Latest news with #anti-Dalit
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Mayawati hopes BSP will bounce back on revival of paper ballots
Lucknow: Seeking the re-introduction of paper ballot, Bahujan Samaj Party National President Mayawati on Thursday blamed the alleged manipulation of electronic voting machines (EVMs) for her party's recent diminishing electoral success. 'Most of the opposition parties, including our party, want that all the small and big elections in the country should be conducted through ballot papers like before. But this is not possible under the current government,' said Mayawati, in her address to media persons. Looking to revitalise her party cadre in the backdrop of recent electoral reverses, Mayawati said, 'A change of regime is on the cards in the country and this will surely bring back ballot papers. Therefore, BSP workers need not feel disheartened and should remain focused on strengthening the organisation.' She said anti-Dalit forces have joined hands with other parties to weaken the BSP and manipulate EVMs to prevent party candidates from winning elections. 'Considering the prevailing political mood in the country, the EVM-related voting system can change at any moment, and all elections will be conducted using paper ballots. The return of paper ballots would also bring back good times for the BSP,' said Mayawati. The Dalit leader also trained her guns on forces which, she claimed, were trying to mislead BSP workers and supporters and weaken forces devoted to the welfare of the marginalised sections. In a subtle reference to the exit of former BSP MP from Bijnor, Malook Nagar, in April, Mayawati said the Dalits would never benefit even if opportunist leaders – who work at the behest of parties like the Congress, BJP and Samajwadi Party – become MPs, MLAs or ministers. Without naming the emerging Dalit leader from Uttar Pradesh, Changrashekhar Azad of the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), Mayawati also alerted voters against opportunistic organisations and leaders who 'misuse' the names of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram as part of a conspiracy to split Dalit votes, ultimately benefiting other parties.
News18
02-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Telangana IAS Officer Under Fire For 'Students Must Clean Toilets' Remark
Last Updated: IAS officer Alagu Varsini has said students studying in government schools are not from a posh background and should wash their toilets, do their cooking and sweep their rooms An IAS officer from Telangana has triggered a massive political row with comments about students cleaning toilets at their schools. Her comments have come under fire, with demands that the Revanth Reddy-led state government transfer her from her post. The officer, Alagu Varsini, reportedly said students studying in government schools are not from a posh background and should wash their own toilets, do their own cooking and sweep their rooms. She is the secretary of the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society and has said 'selective editing" of her comments had led to the controversy. The opposition, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), has called her statement as displaying discriminatory attitudes towards students from marginalised communities, prompting the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) to take note of the incident while also seeking details. According to a report published by NDTV, the NCSC on Monday issued a notice to Telangana chief secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and director general of police (DGP) Dr Jitender, asking about the comments. It has sought replies within a fortnight. The BRS has alleged that Varsini's comments are not only derogatory but can be seen as pushing the new generation of Dalit children into a similar situation as their previous generations. Party leader K Kavitha accused the Congress government in the state of taking away grants from Gurukul schools that enabled them to hire cleaners and caretakers. She targeted Revanth Reddy for being 'anti-poor, anti-Dalit" and demanded the officer's removal as well as the restoration of social welfare grants in these schools. 'Congress government's anti-poor attitude is reflected in this shocking behaviour by an official, at Social Welfare Gurukul Society. The evidence of which is available in the audio clip !! Each social welfare school was granted Rs 40,000 per month during the BRS rule for hiring four temporary workers for cleaning tasks. This has been stopped by Congress government starting May this year. The government has also done away with having assistant caretakers in the 240 schools, forcing the students to take up the role of wardens and manage kitchens. Now the officer is Forcing children to clean toilets in schools !!" (sic) she said in a post on X, where she also attached the viral audio clip. Kavitha said the social welfare grants cancelled by the Congress had been set aside by the previous KCR-led regime. 'The statements goes against the very concept of establishing Gurukuls to protect students from marginalised communities from caste and class bias. This behaviour is discriminatory, exploitative, and violates basic principles of child rights and dignity. It only Reflects Revanth Reddy government's anti poor, anti Dalith attitude !! I demand the government to immediately take steps to remove the officer and start giving the required funds to run the social welfare schools properly," (sic) she added. Congress government's anti-poor attitude is reflected in this shocking behaviour by an official, at Social Welfare Gurukul evidence of which is available in the audio clip !! Each social welfare school was granted Rs 40,000 per month during the BRS rule for hiring… — Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) May 28, 2025 WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY? Varsini's comments recently went viral after an audio clip surfaced in which she was heard saying 'holistic education includes teaching sanitation and personal hygiene". She, however, told NDTV that her intention was to ensure children under her care received 'an all-round education, both from books and lessons on self-care". '… the children come to us when they are 10 years old and leave when they are 18. In that time we want to provide a holistic education, not just a bookish education. If they enter the system at nine or 10 years old, and I make them study for nine hours and send them back, then what will they learn about self-care or cleanliness? Is education only from books? I don't think so," she was quoted. First Published: June 02, 2025, 16:34 IST
NDTV
02-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Row Over Telangana Officer's 'Children Must Clean Toilets' Remark
New Delhi: Comments by a Telangana government official - Alagu Varsini, about Dalit students at state-run gurukuls and hostels made to do 'chores', i.e., clean their toilets and rooms and even make some of their own food - have triggered a row, with the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi demanding her transfer and the National Commission for Scheduled Caste seeking details. The NCSC on Monday issued a notice to the Telangana Chief Secretary, K Ramakrishna Rao, and the Director-General of the police, Dr Jitender, asking about the 'derogatory' comments. Replies have been sought within a fortnight. Ms Varshini's sacking has also been demanded by her predecessor, Praveen Kumar, who told NDTV, in a deeply sarcastic note, that she could first "teach the Chief Minister and his children and grandchildren holistic habits". The BRS, meanwhile, has said that Ms Varsini's comments - about children "who don't belong to posh families', a comment seen as referring to Dalit kids - is "pushing children (from that community) into the same situation as they have been for generations" rather than helping. BRS leader K Kavitha ripped into the ruling Congress, whom she also accused of stopping grants of Rs 40,000 per month to hire four temp workers per school for cleaning tasks. This, she said on X, had been set aside when the BRS of ex-Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was in power. "The Congress government has also done away with having assistant caretakers in 240 schools, forcing children to take up the role of wardens and manage kitchens. Now the officer is forcing students to clean toilets! Her statements go against the very concept of establishing gurukuls... to protect students from marginalised communities from caste and class bias..." she said. Congress government's anti-poor attitude is reflected in this shocking behaviour by an official, at Social Welfare Gurukul Society. The evidence of which is available in the audio clip !! Each social welfare school was granted Rs 40,000 per month during the BRS rule for hiring… — Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) May 28, 2025 "This behaviour is discriminatory, exploitative, and violates basic principles of child rights and dignity. It only reflects (Chief Minister) Revanth Reddy' government's anti-poor and anti-Dalit attitude! I demand the government immediately take steps to remove the officer and start giving the required funds to run social welfare schools properly," the BRS leader wrote on X. The row over Ms Varsini's comments broke late last month after an audio clip surfaced in which she was heard saying "holistic education includes teaching sanitation and personal hygiene". Ms Varsini spoke to NDTV and said that her intention was, and remains, to ensure children in her care receive an all-round education, both from books and lessons on "self-care". #NDTVExclusive | "We aim to provide holistic education " : Alagu Varsini (@Alagu19066600), Secretary, Residential Institute Society on BRS leader Kavitha's 'anti-poor' charges against Congress government, saying "kids used to clean toilets"; Congress denies charges @umasudhir — NDTV (@ndtv) May 28, 2025 "... the children come to us when they are 10 years old and leave when they are 18. In that time we want to provide a holistic education, not just a bookish education. If they enter the system at nine or 10 years old, and I make them study for nine hours and send them back, then what will they learn about self-care or cleanliness? Is education only from books? I don't think so." Last week, Ms Varsini, who is Secretary of the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society, called out the 'selective editing' of a speech that led to this row. The ruling Congress has hit back, meanwhile, at the BRS, accusing it of trying to undermine the development of the state and of being unable to digest the election defeat last year. #NDTVExclusive | "Kavitha not able to digest development" : Congress MP Mallu Ravi (@DrMalluRavi1) to NDTV's @umasudhir — NDTV (@ndtv) May 28, 2025 "This is a political comment by Kavitha," Congress MP Mallu Ravi told NDTV, referring to the BRS leader's X post. "I do not agree if students are washing or cleaning anything... but I don't know if this is happening. The idea is not to make students clean... it is to make them study well."
Hans India
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Letter penned for party's betterment, says Kavitha
Hyderabad / Mancherial: A day after her explosive interaction with the media, BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Friday said that she had written the letter for the betterment of the party. The BRS leader said that she was targeted in the party and her letter was leaked and hence she could not meet the party president K Chandrashekar Rao. Talking to the reporters in a chit chat during her visit to Mancherial, Kavitha reiterated that she had written the letter. She said that she was anguished over the developments in the party hence she wrote the letter for the betterment of the party. 'I have expressed what the common party worker wanted from the party to the supremo KCR. I had worked hard for the party from the beginning. I had experienced a lot of suffering for the last ten years and had been tolerating it all. Many things are happening in the party but I have always tried to develop the party. Despite all this, a few issues have pained me. They tried to have an alliance with the BJP which had sent me to jail. I felt discomfort when there was a proposal to merge the party into BJP when I was in jail,' said Kavitha. The BRS leader said that no party has survived after having an alliance with the BJP. Hence she said she suggested the party leadership not to have an alliance with the BJP. 'I had made my point in the form of a letter written to the party president. I even tried to meet the party president and wanted to inform him. Though I had a chance to meet my father, I could not meet him because of the letter getting leaked. I had written letters even in the past but this time it was leaked. The party should find out who had leaked the letter,' said Kavitha, adding there was no separate agenda for her. She said that she will not allow the BRS to be merged with the BJP. It may be mentioned here that the letter written by the BRS MLC Kavitha had sent tremors within the BRS and her comments made on Friday further added fuel to fire. Kavitha said that the BJP was carrying out its misdeeds in the name of Operation Kagaar. 'When the Maoist Secretary Nambala Keshava Rao died in the encounter, they were not even allowed to have final rites. The BJP does not have the culture even to handover the dead body to the family for the final rites. Despite the demand for stopping Operation Kagaar, the murders are continuing,' said Kavitha condemning the attitude of the BJP. The BRS leader said that the Congress has shown its anti-Dalit attitude by insulting the Dalit leaders. She recalled the comments of MP Vamshi that he was not invited for the Saraswati Pushkaralu. She recalled that the Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka was insulted in the Yadagirigutta Temple. The approach of the Congress and BJP are against the social fabric of the country, she alleged.
India Gazette
28-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Lies are BJP's jewels, you are wearing them": MP Cong Chief Patwari retaliates against Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's tweet
Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 28 (ANI): Retaliating to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over his recent tweet calling Rahul Gandhi and Congress the 'biggest brand ambassadors of lies and fraud' in the country, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari on Wednesday said that lies are the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) jewels and the union minister is wearing them. Patwari also highlighted that Rahul Gandhi talks about justice and social concerns in the country and cautions Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the necessary changes for the country. Speaking to reporters in Jabalpur, Patwari said, 'I would like to ask Dharmendra Pradhan that Rahul Gandhi set a vision of the caste census in front of this country. The BJP kept mocking and opposing it. The entire BJP was serving hatred. But finally, Rahul Gandhi's point of a caste census was accepted by your government. Is it not the truth?... Rahul Gandhi plays the role of the opposition. He talks about love, justice and social concerns in the country. He cautions PM Modi about the necessary changes for the country. Lies are BJP's jewels, and Dharmendra Pradhan is wearing them.' Taking to social media platform X, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said the 'royal family' of the opposition party has 'always deceived' the Scheduled Castes (SC)/ Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) and accused the Congress leaders of using the 'imported toolkit' to spread lies in the country. 'Rahul Gandhi and the entire Congress party have become the biggest brand ambassadors of lies and fraud in the country today. The royal family of Congress has always deceived SC, ST and OBC, but the prince (Rahul Gandhi) does not know the anti-Dalit history of his own family. That is why every day the Congress, on the basis of an imported toolkit, presents a bundle full of lies for the prince,' Pradhan said in a post on X. He also alleged that during the long rule of Congress, the party had deprived the Dalits and OBCs of their rights. The Union Minister said this while replying to a post by Rahul Gandhi in which the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had claimed that the Modi government was sidelining qualified SC/ST/OBC candidates by labelling them 'Not Found Suitable' (NFS) in faculty recruitments. ''Not Found Suitable' is the new Manuism now. Qualified SC/ST/OBC candidates are being deliberately 'disqualified' - to keep them away from education and leadership. Babasaheb had said: Education is the biggest weapon for equality. But the Modi government is busy blunting that weapon,' Rahul's post read. Pradhan further alleged that during the UPA-led government, Congress deprived SC/ST/OBCs of their rights. 'When the UPA government left in 2014, 57% SC, 63% ST and 60% OBC teacher posts were vacant in central universities. Prime Minister Modi's government has filled these posts as soon as it came to power. Also, the Modi government increased the number of teacher posts from 16,217 to 18,940 in 2014. The number of vacant posts, which was 37% in 2014 is 25.95% today and the process of filling these vacant posts is still going on in the government of Prime Minister Modi,' the minister said, rebutting Rahul Gandhi's claim. He claimed that during the Congress-led UPA government only 83 SC, 14 ST and 166 OBC faculty were in IITs, whereas only 261 SC, 72 ST and 334 appointments were made in NITs (National Institute of Technology). 'Whereas during the Modi government's tenure from 2014-24, 398 SC, 99 ST and 746 OBC teachers were appointed in IITs and 929 SC, 265 ST and 1510 OBC teachers were appointed in NITs. The Modi government itself abolished the requirement of PhD for Assistant Professor,' he added. Pradhan further said, 'The NFS - 'Not Found Suitable' that Rahul Gandhi is talking about, was the result of the anti-Dalit, anti-deprived Congress thinking that did politics in the name of Babasaheb.' But after the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teacher's Cadre) Act, 2019, brought during the Modi government, made the phenomenon of 'NFS' a history, he said. 'Now the posts reserved for SC, ST and OBC classes will not be filled by any other class, this is the gift of Prime Minister Modi. Along with this, Modi's government has also ended the bottlenecks in the reservation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, socially and economically backward classes, which the previous Congress governments could never do,' he said. (ANI)
