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Time of India
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Congress condemns FIR against Rahul
1 2 Patna: A day after the Darbhanga district administration lodged an FIR against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for attending an event at Ambedkar Hostel without permission, the party criticised the move on Friday while urging the state govt not to implicate dalit students. Speaking to the reporters, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar claimed police were attempting to arrest around 100 dalit students who had invited Rahul to participate in the ' Shiksha Nyay Samvad ' event. "The police have gone all out to arrest these poor students whose names appear in the FIR. We strongly condemn this police action," Kumar said, adding that the students should not be dragged into a political conflict between the Congress and the govt. Kumar said, "We neither fear the bullets of the NDA govt nor their FIRs. The Congress stands firmly with dalits, OBCs, EBCs and minority students. They need not be afraid. Rahulji is with them." Krishna Allavaru, the party's Bihar in charge, said the administration had initially extended support during preparations but suddenly withdrew permission. "Our leader went there to interact with students, not to hold a public rally. The Bihar govt's last-minute decision clearly shows it fears the Congress and Rahul," Allavaru claimed. Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee's working president Jignesh Mevani said, "The registration of an FIR against Rahul and dalit students proves that the NDA is opposed to dalit, backward, extremely backward and tribal communities."
The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Bihar Congress accuses State government of trying to thwart Rahul Gandhi's event in Darbhanga
The Bihar Congress on Friday (May 16, 2025) accused the State government of trying to prevent Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, from interacting with students as part of the party's Shiksha Nyay Samvad programme. Mr. Gandhi on Thursday (May 15) walked nearly 2.5 km to the Ambedkar Welfare Hostel in Darbhanga after the police stopped his convoy from proceeding to the venue of the Shiksha Nyay Samvad, a scheduled interaction with students from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs). Despite the denial of permission, Mr. Gandhi addressed the students at the hostel, holding up a photograph of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Later, two FIRs were lodged against Mr. Gandhi and over 100 party workers. Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru said the police tried to prevent the country's Opposition leader from meeting students at the behest of Deepak Kumar, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He alleged the bureaucrat has been playing the role of Bihar's 'Super CM'. 'When preparations for the programme took place over the past three days, the administration cooperated in cleaning, road repairs, etc. However, at the last moment the administration refused permission for the programme. This proves the Bihar government is afraid of the Congress and Mr. Gandhi. Our leaders had gone there to communicate with the students, not to hold a public meeting,' Mr. Allavaru said while addressing the press at the Congress office in the State capital. He accused the State government of conspiring to cancel Mr. Gandhi's programme. Later in the evening, the Darbhanga Police had lodged two FIRs against Mr. Gandhi and more than 100 party workers for organising the programme without permission. The District Magistrate Office had granted permission to hold the event at the Town Hall. A senior officer of the Darbhanga Police said based on the complaint of District Welfare Officer Alok Kumar, an FIR was registered at Laheriasarai police station under Sections 189(2)(5) and 132 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Similarly, on the complaint of Bloc Welfare Officer Khurshid Alam, an FIR was lodged under Section 223 (disobedience to orders issued by public servants) of the BNS and Loudspeaker Act, he added. 'Rahul Gandhi ji has said the FIR of the Bihar government is like a medal for him. On one side, there is the Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (United) dictatorial government that wants to suppress the voice of Dalits, and on the other side, there is the self-confidence of Rahul Gandhi ji, which he has got from the Constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar,' Bihar Congress In-charge Rajesh Kumar said. Jignesh Mevani, executive president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee, who was also present in the press briefing, asserted that the Darbhanga incident proved that 'Babasaheb's Constitution has so much power that it can defeat even the biggest dictators'. 'The BJP-JD(U) government has been badly exposed. Their hypocritical mask of being the well-wishers of Dalit, tribal, OBC, EBC and minority students has come off. The FIR lodged against many Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, is solid proof that these political parties are opponents of Dalit, backward, extremely backward and tribal classes. They have so much hatred in their hearts that they send to jail any person who talks about Dalit interests,' Mr. Mevani said. Lashing out at State government, Bihar Congress in-charge secretary Sushil Pasi said if standing in support of Dalits and talking about their rights are crimes in the eyes of the BJP-JD(U) government, then the Congress party will commit these 'crimes again and again, every day, with full pride and determination'.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Political heat rises as assembly polls approach in state
Patna: With assembly elections due in Oct-Nov this year, political activity is heating up in the state. A day after leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi , launched the Shiksha Nyay Samvad in Darbhanga, the BJP has begun preparations for Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's proposed visit to Bihar on May 30. According to the BJP, the PM will address a public meeting at Bikramganj in Rohtas district. The PM's visit has drawn attention, coming soon after the Indian armed forces' action against Pakistan-based terrorists. Political observers believe the PM may refer to these developments during his speech. The opposition INDIA bloc has said it will oppose any attempt to politicise the armed forces' action. "The army's action was necessary, but the BJP is adding a political touch by undertaking the Tiranga Yatra. The masses are very much aware of the matter and will give a suitable reply in the upcoming assembly elections," Congress legislature party leader in the state assembly, Shakeel Ahmad Khan, said on Friday. The Congress has stepped up its activities in Bihar. Rahul has been visiting the state frequently, taking part in events such as Shiksha Nyay Samvad, Palayan Roko Naukari Do Yatra, Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan and the Nyay Yatra, aimed at connecting with marginalised communities, whom the party sees as potential gamechangers in the upcoming polls. The party's morale has risen following a better showing in last year's Lok Sabha elections, where it won three out of the nine seats it contested compared to just one seat in 2019. The RJD has also criticised the BJP over the issue, warning against politicising military operations. "Tricolour holds a special place in the life of each and every Indian, but the BJP is trying to politicise the army action by launching Tiranga Yatra. They could go to any extent to win elections," said RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav. Defending the BJP, party spokesperson Manoj Sharma questioned the opposition's criticism. "Is the issue of India-Pakistan not relevant to the country? If this discussion doesn't happen in the country, then will it take place in Turkiye?" Sharma asked. Describing the matter as one of national sentiment, he added, "Quite many soldiers from Bihar also laid down their lives for the nation's sake."
India Today
16-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Rahul Gandhi's mega outreach to SCs, STs in Bihar. Will it help revive Congress?
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday kickstarted the 'Shiksha Nyay Samvad' campaign in Bihar's Darbhanga and interacted with students from the Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes (SCs and STs) in an effort to reach out to the community ahead of the Assembly Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, interacted with the students at the Ambedkar hostel despite the local administration denying him in the day, Rahul Gandhi flew to Patna to watch 'Phule', a film based on the life of social reformer Jyoti Rao Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule that triggered a controversy recently. He watched the film with representatives from the SCs and his visit to Darbhanga, Rahul Gandhi raised the caste survey issue and demanded reservations for students from the SC and ST communities in private accused the Nitish Kumar-led government of denying funds to them under the SC-ST sub-plan, meant to ensure the communities receive a proportionate share of development benefits."We want to raise three demands - conducting a caste census in the country, reservation for OBCs (Other Backward Classes), EBCs (Economically Backward Classes), SCs and STs in private institutions and ensuring funds for SCs and STs under the government's SC-ST sub plan," he SC-ST sub-plan fund is earmarked for the development of SCs and STs. It is a designated pool of resources to fund programmes focusing on improving the socio-economic condition of SCs and STs, which, according to Rahul Gandhi, was being denied in ON BIHARThis was Rahul Gandhi's fourth visit to Bihar, where the Assembly polls are scheduled to take place in October-November this year. It is also the first visit since the Centre announced to conduct a caste census along with the national population Gandhi's visits to Bihar sent out a clear message that the Congress was leaving no stones unturned this time to fight the elections aggressively in alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).Interestingly, just ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls, the Congress appears to have changed its strategy and is now aggressively trying to reach out to the SC, STs voters in the state. The party also replaced its state president, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, with a Dalit leader, Rajesh Ram, a few months party also appointed Sushil Pasi, who belongs to the Dalit community, as the co-incharge of OUTREACH TO DALITSFor the first time, the Congress celebrated the 130th birth anniversary of Jaglal Choudhary, a prominent Pasi leader of his time, in February this year. The event was attended by Rahul key organisational changes in the party's Bihar unit and organising events related to the Dalit community were a clear indication that the Congress was trying to woo its traditional vote bank, which accounts for nearly 19 per cent of the population in the one point, Dalits were considered a strong vote bank of the Congress, but over the period, they moved away from the grand old party to Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) after 2005 because of the development work carried out by his government in the last 20 of 243 Assembly seats in Bihar, 38 of them are reserved for SCs and two for DECLINE IN BIHARIn the last three decades, the Congress in Bihar has been in a decline, with the party's vote share continuously dipping in the state.1990 - 24.78 per cent1995 - 16.30 per cent2000 - 11.06 per cent2005 - 6.09 per cent2010 - 8.37 per cent2015 - 6.7 per cent2020 - 9.48 per centIn light of this, Rahul Gandhi is going all out to woo the Dalit community to revive the prospects of the Congress in the upcoming Assembly InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Rahul Gandhi#Indian National Congress#Bihar
New Indian Express
16-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Rahul says will continue to fight for quota in pvt edu institutions
PATNA: Congress MP and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ordered a nationwide caste census 'out of fear' of the country's deprived sections. Interacting with students from SC, ST, OBC and EBC categories at Ambedkar Hostel in Bihar's Darbhanga district as part of the party's 'Shiksha Nyay Samvad' programme, Gandhi said that the Prime Minister conceded the demand to avoid backlash from the deprived sections. He exhorted youngsters to remain focused on three demands: an effective caste census, like in Congress-ruled Telangana, reservations in private educational institutions, and the release of funds under the SC/ST sub-plan. Rahul said that youngsters can't expect these things from the ruling NDA. 'But rest assured that your interest will be taken care of when we come to power, be in Bihar or at the Centre,' it emphasised. He said he would continue fighting for reservations in private educational institutions. 'I will make sure that you are not distracted from your focus and you get your rights. You all have to understand your strength,' he told the gathering. He alleged that the Prime Minister was against the caste census. 'I told PM Modi in parliament that he has to conduct a caste census. Due to pressure and fear of backlash from the public, PM Modi ordered a caste census. But the fact is that he is against caste census and the Constitution,' he asserted.
