Kerala’s first transgender students’ hostel opened
KOTTAYAM: For the first time in the state, a hostel exclusively to accommodate transgender students has been opened on the Mahatma Gandhi University campus in Kerala’s Kottayam district. State Social Justice Minister R Bindhu on Monday inaugurated the hostel building, a long-standing demand of the students belonging to the marginalised community. University sources here said the TG hostel can accommodate at least six students. They also said the new hostel facility on the university campus is expected to woo more students from the transgender community to higher education. Minister Bindhu said there is a remarkable increase in the number of trangender students who clear the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in the state. “In this circumstance, I appreciate the hostel project initiated by the MG University. The marginalised community are fighting various odds in life.We should ensure social support for them,” she told reporters here. Even families used to reject transgender people, and so society has a big role to play in their lives, the minister added. A transgender student said the hostel facility in the university is a boon, as the community students are finding it difficult to get accommodation and also to meet the soaring rental amount. 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.
Telangana high court directs registry to number contempt petition on transgender reservations
Hyderabad: The Telangana high court directed its registry to assign a number to a contempt petition filed against the govt for not implementing earlier court directions, including reservations for transgender persons in education and public employment. The contempt petition was filed against the chief secretary, principal secretary (social welfare), and secretary (Women and Child Welfare) as respondents. Although the registry earlier raised objections and refused to assign a number, the bench overruled those objections and directed that the petition be numbered. A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Mohiuddin passed the order while hearing the plea filed by Hyderguda resident Vaijayanthi Vasantha Mogili. The petitioner alleged wilful disobedience of the HC’s 2023 judgment that struck down the Telangana Eunuchs Act, 1329 Fasli, as unconstitutional and directed the state to extend Aasara pensions to transgender persons at the earliest, besides providing reservations in educational institutions and govt jobs. The court also ordered the constitution of a Welfare Board for transgenders with the member secretary of the State Legal Services Authority as a permanent member, tasked with monitoring welfare measures for their upliftment. However, even after two years, the govt neither enacted a law on reservations nor implemented the welfare directions, leaving many trans persons without pensions and facing economic hardship, the petitioner said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Rahul accuses BJP of stealing votes for years; Priyanka too joins yatra
Patna: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP during the Voter Adhikar Yatra, accusing it of manipulating elections for years and warning people to remain vigilant about their rights. Addressing a gathering in Madhubani, he said, “How can Amit Shah say that the BJP govt will last for 40-50 years? It is up to the people to decide. They can make such predictions because they are stealing votes. This theft began in Gujarat, went national in 2014, and since then they have been selectively winning and losing states. I suspected something was wrong, and now they have been caught.” He alleged that the scale of irregularities in Maharashtra had exposed the practice. Rahul urged people to guard their voting rights. “Before Independence, the people had no power because they did not have the right to vote. The moment you lose this right, you lose all power,” he said, accusing the BJP of deleting names from the rolls while adding new voters. “But now the people of Bihar have made up their mind to teach a lesson to the vote thieves,” he added. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who joined her brother in Supaul earlier in the day, echoed his sentiments, describing the right to vote as the “most valuable right” of citizens. “If it is lost, you will lose your identity and citizenship. So be alert and don’t allow it to be robbed,” she said. Priyanka also recalled a remark made by PM Narendra Modi during the Lok Sabha elections. “During the polls, Modi alleged Congress would steal your buffaloes. We didn’t know they were stealing people’s votes instead,” she said. In a social media post, Priyanka alleged the BJP-JD(U) govt in Bihar had failed on fronts such as inflation, unemployment, migration and the economy, and was now “hatching conspiracies to steal votes to remain in power”. She added, “The Constitution has given every Indian the right to vote. No power can snatch this right. We will not allow even a single vote of the poor to be stolen.” Standing atop an open jeep alongside Rahul and Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy, she was seen waving to crowds as young women watched and filmed the moment from rooftops and balconies. The yatra, which began from Sasaram on Aug 17, will conclude on Sept 1 in Patna with a public rally. The 16-day campaign seeks to highlight alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls. 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.
People want to see Tejashwi as next CM, says Rohini
Patna: Amid Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s silence over the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial candidate for Bihar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya on Tuesday declared that the people of the state want to see Tejashwi Prasad Yadav as the next CM. Rohini, who unsuccessfully contested the Saran seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, was responding to questions about Congress’s position. “It is the wish of the people of Bihar that Tejashwi becomes the chief minister,” she told reporters, adding that a formal announcement would be made at the INDIA bloc leaders’ meeting. When asked why no such announcement had been made yet, she said, “Aap logon ke samne thode batayenge (Will they announce it before you people)?” She insisted her brother had the full support of Congress. Later, in a social media post, she asserted that the next govt in Bihar would be led by Tejashwi with popular backing. “The public support is immense as there is a wind of change blowing in the state,” she wrote. Her remarks came in the backdrop of Rahul recently sidestepping a query on the issue at a press conference during the Voter Adhikar Yatra, where Tejashwi was also present. Asked about speculation that Nishant Kumar, the only son of CM Nitish Kumar, might enter politics, she said, “Anybody who has the passion to serve the people should be welcome into politics. I have known Nishant for a long time. We played together as 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.
Revanth gains Rahul-Priyanka confidence, seen as rising power in Cong
Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday travelled with senior AICC leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in a private aircraft from New Delhi to Bihar to participate in the Gandhi scion’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Supaul. During the journey, the trio reportedly discussed national politics, the alleged voter data theft by the BJP, counter-strategies to be adopted, and the social justice model being implemented in Telangana, considered a potential blueprint for replication in other states. Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud, ministers and MPs also flew from the state in a separate private aircraft to Bihar. In total, nearly 20 Congress leaders, including the CM, deputy CM, ministers, and MPs, took part in the rally and returned to the city later in the evening. Within Congress circles, there is growing talk that CM Revanth has earned the trust of the Gandhi family in a way no previous Congress CM has managed. Notably, he appears to be in the good books of both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. “Contrary to the opposition’s malicious campaign, Revanth’s stature within the party has only grown stronger. Rahul Gandhi has openly praised the CM for delivering on key promises— such as a caste survey and enacting two Bills to provide 42% reservation to Backward Classes (BCs), categorisation of Scheduled Castes, and fulfilling his commitment to Telangana’s farmers with the 2 lakh crop loan waiver,” said a senior Congress leader. The leader also claimed that although Revanth said Justice B Sudershan Reddy was finalised by the INDIA bloc as the Vice-Presidential candidate, many within the party believe the name was actually suggested by the CM himself. Sources told TOI that during the flight from Delhi to Bihar, Rahul Gandhi shared his broader vision with CM Revanth regarding the Congress party’s mission to uphold social justice, protect the Constitution and democracy, and safeguard reservation policies — areas they believe are under threat from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP govt. In turn, Revanth reportedly expressed his determination to see Modi unseated and his ambition to inspire party cadres to make Rahul Gandhi the next Prime Minister. Political observers have noted the Gandhi family’s enduring emotional connection with the people of Telangana — from Indira Gandhi’s victory in the Medak Lok Sabha constituency in 1980, to Sonia Gandhi’s decision to back PV Narasimha Rao for the PM’s post by herself sacrificing the top post, and her historic move to grant statehood to Telangana even at the cost of the Congress party’s future in Andhra Pradesh. Revanth’s elevation as the CM over more senior contenders and his steadfast loyalty to the family are seen as key factors in his growing proximity to Rahul and Priyanka. Revanth’s public declarations — such as asserting that if Rahul Gandhi were PM, he would have reclaimed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by taking inspiration from Indira Gandhi, who broke Pakistan into two and created Bangladesh; and that Rahul would have shown China its place — have further endeared him to the family. His leadership in the fight for BC quota approval at the Jantar Mantar dharna, his repeated commitment that every promise made by Rahul Gandhi is a ‘golden line’ to be honoured by his cabinet, and his ability to maintain party unity and run a stable govt in Telangana, have all contributed to solidifying his standing within the Congress high command. 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.
In Lucknow, a Dalit farmer was slapped by a deputy tehsildar, he was admitted to PGI when blood started coming out of his ear; Chandrashekhar Azad said – ‘This is a war for justice’
The inhuman incident that happened with farmer Ram Milan Pasi in Mastemau village of Lucknow has raised serious questions on the administration, Chandrashekhar Azad demanded strict action from the government. Lucknow. The incident that happened with a Bahujan farmer in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, has shamed humanity. Chandrashekhar Azad, MP from Nagina Lok Sabha constituency and National President of Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), has raised serious questions on the government and administration by sharing a video on Twitter (former Twitter) regarding this matter. In the video, an elderly woman can be seen crying loudly while sitting beside her injured husband, while police and security personnel are standing nearby. Along with this video, Chandrashekhar Azad wrote that the incident that happened with farmer Ram Milan Pasi is not only painful, but is a direct attack on the rights of Bahujan Samaj and farmers. How did the incident happen? According to the information given by the MP, the Municipal Corporation team had reached Mirzapur Mastemau village in Lucknow to remove the encroachment on the land. During this, farmer Ram Milan Pasi told the Naib Tehsildar that the land is ancestral to his family and he also showed its papers to the officers. The farmer only requested the officials to give him one hour to safely remove the straw lying on the ground. But ignoring this humanitarian appeal, the Naib Tehsildar got angry and slapped the farmer hard in front of the crowd. The injury of the slap was so serious that the farmer fell down on the spot. Blood started flowing from his ear and he fainted in a short while. Deteriorating condition of the injured When Ram Milan Pasi’s condition deteriorated, he was first taken to Gosaiganj CHC by ambulance, then referred to Civil Hospital. Due to his critical condition, the doctors finally sent him to PGI Trauma Center. At present, the farmer is fighting a battle between life and death. The most shameful aspect was that after attacking the farmer, the Naib Tehsildar and his team ran away from the spot and did not even fulfill the responsibility of taking the injured to the hospital. Push-and-shove with family members During this, when the farmer’s elderly wife came forward to save her husband, the policemen and officers pushed her too instead of helping. This increased the uproar and tension at the spot. FIR not even registered Chandrashekhar Azad alleges that despite the incident, the police is not registering any complaint in the case till now. This attitude shows the insensitivity of the administration. Chandrashekhar Azad’s demand On this incident, the chief of Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) has placed three major demands from the state government – An immediate case should be registered against the guilty Naib Tehsildar and his team under the sections of SC/ST Act and attempt to murder. The victim farmer should be given high-level treatment at government expense and the family should be provided compensation and security. There should be an impartial investigation of the land dispute and the farmer’s rights should be prevented from being snatched. Bhim Army-Azad Samaj Party team sits on dharna In protest against the incident, the Lucknow team of Bhim Army-Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) has sat on a dharna in Sushant Golf City police station. They say that the dharna will continue until the victim farmer gets justice and strict action is taken against the culprits. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy: Hindi News
Horrible result of Inter-Caste Marriage in MP: Dalit youth dies after being brutally beaten by wife’s family
A Dalit youth died six days after being brutally beaten by his wife’s family in Bhitarwar area of Madhya Pradesh. The village panchayat had imposed a fine of Rs 51,000 and socially boycotted him. Gwalior. The death of a 25-year-old Dalit youth in Harsi village of Bhitarwar area of Madhya Pradesh has once again raised questions on caste violence. The youth was attacked by his wife’s family. After battling between life and death for six days, he breathed his last on Sunday evening. How did the incident happen Omprakash Batham was married to Shivani Jha in January this year. Shivani comes from an upper caste family and her family strongly opposed this relationship. Omprakash came to the village to meet his parents on August 19 to celebrate Rakshabandhan. During this time, Shivani’s family came to his house and attacked him brutally. According to the police, Shivani’s father Dwarka Prasad Jha along with relatives Rajesh alias Raju Jha, Uma Ojha and Sandeep Sharma attacked. It is alleged that all of them dragged Om Prakash out of the house and beat him with sticks and rods. Meanwhile, when wife Shivani tried to intervene, she also got injured. Son returned on Rakshabandhan The pain of the family hurt by the attack cannot be expressed in words. Sitting on her kutcha courtyard in Harsi village, Om Prakash’s mother says crying, “He had come just to see me. Every son wants to celebrate Rakshabandhan with his mother. They had a court marriage and the girl also wanted to live with him, yet she was killed so brutally.” Used to get threats Actually, this conflict had started from 2023 itself. When Om Prakash and Shivani tried to run away from home and get married for the first time, the police found them. But Shivani clearly said that she is an adult and wants to live with her husband. After this, both of them lived in different places—sometimes in Madhya Pradesh, sometimes in Uttar Pradesh—and in January this year, they registered their marriage in court. But they had to pay a heavy price for this relationship. The village panchayat imposed a fine of Rs 51,000 on Omprakash and socially boycotted the family. Not only this, Shivani’s father had openly threatened that Omprakash should never step inside the village boundary. Legal action He was treated in a private hospital in Gwalior for six days, but Omprakash died on Sunday evening. In this case, Belgada police station in-charge Ajay Singh Sikarwar said that initially a case of assault was registered against the attackers. Now after the death of the youth, a case of murder has been registered against 12 people. The main accused Dwarka Prasad Jha is absconding and the police is searching for him. Rajan Chaudhary Courtesy : Hindi News
“Dead Girls Get Cases Registered, But a Living Girl Fighting With Evidence is Ignored”: Switzerland-Based Dalit Activist Rohini Ghavari Issues Suicide Threat Amid Stalled FIR Against Nagina MP
Ghavari also lamented her Valmiki identity, suggesting that if she were from the Jatav community, the response might differ, and urged society not to accept leaders with such allegations, drawing parallels to how women leaders like Mayawati would be treated. Indore- In a dramatic escalation of her ongoing battle against Nagina MP and Azad Samaj Party leader Chandrashekhar Azad, Switzerland-based scholar Dr. Rohini Ghavari went live on social media, expressing deep frustration over the lack of progress in her complaint against him. Ghavari, who arrived in India on August 6, after taking a break from her job abroad, accused Azad of emotional and sexual exploitation, betrayal, and ruining her life under the guise of a relationship tied to the Bahujan movement. She warned that if a First Information Report (FIR) is not registered within the next three to four days, she would stage a sit-in protest outside Azad’s residence and commit suicide, challenging supporters from the Jatav community to collect her body afterward. This stark ultimatum comes amid claims of political interference delaying legal action, despite her repeated submissions of evidence, statements, and meetings with police officials. Ghavari, hailing from a modest background in Indore’s slums and now a representative at the United Nations through her work with the R&M Geneva Nations Institute, detailed how her life drastically changed after June 2025, when she began facing what she described as false accusations and defamation orchestrated by Azad and his associates. In her emotional live session, she recounted helping Azad during his political struggles, including providing emotional support after his 2022 election loss and encouraging him to persist in the Bahujan movement. She claimed to have been instrumental in his rise, even drafting messages and managing party affairs remotely, only to be discarded once he achieved success as an MP. “I was the one who stood by him when he wanted to quit; I watered the plant, and now it shows its true colors,” she said, accusing Azad of being a “fraud” and “corrupt” leader who exploits the Dalit community for personal gain without contributing meaningfully, such as creating opportunities for education or jobs. The scholar alleged that Azad, also known as Ravan, has a history of similar exploitation, referencing a 2017 case involving a woman from Saharanpur where community pressure allegedly silenced the victim. Ghavari criticized Azad’s leadership, pointing to his opposition to caste-based reservation sub-categorization, which she said betrayed marginalized groups like the Valmiki community, to which she belongs. She accused him of being a BJP agent, enjoying undue privileges like Z+ security and a Type-VII bungalow shortly after his election victory with 1.5 lakh votes, questioning how an independent MP from a new party could amass such luxuries without corruption. “If I were a BJP agent, the FIR would have been filed on day one, and national media would be covering it,” she retorted to counter-allegations from Azad’s supporters that she is politically motivated to defame him. Despite initiating legal proceedings via email in June and her father meeting the Delhi Police Commissioner on July 23, Ghavari said no FIR has been lodged even after her personal appearances at the airport police station on August 6 and further interrogations on August 18. She described spending entire days at police stations, providing detailed statements, transcripts, and evidence, only to face delays attributed to “political pressure.” Police officials reportedly assured her of action within 24 hours, but she claims cross-verifications have been completed without result. “Dead girls get cases registered, but a living girl fighting with evidence is ignored,” she lamented, highlighting the irony and her disillusionment with the Indian police system, which she had never encountered before due to her life abroad. Ghavari’s accusations extend beyond personal betrayal, portraying Azad as a self-serving politician who prioritizes vote banks over community welfare. She cited his absence during key issues like the Waqf Board Bill protests and his failure to protest Home Minister Amit Shah’s alleged insult to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Parliament, despite being present there. She challenged Azad’s loyalty to the Bahujan movement, comparing him unfavorably to icons like Kanshi Ram and Mayawati, who empowered others rather than hoarding power. “He can’t share a chair, let alone create leaders,” she said, noting his party’s poor performance in recent elections in Haryana, Delhi, and Maharashtra, where deposits were forfeited and votes barely reached 10,000 despite large Dalit populations. The live session, marked by Ghavari’s visible distress and health issues like a sore throat, highlighted her demotivation after over 20 days in India with no progress. She emphasized fighting for self-respect and the Bahujan cause, vowing not to return to Switzerland until justice is served. “This is a battle of honesty against deceit; I have my truth, and he has his money,” she stated, accusing Azad of using funds from the community for luxury while showing poverty to garner sympathy. Ghavari also lamented her Valmiki identity, suggesting that if she were from the Jatav community, the response might differ, and urged society not to accept leaders with such allegations, drawing parallels to how women leaders like Mayawati would be treated. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy : The Mooknayak Note: This news is originally published on https:/themooknayak.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
Quota for transgender persons in law colleges: HC impleads Bar Council of India in plea
Kochi: High court has impleaded the Bar Council of India as a party respondent in a petition seeking reservation for the transgender community in admissions to law colleges. The bench of Justice N Nagaresh issued the directive on a petition filed by a transgender student aspiring to join the integrated five-year LLB course at the Govt Law College, Kozhikode. The directive followed the state govt’s submission that its proposal to create two additional seats for the transgender category is pending approval by the Bar Council of India. The court adjourned the matter to Sept 7 for further consideration. 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.
AB Hernandez mother blasts critics during heated Riverside Unified school board meeting over transgender athlete debate
AB Hernandez, the 16-year-old transgender athlete from Jurupa Valley High School in Riverside County, became the centre of a stormful school board meeting on August 2025. Her mother, Nereyda Hernandez, stood up in front of the school board and told them, “my daughter is not the problem,” as tensions ran high over her participation on the girls’ volleyball team. The meeting followed a forfeit by Riverside Poly High School’s girls’ volleyball team, who refused to play Jurupa Valley, making national headlines. AB Hernandez’s mom Nereyda Hernandez speaks out at Riverside school board meeting At the Riverside Unified School District board meeting, on August 2025, Nereyda made her voice very clear. She turned to board member Amanda Vickers and accused her of a “moral failure” and of “welcoming harassment.” She said, “You actually entertained and welcomed harassment to my child … you have an oath to protect, to support all children, not just the ones that fit your ideas, your beliefs.” She added: “When you allow or tolerate targeted harassment … you are only failing morally.” She made it firm: “My daughter is not the problem,” and blamed “coordinated external efforts… to spread fear and pit parents against each other using religion as a shield for discrimination.” Another parent at the meeting accused the board of “gross negligence” and said AB had been “stalked” and “followed.” Meanwhile, others spoke for the Riverside Poly athletes, like Maria Correo, who said, “Poly girls, we stand with you. Keep fighting, because these parents that support their confused child are the problem.” AB Hernandez, school forfeit, state titles and broader controversy Earlier in mid-August 2025, Riverside Poly High School forfeited its scheduled girls’ volleyball match against Jurupa Valley. Officially, the school said they wanted a “safe, positive environment for all student-athletes.” But many believed the forfeit protested Hernandez’s inclusion on the team. Some parents spoke out, saying trans people “have no right to play sports against the opposite sex.” AB Hernandez had already won state titles in triple jump and high jump and placed second in long jump at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state championships. Amid fierce protests and attacks from national figures like former President Trump, CIF introduced a rule so that girls who finished behind Hernandez could also receive medals, offering a compromise. AB stayed focused: she said, “I know how hard I’ve worked. That’s what matters.” Her mother, once a Trump supporter, now defends her daughter publicly and urges others to choose love over politics or religion. 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.