Cong chief Kharge writes to PM Modi, calls for dialogue with all parties on caste census
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to draw upon the Telangana model for the caste survey, remove 50 per cent cap for reservation and immediately implement Article 15(5) providing for reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs in private educational institutions.
In a letter to Modi, Kharge also called on the prime minister to have a dialogue with all political parties soon on the issue of the caste census.
"Conducting any exercise such as the caste census which gives the backward, the oppressed and the marginalized sections of our society their rights cannot and should not be considered divisive in any way," Kharge said.
"Our great nation and our large-hearted people have always come together as one whenever needed, just as we have done after the recent cowardly terrorist attacks in Pahalgam," he said in his letter to Modi dated May 5.
The Congress believes that conducting the caste census in the comprehensive manner is absolutely necessary to ensure social and economic justice and equality of status and opportunity as pledged in the Preamble of our Constitution, Kharge said.
Sharing Kharge's letter on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Following the CWC meeting on May 2nd, the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji wrote to the PM last night on Mr. Modi's sudden and desperate U-turn on the caste census - even as the nation's anguish and anger at the brutal Pahalgam terror attacks continued unabated."
"Kharge ji has made three very specific suggestions," he said.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms lash parts of Uttarakhand; all districts put on high alert
Dehradun (PTI): Heavy rain and hailstorms accompanied by strong winds lashed several districts of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning, prompting the state administration to put all district authorities on high alert.
The sudden change in weather caused uprooted trees to block roads and disrupted power supply at various locations.
Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman chaired a review meeting with district officials to assess the situation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain and thunderstorms at most places across all districts for Monday and Tuesday. Snowfall is expected in regions situated at altitudes of 4,000 metres and above.
An 'orange alert' remains in place for Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar. These districts are likely to witness isolated heavy rain, hailstorms, and intense to very intense spells of rain accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph, the IMD said.
The weather office predicted that maximum temperatures across the state are likely to fall by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days. During the past 24 hours, maximum temperatures remained "markedly below normal" in the plains and ranged from "markedly" to "appreciably" below normal in the hilly regions.
Dehradun experienced dark, overcast skies early Sunday, creating night-like conditions during morning hours. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average.
For the state capital, the forecast predicts a partly to generally cloudy sky with a high of 31 degrees Celsius and a low of 19 degrees Celsius.
Significant rainfall was recorded across the state after 8.30 am on Sunday, with Jollygrant receiving 21.6 mm and Mohakampur recording 19.8 mm. Other areas, including Mukteshwar (15.0 mm), Mussoorie (13.4 mm), and Pithoragarh (8.5 mm), also saw measurable precipitation.
Secretary Suman directed officials to clear blocked roads on priority to ensure public convenience. Specific instructions were issued regarding the Char Dham Yatra, ordering that helicopter services must operate strictly according to weather conditions to ensure pilgrims' safety.
Isolated places in the remaining hilly districts are also expected to experience thunderstorms with lightning and intense rain spells.
