"Attack on Constitution": Jairam Ramesh attacks CM Adityanath over previous remarks on reservation
New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday lashed out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, calling out an old article published on the latter's official website that was critical of reservation policy, stating that it was an 'attack on Babasaheb's Constitution.'
In a self-made video, Ramesh highlighted an article titled 'Aarakshan ki Aag main Sulagta desh (country in the fire of reservation)' published in 2014-2015 on the official website of Yogi Adityanath, and said that the words used in the article label reservations as part of the 'divisive politics.'
He alleged that not only Adityanath, who used such language against reservation, but also Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi think along similar lines.
'The kind of words used in the article, this is an attack on Babasaheb's Constitution--such word, 'Nikamma banana wala aarakshan'. He calls reservation 'desh ki vibhajankari raajneeti (politics that divides the nation)'. UP CM is not the only person who uses such language (against reservation). I understand that this is how RSS and the Prime Minister think. They want to remove the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb,' the Congress General Secretary said.
He further accused RSS and BJP of 'never agreeing' with Babasaheb's Constitution. Ramesh asserted that Congress and the INDIA bloc were fighting to protect this very Constitution.
'RSS and BJP never agreed with Babasaheb's Constitution. On November 30, 1949, Organiser published that Manuwaadi ideals are nowhere to be found in Ambedkar's Constitution. In 2024, we (Congress and INDIA bloc) are fighting to protect this Constitution,' he added.
'The Prime Minister had called caste census an urban Naxal idea. Now just think what Ajay Singh Bisht, who is eager to take over Modi's chair after @ 75, thinks about caste census? Just listen to his old harsh statements against reservation for Scheduled Castes, Tribes and Backward Classes,' Ramesh posted on X. (ANI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
28 minutes ago
- Hans India
Veerappa Moily Addresses Concerns for the Government
Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily has written a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging swift and measured action in response to a tragic stampede that marred celebrations of RCB IPL-2025 victory. The letter blends praise for the Chief Minister's leadership with pointed recommendations and calls for steps to restore Bengaluru's reputation as a cricketing hub while addressing the incident's fallout. Moily begins by commending Siddaramaiah's tenure, crediting his visionary approach and focus on public welfare for the Congress party's rise to power. He also acknowledges the strategic contributions of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. However, the tone shifts to concern as Moily addresses the recent stampede, describing it as a shocking event that has rattled the government, Bengaluru's residents, and cricket fans worldwide. According to the letter, Bengaluru city is long celebrated for producing talented cricketers and hosting vibrant matches. But now, the city faces scrutiny at state, national, and international levels. Moily warns that the incident threatens to undo decades of goodwill and calls for careful administrative measures to prevent further damage. The senior leader notes that Siddaramaiah has already initiated inquiries, including probes by the District Collector, a retired High Court judge, and the CID, alongside disciplinary actions against officials. While these steps show responsiveness, Moily cautions against hasty or overly harsh measures, which could tarnish the government's reputation. Instead, he recommends a single, thorough investigation led by a retired judge to deliver a prompt report and restore confidence among the public and cricket fans. Moily emphasises the need for compassion, urging the Chief Minister to prioritise support for the victims' families and the injured, beyond mere financial compensation. Building trust among those affected is described as a key responsibility for the government, according to Veerappa Moily. Criticising the government's hasty announcement of compensation for victims, Moily stated, 'Providing compensation is not enough; showing compassion to the victims' relatives and the injured, and instilling confidence in them, should be a priority for the government.' He also addresses rumours of relocating future cricket matches, calling them 'unhealthy' and urging assurances to ensure Bengaluru remains a safe venue for sports events. Veerappa Moily suggested, 'Instead of multiple inquiries, a single investigation by a retired judge should be conducted promptly, and a report should be submitted to restore confidence among the public and cricket fans. Creating such a systematic and safe environment is an urgent task that your leadership must undertake swiftly.' In closing, Moily expresses confidence in Siddaramaiah's leadership to act swiftly, balancing the need for government stability with the creation of a safe environment for cricket enthusiasts. His message is clearly about decisive, thoughtful actions to restore Bengaluru's reputation and ensure such tragedies are not repeated. For the Karnataka government, Moily's letter serves as both a call to action and a reminder of the delicate balance between swift response and measured governance. With Bengaluru's cricketing legacy at stake, all eyes are on the Chief Minister to steer the state through this challenging moment.
The Hindu
35 minutes ago
- The Hindu
CM seeks to exploit differences in UDF over Cong.'s overtures to Jamaat-e-Islami in bypoll
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday sought to exploit the purported dissensions within the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) and influential Muslim social organisations over the Congress' 'overtures' to the allegedly radical Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami and its political offshoot Welfare Party of India (WPI) for votes in the Nilambur Assembly bypoll. Inaugurating the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) byelection rally at Chunkathara in Nilambur, Mr. Vijayan invited the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) to ponder why its previous State presidents from the Panakkad family had eschewed any overt or covert compact with the Jamaat-e-Islami, even refusing to share a stage with the 'ultraconservative outfit's' leaders. Mr. Vijayan said the Congress dared not accept the Jamaat-e-Islami's support without the IUML's consent. 'The IUML should tell voters what change it has perceived in the Jamaat-e-Islami's line in the past nine years,' he said. It seemed not lost on the LDF campaign in Nilambur that the powerful AP Sunni and Kanthapuram factions of the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (Samastha) purportedly frowned upon the 'IUML-Congress gambit' to paper over the Jamaat-e-Islami Hindi's 'radical Islamist' line, which a significant section of Sunni scholars in Kerala believe violated Islam's basic tenets. The LDF campaign also sought to capitalise on the Kerala Congress (Joseph), a key UDF ally with considerable influence among the Christian-settler farmer community in Nilambur, publicly airing reservations about the electoral fallout of Congress' 'compact' with the Jamaat-e-Islami in the byelection. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan pushed back against Mr. Vijayan by stating that the Jamaat-e-Islami was not anathema to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] when it worked with the LDF in the 2009 Lok Sabha and 2011 Assembly elections. He reiterated that the UDF did not view the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind as a terrorist organisation and welcomed the outfit's 2019 decision to support the Congress as the sole bulwark against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the national level. Mr. Satheesan said the LDF had no compunction about seeking the support of the People's Democratic Party (PDP, headed by Abdul Nasir Maudani, a suspect in the 2008 Bangalore serial blast case) and the Hindu Mahasabha in Nilambur.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'No specific power for President over election': Federal judge blocks Trump's executive order on voting laws; says it oversteps presidential powers
A federal judge on Friday blocked President Donald Trump's controversial executive order aimed at reshaping US election procedures, ruling that it likely violates the Constitution and infringes on states' authority over elections. US District Judge Denise J. Casper in Massachusetts granted a preliminary injunction against the March 25 directive, siding with a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general who argued that the order was an unconstitutional attempt to override state election laws. 'The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,' Judge Casper wrote in her ruling. Trump's order sought to enforce several sweeping changes to federal elections, including mandating documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration, rejecting mail-in ballots not received by Election Day, and linking federal election grants to states' compliance with the new rules. The states challenging the order said it 'usurps the States' constitutional power and seeks to amend election law by fiat.' The Biden administration, which inherited the litigation, did not support Trump's order. However, Trump and his allies have maintained the directive is necessary to secure elections, with the White House at the time defending it as 'standing up for free, fair and honest elections.' Casper said the states had shown a 'likelihood of success' in their legal challenges and acknowledged their concerns about the administrative and financial burden the order would impose. She also noted that federal registration forms already require voters to affirm their US citizenship and that noncitizen voting is already illegal under federal law. This marks the second judicial blow to Trump's order. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., had earlier blocked parts of the directive, including the proof-of-citizenship mandate. The order was rooted in Trump's long-standing claims of voter fraud — assertions that have repeatedly been debunked by independent reviews and multiple state-led investigations. After losing the 2020 election, Trump has continued to promote baseless allegations about election integrity, including false claims about voting machines and illegal ballots. Critics argue the executive order threatens to disenfranchise voters, particularly in states like Oregon and Washington that rely heavily on mail-in voting. In a separate legal challenge, these states pointed out that the order would bar the counting of hundreds of thousands of ballots postmarked on time but received after Election Day. In Washington alone, more than 300,000 such ballots arrived late in 2024. Trump's order had found support among Republican election officials in some states, who said it could help prevent voter fraud and provide access to federal data for purging outdated voter rolls. But constitutional experts have warned that the president lacks the authority to impose such nationwide election rules — a power reserved for states, with Congress able to intervene only in federal elections. During a court hearing earlier this month, Department of Justice attorney Bridget O'Hickey argued the order aimed to create consistent standards across states and dismissed concerns about cost or feasibility as speculative. She also suggested that late-arriving ballots might be tampered with, although Judge Casper noted that such ballots already require a postmark before or on Election Day, and any received afterward with later postmarks are not counted. Friday's ruling leaves the future of Trump's order uncertain and bolsters state officials' efforts to maintain control over their own election procedures.
