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Our protest was peaceful, BJP MPs armed with sticks blocked us from entering Parliament: Rahul

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New Delhi, Dec 19: Amidst a litany of complaints, charges and counter-charges over a scuffle outside the Parliament, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Thursday outrightly rejected BJP’s claims that the Congress MPs created a ruckus and rather blamed the ‘anti-Ambedkar’ BJP for the ugly showdown near Makar Dwaar, the main entrance of the complex.

Addressing the media at Congress HQ, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress was holding a peaceful demonstration over Amit Shah’s insulting remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar and it was the BJP members, armed with sticks who created chaos by intimidating and threatening him and other INDIA bloc MPs.

“We were blocked and stopped on the stairs of the Parliament by the stick-wielding BJP lawmakers. We are still waiting for Amit Shah’s resignation over the insult to the Dalit icon,” he said, while dubbing the BJP as ‘anti-constitutional, anti-Ambedkar.’

He said that it was a deliberate attempt by the BJP government to deflect attention from the real issues. He also accused the BJP of deploying blatant means to erase the contributions of Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution and said that Amit Shah’s statement in Rajya Sabha showed the intent and motive of this government.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also pinned blame on the BJP over the raging controversy, leading to injury to two of its MPs Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput and termed it a ‘well-crafted drama’ by the ruling party as part of its damage-control exercise.

Further, shedding light on what led to an ugly showdown outside the Parliament, Kharge said, “Since yesterday, we have been demanding either Amit Shah’s resignation or his sacking by the Prime Minister. Since nothing happened, our MPs gathered outside the Parliament to stage a demonstration.”

“We started our march from Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue towards the Makar Dwaar. They stopped and blocked us from entering the House. We wanted to enter the House but they stopped us by force. Even women MPs were blocked and attacked,” he further said in direct charge at the BJP.

He dismissed BJP MPs’ claims of being pushed and shoved by Congressmen and stated that he was himself pushed aside, leading to his fall and injury to his knees.

Citing Amit Shah’s ‘calling Ambedkar…Ambedkar, has become a fashion’ remark, he also vowed to launch agitation against the ruling dispensation’s bid to ‘erode’ the contributions of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

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Waqf Bill will not be stopped by threats: Jagdambika Pal on Muslim groups’ protest

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New Delhi, March 10: As protests by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) intensify against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is expected to be presented in Parliament soon, Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), reaffirmed on Monday that the Bill will be passed and not be stopped by threats.

To mount pressure on the BJP’s key allies — TDP and JD(U) — the Board has decided to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar on March 13 and is sending invitations to all the Opposition parties to take part in it.

It has warned that if the Bill is still passed, the Board will launch a nationwide movement.

Additionally, they will also approach the Supreme Court with the confidence that justice will be served.

Speaking with media, Jagdambika Pal said, “The Supreme Court is always an option, but should democracy function through threats or by the will of the people? Laws are made by elected representatives, not by threats or violent rhetoric.”

He further criticised the contradiction in the AIMPLB’s approach, where they threaten action while simultaneously seeking legal recourse.

Pal defended the government’s stance, saying that the Waqf Bill had been carefully considered by the JPC after extensive consultations.

“We listened to the AIMPLB for six months, giving them four hours to voice their concerns,” Pal said.

“As a result, we’ve now prepared a 400-page amendment, which addresses the needs of the country’s minorities. This law aims to support vulnerable groups, including the poor, women, orphans, widows, and economically backward Muslims.”

The amendments, according to Pal, ensure that the Bill will benefit those who need it most, making it a crucial step forward for marginalised Muslim communities. He made it clear that no threats would halt the process of passing the law.

Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind lent its support to the AIMPLB’s protest, accusing the government of forcing Muslims onto the streets to defend their rights.

Jamiat chief Maulana Arshad Madani expressed solidarity with the protest scheduled for March 13 at Jantar Mantar, stating that Muslims are being compelled to fight for their rights.

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Bihar BJP MLA says Muslims should only come out of their houses on Holi with big hearts

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Patna, March 10: Bihar BJP MLA, Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul, sparked a major political controversy with his statement warning the Muslim community not to step out of their homes on Holi or else not mind having colour being put on them.

His remarks have drawn sharp reactions, further fueling tensions after recent communal disputes in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh.

“Muslims should not go out of their homes on Holi, otherwise they will get coloured. There are 52 Jummas (Fridays) in the year and one Holi, so Muslims should remain indoors on this day. If they step out, they should show a big heart and not oppose if abir or gulal is applied on them,” Bachaul said.

Bihar’s political climate has intensified, with Opposition parties calling his statement divisive and inflammatory.

Many leaders have condemned the remark, accusing Bachaul of stoking communal tensions ahead of Holi.

Muslim leaders and community representatives have criticised the statement, calling it an attack on personal freedom.

Bihar Minister Jama Khan responded to Bachaul’s remarks by emphasising the need for unity and harmony among communities. He clarified that while Muslims traditionally avoid stained clothes during Friday prayers (Jumma Namaz), accidental colour during Holi should not be a cause for division.

“Bihar celebrates all festivals with brotherhood. No one should deliberately throw colour on Namazis, but if it happens accidentally, it is not an issue,” Khan said.

Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi launched a blistering attack on the BJP over the issue.

She accused the BJP of trying to create communal divisions and warned that Biharis would reject them in the upcoming elections.

“The people of Bihar will teach BJP a lesson and throw them out of Bihar. If PM Modi has the courage then he should drive out the Muslims from Bihar and the country,” she said.

With Bihar’s political landscape heating up, this controversy is expected to be a major flashpoint in upcoming electoral battles. Given past incidents, statements like these may further polarise voters and impact social harmony.

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Telangana tunnel tragedy: Intense efforts on to trace remaining 7 missing men

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Hyderabad, March 10: Day after recovering one body from the debris, rescue teams continued intense efforts to search for the remaining seven people in the SLBC tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district on Monday.

Rescue teams from various agencies were undertaking digging work at another point identified by the cadaver sniffer dog squad from Kerala.

Rat miners from Uttarakhand, miners from Singareni Collieries and personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were carefully digging around the point with mini-excavators.

The search operation continued for the 17th day in the last 70 metres of the 14-km-long tunnel, where the eight workers were trapped after a portion of the tunnel roof collapsed on a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) on February 22.

Rescue workers on Sunday evening exhumed one body from the point identified by the cadaver dog squad.

The body was identified as that of TBM operator Gurpreet Singh. The 40-year-old hailed from Punjab and was working for Robbins Company, which supplies and operates tunnel boring machines.

The body was shifted to government hospital at Nagarkurnool and after completing medical and legal formalities was taken to his hometown in Punjab.

The seven people yet to be traced are Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu and Kashmir and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand.

The rescue agencies hoped that more bodies would be recovered soon based on the sniffer dog leads and the ground probing radar (GPR) scanning information provided by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI).

The rescue workers continued to face challenges due to the debris of the TBM and the large amount of muck.

The TBM, which had a total length of 132.5 metres, was buried under silt and rocks in the February 22 incident.

The workers who were present in the front portion of the TBM were trapped while 42 others who were at the back end managed to come out of the tunnel.

The technicians from the South Central Railway (SCR) have so far cut the TBM into pieces for a length of about 60 metres.

The head portion of the TBM remained buried in the debris and the last 70 metres of the tunnel is still filled with 3 to 9 metres deep slush and other debris, posing a risk to the rescue workers.

While continuing dewatering and desilting, the rescue agencies were mobilising special equipment for the workers to carry out their work without the risk of being trapped in the slush.

Two cadaver dogs trained to locate missing humans and human bodies were brought from Kerala by a special helicopter three days ago.

According to officials, these dogs of the Belgian Malinois breed can detect smell even from a depth of 15 feet.

Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Singareni, SCR and other agencies are participating in the search operation.

The authorities on Saturday deployed robots for rescue operations in the tunnel as suggested by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy during his visit to the tunnel on March 2.

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced the deployment of robotic technology to accelerate rescue operations.

Robots equipped with cameras, infrared sensors, and robotic arms have been deployed to assess conditions and aid extraction.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed condolences over the death of Gurpreet Singh and announced Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia to his next of kin.

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