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Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Insult to nation's Dalits, tribals: BJP slams Kharge over remarks on President Murmu
The BJP launched a scathing attack on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for his alleged mispronunciations and controversial comments regarding President Droupadi Murmu and former President Ram Nath Kovind. The BJP has alleged that Kharge referred to President Murmu as "Murma ji" and ex-President Kovind as "Covid ji" and accused them of being land grabbers. The remarks have been described by BJP leaders as an insult not only to individuals holding top constitutional posts but to the entire Dalit and tribal communities. Reacting to the controversy, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said, 'I have not heard this. If someone has said that, then what does it mean? She is a woman from the tribal community, whose lifelong courage and struggles we all know, read about, and witness. To say something like that about her, what does it imply? It seems like a wrong accusation against the tribal community.' 'The Congress party has always insulted the tribal community, but this time it has crossed all limits,' said Minister Vishvas Sarang, reacting sharply to Kharge's alleged remarks on the President. 'To speak in such a manner about our respected President, who holds the highest constitutional position in the country, is the most unconstitutional act possible. I believe the Congress is breaking all boundaries of decency. Mocking a person holding a constitutional post is not just an insult to that individual, it is an insult to the entire nation,' he added. BJP National Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia was more direct in his criticism. 'The Opposition mindset, the Congress Party, where their leader Rahul Gandhi walks around holding the Constitution in his hands, it is under their influence that the remote-controlled President, Mallikarjun Kharge, makes such objectionable remarks. Today, the entire country, every citizen, the tribal community, Dalits and women are condemning him,' he stated. Senior BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra called the remarks 'extremely painful, deeply unfortunate" and added that "nothing could be more regrettable.' He said, 'Mallikarjun Kharge is the President of a national party and an elderly man; such words do not befit him. A dignified woman from a Scheduled Tribe background is today the President of the country. A scholar like Ram Nath Kovind has also served as our President. Mocking such individuals in this manner is deeply shameful.' BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called it a display of 'deep hatred against SC and ST communities.' 'Calling Droupadi Murmu 'Murma ji' and Kovind ji 'Covid ji', and further labelling them as land grabbers, this is not a slip of the tongue, it's an expression of ingrained prejudice,' Poonawalla said. 'The Congress has a history of mocking constitutional authorities, be it the Chief Justice of India, the Prime Minister, or the President,' he professed.
India Today
01-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Karnataka High Court orders CBI probe into Valmiki Corporation irregularities
The Karnataka High Court has ordered an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into alleged irregularities within the Valmiki Development Corporation. The decision was delivered by Justice M Nagaprasanna following a petition filed by BJP leaders Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Aravind Limbavali, and petitioners had urged the court to direct a central agency probe, alleging misappropriation and misuse of funds in the state-run body tasked with Scheduled Tribe its order, the High Court directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was initially probing the case, to hand over all related records to the CBI. The bench noted that the scope of the CBI probe would not be limited merely to previously identified lapses but would encompass a broader inquiry into the corporation's functioning and financial dealings. The development marks a setback for the Congress-led government in Karnataka, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, as it brings further scrutiny to alleged financial misconduct under its alleged scam emerged after corporation accounts superintendent Chandrasekharan P was found dead on May 21, 2024. His suicide note alleged an unauthorised transfer of Rs 187 crore from the corporation, with Rs 88.62 crore illegally deposited into IT company accounts and a Hyderabad cooperative bank. Following the incident, two officials were suspended and Karnataka Tribal Welfare and Sports Minister Nagendra resigned, who was later arrested by the ED in connection with the alleged June 11, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted searches at eight locations in Karnataka, linked to Congress leader and Ballari Lok Sabha MP E Tukaram and other Congress leaders and MLAs in the state, sources raids were in connection with the investigation into the alleged embezzlement of funds from the Karnataka Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited (KVSTDCL). The alleged siphoned money was then reportedly used to fund the Lok Sabha election campaign.- Ends IN THIS STORY#Karnataka
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
In first, SC introduces quotas for court staff
For the first time in its history, the Supreme Court of India has introduced a formal policy of reservation in the direct appointment and promotion for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) staff working in the top court. The move, which took effect on June 23, 2025, marks a landmark shift in the internal administration of the apex judiciary, long seen as conservative on issues of affirmative action within its own institutional structures. CJI BR Gavai (PTI) To be sure, the reservation is not for judges. The policy covers a wide swathe of posts, including registrars, senior personal assistants, assistant librarians, junior court assistants and chamber attendants. The model roster classifies all employees under three categories: SC, ST and unreserved. A circular issued on June 24 to all Supreme Court employees and registrars announced the policy's implementation and outlined the modalities for its execution. 'As per the directions of the Competent Authority, it is to notify for the information of all concerned that the Model Reservation Roster and Register has been uploaded on the Supnet (Court's internal email network) and it is made effective from June 23, 2025,' the circular stated. The document also invited objections from employees in case of inaccuracies in the roster or register and asked them to direct such representations to the Registrar (Recruitment). This significant policy shift has come during the tenure of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, the second person from a Scheduled Caste background to rise to the country's highest judicial post. That the approval came under his stewardship adds both symbolic and substantive weight to the development, especially in a judiciary often criticised for underrepresentation of marginalised groups both on and off the bench. 'All government institutions and many high courts already have provisions for reservation for SCs and STs. So, why should the Supreme Court be an exception? The Supreme Court has delivered several landmark judgments on affirmative action, and as an institution, it had to apply it. Our actions must reflect our principles,' CJI Gavai told HT, reflecting on the rationale behind the internal reform. The CJI added: 'I have always maintained that equality and representation are not competing ideals but complementary forces that drive India's constitutional vision forward. Affirmative action is not an exception to equality but integral to its realisation. The endevaour sets the tone for a more socially responsive judiciary within its administrative remit.' As per the circular and the model roster now in effect, SC employees will receive a 15% quota and ST employees a 7.5% quota in promotions. These figures align with the central government's reservation norms for direct recruitment. However, their application in the Supreme Court for promotional advancement is without precedent. The development is a landmark moment, not just for the apex court's employees but for affirmative action discourse in India's highest institutions. Notably, it has come during the term of a CJI who has lived the experience of social disadvantage and now helms the country's top judicial institution, While the move may appear administrative on the surface, it also addresses a long-standing and politically sensitive issue in India -- the denial or deferral of promotion benefits to SC/ST employees due to legal hurdles and the court's precedents on the matter. Reservation in promotion has been a fraught subject for decades. In particular, a landmark 2006 Constitution bench judgment in M Nagaraj Vs Union of India laid down stringent criteria for extending such benefits, including quantifiable data showing backwardness of the group, data on inadequacy of their representation in public employment and compliance with administrative efficiency. These conditions made implementation difficult. In the years that followed, many state-level reservation-in-promotion policies were struck down by high courts for failing to meet the Nagaraj benchmarks. In 2018, the Supreme Court revisited the issue in Jarnail Singh Vs Lacchmi Narain Gupta, relaxing one of the three conditions -- governments no longer needed to prove backwardness of SC/STs. However, it upheld the other two: quantifiable data on representation and administrative efficiency. It also introduced the exclusion of the 'creamy layer' (the relatively well-off among SC/ST groups) from reservation benefits. This compounded the Centre's dilemma. The Union government, backed by some states, repeatedly sought dilution of these requirements, citing administrative roadblocks and stagnation in service for thousands of SC/ST employees. It also argued that reservations should match the community's population proportion, echoing the Supreme Court's 1995 ruling in RK Sabharwal Vs State of Punjab. But in January 2022, the apex court refused to soften the conditions, emphasising that adequacy of representation cannot be gauged with reference to overall workforce numbers or community population share. 'Before providing for reservation in promotions to a cadre, the state is obligated to collect quantifiable data regarding inadequacy of representation of SCs and STs…Collection of information… cannot be with reference to the entire service or class/group but should be relatable to the grade/category of posts to which promotion is sought,' the 2022 ruling held. The court also made it clear that only contemporaneous data, and not old or outdated statistics, would suffice. Against this backdrop, the Supreme Court's internal adoption of a reservation-in-promotion policy clearly acknowledges the institutional need for representation within the top court's own administrative machinery. By establishing a model roster and maintaining an updated register, the court has now taken the first step in ensuring internal accountability in promotions. Moreover, it may serve as a template for other constitutional bodies, such as the Election Commission of India or the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, which face similar constraints in implementing promotional reservations without running afoul of court rulings.
India Gazette
25-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
NHRC takes suo motu cognisance of social boycott of tribal woman's family in Odisha
ANI 25 Jun 2025, 18:37 GMT+10 New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report concerning the social boycott of a Scheduled Tribe (ST) woman's family in Odisha's Rayagada district after her marriage to a man belonging to a Scheduled Caste. Terming the reported incident as a serious human rights violation, the NHRC has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of the Government of Odisha, seeking a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. According to the media report, the villagers enforced a 'purification ritual' as a condition for the family's reacceptance into the community. This ritual allegedly involved the forcible tonsuring of the heads of 40 male family members. The family was also reportedly threatened with an indefinite boycott if they refused to comply with the villagers' demands. The Commission's intervention follows the publication of the media report on June 21. The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of the human rights of the victims and deep-rooted discrimination and raise grave concerns about the protection of individual rights and dignity. According to the media report, in a shocking case of caste discrimination, 40 members of a family in Odisha were forced to shave their heads as part of a 'purification' ritual after a woman from the family married a man from a different caste. The incident took place in Baiganguda village, located in the Kashipur block of Rayagada district. The woman, who belongs to a Scheduled Tribe (ST), had recently married a man from a Scheduled Caste (SC) from a nearby village, going against the wishes of the village elders. As a result, her family was socially boycotted and pressured to undergo the ritual in order to be accepted back into the community. (ANI)
Hans India
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
NHRC takes suo motu cognisance of Odisha family's head tonsure after inter-caste marriage
New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that the family of a Scheduled Tribe woman was boycotted socially by the villagers after she married a Scheduled Caste man in Odisha. Reportedly, the villagers demanded a purification ritual if the family of the woman wanted to be accepted back into the community and were threatened with an indefinite boycott in case they refused to comply with the ritual. The family members of the woman succumbed to the diktat of the villagers, and as a part of the ritual, the heads of 40 members of her family were tonsured. The incident was reported from Baiganguda village of the Kashipur block of Rayagada district. Taking note of the news report, the apex human rights body said the contents of the press report, if true, raise a serious violation of the human rights of the victims. After a video of the family members sitting in a field with their heads shaved went viral on social media, the local administration ordered a detailed probe into the matter. A block-level official was sent to the village to investigate the incident. The NHRC issued a notice to the Odisha Chief Secretary and called for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. Established under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the NHRC, an autonomous statutory body, is an embodiment of India's concern for the promotion and protection of human rights. Its primary role is to protect and promote human rights, defined as the rights relating to life, liberty, equality, and dignity of individuals guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India. The apex human rights body has the power to take suo motu (on its own motion) action based on media reports, public knowledge or other sources, without receiving a formal complaint of human rights violations.
