Rahul Gandhi pays last respects to Oscar Fernandes, calls him "true soldier" of Congress
Bengaluru, Sep 16: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday paid his last respects to former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha member Oscar Fernandes, calling him "a friend, a guide and a true soldier" of the party.
The former Congress President also met the family of Fernandes.
"Spent some time with the family of Shri Oscar Fernandes Ji and paid last respects to him- a friend, a guide and a true soldier of the Congress Party," Rahul tweeted.
Fernandes (80), who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mangaluru, passed away on Monday.
He had suffered head injury after a fall while practicing yoga at his residence on July 18, following which he was shifted to the ICU and had remained critical, unconscious since then.
Rahul was in the city to pay his last respects to the veteran Congress man.
After his arrival in the city this afternoon, he met the family members of the late leader including wife Blossom Fernandes, son and a daughter at their Rest House Road residence here, and participated in the final prayer blessing at St. Patrick's Church here.
Several national and state Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Randeep Singh Surjewala, K C Venugopal, Margaret Alva, Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar were present.
Fernandes' body was brought to the city on Wednesday evening from Mangaluru, and it was kept at the state Congress office here earlier in the day for party leaders and workers to pay their last respects.
Condoling Fernandes death, Rahul Gandhi had earlier said, "It is a personal loss for me. He was a guide and mentor for many of us in the Congress Party. He will be missed and fondly remembered for his contributions."
Spent some time with the family of Shri Oscar Fernandes Ji and paid last respects to him- a friend, a guide and a true soldier of the Congress Party. pic.twitter.com/NyROBoCPPX
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 16, 2021
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Allahabad HC orders probe into 'reinstatement' of teacher in UP's Barabanki
Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered a probe by the special task force (STF) into alleged irregularities in the rejoining of a teacher at City Intermediate College in Barabanki, observing that the reinstatement appeared to be prima facie illegal.
The court also directed the recovery of the salary paid to the teacher during the disputed period.
A bench of Justice Rajeev Singh passed the order on a petition filed by the college management committee. The court expressed doubts over the roles of the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Barabanki, the college principal and the teacher concerned and hence, directed a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Taking note of alleged manipulation of records and misleading submissions, the court ordered the immediate transfer of the Barabanki DIOS to ensure a fair probe. It also directed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the then joint director of education of the Ayodhya division.
In its order, the court found that the teacher, Abhay Kumar, was initially appointed as an assistant teacher in 2018 but joined an Eklavya Model Residential School in Chhattisgarh as a lecturer in June 2024 without obtaining permission from the management. His subsequent request to retain the lien was rejected.
Despite this, he was allowed to rejoin the Barabanki College in September 2025 on the directions of the joint director of education and the DIOS, and was even paid the salary for October 2025. The court termed the rejoining "wholly illegal" and lacking any legal basis.
The bench also expressed concern over lapses in communication within the education department and directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to ensure that official orders are communicated through email and WhatsApp as well, to prevent disputes.
The matter is next listed for hearing on May 28 when a compliance report is sought.
