
Amit Shah was indirectly controlling Manipur for years: Congress leader
Congress leader and party's Manipur in-charge, Christopher Tilak, on Sunday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of indirectly controlling the state for years, effectively sidelining elected representatives. With the announcement of the President's Rule, he said, Shah is now directly controlling the state.The Congress leader further alleged that this indirect governance has resulted in widespread unemployment, the collapse of the education system, and severe hardships for women and households across Manipur.advertisement"In the name of the President's Rule, Amit Shah has been directly controlling the state," he alleged, while addressing the Congress's Samvidhan Bachao Rally (Save Constitution Rally) in Inmphal.
He accused the BJP-led government of systematically undermining the Indian Constitution, particularly in Manipur. "Manipur has been turned into a laboratory for constitutional violations," Tilak said, warning that the very foundations of democracy are being eroded.Tilak further asserted that every major issue currently facing Manipur stems from the violation of constitutional principles. He called on Congress workers to educate voters about the importance of safeguarding democracy and urged them to mobilise support ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.Expressing optimism, Tilak highlighted the strong support the Congress received in the recent Lok Sabha elections and expressed confidence that the people of Manipur would once again choose the right path to restore democracy and foster development.advertisementManipur, which has been grappling with ethnic clashes since May 2023, remains volatile, although the intensity of violence has diminished. Nearly two years after the violence began, BJP Chief Minister N. Biren Singh resigned in February this year, leading to the imposition of President's Rule in the state.
IN THIS STORY#Manipur
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Telangana cabinet expansion: A calculated push for social justice and electoral strategy
1 2 3 Hyderabad: In a move loaded with political messaging, the Congress govt in Telangana expanded its cabinet on Sunday by inducting only Scheduled Caste (SC) and Backward Class (BC) legislators. The decision, party leaders said, was aimed at reinforcing the govt's commitment to social justice and marginalised communities. It also aligns with the party's recent legislative efforts, including two significant bills proposing 42% reservation for BCs in education, employment, and elected bodies, and another bill enabling sub-categorisation within SCs — both of which signal the Congress's intent to cater to historically underrepresented groups. Local body polls' influence Political analysts view the timing and composition of the expansion as strategically driven by the upcoming local body elections, particularly in gram panchayats, zilla parishads, and municipalities. Keen to consolidate its support among SCs and BCs—demographically crucial segments in rural areas—the Congress high command appears to have consciously prioritised these communities in the first round of expansion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Of the six vacant cabinet berths, only three were filled, leaving room for OCs (other castes) and minority candidates in the next round. Despite growing demands for representation from Greater Hyderabad, none from the capital or Rangareddy districts were considered—reportedly due to caste balancing priorities outweighing regional representation for now. Managing caste optics Initially, the Congress leadership considered filling four of the six vacancies. However, intense lobbying, particularly from Reddy MLAs—including P Sudarshan Reddy, Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, Malreddy Ranga Reddy, and Rammohan Reddy—compelled the party to defer accommodating other communities to avoid internal dissent. With four ministers, including CM Revanth Reddy, already from the Reddy community, any further inclusion risked upsetting the caste equilibrium within the cabinet. The current cabinet is carefully calibrated to reflect Telangana's diverse social fabric. It includes ministers from major communities: Velama (Jupally Krishna Rao), Kamma (Tummala Nageswara Rao), Brahmin (D Sridhar Babu), ST (Seethakka), in addition to the new SC and BC inductees. Replacing an existing minister from any of these communities to include another would risk triggering factionalism—something the party is keen to avoid at this juncture. Strategic choices The Congress also faced mounting pressure from various sub-caste groups within the SC and BC communities. Recently, five Congress MLAs from the Madiga community met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, and CM Revanth Reddy, urging that at least one among them be included. While G Vivek Venkatswamy's inclusion (from the Mala SC sub-group) was already decided, the leadership responded by inducting Adluri Laxman Kumar, a Madiga leader, to maintain sub-caste balance. Similarly, Vakiti Srihari's induction addressed demands from the Mudiraj community, the numerically strongest BC group in the state. He is the only Congress MLA from this group and had reportedly received assurances from the CM during election season. In the Scheduled Tribe segment, the Lambada and Gutti Koya tribes had staked claims. Seethakka, a Gutti Koya tribal, remains the lone ST minister. Among the contenders, MLAs Balu Naik and Ramachandra Naik were in serious consideration. Ultimately, the party chose to elevate Ramachandra Naik to the post of deputy speaker, which carries cabinet rank, as a compromise. The cabinet expansion also made clear two unstated but evident policy decisions. First, the Congress refrained from including any MLCs, despite intense lobbying from aspirants like Amer Ali Khan, Addanki Dayakar, and Vijayashanti. The leadership appears intent on restricting ministerial berths to elected MLAs—at least for now. Second, the absence of a Muslim minister was notable but unsurprising. With no Muslim MLA currently in the Congress legislature party, the leadership opted not to induct any minority representative via the legislative council. That decision, however, may be revisited in the next phase of expansion. A balancing act In essence, the Congress's cabinet expansion is both a political signal and a strategic calculation—appealing to core voter bases ahead of rural local body polls while containing internal ambitions within the party. By inducting only SC and BC leaders in this round, the party has underscored its social justice plank while buying time to carefully navigate competing claims from other communities in the next phase. The balancing act is far from over, but Sunday's expansion has set the tone for how the Congress intends to manage governance and internal coalition-building in Telangana.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Revanth inducts 3 ministers, Cong sticks to social justice
1 2 3 4 5 6 Hyderabad: Bringing an end to prolonged political suspense, chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday expanded his cabinet for the first time since assuming office in Dec 2023. Three new ministers – G Vivek Venkatswamy, Adluri Laxman Kumar, and Vakiti Srihari – were inducted, reflecting the Congress party 's continued focus on caste and regional balance, as well as its internal political calculations. The swearing-in ceremony took place at Raj Bhavan, where governor Jishnu Dev Varma administered the oath of office. The portfolios are yet to be announced. In a parallel move, the Congress has also decided to nominate Dornakal MLA J Ramachandra Naik as deputy speaker of the legislative assembly. The position has remained vacant for over a year-and-a-half, and the official notification is expected to be issued in the coming week. Though the cabinet can have up to 18 ministers, Revanth has chosen to fill only three of the six vacant berths at this time. The decision to keep three positions open suggests that the party is leaving room for future manoeuvring – especially in light of continuing demands from various quarters within the Congress. The caste configuration of the new ministers appears carefully calibrated: Vivek Venkatswamy belongs to the SC Mala community, Laxman Kumar to the SC Madiga group, and Srihari to the BC Mudiraj community. Ramachandra Naik represents the Scheduled Tribes. This move raises the total number of SCs in the 15-member cabinet to four, along with four Reddys, three BCs, one Kamma, one Brahmin, one Velama, and one ST – leaving no representation from minorities or the legislative council for now. Chennur MLA Vivek Venkatswamy, a former MP from Peddapalli (2009–2014), is serving his first term as an MLA. Laxman Kumar, a seasoned Congress hand from Dharmapuri, is also a first-time legislator and currently serves as the govt chief whip. Srihari, a former Youth Congress leader, was elected for the first time from Makthal constituency in the 2023 assembly polls. Talks of cabinet expansion had intensified since Saturday, though the govt and the party maintained silence until Sunday morning. It was only a few hours before the swearing-in that the chief minister took to X to officially announce the names of the new ministers and the deputy speaker nominee. Party insiders suggest that immense lobbying and internal pressures delayed the expansion for months. At one stage, it was expected that four of the six vacancies would be filled, with at least one seat earmarked for a member from the minority or OC (other castes) communities. Names doing the rounds included former minister and Bodhan MLA P Sudarshan Reddy, Munugode MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, Ibrahimpatnam MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy, and Mancherial MLA K Prem Sagar Rao – all from OC backgrounds – besides MLC Amer Ali Khan and govt advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir from the minorities. However, in the final call, none from the OC or minority communities were included – a decision that has drawn attention and is likely to be addressed in a subsequent round of expansion, sources said. Notably, no member from the legislative council has found a place in the cabinet. MLCs like Vijayashanti, Addanki Dayakar, and Amer Ali had lobbied hard for ministerial berths but were left out, with the leadership opting to restrict the cabinet choices to MLAs alone. The latest expansion reflects the Congress' attempt to maintain a delicate caste and political balance while keeping the door open for future negotiations and adjustments, a senior analyst said.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
CM downplays Nitesh Rane's ‘BJP is superior' comment
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A day after BJP minister Nitesh Rane said that his party is the "baap" (father, implying superiority) of all others, which is why it is holding the post of chief minister in Maharashtra, CM Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday downplayed the controversy surrounding these comments. "I haven't heard what he (Rane) said. I am only a servant of Maharashtra," he told media persons. A short while earlier, Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane had reprimanded Nitesh, his younger brother, for the same comments. In a post on X, Nilesh, who represents the Kudal assembly seat, had said Nitesh should be mindful of his words and ensure that his comments do not offer any gains to the opposition. Nilesh, who joined the Sena after leaving BJP as part of the seat-sharing adjustment for the 2024 assembly elections, said Nitesh should not forget that Maharashtra has a coalition govt. In a cryptic reply to the post of his elder brother on X, Nitesh said, "Nilesh ji… you are tax-free." The comments by Nitesh were made while addressing party workers in Dharashiv on Saturday against the backdrop of friction between the local unit of BJP and Shiv Sena over sanctioning District Planning Development Committees (DPDC) projects. It was considered an apparent dig at Dharashiv guardian minister and Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pinga-Pinga e HBP? Tome isso 1x ao dia se tem mais de 40 anos Portal Saúde do Homem Clique aqui Undo Dharashiv MP of Shiv Sena (UBT), Omraje Nimbalkar, has targeted Nitesh over his comments. "Gaining power in democracy does not mean anybody becomes the 'baap'. (Nitesh) Rane is experiencing a frenzy at present, but the people of Maharashtra will show him his place soon," he said. Omraje also said that he secured more votes in the last Lok Sabha elections than the combined vote share of Nitesh, his brother Nilesh, and father, Narayan Rane. While addressing party workers in Dharashiv on Saturday, Nitesh also said that no matter how much power anybody shows or throws tantrums, they should remember that the country has a Prime Minister of BJP and the state has a CM of the party.