Adityanath remark on migrant workers misleading, anti-Dalit: Congress
Lucknow: The Congress on Tuesday accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath of targeting Dalits by saying that a large proportion of migrant workers returning home to the state are infected with coronavirus.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had on Monday taken on Adityanath over his remark that 75 per cent of UP workers returning from Mumbai are infected, questioning the math.
In a video clip, Adityanath was also heard saying that 50 per cent of workers returning from Delhi have coronavirus and 25-30 per cent from other states are similarly infected.
On Tuesday, All India Congress Committee (AICC) office bearer P L Punia said Adityanath's misleading statement could lead to social hatred .
He said most migrant workers are Dalits or belong to backward castes .
This statement by the chief minister would send a message among people that they are bringing the disease with them. This amounts to conspiring against Dalits and the backwards, Punia, who is the in-charge at AICC for Chhattisgarh.
Congress legislature party leader Aradhana Misra also questioned the statistics.
She said according to the government a little above 6,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the state, but going by what Adityanath said the figure should be 10 lakh. Priyanka Gandhi had made a similar point on Twitter.
Misra said if there is any truth in the CM's claim, the government needs to undertake testing with transparency and tell people about its preparedness to deal with the situation.
Punia also attacked the government for the arrest of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu, claiming he has been punished for serving poor labourers.
The Adityanath government is doing injustice to our leader and this will not be tolerated, he said.
Lallu was booked for cheating and forgery over a list of buses on which the Congress had recently offered to bringing migrant workers to Uttar Pradesh.
The UP government had claimed that a large number of buses lacked insurance papers and fitness certificates. Several registration numbers in the list were not even buses, it said during the row with the Congress.
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FIR against five students of Pune law college for ‘ragging’ junior
Pune (PTI): Police have registered a case against five students of a reputed law college in Pune for allegedly ragging a junior, more than a year after he first approached the institution authorities with a complaint.
A first information report (FIR) was registered on Saturday against the students under the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act at Deccan police station, officials said on Sunday.
While the college initially investigated the matter, the complainant was not satisfied. He escalated it through the University Grants Commission's (UGC) anti-ragging mechanism and made repeated follow-ups, as per the FIR.
The complainant, then a first-year LLB student, alleged sustained mental harassment, intimidation and ragging inside the hostel. The accused were a year senior to him.
According to the FIR, the harassment began after he objected to smoking on the premises. He alleged repeated verbal abuse and psychological harassment, including being locked in his room, eggs being thrown at his door and gutka being spat outside.
He also claimed loud music was played at night to disturb him and that he was at times restricted from moving freely in the hostel, including accessing the washrooms. The student said the incidents led to social isolation, severe mental distress and affected his academic performance.
College authorities said the matter dates back to 2024 and arose from disputes among hostel residents. They said the institute acted in accordance with UGC anti-ragging guidelines after receiving the complaint. A detailed report was also submitted to the UGC, they said.
“The institute’s anti-ragging committee conducted a probe, but prima facie, no evidence of ragging was established. Since the allegations were not substantiated, no action was warranted. Had any instance of ragging been proved, immediate disciplinary action would have been taken,” the authorities said.
The student first approached the college in October 2024 and later contacted the UGC anti-ragging helpline. Since he was not satisfied with the internal inquiry, he pursued the matter with supporting documents, following which the case was registered, according to the police.
A senior police official said the case was registered after taking cognisance of the facts placed before them.
“The investigation is in progress, and due legal procedure will be followed. Further action will be taken based on the findings,” he said.
