Latest news with #ScheduledCasteandScheduledTribe(PreventionofAtrocities)Act
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Dalit protest against Imitiaz Jaleel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar puts spotlight back on AIMIM-VBA rift in Maharashtra
Despite the heavy rain in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Monday, a large group of Dalit protesters, many affiliated with Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) gathered at Kranti Chowk, demanding the arrest of former MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Maharashtra president Imtiaz Jaleel. The protest followed an FIR filed against Jaleel on June 14 under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, based on allegations that he used a discriminatory slur against Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat. This protest symbolises a deep and now irreparable rift between the AIMIM and the VBA, two parties that once forged a rare alliance in the 2019 elections, seeking a convergence of the VBA's core Dalit vote base and Aurangabad's sizable Muslim population that together form nearly 29 per cent of the district. This convergence helped Jaleel get elected as the city's second-ever Muslim MP and the first from the community in over four decades. However, the alliance unravelled soon after Jaleel entered Parliament. The relations between the two parties have steadily deteriorated since, culminating in open hostility with the VBA now openly working to chart Jaleel's political downfall. What was Monday's protest about? Former Aurangabad MP and AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel was booked earlier this month by the Aurangabad Police under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The case stems from a recent press interaction in which Jaleel is alleged to have used a casteist term while criticising Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat, whom he has repeatedly accused of corruption. While Jaleel has been targeting Shirsat for several weeks over alleged land and asset irregularities, Ambedkarite groups, particularly the VBA's leadership in Aurangabad, demanded his arrest, accusing him of making anti-Dalit remarks. Jaleel, however, has denied the allegations, calling the protest 'sponsored and politically motivated'. 'This protest was staged to shield a particular minister. It was entirely orchestrated by individuals claiming to represent the Scheduled Caste community. I have done nothing wrong. The term in question is not derogatory; it appears even in official publications printed by the Maharashtra government,' Jaleel said. What is the tiff between Jaleel and Shirsat? The rivalry between Jaleel and Shirsat has intensified ever since the latter was appointed guardian minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in January 2025. Since then, Jaleel has repeatedly accused Shirsat of land misuse and abuse of ministerial power. The first major allegation came when Jaleel claimed that Shirsat's son, Siddhant, was illegally allotted a 21,275 sq m plot in the MIDC's Shendra Industrial Area in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Jaleel had alleged that the land had originally been reserved for a truck terminus but was de-notified in August 2024. Jaleel alleged foul play and demanded a probe by central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Soon after, Jaleel also targeted Shirsat over the controversial auction of the VITS Hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. After the hotel's original promoters declared bankruptcy, the state government seized the property under the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act and began auction proceedings. A reserve price of Rs 64.53 crore was set, an amount that critics, including Jaleel, argued was grossly undervalued. In May 2025, a firm linked to Shirsat's son emerged as the highest bidder at Rs 67 crore. Alleging that the process was manipulated to benefit the minister's family, Jaleel and others demanded the auction be scrapped. The backlash eventually led to Shirsat's son withdrawing from the deal. To escalate pressure, Jaleel submitted documents related to Shirsat's land and business dealings to Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, and also urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order an independent investigation. In retaliation, the Shirsat camp has accused Jaleel of being a political pawn, alleging that he is being used by rivals to discredit the minister. VBA leader Afsar Khan, a former ally-turned-critic of Jaleel, has accused him of using his political influence to purchase properties, including his current residence, at artificially low prices. Khan played a key role in Jaleel's narrow defeat in the 2024 Assembly elections, which he lost by just 2,161 votes. Why have VBA leaders targeted Jaleel? The rivalry between the VBA and Jaleel stems from a personal fallout dating back to their brief but impactful alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. While AIMIM had already made inroads in Maharashtra with two Assembly seats in 2014, the VBA was formed in 2018 under Prakash Ambedkar. In 2019, an alliance between Ambedkar and Asaduddin Owaisi brought together Dalit and Muslim voters. It was an experiment that proved successful in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where Jaleel won a stunning upset over four-time Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire by a margin of just 4,492 votes. However, the partnership was fraught with friction even before the election. Ambedkar had initially announced former High Court judge B G Kolse Patil as the alliance candidate for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. But Jaleel, then a sitting MLA from Aurangabad Central, opposed the move and threatened rebellion from the AIMIM, stating that he would contest as an Independent. It was only after pressure from Jaleel that Owaisi stepped in, forcing Ambedkar to relent and allow Jaleel to contest the seat. After his victory, VBA leaders accused Jaleel of sidelining Ambedkar and failing to show due respect to the man they saw as instrumental in stitching the alliance together. The perceived snub created a deep personality rift, leading to a formal breakup between the VBA and AIMIM. Since then, Jaleel has been viewed by VBA leaders as the alliance-breaker. This animosity has continued to shape VBA's electoral strategy. The party has consistently fielded candidates against Jaleel, including in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, where Jaleel lost his Assembly bid by a narrow margin of 2,161 votes. While Ambedkar often avoids directly naming Jaleel in public, second-rung VBA leaders have openly criticised him, painting him as arrogant, disrespectful, and opportunistic. The ongoing feud between Jaleel and Shirsat has allowed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar's VBA leaders to target Jaleel using the current controversy centred around caste-related allegations as a way to settle old scores with the man they believe 'betrayed their leader'.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Faridabad man attacked, made to drink urine; case filed
A 19-year-old from Faridabad was arrested and two minors apprehended after an 18-year-old Dalit man was allegedly assaulted, tortured, and forced to consume urine in a brutal incident that took place on Monday evening in Ballabhgarh's Subhash Colony, police said on Wednesday, adding that a case has been registered under a provision of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. While officers said the assault stemmed from personal enmity after the victim switched peer groups, his family has alleged the attack was driven by caste-based hatred and cited the use of casteist slurs during previous altercations. The victim, who remains hospitalised in critical condition, suffered a fractured leg, head injuries, and multiple bruises, police said. According to investigators, he was kept captive from 4pm to 7pm on Monday, hung upside down by ropes from a ceiling hook, sexually assaulted, tonsured, and beaten with sticks. His eyebrows, moustache, and head were shaved before he was dumped outside his home by the accused. Police said the arrested youth, identified as Piyush (19), and the two minors were friends of the victim, but had recently fallen out. The victim's cousin said the boy was so traumatised after his ordeal that he begged his family not to report the incident. 'His parents called me on Tuesday. I found him in a terrible state — vomiting, with a swollen leg and unable to speak. We rushed him to the Badshah Khan civil hospital and informed the police,' he said. The victim's cousin also alleged that the same group had assaulted the victim on Sunday night, but the family had intervened. 'They had threatened him and used casteist abuses then as well,' he added. Police said Piyush was produced before a court and sent to judicial custody, while the two minors were remanded to a juvenile home. One more suspect is still at large. 'The initial inquiry suggests the dispute was due to a change in friend groups. There is no evidence of a caste angle as of now,' said Yashpal Yadav, PRO, Faridabad Police. However, based on the victim's cousin's complaint, a first information report (FIR) was registered under Section 3 (putting any inedible or obnoxious substance into the mouth of a SC/ST member by a non-SC/ST member) of the SC/ST Act, and multiple sections of BNS including wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation, voluntarily causing grievous hurt at Adarsh Nagar police station. Police said sticks used in the assault were recovered from the room where the victim was held. However, he confirmed the victim had suffered extensive injuries and remains unfit to give a statement. 'Our teams visited the hospital, but he was unable to speak. We are monitoring his condition and will record his version as soon as he is able,' Yadav said, adding that they will conduct a medical examination for sexual assault once the victim is out of danger and will investigate the case as per the findings of the report. The victim is scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday to repair the fracture in his leg.
Hindustan Times
04-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Wedding procession pelted with stones in Amroha; 7 injured
Seven people were injured after a wedding procession taken out by members of the Dalit community was pelted with stones, in Amroha's Rahdra village in the wee hours of Tuesday. Police later registered an FIR against eight identified and 15-20 unidentified men at Gajraula police station of the district. The eight identified accused hail from the village where the incident was reported. It was the wedding of one Sonam Kumari, the elder daughter of one Ramgopal, and the wedding party had arrived from Shirkoi Bhur in Moradabad. The violence reportedly sparked by a dispute over a request to remove a vehicle. A video purportedly of the chaotic scene has surfaced on social media. Circle officer Shwetabh Bhaskar confirmed that the police had registered a case under relevant sections, including the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and were investigating the matter. Police had to resort to mild force to disperse the crowd and restore order. 'Considering the tension in the village, a police force has been deployed to maintain law and order,' Bhaskar stated, adding that teams had been tasked to arrest the accused. Meanwhile, Lok Sabha MP Chandra Shekhar Azad took to X to criticise the incident: 'The stone-pelting and attack on the wedding procession of a Dalit woman in Rahdara village, located in the Gajraula police station area of Amroha, by goons driven by a casteist mindset is extremely painful and highly condemnable. Reports have emerged that several people were injured in this incident'. Also, teams from the Bhim Army and the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) reached the scene of the incident and stood in solidarity with the bride's family. The MP demanded the best possible treatment for the injured, prompt arrest of the culprits, provision of government protection and appropriate compensation to the bride's family.
