Scores of Congress party-affiliated National Students Union of India workers on Friday held a protest outside Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani's official residence in New Delhi over IIT-Madras de-recognising a students' body for reportedly criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
With some variations, all regional political formations, whether in power presently or out of it, share some common features: Tight family control of the political apparatus, key members in elected or appointed positions, obvious wealth but not quite known sources of income, and family factionalism, sometimes open and bitter, notes Shreekant Sambrani.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday alleged that the Indian Army was using caste as a factor for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme, drawing a swift rebuttal from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who rejected the charge as a "rumour".
Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi was on Monday sworn in as the chief minister of Punjab, making him the first Dalit to hold the top post in the state.
Here's a recap of moments captured in India in the past 24 hours.
Talking to reporters while walking on the Yamuna Expressway towards Hathras, she said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would have to take the responsibility for the alleged gang rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in the district and strict action should be taken against the perpetrators of the crime.
A senior government official said the chief minister has also asked for conducting the trial of the case in a fast track court.
Protesters raised slogans whilst attempting to disrupt the prime minister's address at the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow.
'The government needs to think if a draconian, outdated and colonial law is needed in a democratic, multi religious, diverse country governed by a democratic government.'
Thennarasu said that while the governor had to grant his approval to the bill, he informed them it was still under his consideration.
Such is the situation of the government in Punjab, the prime minister said while hitting out the Congress, and asserted that he will come to Jalandhar again and pay obeisance at the Devi Talab Mandir.
Testimony presented before the Bhima Korgaon Commission over the last two months reveals the background to the violence that broke out on January 1, 2018.
Opposition parties on Monday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh for not allowing their leaders to visit Lakhimpur Kheri after eight people died in violence there during an anti farm law protest, alleging it was an attempt to cover up and demanding the sacking of Union Minister Ajay Mishra and the arrest of his son, who have been named in an FIR.
'All political parties are reaching out to the family of the Hathras victim after the tragic incident. This engagement should not be limited to political interactions only. The political parties must also deliberate seriously that MLAs, MPs and ministers with criminal background should not reach the temple of democracy'
The FIR lodged at Chandpa police station in Hathras district against 'unknown persons' mentioned alleged attempts to foment cast conflict, promoting enmity between groups and tarnish the image of the government and invoked section 124A of the Indian Penal Code -- the serious charge of sedition.
'Atrocity on Dalits get political support.'
All the 10 accused who were found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 302 (murder), 364A (kidnapping for ransom) and Section 506 (2) (Punishment for criminal intimidation) have been awarded double life term in the case, Special Public Prosecutor C S Ajayan told reporters.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency, meeting activists held during protests against the amended Citizenship Act and accusing the government of acting against the Constitution.
Dividing people in the name of religion, engineering riots and committing atrocities on Dalits is not Hindutva but to unite one human being with another is, he said in a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party while replying to a question at a summit organised by news channel Times Now.
Two armed policemen will be on duty for the protection of the victim's brother. Along with the brother's security, there will be a deployment of 12-15 Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel 24x7 in the village for the family.
Students sought "unconditional" revocation of suspension of four Dalit students and action against those responsible for the alleged suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula.
Kappan was arrested on October 5, 2020 while he was on his way to Hathras, home to the 19-year-old Dalit woman who died after being allegedly gang-raped by four upper-caste men on September 14.
'It is not happening in the same manner as it was happening during the time of the Peshwas.' 'Whatever happened during the Peshwas cannot happen now.'
In a statement, the party said that the delegation of Trinamool Congress MPs was stopped by police around 1.5 kilometres from the victim's home.
Given the worsening security scenario in Kashmir, we cannot afford to have a restive Punjab with its peasantry up in arms against the central government, argues Virendra Kapoor.
UP accounted for 14.7 per cent of all registered crimes against women in 2019. The state also recorded the highest number of cases against Dalit women.
Maharashtra based Dalit rights activist Chetan Janardhan Kamble said he was constrained to file the PIL after some glaring facts were revealed regarding "the state support for manipulating and destroying evidence in the Hathras gang-rape and murder case.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to submit medical records of journalist Sidhique Kappan who was arrested last year on the way to Hathras where a young Dalit woman had died after being allegedly gang-raped.
It also provides that no preliminary enquiry will be required for registering a criminal case and an arrest under this law would not be subject to any approval.
A CBI team on Tuesday met the family members of the 19-year old Dalit victim in the gangrape and murder case in Bulgarhi village in Hathras and examined the crime scene, officials said.
A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde asked the petitioner to amend the petition and observed that they should approach the Allahabad high court for the relief.
'The BJP will never act against the minister because it stands with criminals.'
These are the 25 seats to watch out for as Gujarat goes to the polls over two phases on December 1 and 5.
Cases of atrocities on scheduled castes increased from 45,000 in 2014 to 40,800 2016. Cases of atrocities on scheduled tribes went from 11,451 in 2015 to 6,568 in 2016.
Even as the Uttar Pradesh police arrested a journalist and three other people in Mathura while they were on their way to Hathras, home to a Dalit woman who died after being allegedly gang-raped, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) has filed a habeas corpus petition in the top court against the arrest of the journalist, Sidhique Kappan.
Seven members of a Dalit family were thrashed by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes on July 11, 2016 in Mota Samadhiyala village in Una taluka of Gir Somnath district.
Balrampur Superintendent of Police Dev Ranjan Verma, quoting the victim's family, said the woman, who worked with a private firm, returned home in a serious condition on Tuesday. The girl looked dazed and had an intravascular cannula, medically known as Vigo and used for administering injection or other fluids in the body, inserted in her hands. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, but died on the way, said the SP.
'The BJP's problem is what rabbit can it pull out of the conjurer's hat?'
Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being 'casteist' and 'anti-Dalit', and said his party will always stand against the BJP's 'oppressive' ideology.
Campaigning came to an end on Saturday for the single-day election in Uttarakhand and Goa, two states known for political volatility where the Bharatiya Janata Party is attempting to retain power, and for the second phase of assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh on February 14.
