Latest news with #CPI-ML
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
CPI(ML) flags anomalies in voter list, seeks rectification
Patna: The CPI(ML) on Sunday submitted a complaint to the Election Commission in Delhi, highlighting several anomalies it has initially identified in the draft electoral rolls under the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise. These discrepancies relate to electors in six assembly constituencies – Bhore, Barachatti, Tarari, Aurangabad, Digha and Jehanabad. The party alleged irregularities such as the non-inclusion of eligible voters, duplicate entries under the same EPIC number, names listed at multiple locations with minor variations, removal of valid voters and inclusion of deceased people. In Jehanabad town's Jafarganj locality alone, the names of over 200 Muslim electors were deleted, it alleged. In Digha, CPI(ML) listed 10 deceased people allegedly still present on the draft roll with names and serial numbers provided. In Bhore, the names of two living persons — Kudrat Khan and Shailesh Prasad — were said to be missing, though officials claimed their names were included under different EPIC numbers. The party questioned, "We want to know as to how could the EPIC number change? Are they the same electors, or different ones?" In Barachatti's booth 305, the same EPIC number was reportedly assigned to two different women, prompting the party to ask, "How can it be possible?" In Tarari, multiple entries under altered names for the same individuals were flagged, such as Vinay Kumar Tiwari being listed thrice using variations of his name. In Aurangabad, several voters were found to have been removed from their original serial numbers and re-entered elsewhere, the party said. The CPI-ML has sought rectification of the alleged discrepancies. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
The Wire
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
In Gurugram's ‘Holding Centres', Men Say They Are Detained Just for Speaking Bengali
Amidst the ongoing crackdown on suspected foreign nationals from Bangladesh, hundreds of Bengali and Assamese migrants have been detained and kept in what the Gurugram police call 'holding centres'. Wives of detainees showing their husbands' documents in the Assamese Muslim neighbourhood of Khatola village. Photo: Shruti Sharma Gurugram: On July 19, Hafizur Sheikh (41) had finished his shift as a cleaner outside a liquor store in Gurugram when he was stopped by policemen and interrogated. Sheikh answered all their questions, but then he was asked to produce his identity cards to 'verify his citizenship'. Despite having an Aadhaar card, a voter ID card and other identity documents on his phone, he was told that this was not enough. 'The police wanted a physical copy,' his brother Amanur told The Wire. 'My brother told them that he could bring the physical copy or they could accompany him to check the documents personally, but they did not listen and he was detained.' Sheikh, from West Bengal's Nadia district, is among hundreds of mostly Muslim migrants detained by the police in Haryana's Gurugram. These men usually work as cleaners in Gurugram's MNCs, ragpickers and public sanitation workers, or in some instances as domestic workers, and delivery agents. Hafizur Sheikh's brother Amanur Sheikh and wife Jaismeen Sheikh with their daughter. Photo: Alishan Jafri On July 19, police detained at least 74 migrant workers – 11 from West Bengal and 63 from Assam – who they suspect are undocumented foreign nationals from neighbouring Bangladesh. They were taken to what the police are calling 'holding centres' – that rights activists say are akin to detention camps. 'This camp [in Sector 10, Gurugram],' said advocate and Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) member Supanta Sinha, 'has over 200 detainees.' On July 21, a two-member CPI-ML team visited one of the makeshift detention camps in Gurugram's Sector 10 after they received 'news of detention of scores of migrant workers purportedly for ascertaining their citizenship.' Sinha was a part of that team. He alleged that the workers were being forced to live under inhumane conditions. A CPI-ML statement alleged that 'similar exercises have been conducted in other parts of Gurgaon as well, with some zones housing over 200 detainees currently'. These detentions appear to follow a Ministry of Home Affairs directive, said Sinha. They come in the backdrop of a nationwide drive against alleged undocumented foreign nationals. However, multiple reports show that Bengali-speaking Muslim migrants from West Bengal and Assam are facing the brunt of these drives. At a recent protest in Kolkata led by Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress protested various attacks against migrants in Delhi (Jai Hind colony), NCR and Odisha. Banerjee dared the BJP to put her in a detention facility. She has also condemned these attacks on social media. 'The second most spoken language in the country, Bangla, is also the second most spoken language of Assam,' she wrote. 'To threaten citizens, who want to coexist peacefully respecting all languages and religions, with persecution for upholding their own mother tongue is discriminatory and unconstitutional…' TMC Rajya Sabha MP and head of the Bengali Migrant Board, Samirul Islam, accused the BJP of inciting anti-Bengali sentiments. TMC MP Mahua Moitra termed these detentions as illegal abductions. 'Not detained, just withheld' When asked about the charges under which the migrants are being detained, Gurugram Police PRO Sandeep Kumar said, 'They are not detained. As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), certain holding centres have been created, and suspected Bangladeshis are being kept there. All basic necessities, including medical facilities, are being provided to them at the centres.' In May, the Union government had directed states and union territories to identify, detain and deport undocumented immigrants across the country. Wion reported that the Centre gave states a 30-day deadline to verify documents of suspected undocumented immigrants and to initiate deportation proceedings against those who are unable to prove their citizenship. The MHA has also instructed states to establish district-level detention centres to hold such individuals. The ongoing crackdown appears to be in sync with this directive from the Union government. Kumar said that the 'suspected immigrants' are being held as per government guidelines, although he did not specify what these guidelines are. When asked about the number of such centres, he said that there are currently four such 'holding centres' across Gurugram, but he declined to comment on the number of people currently being held at these centres. While other senior officials either declined to comment or remained unavailable, Kumar did not share any specifics. When asked about the process of verification, he said, 'Among those kept in the centres, if anyone claims to be an Indian citizen, we contact the respective district magistrates (DMs). If the DM confirms their Indian citizenship, we release them. For those whose Indian citizenship is not confirmed, the deportation process will be initiated.' Only five to six people, he confirmed, have been released from these holding centres so far after their citizenship was verified. Hundreds flee Gurugram The Wire visited a neighbourhood in Gurugram's Khatola village, known for its large Assamese Muslim population. On one side of the road stand tall, eye-catching multi-storey buildings housing corporate offices like that of American Express, while on the other side lies a slum cluster housing Assamese migrants who work as cleaners in these offices. Residents claimed that nearly 2,000 people used to live in the area. However, when The Wire visited, the colony was almost entirely deserted. Only around 10-12 women were present, who were about to visit their husbands and other male relatives currently held in detention centres. Khatola is deserted after the recent crackdown. Photo: Shruti Sharma Barring a few, the entire neighbourhood has fled to Assam's Dhubri following the recent crackdown. 'How can we leave while our husbands and other relatives are rotting in detention centres? Who knows what the police will do to them?' said Rohima, when asked why she had stayed behind when most others had fled. The women claimed that on July 19, police detained over 40 men from the area. Among those detained was Rohima's husband, Nazrul Islam Mondal. Rohima says Mondal was detained by the police despite having almost every document, even his name is in the National Register of Citizens. Recalling the ordeal, Rohima said, 'The police asked me where I am from. I said I'm Assamese. But they said, 'Each one of you is from Bangladesh. We will take everyone.' Then they took our men. We asked when they would be released, and the police replied, ' Tere ko kya matlab hai? Tu bhaag idhar se (What do you have to do with this? Just get out of here).'' The women alleged that the police took their husbands without checking any documents, even though they tried to show them multiple identity cards. Rohima added that her husband managed to call her from the detention centre and asked her to send all his documents. "But after that, his phone has been switched off," she said. 'Since the day my husband was taken away, I haven't been able to eat. My 12-year-old daughter hasn't been to school because her father was the one who used to drop her off,' said Sayra Bano, whose husband Rokibuz Husain is also among those detained. Both Sayra and her husband work as domestic workers. Residents live among piles of garbage scattered across the neighbourhood. Photo: Shruti Sharma When asked if they plan to continue living in the area after their husbands are released, most of the women said they would leave once their family members return. 'Who can live in such an environment, constantly under threat?' said a woman accompanying Bano. The Wire spoke with a few detainees over a call. One of them said that he was picked up from Palam Vihar when he had voluntarily gone there to show his documents with a group of dozen Assamese migrants. Another said, 'Even dogs are fed better.' 'They detain us just because we speak Bengali' Back in the ragpicker colony which houses people from West Bengal, Amanur Shaikh said, 'They detain us just because we speak Bengali. Is speaking Bengali a crime in this country? If it is being treated as one, then we must raise our voices against it,' he said. He added that the current atmosphere has forced people like him to live in constant fear. 'Because of the narrative that hass been created, anyone can come and threaten us by calling us Bangladeshis,' he said. He added, 'If the government wants Bengali speakers to leave the NCR, they should just say so, we will go back to West Bengal peacefully. But please, don't treat us in such an inhumane manner.' Shaikh also alleged political motives behind the recent crackdown. 'The BJP has repeatedly failed to form a government in Bengal despite years of effort. That's why they are targeting Bengali people,' he said. Rupa, aunt of Hafizul, has been living in Delhi for the past 15 years and works in a factory's housekeeping department. She feels that Bengali people will have to leave now. 'A few months back,' she said, 'the police randomly came to my house and asked if I was Bangladeshi. When I denied it, they said someone had informed them that I was an 'infiltrator'. I showed them my documents, and then they left.' 'Since they took my nephew, I haven't been able to sleep. My husband hasn't gone to work for the past three days out of fear that he might also be detained,' she added. Rag-picking is one of the prominent sources of livelihood in the neighbourhood. Photo: Alishan Jafri Their neighbour, Mijanur Molla, alleged that the police released his father-in-law, Soyed Molla (45), along with five others, after taking Rs 6,000 from each person. Soyed Molla and the others had been detained by the police last month. Mijanur, who has been working as a cleaner in Delhi for the past four years, said, 'The police picked up my father-in-law from his room despite him showing valid documents. They took away his papers, kept him in jail for 2-3 days, where they tortured him.' 'They torture us because they think every Bangla-speaking Muslim is Bangladeshi,' said Minajur. 'In our village, no one speaks Hindi, everyone speaks Bengali. Just because we don't know Hindi doesn't mean we are Bangladeshis,' said Rupa. 'These are illegal detentions' Advocate Sinha said, 'After speaking to police officials, we found that as per the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines, authorities can detain anyone they suspect to be an illegal citizen. They can keep them in custody for up to 30 days for identity verification.' Calling these detentions illegal, he said, 'As far as the constitutionality of these detentions is concerned, anyone being detained has the right to legal representation. You cannot detain someone without providing them a reason for the same. Nor can you keep them in custody indefinitely.' 'Every detention I have come across appears to be identity-targeted. All the individuals being detained are mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, and their home states are either West Bengal or Assam,' he said. He raised several questions: 'Who is deciding their citizenship? On what basis and through which documents? Was any survey conducted before categorising these individuals? What parameters have been applied to label their documents as doubtful?' Officials have remained completely silent on these questions. Sinha said that the CPI-ML is planning to approach the court on this matter. 'We are exploring all the legal options available.' The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Radical Left leader Azizul Haque passes away at 85
1 2 3 Kolkata: Veteran Naxalite leader Azizul Haque, also a writer, columnist, and a prominent Leftist thinker, died at a private hospital in Kolkata on Monday afternoon. He was 85. Haque, who was jailed for 18 years during the Seventies and Eighties, was suffering from multiple age-related ailments, including an infection in his blood, and was on ventilation. Haque was born in 1942 in a zamindar family in Uluberia. He came in contact with communist leader Biswanath Mukhopdhyay as a student and became a member of the undivided Communist Party at 17. In 1959, he joined the food movement and was injured during an agitation, Haque was a prominent CPI-ML leader at the height of the Naxalite movement. He was jailed on multiple charges and spent nearly two decades behind bars. After his release in 1977, he rejoined the movement and had formed a 'revolutionary govt' in some districts of south Bengal and Bihar. He was jailed again in 1982, and was released in 1989 after it was revealed that he was allegedly tortured in jail, leading to crippling injuries. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Haque was a student of Calcutta University. Though he stayed away from active politics subsequently, he continued to write on politics. He founded the 'Bhasha Shahid Smarak Commitee' that campaigned for Bengali language and the rights of people. His book 'Karagare 18 Bachhar' narrates his horrific experiences in jail, being physically abused, and watching his party colleagues being brutally tortured or dying in custody. His book and his subsequent campaign for the release of political prisoners was an important phase of Bengal politics in the Eighties. Despite being frail and fighting multiple ailments, Haque remained uncompromising in his stance against capitalism and held on to his radical Leftist belief. During the Singur agitation, Haque sided with the CPM govt and said he agreed with then CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's opinion that a farmer's son need not be a farmer. If farmers stuck to agriculture, they will lose out in the long run, he wrote in a vernacular daily. CM Mamata Banerjee expressed her condolences on X. "I express my condolences at the demise of veteran leader Azizul Haque. He was a fighting leader who never bowed to anyone in his long political career. I convey my empathy to his family and associates," she wrote.
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Time of India
Hyderabad police arrests 5 including CPI-ML neta D Rajesh in CPI worker Kethavath Chandu Rathod's murder
HYDERABAD: In a swift breakthrough, Hyderabad police solved the murder of CPI state council member Kethavath Chandu Rathod, arresting five men, including the alleged mastermind, D Rajesh alias Rajanna, a senior leader of the CPI-ML (Red Flag). Rathod was gunned down during his morning walk at Shalivahana Nagar Park on July 15. Investigators said a long-running feud over extortion money and suspicions of an affair triggered the killing. Southeast zone DCP S Chaitanya Kumar said Rajesh, 48, held a deep grudge against Chandu, once his political ally, and orchestrated the murder with a group of hired accomplices from Andhra Pradesh. A fingerprint found on the rented getaway vehicle led police to the suspects. The arrested include Rajesh, K Yedukondalu of Karmanghat, Srinu alias Nagaraju, a former Praja Pratighatana member, welder Arjun Gnana Prakash, auto driver L Rambabu from Nellore, and hotel worker Kandukuri Prashanth from Yadadri Bhuvanagiri. They were picked up from Kavali and Jangaon between July 18 and 19. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Rajesh's motive, police said, stemmed from multiple betrayals. In 2022, the two had allegedly collected 13 lakh for building 1,300 huts on Bhoodan land in Kuntloor. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo Rajesh accused Chandu of pocketing the money. In another incident, Chandu used Rajesh to intimidate a builder in a family dispute, later extorting 12 lakh from the builder but refusing to share the sum. Further, Rajesh believed Chandu had exposed his affair to his wife and even suspected Chandu of being involved with her. "That suspicion, combined with previous betrayals, pushed Rajesh to plan the murder," the DCP said. The plan took shape in Jan this year. On July 14, the gang met in a rented room at Uppal Bhagayat. The next morning, they tailed Chandu from his Chaitanyapuri home to the park. Around 7.20 am, as Chandu exited, Prashanth threw chilli powder in his eyes. Srinu and Prakash then fired at him with a revolver and pistol. Rambabu stood ready with knives as backup. Rajesh later fired another round to ensure Chandu's death. The assailants were dropped at Dilsukhnagar and the Swift car, rented from Kothapet, was returned. The group regrouped at Uppal before fleeing to various locations through Kodad. Key leads in the case included CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts, and a fingerprint from Prakash-who has a criminal background-on the getaway car. Police also recovered two firearms, shell casings, and the rental vehicle. Prakash and Rambabu were arrested in Kavali on July 18. During questioning, they confessed to involvement in a recent burglary in Visakhapatnam, and stolen gold was seized. Their statements led police to Rajesh and Yedukondalu in Jangaon the next day. More conspirators are involved: Chandu's family After the arrests, Chandu's family staged a protest at Saidabad police station, alleging more conspirators were involved. As supporters tried to block the police vehicle transporting the accused to court, police dispersed the crowd. "My husband had no affair and didn't extort anyone. What police are claiming is false," said Chandu's widow, Naribai.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Time of India
Hyderabad shocker: Out for morning walk, CPI neta shot dead by 'friend'; wife sensed danger, had warned him
K Chandu Naik's wife witnessed Rajesh, the alleged accused, near their house shortly before her husband's murder HYDERABAD: Over an hour before her husband was shot dead, K Chandu Naik's wife had first spotted the alleged accused hovering around their house. K Nari Bai claimed that she saw Rajesh driving in the area along with three others around 6.10 am and that she even had an inkling about him trying to harm Chandu. "They overtook me slowly in the car. I stopped to see where they were going. The car went ahead, and a little later, my husband came on a two-wheeler and took me and our daughter to the park," said the victim's wife, speaking to reporters outside the mortuary on Tuesday. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad The couple's daughter, Sindhu, is preparing for her civil services exams, while their 26-year-old son, Siddhu, is pursuing MTech from a university in Canada. "I told my husband about spotting Rajesh. Initially, we dismissed it, thinking that he might be casually going on that route for some work. But then I spotted him again while returning home with my daughter and got a little worried," Nari Bai said, adding, "We saw the car near the park and the three people inside it. They were resting with their faces covered with handkerchiefs. Shortly afterwards, I was informed about the murder. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like '혈관 찌꺼기 방치하면 진짜 큰일나요',,2주만에 빠르게 싹~ 청소 가능한 ''이것'' [특허] 카이스트 건강비결 더 알아보기 Undo " According to her, Rajesh and Chandu were close friends until about two years ago. "They fell apart when Rajesh started collecting money from hut dwellers residing on Bhoodan lands in the Kuntloor area. He was offering to provide them with pattas. My husband opposed it, and since then, Rajesh stopped visiting our house," Nari Bai said. "I came to know from common friends that he was planning to harm my husband and directly confronted him at his house recently. He said I was misinformed. My husband used to say that Rajesh kept firearms. Whatever differences he had with my husband, he should not have resorted to killing. Now, I want stringent punishment for him," she said. 'Personal rivalry' CPI national leader K Narayana said that Chandu Naik was a party worker but maintained that the murder had nothing to do with politics. "It was due to personal rivalry," Narayana said. The victim, a native of Nagarkurnool district, started his political career with CPI (M) but was expelled from the party in 2009 as part of disciplinary action. Subsequently, he joined CPI. The main accused, Rajesh, was the general secretary of CPI-ML (Liberation) until three years ago. "He was expelled in 2022 for disciplinary reasons," the party's general secretary, Ramesh Raja, said. According to him, Rajesh started claiming to be the leader of the CPI-ML (Red Flag) party in Telangana after his expulsion.
