Chandigarh News: Appointed chairmen of boards and corporations two years before the elections, targeting 32 percent Dalit and 10% Brahmin-Rajput votes
-CM said, work diligently for the welfare of the society and the progress of PunjabAdvertisement: 0:14 Chandigarh/Jalandhar. Aam Aadmi Party has appointed chairmen of various boards and corporations in the state before the 2027 assembly elections. Apart from 32 percent Dalit population, the government has also targeted the Brahmin-Rajput vote bank. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has called upon the newly appointed chairmen to work hard and diligently for the welfare of the society and the progress of Punjab. Almost all the major castes of the society have been included in these appointments. Experts believe that this step is directly related to the upcoming assembly elections. The population of Dalits in Punjab is about 32 percent, which is the highest compared to any state in the country. Apart from this, there is also a large number of backward castes and economically weaker sections here. Appeasing these castes, giving them representation and providing direct benefits has become the key to winning elections for any political party. In Punjab, the population of Rajput community is 6 percent and that of Brahmin community is 4 percent. Courtesy: Hindi News
Manuvadis built a wall of untouchability
People of Arunthathiyar community, which comes under Scheduled Caste, have alleged that Manuvadis of Thottiya Nayakkar caste have built this wall. They allege that this wall has been built to stop the movement of Dalits. Dalit society has called it ‘wall of untouchability’. The question is also whether any community can build a wall on any government land? The silence of the local administration on this question has put it under question. Karur, Tamil Nadu. Manuvadis have built a 200 feet long and 10 feet high wall in a village. It is alleged that this wall has been built so that Dalits of the village can be stopped from going to the areas of Thottiya Nayakkar. People of Dalit society are calling this wall a wall of untouchability. The matter is of Karur district of Tamil Nadu. The matter has heated up due to this wall built in Muthuladampatti village of the district. People of the Arunthathiyar community, which comes under the Scheduled Caste, have alleged that Hindus of the Thottiya Nayakar caste have built this wall. They allege that this wall has been built to stop the movement of Dalits. The Dalit community has called it a ‘wall of untouchability’. The special thing is that this wall has been built on government-owned public land and it is located just one kilometer away from the Karur Collector’s office. According to the report of “The Hindu”, Dalits say that when they came to know about the construction of the wall, they complained about it to the revenue officials. The village administrative officer of Thanthoni village inspected the spot and verbally asked the Thottiya community to stop the work, but they ignored these instructions and completed the construction of the wall quickly. Seeing the matter escalating and after the protest of the Dalit community, officials of the Revenue and Police Department had to intervene. However, despite two meetings held on July 13 and July 29, no solution has been found. 57-year-old P. Marudhai, who belongs to the Dalit community, said, “This wall is a symbol of isolating us in our own village. This is outright caste discrimination and a way to humiliate us.” They allege that the Manuvadi people do not allow them to use the public ‘drama stage’ during temple festivals, even when they want to build a separate stage or toilet for themselves, they are stopped. According to the report, 50-year-old S. Duraiasamy said, “We are forced to go to the Manuvadi areas without slippers. If we go wearing slippers, they abuse and shout at us.” However, on the other hand, people of the Thottiya Nayakar community are denying this and giving some other reason for building the wall. According to the report, 62-year-old R. Kandasamy completely denied the allegations and said, “We built the wall so that drunk outsiders do not disturb us in our area. This place has been in our use for years.” On the other hand, the administration is beating around the bush in this matter. Karur Collector M. Thangavel told The Hindu, “I cannot say right now whether this is a wall of untouchability or not. I have ordered the Revenue Department officer to investigate and am waiting for his report. The situation can be clarified only after receiving the report.” But the big question here is, can any person build a wall on any government land without any permission? That too on the land where people come and go. Whatever this wall has been built for, it is clear that it is unconstitutional and illegal. Now the question is, why is the administration trying to complicate the matter instead of immediately demolishing this illegal wall? Siddharth Gautam Siddharth Gautam, who has an interest in journalism and writing, is a graduate from Delhi University. There he has been the winner of many university-level writing competitions. He has been associated with Dalit Dastak for the last two years and is working as a sub-editor. Courtesy : Hindi News
3 held for trying to dismount Dalit groom from horse
Jhunjhunu: Gudhagorji police Thursday arrested three men who had attempted to dismount a Dalit groom from his horse on July 19 at Titnawad village, Jhunjhunu district. The police then paraded all the three accused through the main market of the village. All of them were seen holding their ears, saying, “We made a mistake, we will not do this again.” Navalgadh DSP Rajveer Singh said that arrested individuals have been identified as Ramesh Kumar, Dilip Singh and Ranveer Saunthli, all residents of Titnawad. He added that the police had promptly registered a case and began an investigation which led to the arrests. 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.
When a Dalit man refused quota: ‘You are blocking an open category seat of an upper caste’
In ‘Scum of the Earth’, Rakshit Sonawane traces one man’s journey from the margins to the mainstream. What happened?’ Dagadoo asked as soon as Avinash came up the stairs of their house. Godavari and he had been waiting anxiously for a long while for their son to return home. ‘What will happen?’ Godavari asked with a smile. ‘He must have got the job.’ Avinash looked at her. ‘How do you know?’ he asked. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘I prayed to God. He knows our plight, and he will hear my prayer.’ Avinash laughed. ‘In fact, I’ve not been selected,’ he said. ‘And the irony is that I’m among the top three candidates in the merit list.’ ‘Oh! Then why not?’ she asked, her smile fading quickly. ‘I thought you would be easily selected,’ Dagadoo said. ‘What went wrong?’ ‘They have asked me to submit a caste certificate,’ Avinash said. ‘Caste certificate? But you’ve not applied for a reserved seat.’ ‘I told them that—they are going to seek legal advice and then decide.’ ‘Oh,’ Dagadoo sighed. ‘But I think that if they seek a legal opinion, they’ll be told to appoint you.’ ‘I hope so,’ Avinash said. ‘Dagadoo, are you home?’ someone hollered from outside the house. Avinash went to the door. It was Hari. ‘Yes, Hari kaka, he’s at home.’ Hari smiled and began ascending the steps slowly. On reaching the door, he removed his footwear and came inside, panting heavily. Dagadoo rose to greet him while Godavari brought him a glass of water, which he gulped down thirstily. ‘It’s good that you are all at home,’ he said, wiping his face with a handkerchief. ‘Have you applied for a job at the port?’ Hari asked Avinash. ‘There are some vacancies right now.’ ‘Yes,’ Avinash said. ‘They interviewed me today.’ ‘That’s great! Don’t worry, I’ll ensure that you are selected,’ Hari exclaimed. Then, turning to Dagadoo, he said, ‘Your son has hit a jackpot. Your life is going to change for the better.’ Dagadoo smiled. ‘But they have put his appointment on hold,’ Godavari said. ‘They are asking for a caste certificate.’ ‘Then submit it,’ Hari said. ‘We don’t have a caste certificate,’ Dagadoo said. ‘No problem! I’ll help you; I have connections. I’ve told you this before as well!’ Hari said. ‘The only thing is you’ll have to spend some money.’ ‘But I’ve applied in the general category, Hari kaka, where no caste certificate is required,’ Avinash said. Hari laughed. ‘Why do you need to go in the general category?’ he asked. ‘Get a caste certificate—it’s our right. Just come to my house tomorrow with all your documents.’ ‘Hari, stay out of it,’ Dagadoo said. ‘Avinash will get his appointment letter without a caste certificate and without spending money.’ Hari shook his head and stared at Dagadoo. ‘Brother, don’t ruin your son’s future. Listen to me,’ he said. ‘I can get it done.’ Then, turning to Avinash, he said, ‘Don’t pay me anything right now. Pay me later. After all, I can do at least this much for my nephew.’ ‘No, Hari,’ Dagadoo said curtly. ‘Please don’t bother.’ ‘You are so strange, Dagadoo,’ Hari said. ‘You’ve made your own life miserable because of your impractical thoughts. Don’t do the same to your son’s life, too.’ Dagadoo stared at Hari. ‘You will never understand,’ he said. ‘You were the first person from our village to migrate to this city and what have you earned?’ Hari asked. ‘Look at me—I own two apartments, two vehicles and I’ve recently bought some land near our village. I’m earning a lot of money, while you’re still languishing in a slum.’ Dagadoo nodded. ‘Yes, you are certainly wealthy, but what is the colour of your money?’ he asked. ‘The colour of my money?’ Hari laughed mockingly. ‘Nobody is bothered about the colour of money in this world. It may be white or black or any other colour—the only thing that matters is whether you have it or not.’ ‘It all depends on your values, Hari. I’m happy with mine, and you are free to choose yours.’ Hari shook his head in despair and sipped the tea Godavari had served him in silence. Then he slowly got up, balancing his obese body on his hands as he rose to his feet. The gold chain around his neck flashed. ‘So, shall I expect you tomorrow, if you change your mind, that is?’ he asked Avinash with a sheepish smile. ‘No, Hari, we don’t need your help,’ Dagadoo said. ‘All right,’ Hari said. He went out of the door, slipped his feet into his footwear and slowly descended the steps. After he left, Godavari said, ‘You should’ve taken his help—he knows a lot of people.’ ‘You know he’s mixed up with crooks,’ Dagadoo said. ‘But what will happen to Avinash’s appointment?’ ‘Don’t worry—just be patient.’ ‘But we’re abandoning the easy way out and making his life difficult,’ Godavari said. ‘He’s just a young boy.’ Dagadoo glanced at her and then at Avinash. ‘Don’t you realize that he’s among the toppers in the merit list?’ he asked. ‘Have faith in the Constitution. Instead of overprotecting him and making his life easier, let him face difficulties and overcome them. Remember the difficulties faced by Babasaheb. He’s our guiding light.’ Avinash felt dejected and unwanted. Brooding over his plight, he sat on the threshold of the house and thought about his father, his community and Babasaheb. Perhaps his father was right. If he had merit, there was no need to seek a reserved seat. Some other needy candidate could use it. There were enough people who were in worse conditions than him. Avinash eagerly awaited the decision of the port authorities. A fortnight passed and just as he was beginning to lose hope, a letter arrived, informing him that his appointment had been confirmed, subject to a medical examination at the port hospital. His parents were both relieved and elated at the development. ‘I knew he would be appointed,’ Dagadoo
Congress functionaries back Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote chori’ accusation, opposition allies join in
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor threw his weight behind Rahul Gandhi’s “expose” on “vote chori” as the party decided to take it forward with a nationwide campaign. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal announced that the party’s state units will screen Rahul’s “landmark press conference” in state capitals on Saturday “to expose the BJP-EC nexus”. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge will discuss the idea of a national offensive on “election fraud” with Congress state managers and frontal heads on Monday. Party MP Manickam Tagore sought to raise the issue in Lok Sabha amid protests. On Rahul’s expose, Tharoor said, “These are serious questions which must be addressed in the interests of all parties and voters. Our democracy is too precious to allow its credibility be destroyed by incompetence, carelessness, or worse, deliberate tampering.” Tharoor, who has famously diverged from Congress’ view on geopolitical issues lately, was emphatic that EC should act urgently. As a follow up, Rahul released an 8-minute video summary of his findings and raised questions about the outcome of 2022 Uttarakhand, 2023 MP and Chhattisgarh, and 2024 Maharashtra polls, a sensational claim that triggered Congress and opposition to exhume old complaints to EC. Congress MP Vivek Tankha, tagging a video, said he had complained to EC about mass deletion of voters, fake and duplicate voters ahead of MP polls, and asked “why is the poll watchdog not acting impartially”. Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, who raised questions about the poll outcome in the past, was especially active on social media. Allies joined in, with CPI (ML) chief Dipankar Bhattacharya announcing a “chunao chor, gaddi chod (vote thief, quit the throne)” campaign from Aug 9-11, and “Save Independence Day” campaign on Aug 15. Samajwadi Party supporters took to social media with gusto sharing videos of Akhilesh Yadav saying “EC is dead” and making other remarks. NCP’s Supriya Sule said after Rahul’s presentation at a dinner on Thursday that was attended by INDIA bloc stalwarts, Sharad Pawar suggested that the presentation be given at every state, district and block level. DMK’s Kanimozhi sought immediate action while TMC’s Sagarika Ghose said Rahul’s disclosures confirmed Mamata Banerjee’s misgivings about SIR. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said EC must rethink if its responsibility is only to BJP. 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.
Lost polls in 2019 for the first time due to bogus votes, claims Kharge
Bengaluru: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Friday sought to give heft to Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of vote theft by claiming that he too was a victim of electoral fraud during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections — his first-ever electoral defeat in his political career. At Congress party’s ‘Vote Adhikar Rally’ at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, Kharge said the Union govt led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a govt that “indulges in theft”. “PM Narendra Modi is making this country cry with bogus votes,” he said. “I never lost an election until 2019. I lost because of bogus votes, which has now come to light.” He alleged that his defeat from Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka was due to manipulation of the voter list. “In five of the eight assembly segments, my opponents secured at least 20,000 bogus votes,” he said. He accused the Election Commission of operating under directions from Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah. Expanding on his allegations to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kharge said, “In Maharashtra and Karnataka, he (Modi) used the same trick. Modi and company did not legitimately win the 2024 elections.” He went on to say, “The last (Lok Sabha) election was one of betrayal. Modi’s strategy is that even if people do not vote, he and Shah order the Election Commission to decide where to vote less and where to vote more. Modi has already intimidated Congress and other parties and gained a majority.” Invoking the legacy of the freedom struggle, Kharge said, “Our tall leaders carried out the Quit India Movement on Aug 9. In the same way, we are going to do or die to protect the Constitution. I thank Rahul Gandhi. He is working to spread awareness among the people. He is ready for anything. Even though he has 40-50 cases against him, he is continuing his good work.” He said the pattern of vote manipulation was being discussed within the INDI alliance. “We met on Thursday at the residence of Rahul Gandhi, where we explained the situation in detail to our allies,” he said. “We sought to ensure unity and a united front across our alliance to oust the Modi-led central govt. We will take out a procession to the Central Election Commission (CEC in Delhi) and submit a memorandum on Monday.” He said the memorandum would declare ECI officials complicit and render them ineligible to continue in their positions. Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said the party would set up “legal banks” across all assembly constituencies. “These banks will serve to protect votes of people and act on lines of blood banks at hospitals,” he said. Chief minister Siddaramaiah demanded PM Modi’s resignation, calling BJP a “Manuvadhi party” that had lost moral authority. Ministers R Ramalinga Reddy, Dinesh Gundu Rao and BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan also accused BJP of winning seats despite losing assembly polls in the same regions last year. 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.
Deputy CM Shivakumar files formal complaint with Election Commission
Bengaluru: Hours after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi led a protest in Bengaluru over alleged voter fraud, deputy chief minister and Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar Friday formally submitted a memorandum to the chief electoral officer (CEO), seeking action against officials allegedly involved in electoral malpractice during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In response, the CEO has asked Shivakumar to submit supporting documents and a declaration as per the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, before action can be taken. In a letter to Shivakumar, the CEO said the Congress functionary had submitted his representation dated Aug 5, 2024, on Friday but did not attach any documentary evidence to support the allegations. Shivakumar said he had named Mahadevapura and Gandhinagar constituencies as examples of electoral fraud. “Vote theft not only happened in Mahadevapura, but across Karnataka,” he said. “We have requested the Election Commission (EC) to investigate the fraud and punish officials concerned, be it a block level officer or returning officer.” He said Congress would soon provide supporting documents. “There were multiple frauds like enrolling a name at more than five places, without house number, using vacant site detail, or shifting votes from one booth to another,” he said. “The EC should find such frauds and take action against the persons concerned.” Responding to the EC’s request for affidavits from Rahul Gandhi and Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge on their allegations of vote theft, Shivakumar said their public statements should suffice. “There is no need of an affidavit as they have already submitted an affidavit at the time of contesting elections,” he said. “If they find we are lying, let them hang me. The EC did not say we lied or denied our allegation.” Shivakumar said a team of 20 people took six months to expose the vote fraud in Mahadevapura assembly constituency, despite using AI tools to match photos, identify duplicates and ghost voters in electoral rolls provided by the Election Commission (EC). In his complaint, he urged the EC to scrutinise voter lists for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls across all constituencies in the state, make digital, machine-readable photo electoral rolls publicly available and to publish findings of the EC’s investigation, specifically highlighting any suspicious voters who have been added, deleted, or substituted. He also emphasised the need to re-examine the impact of such dubious voters on final electoral outcomes in these constituencies and to find, suspend and punish officials who signed fraudulent Form-6, Form-7, and Form-8. 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.
Inhumanity with a Class 8 student in Gorakhpur: Beaten after being held hostage, made to lick spit; Chandrashekhar Azad said—this is an attack on the Constitution
In Gorakhpur, a Class 8 student was held hostage in a hardware shop and beaten due to caste hatred, video of making him lick spit went viral—MP Chandrashekhar Azad expressed anger. Gorakhpur: A heart-wrenching incident that shames humanity has come to light from Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Harsh Maurya, the minor son of a sanitation worker studying in Class 8 in Chiluatal police station area, was allegedly kidnapped by some casteist elements and held hostage in a hardware shop. It is alleged that the student was brutally beaten and forced to lick spit. Not only this, a video of this entire act was made and made viral on social media. As soon as the news of this inhuman incident came to light, people started reacting sharply. National President of Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) and MP from Nagina Chandrashekhar Azad on Friday strongly condemned this incident. He wrote on the social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter): “The incident of kidnapping of Harsh Maurya, a minor student of class 8, son of a sanitation worker, in Chiluatal police station area of Gorakhpur district by caste terrorists, holding him hostage in a hardware shop, brutally beating him and making him lick his spit is a shame on humanity… This incident is not just an attack on a child, but a direct attack on the dignity, constitution and humanity of the entire Bahujan Samaj.” Chandrashekhar Azad also said that this incident raises serious questions on the law and order of Uttar Pradesh. He has demanded from the Chief Minister of the state Yogi Adityanath to take strict action against the culprits and provide justice and security to the victim child. There has also been a response from the Gorakhpur police in the matter. The official ‘X’ handle of the police said: “There was a dispute between two minor children about teasing each other over something. Due to this dispute, the above incident was carried out by a minor through another person. A case has been registered on the basis of the complaint received and legal action is being taken by taking the accused into custody.” The police has said that the matter is a dispute between children and action will be taken, but the video of the incident going viral and the cruelty shown in it has raised questions on the role of the administration. Courtesy : Hindi News
Dalit man assaulted in Andhra Pradesh, accused tied to Jagan Reddy party’s leader
A Dalit youth in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati was allegedly abducted and assaulted by men linked to YSRCP leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy. Police arrested two accused while others remain at large. The attack, sparked by a bike dispute, turned into caste violence. A case of caste violence has been reported in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati, where a Dalit youth was allegedly abducted and beaten by men linked to senior YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy. Police said the victim, Pawan Kumar, a resident of Pulicharla and belonging to the Mala (SC) community, was attacked on Wednesday by Anil Reddy, a known criminal and personal driver of former YSRCP MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, along with an accomplice, Dinesh. The duo allegedly locked Pawan in a room, beat him with lathis, and filmed the assault. The video was then sent to Pawan’s father, Neelam Jayaraju, in what police believe was an act of intimidation. Pawan’s mother said the attackers called her husband, told him they had locked up their son, and demanded Rs 5 lakh to release him. “They threatened to sell his kidneys and send his body back if we didn’t pay,” she alleged. According to preliminary reports, the incident took place while the accused were at Bhumana Karunakar Reddy’s office, where his son, Abhinay Reddy, was also reportedly present. Tirupati East DSP Bhakta Vatsalam confirmed that Dinesh and Anil Reddy were involved. Anil, who has six criminal cases against him and runs SVB Bike Riders and Rentals, was arrested earlier. Another suspect, Jaggareddy alias Jagadish, was also taken into custody after Anil’s interrogation. The attack reportedly began over a rented motorcycle dispute but escalated into brutal caste-based violence, allegedly fuelled by political influence. Pawan was released after the assault. Police are searching for the remaining accused. Reacting to the incident, Minister Anagani Satya Prasad said, “We won’t tolerate rowdyism anywhere in the state. Even in Pulivendula, people don’t want such behaviour and are turning towards the TDP. For incidents like this to happen in a sacred place like Tirumala and Tirupati, we will not let things go easily. Action will be taken.” Courtesy : India Today Note: This news is originally published on https:/indiatoday.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.
YouTubers face heat over skit referencing Dalit man’s honour killing in Tamil Nadu
Popular Tamil YouTubers Gopi and Sudhakar are facing backlash after releasing a video titled ‘Society Paavangal (society sins), which indirectly referenced the murder of Kavin, a young Dalit man killed allegedly for being in a relationship with a caste Hindu woman. The skit questioned how certain groups glorifying ancient history were endangering the lives and futures of the younger generation. The duo used satire to highlight the hypocrisy in society’s silence over caste violence while aggressively protecting caste pride. It sparked outrage among caste Hindu groups, with 30 lawyers from the community filing a complaint demanding a ban on the channel. Film producer AM Chowdry also lashed out at the creators, asking who they were to speak about societal issues. In a now-viral comment, he went so far as to call the duo “dogs” and warned them against speaking on such matters again. Kavin, employed in an IT firm, was killed on July 27 near a private hospital in Tirunelveli, in what police sources say was an act of honour killing. He had been in a relationship with his former schoolmate, a caste Hindu woman working at a hospital in KTC Nagar. Despite opposition from her family, Kavin had expressed his intent to marry her. On Sunday, while waiting near the hospital to meet her, he was approached by her brother, Surjeet. Following an argument, Surjeet allegedly pulled out a sickle and hacked Kavin to death, just 200 metres from the hospital. Courtesy : MSN Note: This news is originally published on https:/msn.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.