Latest news with #ImranKhedawala
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Gujarat Congress leaders face heat over caste politics
While the Congress is in the midst of setting its house in order in Gujarat as a pilot project, the party is increasingly witnessing emerging streaks of identity politics within its local leadership, much to the chagrin of many ground-level workers. "For quite some time we are seeing the rise of identity politics in the party," said a leader from Saurashtra. "The leaders are now increasingly representing their own communities rather than the general people as was the party tradition," he said. The leader may not be all wrong. Party members point out that when a recent controversy concerning a Patidar girl in Rajkot erupted it was the Congress Patidar leaders of the region who reacted sharply. When a Dalit man was murdered in Amreli, it was only the Dalit MLA Jignesh Mevani who spoke up against the crime. In fact, Mevani also expressed his angst against other leaders for not coming out in support in the case. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Calcule rapidamente o preço do seu alarme no site. Alarme Verisure Ver oferta Undo "These are not isolated incidents and we are increasingly seeing such examples in Congress where a Patidar legislator would only speak about the Patidars; Jignesh or Shailesh Parmar, (both Dalit leaders) will talk of Dalit issues; Imran Khedawala or Gyasuddin Sheikh only will raise the issue of Muslims," said another young Congress worker from Ahmedabad. "This is a dangerous trend and is hurting the very idea of the party that has so far boasted of its inclusivity," he added. "This is a growing problem in Congress," admits Imran Khedawala. "If there is an issue with the Muslims, it is always me or Gyasuddinbhai who are raising the concerns. Even when it comes to making representations to the government agencies for issues pertaining to Muslims, they are left for us to do," he adds. Live Events "What is disturbing is that other MLAs who win with considerable minority voters support too remain silent on these issues and now there is growing uneasiness within the community regarding the same," Khedawala said, adding that the matter has been taken up with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi . "Rahulji was not happy with it and told us that this will be looked into and rectified," Khedawala told ET. "We have been dealing with internal fights for a very long time in the Congress that had weakened the party and now we have this growing identity politics that is focusing more on caste and communities; at this point, one truly does not know which one is worse," said the leader from Saurashtra.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ahmedabad speeds down with 339 new bumps in 17 months
Ahmedabad: If you have been driving through western Ahmedabad lately, chances are you have hit more bumps, literally. Between Jan 2024 and May 2025, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) approved 339 speed breakers across the city. Three out of every four speed bumps were built in western areas, where residents and elected representatives alike have pushed hard for traffic-calming measures. While the AMC claims this is based on need and requests, residents in the eastern parts of the city argue they have been left behind. Between Jan 2024 and May 2025, AMC greenlit 257 (75.8%) applications for speed breakers in western zones and just 82 (24.2%) in the east. Of these, over 240 have been constructed in t he city. From 2006 to 2022, AMC received 892 requests for speed breakers but approved only 180, rejecting over 570. In contrast, the past two years alone have seen a flood of approvals — over 50 out of 100 applications in 2023 and 339 by mid-2025 — reflecting a shift in the city's approach to road safety. An AMC official said, "Applications for speed breakers from the western areas of Ahmedabad have increased. In the past month, over 25 speed breakers were built in the western areas, including Navrang School Road in Naranpura, Joggers Park Road in Navrangpura, Bhimjipura Crossroad Road, and Balolnagar Road. "In the past two years, several fatal hit and runs as well as serious accidents have taken place due to speeding. So, bumps have been prioritised on roads that see rising cases of speeding and accidents. Additionally, speed breakers are being constructed near schools, hospitals, or public spaces where many children or citizens cross the road." Jayesh Trivedi, chairman of the heritage and recreational committee, said, "In the last year, seven to eight speed breakers were constructed on various roads in Sarkhej ward, based on my requests." Meanwhile, eastern neighbourhoods say their needs are being overlooked. Jamalpur MLA Imran Khedawala said, "There used to be bumps on roads near schools in the Old City areas, but the AMC removed them. Bumps were removed from the road in front of Anjuman School in Jamalpur, the corner road leading to Dadhichi Bridge in Dudheshwar, and the Sabarmati Riverfront stretch behind Cama Hotel in Khanpur, only for accidents rise at those very locations. " **Box** Standardized design for speed bumps Speed breakers are typically sanctioned after applications from citizens, corporators, MLAs, or organisations, and once the traffic police offer a positive recommendation. In Sep 2024, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) finalized the design and issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for installing speed breakers on roads. The deputy municipal commissioner approves speed bumps on roads up to 18-m wide, and the municipal commissioner sanctions them for wider stretches. The approved design for asphalt speed breakers adheres to IRC-99 guidelines: they must be 3.7-m wide with a maximum height of 10cm and a parabolic shape. Mandatory safety features include thermoplastic paint stripes on the bumps and a 'Bump Ahead' sign placed 50m before the speed breaker. **Box** After closing a 500-metre road near Gandhi Ashram, 13 speed breakers were constructed on a new 1 km alternative road. 13 speed beakers on 1km stretch The AMC's decision a year ago to permanently close a 500-m road in front of Gandhi Ashram has significantly impacted traffic. This closure diverted most vehicles to Ramji Badhia Road, causing inconvenience for residents of over 10 nearby societies. As a result of the increased traffic, eight speed breakers were installed on Ramji Badhia Road. Additionally, five new speed breakers were placed on the connecting road via Cargo Motors, bringing the total to 13 speed breakers across the 1-km stretch from Cargo Motors to Ramji Badhia Road. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
