Rahul Gandhi's mega outreach to SCs, STs in Bihar. Will it help revive Congress?
IN THIS STORY#Rahul Gandhi#Indian National Congress#Bihar
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The Hindu
2 minutes ago
- The Hindu
LDF and UDF ratchet up their demand for Suresh Gopi to clarify voter list fraud accusations
As accusations of voter list fraud in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 general elections appeared to turn from a trickle into a torrent, the ruling front and the opposition in Kerala ratcheted up their demand for a public accounting from Union Minister of State for Tourism, Suresh Gopi, MP. Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] general secretary, M.A. Baby, dismissed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) former State president K. Surendran's averment that Mr. Gopi owed no explanation and the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) were grousing belatedly about Election Commission of India (ECI) officials in Thrissur stacking the odds in favour of the Union Minister. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Mr. Baby said: 'Belated reporting of a theft did not absolve the perpetrator of the crime. The BJP's voter fraud in Thrissur is a microcosm of what the BJP-engineered in other States. The modus operandi, including identity theft, reflects a pattern. The Election Commission of India (ECI) should retrieve its lost credibility by conducting a thorough investigation', he said. Meanwhile, Mr. Gopi, who arrived after a long hiatus in Thrissur early Wednesday, appeared to maintain a sphinx-like silence. When mobbed by reporters, Mr. Gopi quipped: 'Thank you for the favours done'. Congress speak Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said Mr. Gopi's reticence was a deliberate attempt to cock a snook at the Thrissur electorate and civil society. 'Mr. Gopi has the right of reply, given the gravity of the accusations of voter fraud swirling around him and the BJP in Kerala. His speechlessness lends credibility to Congress's accusations of massive voter list fraud in Thrissur each passing hour,' Mr. Satheesan said. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala adduced evidence of what he claimed was massive voter list fraud by CPI(M) and BJP since 2021. He said the BJP appeared to have taken a page from the CPI(M) 's playbook on rigging elections. 'It included persons appearing in multiple voters' lists across districts and fictitious voters using phoney addresses and identity proof', he added.
Economic Times
2 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Forget Canada! D.C. mayor taunts Trump, says US capital should be America's 51st state instead
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser criticized President Trump's decision to assume control of the city's police and deploy the National Guard, calling it political theater. Highlighting falling crime rates, used the occasion to push for D.C. statehood, arguing that only full autonomy can protect residents' rights. The federal oversight can last 30 days unless extended by Congress. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Federal takeover amid declining crime rates Bowser calls it a Political Theater Partisan divide deepens Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Guard's limited role Statehood debate reignited What's next? FAQs: Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser has fiercely delivered a sharp rebuke to President Trump's unprecedented decision to take control of the city's police department and deploy National Guard troops, calling it a direct threat to the city's democratic autonomy. Seizing the moment to amplify her long-standing campaign for the District to become the 51st state. Bowser mentioned that only full independence can protect the rights of more than 700,000 August 11, 2025, Trump invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act , giving him authority to assume command of the Metropolitan Police Department and authorize the deployment of 800 National Guard members under Title 32 status. At present, between 100 and 200 guardsmen remain active, managing support functions such as traffic management and crowd control. They have no arrest powers. As per the law, the federal control is restricted to 30 days unless Congress votes to extend justified the action by warning of the rise of violence in the city, but crime data presents a different angle. Washington, D.C., recorded a 35% drop in violent crime in 2024, and homicides have fallen by 26% in 2025. City officials credit targeted policing strategies and community programs for these declines, calling the president's move unnecessary and politically the takeover 'unsettling and unprecedented,' Bowser emphasized the intervention had little to do with public safety and more to do with political theater. She stressed that the city does not need federal oversight, but equal representation and control over its own governance. In a pointed jab, she quipped that the president 'doesn't have to look north to Canada for a fight — he's found one right here in the capital.'The move has deepened partisan rifts. Democrats say the federal intervention is proof of why D.C. should become the 51st state, noting residents pay federal taxes and serve in the military yet have no voting representation in Congress. Republicans, however, support Trump's decision, mentioning recent high-profile crimes and accusing local leaders of being soft on enforcement. Congress has scheduled hearings to examine the city's safety record and their visible presence of National Guard members across the city, their role is largely supportive. They are coordinating with logistics and crowd control but leaving law enforcement to the Metropolitan Police Department. Even during local coordination, the guardsmen have to finally answer the federal authority for the duration of the high-profile clash has reignited the debate for D.C. statehood . Past proposals, like the Washington, D.C. Admission Act has cleared the House but failed in the Senate. Advocates say statehood would end the capital's vulnerability to sudden federal control , while critics caution it could shift the political balance in Federal control will end in early September unless extended. Legal experts are already weighing whether Trump's actions could face constitutional challenges over executive authority in a jurisdiction that is not a state. Bowser says her administration will continue ensuring safety while protecting the city's autonomy. 'Our residents deserve the same rights as everyone else,' she stated, insisting that true security will come not from federal oversight, but in full statehood for the District of Columbia.Q1. Who is Muriel Bowser?A1. Muriel Bowser is the mayor of Washington, D.C.Q2. What is the Home Rule Act?A2. A law that grants D.C. a degree of self-governance but allows federal intervention in certain circumstances.
Hindustan Times
2 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Begin by creating shelters for 5,000 dogs': SC's Aug 11 full order now out
The Supreme Court has, in its August 11 order to capture and put in shelters all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, called it 'a progressive exercise' — acknowledging that shelters could take time to be built and increased — and told the authorities to 'begin by creating dog shelter(s) for say 5,000 dogs in the next six-eight weeks'. Under no circumstances should the dogs be released back onto the streets, says SC's August 11 order.(PTI) The matter has since been referred to a larger bench of three judges for a hearing on August 14. Animals rights activists and several other sections questioned the August 11 order, arguing that it wasn't rooted in science even though the stray-dog issue needed to be addressed. Under no circumstances should the dogs be released back onto the streets after being 'captured, sterilized, dewormed and immunized as required by Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023', as per the detailed order uploaded on the SC website on Wednesday. Ordering immediate start of both exercises — that of rounding up the dogs, and the creation of infrastructure such as shelters and medical facilities — the order says these 'shall be undertaken simultaneously'. 'We do not want to hear about even a semblance of lethargy from the concerned authorities on the pre-text of awaiting the creation of shelters / pounds,' the order, however, adds. It warns authorities of strict action otherwise. 'The dog shelters/pounds should have sufficient personnel to sterilize, deworm and immunize stray dogs and also for looking after the stray dogs who would be detained,' it adds. The two-judge bench took suo motu notice of the stray dog issue — citing a rise in cases of dog bites — and passed orders covering "all localities of Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad, Gurugram as well as areas on the outskirts".
