Rahul Gandhi's Bengaluru protest deferred to August 8 after Shibu Soren's demise
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala announced the deferral. 'The protest programme will remain unchanged in content but will now be held on August 8,' Surjewala said, flanked by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D K Shivakumar.
Also Read - After tigress and cubs, now 20 peacocks found dead in Karnataka village, foul play suspected: Report
The protest was to focus on the Congress party's allegations of large-scale electoral fraud in Bengaluru's Mahadevapura constituency during the 2023 Assembly elections. Rahul Gandhi had earlier claimed that a detailed examination of electoral rolls, digitised by the party, revealed a 'bhayankar chori' (massive theft) of votes. He accused the BJP of manipulating voter lists and 'stealing elections' across the country.
The Congress had planned to hold a massive gathering at Freedom Park, where Gandhi was expected to address party workers and supporters. However, as per the High Court's directives, no processions or rallies will be held on city roads. The protest will be conducted strictly within legal limits, state Home Minister G Parameshwara confirmed.
Also Read - BJP was never silent on Prajwal Revanna, law must take its course: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi
With the protest now rescheduled to August 8, the Congress intends to continue raising its concerns over alleged electoral malpractice while pausing its political activity briefly to pay respects to a veteran political figure.
Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah paid condolences to the family of former Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM founder Shibu Soren. In an X post, he wrote, 'Deeply saddened by the passing of Shri Shibu Soren — former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, former Union Minister, and a towering figure in India's tribal rights movement. As the founding leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, he dedicated his life to the creation of a separate Jharkhand and the upliftment of Adivasi communities. My heartfelt condolences to Jharkhand CM Shri @HemantSorenJMM, his family, and the people of Jharkhand in this moment of grief.'
(With PTI inputs)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Report on Karnataka SC population presented to CM Siddaramiah, internal quota decision likely at cabinet meeting
The Congress Government in Karnataka will take a decision on the findings of a survey report on the population of various subcastes in the Scheduled Caste community in the state in a Cabinet meeting on August 7, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Monday after receiving the survey report. In March, the Justice H N Nagamohan Das Commission recommended the survey of subcastes of Scheduled Castes to facilitate internal reservation among the Dalits in Karnataka. 'A report on the internal reservations has been given by Justice Nagamohan Das and his team. They met me today. We will place the report before the Cabinet in a meeting to be held on August 7,' Siddaramaiah said after meeting the commission. The survey was undertaken against the backdrop of the Supreme Court decision of August 1, 2024, allowing sub-categorisation of the SC community in the country to award internal quotas on the basis of the backwardness of the different Dalit communities. 'Sub-categorization is an extension of social justice. The state government has the power to grant internal reservations. Sub-categorization does not exclude anyone who is experiencing reservation. Necessary data should be collected and subspecies should be classified,' the state government said in a statement regarding the survey report. In January 2025, the Karnataka Government constituted a commission under the chairmanship of Justice H N Nagamohan Das to study and submit a report on the internal reservation for Scheduled Castes in the state. The commission submitted an interim report on March 27 and requested a fresh survey due to the lack of accurate data in the state. The door-to-door survey was conducted from May 5 to July 6, 2025. The survey has covered 27,24,768 Scheduled Caste families and 1,07,01,982 people, a report on the survey said. The survey reportedly received poor responses in urban areas. The Supreme Court has suggested classification of subcastes on the basis of educational backwardness, lack of representation in government employment, and social backwardness. 'The available reservation (15 per cent) has been distributed by classifying the sub-castes of the Scheduled Castes as per the instructions of the Supreme Court, after analyzing the data collected in the survey and collected from government institutions. The report, survey data, and appendices total approximately 1,766 pages and six recommendations,' the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission said on Monday. The survey has seen Scheduled Caste leaders calling for community members to clearly state their subcastes among the 101 SC castes in Karnataka. The survey of subcastes is part of efforts of the Congress Government to fulfil an electoral promise to provide internal reservations for socially weaker subcastes within the 15 per cent SC quota umbrella in the state. Nearly 43 per cent of respondents in the last census had designated themselves as belonging to the broad categories of Adi Dravida, Adi Karnataka, and Adi Andhra – without specifying which of the 101 SC subcastes – like Madigas, Holeyas and others – they belong to. Among those who have generally identified themselves under the broad SC umbrella of Adi Karnataka, Adi Andhra, and Adi Dravida – instead of the actual subcaste that designates aspects like touchability and untouchability in the Hindu caste system – are the street sweepers and garbage cleaners in urban areas in Karnataka. In Karnataka, the SC community is broadly classified under four heads – the SC Left (the most backward like the Madigas, who were considered untouchables in the caste system): the SC Right (like the Holeyas, who are less backward and accepted by other castes); the touchable communities such as Banjaras and Bhovis (who are tribes in other states); and dozens of small SC communities classified as others. The caste survey of SC communities is needed to ascertain the numbers in each of the subcastes under the broad SC categories to decide the division of the 15 per cent SC quota in government jobs, education, and political representation, which is now reportedly hogged by upwardly mobile social groups in the SCs – like the Holeyas in the SC Right, and the touchable groups of Banjaras and Bhovis. The Justice Nagamohan Das commission was set up in November 2024 by the Congress Government to submit recommendations on internal reservation for the SC communities in the wake of the previous BJP Government arriving at an ad hoc number. In its term between 2019 and March 2023, the BJP Government enhanced the SC quotas in the state from 15 to 17 per cent in 2022 and announced internal reservation for SC communities in March 2023 by providing 6 per cent of the total of 17 per cent of SC quotas to the SC Left group comprising mostly of the Madigas, 5.5 per cent to the SC Right, 4.5 per cent to the touchables and one per cent to other SC groups. The BJP Government fixed the internal quota on an ad hoc basis by considering the 2011 caste census numbers and by considering some aspects of the 2012 Justice A J Sadashiva Commission report on internal quotas – while rejecting the report. The most backward Dalit groups like the Madigas have been demanding the implementation of the Justice Sadashiva Commission report on account of the commission recommending 6 per cent for the most backward SC Left group, 5 per cent for the backward SC Right, 3 per cent for the SC 'Touchable' group (Lambani, Bhovis, Korachas, Kormas), and 1 per cent for others. Among the essential findings of the Justice A J Sadashiva Commission, which were made known through a press release in 2012, is that the Madiga community or the SC Left, who are considered untouchables in the caste hierarchy in India, were more socially backward than the SC Right like the Holeyas, who are considered more acceptable in society. The commission also found that the majority of the 15 per cent reservation for 101 subcastes of Dalits in Karnataka was being cornered by the 'Right' Dalits like Holeyas and new SC groups like Bhovis, Lambanis, while the most backward groups like the Madigas remained deprived. Holeyas and Madigas are considered to make up nearly one-third each of the SC population in Karnataka, with the numbers of the Madigas being about two per cent higher than that of Holeyas, the Justice Sadashiva Commission indicated in 2012 – based roughly on census data. The BJP scheme of 2022-23 was seen as a mid-way scheme from the Justice Sadashiva recommendations to appease all SC groups. The scheme, however, backfired to some extent with the touchable groups in the SCs like the Bhovis and Banjaras revolting against the BJP in the 2023 polls over the reduced internal quota of 4.5 per cent allotted to them. The BJP scheme was, however, not implemented since the mandate for changing internal quotas was vested with the Union Government prior to the August 2024 Supreme Court order, which said the granting of internal reservation is a constitutional measure and that states can implement internal quotas for castes on the basis of empirical data. The Karnataka Government decided in November 2024 not to issue any fresh notification for government jobs until the finalisation of the internal reservation system for SCs. The thinking in the Government while constituting the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission was that internal reservations for SCs based on population numbers – like in the Sadashiva Commission report – are likely to be struck down by the courts for want of proper data. 'In the wake of three decades of continuous demands and pressures for internal reservation in the state, the state Cabinet has agreed in principle to internal reservation in Scheduled Castes. There are 101 subcastes in the Scheduled Castes and the Government has decided to take all of them into confidence and scientifically implement internal reservation,' Siddaramaiah said in 2024 when the Cabinet decision for the new commission was taken. The Karnataka chief minister has indicated that the Telangana Government had already constituted a commission on the same model for implementation of internal reservation and that data is required for scientific implementation of internal reservation as directed by the Supreme Court. In a political sense, the SC internal quotas issue is a tricky subject for the Congress in Karnataka, which has traditionally drawn its support from the SC Right group, to which many of its prominent leaders – Mallikarjun Kharge, G Parameshwara, H C Mahadevappa – all belong. While the SC Left has supported the Congress in the past, many of these communities have moved towards the BJP on account of the general neglect by the Congress in terms of political representation and opportunities. The most prominent SC Left leader in the Congress is K H Muniyappa, a seven-time MP and former Union minister. The 'touchables' in the SC group – like the Banjaras and Bhovis – who were aligned with the BJP in the past are seen as having moved towards the Congress in 2023 after the BJP's unfulfilled internal quota exercise of 2022-23.
News18
33 minutes ago
- News18
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta performs rudrabhishek, prays for prosperity
Last Updated: New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta performed a 'rudrabhishek' ritual of Lord Shiva on Monday, praying for the prosperity, good health, and spiritual peace for the city's people. The ritual involving the offering of milk to Lord Shiva was performed at Baidyanath Mahadev temple in Ashok Vihar on the auspicious occasion of the last Monday of the holy month of Shravan, said a statement from the CMO. Gupta said that devotion and service are the two pillars that guide any society towards progress. Worshipping Lord Shiva during Shravan is not merely a religious practice but a powerful means to awaken inner purity and inspire a spirit of public service, she said. Reaffirming her government's 'commitment" to faith and culture, the chief minister said that the sanctity of religious sites and the sentiments of devotees are given the 'highest priority" by it. PTI VIT VIT MNK MNK First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Handful of groups investing in India; low consumption growth a concern: Parth Jindal
Mumbai, Aug 4 (PTI) Only a "handful" of corporates are investing in India, JSW Group scion Parth Jindal said on Monday, stressing the need for "democratisation" when it comes to private capital expenditure. The Mumbai-headquartered group having interest in cement, steel, ports and sports, believes in India's growth potential and will invest USD 50 billion over the next five years, the 35-year-old Parth, the son of Sajjan Jindal, told reporters here. "You have today a handful of groups investing in India. We need it to be more democratised. We need more MSMEs to invest. We need everyone to invest," Jindal, the managing director of the USD 49 billion group's cement and paints arms, told reporters here. It can be noted that some other industry captains, including billionaire banker Uday Kotak, have expressed concerns around investments getting done by a few groupings in the past. The JSW Group is investing across its businesses, Jindal said, pointing out that while his father Sajjan Jindal -- the group chairman and managing director -- has announced investing USD 60 billion over five years, group executives are pegging it at USD 40 billion and he himself feels it will be USD 50 billion. "We believe that there's incredible potential in India, incredible potential to export from India as well. And also really... in the China plus one strategy," the Jindal family scion said. Other private companies have opted deleverage or paying off their loans over investment in capacity addition, which is more sought after for the growth impetus it gives, Jindal said. Private companies have strong balance sheets, but they are not investing, he rued, adding that the government is also "perplexed" about this phenomenon because the fundamentals of the economy are very strong. Stating that manufacturing in India needs to go up, Jindal pointed to challenges around land acquisition and labour laws being a deterrent to invest. "(there are) so many laws, so many rules... tribal land, SC (Scheduled Caste) land, ST (Scheduled Tribe) land, OBC (Other Backward Classes) land. I mean, it's very difficult for any foreign company to come and understand or even a startup to come and think about it. So, that needs reform," Jindal said. The government has done a lot of reform, and its arms like the Niti Aayog are looking into how this can be reversed. Jindal also flagged concerns around the sagging consumption growth in the country, pointing out that it is a "tale of two Indias" where the top 20 crore people in the country are spending. "...it's a tale of almost two Indias. Now, you have a widening gap between the top 200 million Indians and the rest. And that's a really big concern because you're seeing value growth, but you're not seeing volume growth. And that could only mean that, you know, that this divide is increasing," he said. Jindal said JSW Group looks at manufacturing as its core strength, where it can put up a big plant right from acquiring a piece of land to erecting the facility. The group will list either the e-commerce arm JSW One or JSW MG Motors over the next two years, he said.
