Congress must be ready to face communal virus: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, July 28: Former Chief Minister and the chairman of the Coordination Committee Siddaramaiah has said that the Congress leaders and activists should be prepared to tackle the communal virus that has become a challenge for the party in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
He was speaking at a programme held to felicitate the new KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao, Secretary Ishwar Khandre, and AICC Secretary Saleem Ahmed at Gyan Jyoti auditorium here on Saturday
These communal viruses are responsible for Congress’ defeat in the last assembly elections. BJP affiliates have succeeded in slandering the people's mind. The primary responsibility of the Congress workers is to cast the people out of the propaganda of the communalists during the next Lok Sabha polls.
Former Union Minister P Chidambaram, MV Rajasekharan, KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao, Secretary Ishwar Khandre, AICC Secretary Saleem Ahmed, former Minister Parameshwar Naik, RB Timmapura, MLA Anekal Shivanna, MLA Soumya Reddy and others were present.
The foundation of the Congress is the unselfish service of the student and youth organizations. The appointment of Dinesh Gundu Rao as the KPCC president, Ishwar Khandre as the secretary, and Salim Ahmed as AICC secretary has brought a real delight as all of them were unselfish workers of such organisations. The Congress expects more from them.
-Chidambaram, former union minister
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Unnao rape case: SC sets aside order suspending Sengar's life term, asks HC to decide plea afresh
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday set aside a Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case and asked it to decide the plea afresh.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also asked the high court to make endeavours to decide the main plea of Sengar against his conviction and life imprisonment in the case within two months.
It further said that if it was not possible for the high court to decide the main plea expeditiously, then it should pass an order on a plea of Sengar seeking the suspension of the life term in the case before the start of the summer vacation there.
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The bench, which had earlier set aside the HC order granting bail to Sengar after a huge public uproar over the issue, said that it did not express any opinion on the merits of the case and the high court could proceed with it afresh.
The CJI also asked the HC to decide afresh issues like whether an MLA can be treated as a public servant for being prosecuted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Earlier, the top court had deferred to the first week of May the hearing on a petition filed by the CBI challenging the suspension of life imprisonment of the former MLA in the rape case.
On December 29 last year, the top court stayed the Delhi High Court order suspending Sengar's life sentence and said he shall not be released from custody.
In its order dated December 23, 2025, the Delhi High Court had said that Sengar had been convicted under Section 5 (C) (aggravated penetrative sexual assault by a public servant) of the POCSO Act but an elected representative does not fit the definition of a "public servant" under Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code.
The high court had suspended the jail term of Sengar, who was serving life imprisonment in the Unnao rape case, till the pendency of his appeal, saying he had already served seven years and five months in prison.
The high court order has sparked criticism from various sections of society and protests were held by the victim, her family and activists.
