the Hindu funeral chant “Ram Naam Satya Hai”, before Manoj performed the symbolic cremation. The family also said it intends to perform rituals associated with death, including shraddha and pind-daan between the 10th and 13th days. Manoj said the family had already arranged Riya’s marriage with a man from Bhagalpur who works as a government teacher. According to him, the match had been finalised for Rs 6 lakh and the wedding was scheduled for November. “We had started preparing for the marriage. In the meantime, my daughter ran away and married of her own choice. Now what will I tell the other family? How will I face them?” he said. Expressing his anguish, Manoj added, “I educated my daughter, brought her up and she has left us with our heads bowed. May God ensure that no one gets a daughter like this. We are no longer in a position to show our faces to anyone.” The family has now said that Riya is “dead” to them and that they will have no relationship with her. Villager Awadhesh Kumar said members of the community had previously attempted to resolve the dispute. Both sides were reportedly called to a meeting and asked to settle the matter socially. “We had held a meeting earlier and called both sides. We told them to come to a social-level solution. We asked them to live as they had earlier and separate the two, but that did not happen,” Awadhesh said. He added that the community wanted young girls to understand what could happen if they took such a step. 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
HC seeks status report in Dalit labourer suicide case, asks how can Cheema be implicated
Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday sought a comprehensive status report from Punjab govt by Oct 6 in connection with the death of Dalit labourer Gulzar Singh, who allegedly consumed poison after being “pressured“ to apologise for confronting state finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema over the spread of “chitta“ (synthetic drugs). A division bench gave the directions on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Shiromani Akali Dal’s Scheduled Caste wing chief spokesperson seeking a CBI probe into the matter. The bench directed the state to conduct an exhaustive investigation but also questioned how Cheema could be implicated at this stage. The next hearing is on Oct 6. The PIL has sought transfer of the investigation of the FIR registered at Dirba police station in Sangrur from Punjab Police to CBI or another independent agency. The FIR, filed under Section 108 of BNS and Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, named five locals, including village sarpanch. The petition claims Gulzar Singh confronted Cheema during his Sept 6 visit to Toorbanjara village in Sangrur to lay foundation stone for development works, questioning him about “chitta“ circulation while citing his son’s addiction. Police personnel allegedly visited Gulzar Singh’s home that evening to question him about his remarks. The petition alleges that panchayat members intimidated him and subjected him to caste-based slurs. Gulzar Singh allegedly consumed poison on Sept 7 after being summoned before the panchayat to tender an unconditional apology. He died at a Ludhiana hospital on Sept 8. His family alleged authorities hurriedly cremated him without their consent and demanded action against everyone named in his dying declaration. The petition says Gulzar Singh’s video-recorded dying declaration allegedly named minister Cheema and village sarpanch as responsible for driving him to take the extreme step. The case has led to a political storm, with Congress, BJP and SAD demanding Cheema’s resignation, a Congress protest march towards the minister’s Chandigarh residence meeting with police water cannons and National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman Kishor Makwana visting Gulzar’s family in Sangrur. 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
SC/ST panel seeks probe into charges of discrimination against Dalit power engrs
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh SC/ST Commission chairman Baijnath Rawat has written to chief minister Yogi Adityanath seeking inquiry into allegations that Dalit engineers were subjected to discrimination in discoms. In his letter written on Wednesday, Rawat referred to a representation submitted by UP Power Officers Association president RP Ken and other office-bearers and said that the association had alleged that over the past several years, Dalit engineers faced discrimination and that service rules were selectively applied in certain cases. Though Rawat’s letter does not independently establish the allegations, it urges the CM to examine the facts mentioned in the association’s representation and issue orders for a high-level, impartial investigation. The letter also seeks appropriate action based on the findings of such an inquiry. According to a statement issued by the association, it had approached the commission with details concerning more than a dozen Dalit engineers working in different state power companies. The organisation claimed that different standards had been applied in their cases and said it had submitted documents in support of its allegations. Association president RP Ken, acting president Avadhesh Kumar Verma, vice-president PM Prabhakar and office-bearers Harishchandra Verma and Mukesh Babu said they expected an inquiry to establish the facts. The association said its objective was to seek protection of engineers’ rights under constitutional and legal provisions, rather than create confrontation. 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
TDP Internal Rift Exposed: Dalit leader alleges kidnap threat in Kurnool
Kurnool: Internal friction within the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) took a serious turn in Chippagiri mandal on Wednesday, following allegations by a grassroots Dalit party leader, Anand, that he was threatened with abuse and kidnapping by Teja, son-in-law of TDP mandal convenor Konda Purushotham. According to the complainant, Teja allegedly placed an abusive phone call warning him against interfering with Purushotham, reportedly stating, “You have crossed the limit. I will take you away,” while invoking his familial ties to the mandal convenor. An audio recording of the conversation has quickly circulated across social media platforms, intensifying ripples through local political circles. The episode has drawn sharp focus to the party’s internal treatment of Dalit leaders, particularly against the backdrop of earlier political clashes where cases had been registered against Dalit individuals. The controversy has placed intense pressure on the Chippagiri TDP leadership to address the growing factional friction. Anand and his supporters have formally sought the intervention of senior party leaders, demanding an impartial inquiry and appropriate disciplinary action. Local residents and party workers have expressed deep concern over how a party member could face such intimidation from within the same political organization, prompting local police to initiate inquiries into the matter as political tensions mount across the mandal. Narendra Kr Varikuntla Courtesy : THI Note: This news is originally published on https:/thehansindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Pregnant Dalit woman dies after alleged police assault in India
Anjali’s death after alleged police assault exposes vulnerability facing Dalit women at intersection of caste hierarchy, gender and state power NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A 28-year-old pregnant Dalit woman died after her family says a police officer kicked her in the abdomen during a late-night operation to detain her husband in northern India, triggering protests and demands for action against officers involved. Anjali was at her home in Labhaua village in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad district when police arrived around 11:45 p.m. Sunday to take her husband, Gaurav, into custody in connection with a theft case. Her family alleges that when she pleaded with officers not to take him away, Sub-Inspector Dharmpal Singh kicked her in the abdomen, causing her to fall. Police took Gaurav, 32, into custody while Anjali’s condition subsequently deteriorated. She was taken to a hospital in Shikohabad, where she gave birth to a boy Monday morning. Her health worsened after delivery, and she was transferred to a private hospital in Firozabad, where doctors declared her dead. Her newborn son was reported to be in critical condition and was referred to a hospital in Agra for further treatment. Anjali belonged to India’s Dalit community, historically treated as “untouchable” and relegated to the bottom of the Hindu caste hierarchy. Dalit women remain particularly vulnerable to violence and discrimination because caste and gender inequalities often overlap, while rights campaigners have long raised concerns over barriers marginalized communities face when seeking protection and accountability from state institutions. India abolished the practice of untouchability under its Constitution and has specific laws intended to protect Dalits and other historically oppressed castes from discrimination and violence. But caste remains deeply embedded in parts of Indian society, with Dalits continuing to report violence, humiliation, segregation and other forms of discrimination despite those legal protections. Anjali’s death sparked protests by villagers outside Shikohabad police station. Her family said Gaurav was released from custody after police were informed that his wife had died. Firozabad Superintendent of Police Aditya Langhe subsequently suspended six police personnel for negligence. Those suspended include Sub-Inspectors Dharmpal Singh and Satyapal Singh, Head Constables Mohan Singh and Arvind Kumar and Constables Bhavtosh Kumar and Kuldeep Kumar. Anjali underwent a post-mortem examination late Monday. Her last rites were performed later that night amid heavy police deployment. Her death also drew demands for an investigation from politicians representing constituencies where caste discrimination and Dalit rights are prominent concerns. Samajwadi Party national general secretary and lawmaker Ramjilal Suman visited Anjali’s family Tuesday before staging a sit-in with party workers at Shikohabad police station. He demanded an impartial investigation and strict action against anyone found responsible. Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad, a prominent Dalit political leader, also called for a fair investigation and action against police personnel found responsible. Courtesy : Muslim Network TV Note: This news is originally published on https:/muslimnetwork.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Woman minister in Karnataka cabinet soon says, Randeep Surjewala
Surjewala pointed to previous governments, saying that during the JDS-BJP coalition government, then CM Kumaraswamy had himself held the Women and Child Development portfolio. BENGALURU: AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday said the Congress leadership would soon resolve the issue of inducting a woman minister in the Karnataka cabinet, which currently has no woman representative despite the DK Shivakumar government completing 100 days in office. Hitting back at Union minister HD Kumaraswamy who had jibed the Congress on this issue, he said, “I just want to remind those making a noise that they never had a Women and Child Development minister for a full tenure.” Surjewala told reporters that he was to blame for the controversy. “This is not Delhi’s fault. It is the fault of the General Secretary, AICC in-charge of Karnataka, who could not decide on account of certain political exigencies. We have many (aspirants)… so very soon we will sort out the issue after consulting with the Chief Minister, our PCC president who is very keen and hounds me every day on this, as also ex-CM (Siddaramaiah) and other state leaders,” he stated, adding that LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has also taken the lack of a woman minister very seriously. Surjewala pointed to previous governments, saying that during the JDS-BJP coalition government, then CM Kumaraswamy had himself held the Women and Child Development portfolio. Surjewala said the Congress government was committed to implementing the socio-economic and educational survey report in Karnataka, but would not take any step that violated court directions, as the matter is currently sub judice. He said social justice remained the party’s core commitment and was shared by Siddaramaiah, CM Shivakumar and party workers. The party would seek the court’s guidance on implementing the report at the earliest. Responding to BJP leaders’ criticism of the government’s stance on singing specific stanzas of Vande Mataram, Surjewala argued that those raising objections were unaware of the historical context and the freedom movement. He recounted that Vande Mataram was first sung at an Indian National Congress session in 1896, and formally adopted as the national song in 1930. He stated that leaders such as Dr BR Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had agreed on adopting two stanzas on the guidance of Rabindranath Tagore in the Constituent Assembly, which was accepted across the board. The Karnataka government will strictly adhere to Government of India protocols during visits by the President, Governor or Prime Minister, while otherwise respecting the traditions framed by Tagore and the Constituent Assembly, he added. GAYATRI SHANTEGOWDA HANDS RESUME TO SIDDU Bengaluru: The political drama surrounding Congress MLC Gayatri Shantegowda’s stalled entry into the Karnataka cabinet came to a head on Wednesday with the legislator personally approaching former chief minister Siddaramaiah. Multiple sources have pointed to Siddaramaiah as the driving force behind the exclusion, despite the Congress high command having reportedly cleared her name. On Wednesday, Gayatri handed Siddaramaiah a document. When he asked what it was, she reportedly told him it was her resume, which is seen as her continued claim to a cabinet berth. She also spoke to AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal at the Congress office, after KPCC president B K Hariprasad introduced her to him. The apparent contradiction — a leader cleared by the party’s central leadership still having to lobby for the post she was promised — has fuelled criticism that state-level factional politics are overriding decisions made at the national level. 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
Rift in Tamil Nadu Congress over TVK ties, Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate
Former TNCC chief Selvaperunthagai said the Congress should form an alliance only with parties that openly and honestly accept Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate. CHENNAI: A war of words broke out between Tamil Nadu Congress leaders on Wednesday over the party’s alliance with the ruling TVK, with former TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai insisting the ally should publicly accept Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate, while Rajya Sabha MP Praveen Chakravarty sought to play down his remarks, prompting a fresh counter from Selvaperunthagai. The episode began with Selvaperunthagai, speaking to reporters in Guindy after paying floral tributes to freedom fighter Ramasamy Padayatchiar on his 109th birth anniversary, saying the Congress should form an alliance only with parties that openly and honestly accept Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate. “If Rahul Gandhi is the PM, alliance partners should accept that. If not, what is the point of being in this alliance? It is only honest to have an alliance with those who openly and sincerely accept Rahul as the prime minister,” said Selvaperunthagai, who was in office during his party’s alliance with the DMK. Later in the day, MP Praveen Chakravarty, speaking to reporters at Chennai airport, responding to Selvaperunthagai’s comments, asked, “Who is he now? In the past he may have been whatever he was, but now that is not relevant.” He said the alliance had been strong before the government was formed and remains equally strong after the government came to power. Chakravarty said the alliance would also work together in the upcoming bypolls. He said TVK is contesting the Tamil Nadu bye-election, while Congress is fielding a candidate in Puducherry bypoll. Later in the day, responding to Chakravarty’s reference to the meeting with the chief minister, Selvaperunthagai took to social media, saying that a long and cordial conversation could not by itself constitute an assurance on the prime ministerial candidate. “Let the chief minister say it, or at least let any senior functionary of that party say that Rahul Gandhi is our Prime Ministerial candidate,” he said. Selvaperunthagai also asked Chakravarty to raise issues like why remarks criticising PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah or the BJP were removed from the Assembly proceedings when they meet the next time. 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