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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
We will break barrier of 50 pc cap on quotas: Rahul Gandhi in Bihar
Rejecting outright the 50 per cent cap on caste-based reservations, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday vowed that "the barrier will be broken" in whichever part of the country his party came to power. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha made the promise in Bihar, the state which was a hotbed of the Mandal agitation in the 1990s, and where polls to the assembly are likely in a few months. "I wonder where did this idea of a 50 per cent cap come from? The population of the deprived sections is close to 90 per cent," said the former Congress president at a 'Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan' (symposium for protecting the Constitution) in Rajgir. Voicing disapproval of the cap that has been placed by the Supreme Court, Gandhi said a caste census would be the first step in doing away with the barrier. "When we conducted a caste survey in Telangana, which showed among other things that Dalits, tribals and other backward classes hardly got any government contracts, the chief minister of that state ordered that the 50 per cent limit be scrapped. He was left with no choice", said Gandhi, evoking applause. Telangana is governed by the Congress. "We have broken the barrier in Telangana and Karnataka. And the barrier will be broken wherever else we form a government," he declared. Gandhi's visit to Rajgir, in Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's home district of Nalanda, was much talked about as the administration had denied permission for it last month, days after he had defied similar orders to interact with students in Darbhanga. Gandhi also took a swipe at the JD(U)-BJP government in the state, alleging that it had converted Bihar into "the crime capital of the country". "How regrettable it is for a land which was in ancient times associated with the Buddha and the Nalanda University. The heritage is still the driving force behind modern powers like Japan, Korea and China," said the Congress leader. Gandhi, who had entered politics way back in 2004, admitted to have taken his time for "discovery of India", recalling the title of the book by "my great grandfather" Jawahar Lal Nehru. He said that his understanding of the Indian realities led him to relentlessly pursue the demand for "caste census", and in due course, Prime Minister Narendra Modi "surrendered". Repeatedly uttering the word, which has been causing the BJP to fly off the handle, Gandhi claimed: "US President Donald Trump has said, 11 times, that Modi surrendered (in agreeing to halt military operations against Pakistan). This is because what Trump has said is the truth". Talking to reporters later, he said "I am only repeating what Trump has said 11 times. If the US President is lying, Modi should call his bluff". Gandhi insisted that caste census, combined with all other data that is with the Government of India, will lead to a paradigm shift in the way development is looked at in the country. He added, waving a copy of the Constitution, "I know this new beginning will be made in Bihar. You have it in your DNA. This book is based on principles of the Buddha". In his speech, Gandhi also said the Modi government would not conduct a genuine caste census as it would go against the politics of the BJP-RSS. The Congress leader also charged the government with "ruining the public sector" to benefit private players, and alleged that a big business house was planning to occupy the land on which Dharavi, the sprawling locality in Mumbai, was situated. Later, Gandhi interacted with women in Gayaji, where he stressed the commitment of his party to ensuring better participation of women in the country's economic growth. The former Congress president began his day-long tour of the state by visiting Beldaur, an impoverished village in Gayaji where he met Bhagirath, the son of the late Dasharath Manjhi, also known as the 'mountain man'. Manjhi had carved a path, 360 feet long and 30 feet wide, through a ridge of hills using only a hammer and a chisel. After 22 years of work, he singlehandedly shortened the distance between his village and Wazirganj, where the nearest hospital is located, from 55 km to 15 km. He started constructing the road in 1960 following the death of his injured wife on the way to the hospital. Bhagirath had shared with PTI video, prior to Gandhi's arrival, his wish to contest the assembly polls from Bodh Gaya on a Congress ticket. Gandhi offered prayers at the world-renowned Maha Bodhi temple at Bodh Gaya before boarding a flight to Delhi.
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Indian Express
History sheeter with 15 criminal cases killed in police encounter in Bihar's Bhagalpur
A history sheeter carrying a reward of Rs 25,000, was allegedly shot dead in an encounter with the Bihar Police Special Task Force and the Bhagalpur district police in Naugachia in the early hours of Saturday. According to Bihar Additional Director General (ADG) Headquarters Kundan Krishnan, Gurudev Mandal alias Sanoj Mandal alias Fufa, who has at least 15 serious including robbery, dacoity, kidnapping, and violations of the Arms Act across Bhagalpur, Purnia, Katihar, and Madhepura districts, was killed during a police raid. The police, he said, were tipped off that Mandal and his associates were meeting near Murli Chowk in Rangra police station area to 'execute a major crime'. 'During a joint raid conducted by the STF, district intelligence unit and Rangra police station on the night of May 23, an encounter broke out with the criminals in the area when Mandal and his associates suddenly opened fire on the police team. Police retaliated in self-defence in which Mandal was injured,' the officer said. According to the police, during the exchange, Mandal sustained bullet wounds to his chest and leg, and was immediately rushed to the sub-divisional hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. 'Police are currently looking for his associates who allegedly managed to escape under the cover of darkness,' the ADG said. The body has now been sent for autopsy, authorities said, adding that police recovered country-made firearms, cartridges, and empty shells from the scene. The ADG said further investigation and legal formalities are being pursued. A resident of Harinkol village in Purnia's Dhamdaha, Mandal had previously been injured in a police operation in June 2022 too. At that time, acting on a tip-off about a planned robbery, police raided a hideout in Bhagalpur. During the operation, Mandal allegedly opened fire at the police team, narrowly missing the then sub-divisional police officer. Mandal was shot in the leg in the exchange of fire and was subsequently hospitalised.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Circle inspector held for taking Rs3L as bribe
Madhubani: Jayanagar circle inspector (CI) Ajay Kumar Mandal was caught on Saturday morning while accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakh. A vigilance department team from Patna arrested him at his rented residence in Chitragupt Colony at Jayanagar around 7am. The operation, led by deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sujit Kumar Sagar, was based on a complaint filed by Indrajeet Kumar Mahto, a resident of Jayanagar. Mahto alleged that Mandal had demanded Rs 20 lakh to facilitate the mutation (dakhil kharij) of his two-katha land near the new Kamla Barrage, valued at around Rs 2 crore. Following the complaint, the vigilance department registered a case on May 21. After verification, DSP Sagar's team organised a trap and intercepted Mandal as he accepted Rs 3 lakh in cash as an advance from Mahto. The DSP said preliminary inquiries suggest Mandal may not have been acting alone. "The demand for such a large bribe amount raises questions and further investigation will uncover the involvement of many others," Sagar said. The vigilance team seized the cash and took Mandal to the Jayanagar inspection building for questioning where key information was obtained. He has since been taken to Patna for further investigation. Mandal hails from Tapua village in Pirpainti, Bhagalpur.
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Indian Express
Train ticket checkers in Kalyan pose as ticketless passengers to nab fake TC
After repeated complaints of a fake Ticket Checker (TC) duping passengers in the general compartment of long distance trains, a Railways team, with its own TCs and police, posed as ticketless travellers and nabbed the accused from Kushinagar Superfast Express train on Wednesday. They also seized a fake receipt book which the accused, Ramprakash Mandal, 40, a Virar resident, used to extort money from unsuspecting travellers. An official from Kalyan Government Railway Police (GRP) said that their team, wearing civilian dress and led by Haresh Dahilkar, boarded and saw a person (Mandal) wearing a TC uniform asking people for their tickets. 'When he came to them, the four TCs claimed that they wanted to go from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Gorakhpur but did not have the tickets. The accused told them to pay a fine of Rs 2,640,' said an officer. When they checked the receipt, it turned out to be fake following which they alerted the Railway Protection Force and nabbed the accused. The police found that he was also using a fake badge. Mandal was handed over to the Kalyan GRP that registered a case and arrested Mandal. An officer said that Mandal took advantage of the fact that usually TCs did not come to the general compartment, especially during the vacations period when it is crowded. Mandal told the police that he got the idea when he himself was caught travelling ticketless and was asked to pay a fine. 'He then took the receipt he was given to a Virar shop where he covered his name with white ink and got several copies of the receipts which he then used to dupe people,' he said. The Railways took action based on the complaint received by senior divisional commercial manager Arun Kumar.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
New Town senior citizen loses 9L after phone theft
1 2 3 Kolkata: An elderly New Town resident, Soumitra Mandal, alleged that Rs 9.1 lakh was siphoned off from his accounts with two nationalised banks a day after he lost his mobile phone at a village market in his ancestral hometown in Purulia's Joypur. Mandal flagged 32 unauthorized transactions from his accounts, leading to the loss. On Wednesday, Mandal lodged a complaint with Rajarhat Police against the fraudulent withdrawal of money. He had previously reported the loss of his phone and lodged a general diary at Joypur Police Station on May 15, a day after it was lost. He lives with his son at The SOUL housing complex in Rajarhat. He learnt about the fraud after he withdrew bank statements for his accounts. Both his accounts were registered at the Purulia branches of the banks. In his police complaint, Mandal claimed that he did not share his bank details with anyone. But he raised suspicion that that his phone containing a SIM card was stolen for gaining access to his bank accounts and siphon off funds. The Rajarhat Police has started a case under BNS sections of 316 (2) (criminal breach of trust) and 318 (4) (cheating). "We have started an investigation into the case and are checking the digital footprints," said a senior official of Bidhannagar Cty Police. Cybersecurity experts urged individuals to immediately block their SIM cards and banking access in case of a lost or stolen phone to prevent unauthorized access by fraudsters. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
