Dalit elder assaulted, threatened with pistol for sitting inside temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahan
Shahjahanpur: A 70-year-old Dalit man was allegedly assaulted and threatened with a pistol for sitting inside a temple in Madnapur village of Shahjahanpur district.
According to reports, the victim, identified as Nanhuku Jatav, was confronted by a man from the same village who asked him to vacate his seat inside the temple. When Jatav refused, the accused allegedly slapped him, hit him with shoes, and hurled casteist abuses. The victim also claimed that the attacker brandished a pistol and threatened to shoot him.
“He waved the pistol at me and said he would kill me. I somehow ran home to save my life,” Jatav told the police.
Following the incident, Jatav, accompanied by his wife, lodged a complaint at the Madnapur police station, expressing fear for his safety and seeking protection from the accused.
Local residents alleged that cases of caste-based atrocities against Dalits have been increasing in the area. They claimed that despite repeated complaints, the police have not taken strict action in previous incidents. Members of the Dalit community have demanded the immediate arrest of the accused and stronger enforcement of the law.
Station Officer Vishwa Jeet Pratap Singh confirmed that the complaint had been received and assured that appropriate action would be taken after investigation.
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Women's reservation must be implemented without being made contingent on delimitation: CM
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that the Women's Reservation Bill is a long-overdue reform that must be implemented immediately within the existing framework, without being made contingent on delimitation.
Terming the delimitation as the political re-engineering at the cost of southern states, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that these states will stand united, speak in one voice, and defend the true spirit of federalism.
The leaders' statements came a day before the Constitutional Amendment Bill with provisions on women's reservation implementation and delimitation was tabled in the Lok Sabha.
"You are right in highlighting the larger implications of the proposed delimitation approach and the concerns it raises for southern states. We wholeheartedly support the Women's Reservation Bill - it is a long-overdue reform that must be implemented immediately within the existing framework, without being made contingent on delimitation," Siddaramaiah said in a post on 'X'.
He was replying to his Telangana counterpart A Revanth Reddy's post on 'X' with a letter, urging the former to unitedly resist moves to push a pro rata model to increase Lok Sabha seats, which would be highly detrimental and inimical to the interests of southern states.
"Any exercise that reshapes political representation must be undertaken with utmost care. The Union Government must engage all states in a transparent and consultative process, and ensure that fairness, federal balance, and consensus guide this critical decision," Siddaramaiah added.
Shivakumar said that this is not a delimitation, but political re-engineering "at the cost of southern states".
"The proposal to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 will systematically reduce the voice of the South, while rewarding unchecked population growth elsewhere. This is nothing but punishing progress and good governance," he posted on 'X'.
Clarifying that Congress fully supports women's reservation and in fact, it was party's top leader Sonia Gandhi's vision and commitment that brought this dream to the national agenda, the Deputy CM said, "We demand that it be implemented without linking it to delimitation or seat expansion."
"I urge the Union Govt to not hide behind women's empowerment to push a deely unfair political agenda. Rushing such a massive restructuring of India's democracy during elections, without transparency or consultation, is deeply suspicious and unacceptable," he said.
Asserting that India's strength lies in balance not domination, and in fairness, not manipulation, Shivakumar said, "The Southern states will stand united, speak in one voice, and defend the true spirit of federalism."
"We will not allow the South to be politically marginalised."
