Latest news with #ScheduledCastes
Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
BRS vs BRS: K Kavitha's shocking revelations and veiled attack on brother KTR: What's brewing in KCR's party?
BRS vs BRS: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha's latest comments seem to have brought out into the open the infighting within her father K Chandrashekar Rao-led party. Kavitha, a BRS Member of Legislative Council (MLC), has recently taken veiled jibes at her brother and BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR), besides questioning her father K Chandrashekar Rao's functioning. Among other allegations, Kavitha has even hinted at a possible merger of the BRS with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BRS lost the assembly election in Telangana in 2023 after two terms in power. She has also pointed at what she calls 'KCR's style of functioning and organisational lapses'. Former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao is popularly known as KCR. Here's what Kavitha said targeting BRS leaders, which has triggered a flutter in the political arena: Kavitha made shocking revelations on Thursday, claiming that discussions regarding a merger of the BRS with the BJP took place when she was in jail in connection with the Delhi liquor scam case — a proposal she claimed to have rejected. "A proposal was brought to me when I was in jail to merge the party into the BJP. But I rejected it. BRS is Rama Raksha to Telangana," Kavitha, an MLC and a former MP, was quoted by news agency ANI as saying on Thursday. She said, 'The BRS is the party which has the spirit of Telangana and the root cause of the existence of the state. It should not be merged with a national party and the same was conveyed to her father KCR.' Kavitha's six-page letter to her father, KCR, raised various issues, highlighting both the negative and positive aspects of the party's recent public meeting at Warangal, news agency ANI reported. The handwritten "feedback" reportedly mentioned issues ranging from "KCR's style of functioning and organisational lapses to what she considered shortcomings in the party's political positions", the Indian Express reported on May 28. The BRS celebrated its Silver Jubilee on April 27 in Warangal. In the letter "leaked" recently, Kavitha reportedly referred to KCR attacking the BJP for only about two minutes, while his entire tirade focused on the Congress rule. Kavitha had said in the letter written in Telugu and English, as cited by PTI: 'As you [KCR] spoke for just two minutes, some people began speculating that there will be a tie-up with the BJP in future. I even felt that you should have spoken strongly [against the BJP]. It might be because I suffered [because of the BJP]. But you should have targeted the BJP some more, Daddy.' Kavitha also cited Rao's silence at party's public meeting in Warangal, on key issues such as 42 per cent reservation for backward classes, Scheduled Castes categorisation, Waqf Amendment Act, and omission of Urdu from his address as reasons for the negative feedback, PTI reported. In the letter, she targeted the Congress government, saying it has lost its support among the grassroots, and some BRS cadres now view the BJP as a viable alternative. Kavitha added that a strong signal was sent to the party workers when the BRS chose not to contest the recent MLC elections, suggesting they might align with the BJP. Kavitha had earlier alleged that some conspiracies are taking place in the party as her letter to her father got "leaked". Speaking to reporters at the RGI airport after returning from the US, she also wondered how an internal letter became public. She said last week (around May 23), 'Two weeks ago, I had written a letter to KCR ji. I had expressed my opinions to him earlier through letters. I had recently said that conspiracies are taking place. The letter written by me internally to KCR ji became public. All of us in the party and Telangana people have to think about what is happening.' "My only demand: who leaked the letter? The letter was for internal communication only," Kavitha said. "KCR is like god who is surrounded by some devils," K Kavita was quoted by PTI as saying on May 23 when asked who is making the conspiracy that she talked about. She said, "A lot of damage is being caused because of them [devils]. I am KCR's daughter. If the letter written by me internally became public, there should be a debate about the fate of others in the party," she said. Last week, Rama Rao responded to a question about his sister Kavitha's comments that KCR is surrounded by some "devils". He said that internal party matters should be discussed within the party instead of speaking out in public. In an informal interaction with reporters at her residence on Thursday (May 29), Kavitha allegedly made indirect remarks targeting her brother and BRS working president KT Rama Rao. According to the New Indian Express, she spoke about internal party dynamics, criticising the influence of 'paid social media workers' and questioning the leadership's direction. Kavitha said that after she raised concerns about the letter 'leak', a few party members began targeting her through social media. She alleged that a conspiracy was underway to isolate her from the party and from KCR In an apparent reference to KTR, she asked what purpose was served by celebrating the party's silver jubilee in the United States while grassroots workers in Telangana were being ignored. Kavitha reportedly said the party cannot be managed 'solely through Twitter'. "What are you celebrating in the United States? I don't understand why we are not celebrating anything at the grassroots level?," she asked her brother, Rama Rao, without taking his name. Rama Rao is currently touring the USA and the UK. As she claimed that some leaders were conspiring to merge the BRS with the BJP, Kavitha questioned why no action was being taken against 'coverts' in the party. 'I feel some leaders want the BRS to be handed over to the BJP. Even the merger proposal came while I was in jail. I opposed it and said I'd rather remain in jail than allow the merger,' Kavitha was quoted by the New Indian Express as saying. She asked, 'If I could face jail, why are these leaders not standing up? Where has the party's fighting spirit gone?' The BRS MLC criticised people in her party, labelling them "coverts." She said, "Is it okay to say there are coverts? Coverts should be controlled, and KCR should be BRS is weak, the BJP and the Congress will become strong." On the notices served to KCR by the PC Ghose Commission, Kavitha said there was no action plan for a statewide protest but noted that the party had reacted differently when another leader received similar notices. Her statement came amid 'the vocal defence of Rama Rao, who is facing summons in the Formula-E case.' Without naming anyone, she took potshots at the leaders from her own party and said that when her father, KCR, received notices related to the Kaleshwaram probe, no plan of action was set up. "When KCR is given notices, there is no action plan. Instead of teaching me, tell me what is your [KTR] action plan. Twitter tweets are not enough. Shouldn't we be on the ground?" Kavitha said. Kavitha said she offered to resign from the MLC post when she was arrested in the money laundering case. However, KCR said it was not required. She also accused some party leaders of working to get her defeated in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the Nizamabad segment. The New Indian Express claimed that Kavitha had also hinted at a major announcement before Telangana Formation Day on June 2. Amid speculation about forming a new party, Kavitha said, 'Why should I deny the possibility? No one knows what the future holds. No one can send me out of BRS.' The report claimed that K Kavitha is planning to set up a new camp office in front of her residence.
News18
3 days ago
- News18
'Manipulative & Vindictive': Supreme Court Quashes Rape Case Over False Marriage Promise
Last Updated: The Court found that the allegations were riddled with inconsistencies and malicious intent, and were filed with the objective of harassing the accused. The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed a rape case filed against a man accused of sexual assault under the pretext of a false promise of marriage, observing that the complainant's conduct appeared to be vindictive, manipulative, and an abuse of the criminal justice process. The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta allowed the appeal filed by the accused and set aside the criminal proceedings initiated against him, including FIR No. 103 of 2022. The Court found that the allegations were riddled with inconsistencies and malicious intent, and were filed with the objective of harassing the accused. The case arose after the complainant, a well-educated and major woman, initially lodged an FIR alleging certain incidents without disclosing key facts. Subsequently, she filed a second FIR in which she accused the appellant of multiple incidents of forcible sexual intercourse and alleged that the accused had refused to marry her due to her caste identity, leading to the addition of offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. However, on examining the material on record, including WhatsApp chats and other communications, the Court found that the complainant had a pattern of threatening criminal proceedings against men who refused to marry her. In some of her chats, she admitted to 'irritating" her partners to the point that they would leave her, allowing her to 'move on to the next one." She also spoke about targeting individuals for personal gain, including 'trying to get a green-card holder" and needing to 'invest on the next victim." 'These chats depict the stark reality about the behavioural pattern of the de-facto complainant who appears to be having manipulative and vindictive tendency," the Court observed. The Bench noted that the accused was justified in withdrawing from the proposed marriage upon discovering the aggressive and obsessive nature of the complainant. 'Thus, in our opinion, the accused appellant was absolutely justified in panicking and backing out from the proposed marriage upon coming to know of the aggressive sexual behaviour and the obsessive nature of the de-facto complainant," the Court stated. Significantly, the Court took strong exception to the belated invocation of the SC/ST Act in the second FIR. Justice Nath, authoring the judgment, held that the caste-based allegations were clearly an afterthought, introduced merely to invoke more stringent provisions and pressurise the accused. 'Hence, even assuming that the accused appellant retracted from his promise to marry the complainant, it cannot be said that he indulged in sexual intercourse with the de-facto complainant under a false promise of marriage or that the offence was committed by him on the ground that she belonged to the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes community," the Bench stated. The Court found that the continuation of the criminal proceedings against the appellant would amount to an abuse of process of law. It noted that the allegations in the FIR were fabricated, malicious, and devoid of substance. 'The impugned FIR No. 103 of 2022 is nothing but a bundle of lies full of fabricated and malicious unsubstantiated allegations levelled by the complainant. The facts on record clearly establish the vindictive and manipulative tendencies of the complainant and these aspects have a great bearing on the controversy," the Court concluded. Accordingly, the appeal was allowed, and all pending criminal proceedings arising out of the FIR were quashed. First Published: May 30, 2025, 13:12 IST
India Today
5 days ago
- India Today
Kerala police arrest two for assaulting and tying 19-year-old tribal man to pole
Two men were arrested by the police for allegedly assaulting a tribal youth. The victim was allegedly tied to an electric pole in Attappadi, in Kerala's Palakkad to police sources, the victim, 19-year-old Siju was walking on the side of a road when he reportedly slipped and fell near a passing milk collection two men, identified as 31-year-old Vishnudas, who was reportedly the driver, and his assistant 21-year-old Reji Mathew, stepped out of the vehicle and claimed that Siju had fallen deliberately to block the road and had damaged the vehicle. The two men then allegedly tied him to a roadside electric pole and left him there for about 30 minutes, until passersby released Siju is currently being treated at a hospital, police said. The men have been booked under relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), they a separate reported atrocity against a tribal person in Kerala, a tribal man named Mathan was dragged 400 m by a car in Wayanad, Kerala, in December 2024, after he intervened in a dispute between tourist was dragged along the Pulpally Road near the village of Koodalkadavu for 400 m until he was abandoned by the accused, who fled the scene. Mathan was hospitalised with serious by Rahen Philip IN THIS STORY#Kerala
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Man held for spitting, trying to damage statue of Ambedkar in Hoshiarpur
A man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly spitting on a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar, making derogatory remarks, and attempting to damage a replica of the Constitution near the statue, police said. The incident took place at Ambedkar Chowk near the bus stand here, they said, adding a case was registered. The accused, Jagdeep Singh Matharu alias Deepak, a resident of Tagore Nagar, allegedly climbed stairs leading to the statue with a cloth wrapped around his head, police said, citing the FIR. Matharu allegedly spat multiple times on the statue, shouted that he came to break it, and claimed he did not accept Dr Ambedkar or the Constitution, the FIR stated. The man then allegedly took out a metallic needle, which is generally used to tuck hair under turbans, from his cloth and began scraping at the replica of the Constitution, which was made of cement and other construction material, it said. The accused's actions drew the attention of bystanders, who rushed to the spot and overpowered him before any further damage could be caused. Model Town police station Sub-Inspector Gursahib Singh said the accused has been arrested under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He said the FIR has been registered on the complaint of Sukhdev Singh, secretary of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Punjab. Further investigation into the incident is underway, the sub-inspector added.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Internal quota likely by June: Ex-minister
Ballari: Former minister H Anjaneya said he was optimistic that the survey to fix internal quota for Scheduled Caste communities will be completed by the end of May and the internal reservation matrix would be declared in June. At a press conference Sunday, he said: "Some Beda Jangamas are trying to claim benefits meant for Scheduled Castes. If a fraudulent certificate is obtained, both issuer and the recipient will face imprisonment. We cannot remain passive if they attempt to infringe upon rights of Madigas. This issue has already been reported to the Commission." He said the struggle to fix internal reservation has been going on for the past 35 years and blamed it on a lack of population data. He said: "The Prime Minister has now consented to a caste census because Rahul Gandhi pushed for one. The state and Union govts must demonstrate their commitment in this matter [caste census and internal reservation]. Following the current caste census, there would be unanimous support for the decision to establish internal reservation," he said. However, he acknowledged the difficulty of the task saying: "In some regions, SCs practice Christianity and Buddhism. These individuals must accurately record their original caste."
