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Eyes on Gujarat polls, Modi tries to appropriate Ambedkar

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9 years ago

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Prime Minister inaugurates Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, claims efforts were afoot to wipe out Ambedkar’s contributions towards nation-building

After Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now aggressively trying to appropriate father of the Indian Constitution and Dalit icon Dr BR Ambedkar at a time when his party, the BJP, is facing an uphill task of wooing agitated voters from the oppressed community in poll-bound Gujarat.

On Thursday, as the Prime Minister inaugurated the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, he sought to use the event – cleverly timed to coincide with the last day of campaigning for the first phase of the Gujarat assembly polls – to indirectly hit out at the Congress party and the Nehru-Gandhi family for trying to wipe out the Dalit icon’s legacy.

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Although the Prime Minister did not name any specific party or leader while claiming that there had been efforts in the past to gloss over the contributions that Baba Saheb – as Dr Ambedkar is fondly referred to – made towards building India after independence, his broadside was clearly aimed at the Congress party and Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.

It thus came as no surprise that soon after the event, former Union minister and veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar called the Prime Minister a “neech aadmi” (low-level human) and asserted that if there was one leader who helped Dr Ambedkar fulfill his ambitions, it was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first Prime Minister.

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However, the Prime Minister, who was in his home state’s Surat district later on Thursday to campaign for his party in the upcoming elections, latched on to Aiyar’s comments and sought to use them to project himself as the ‘victim’ of unfair barbs by the Congress party.

In a clear damage control move, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi distanced himself and his party from Aiyar’s remarks, stating “I do not appreciate the tone and language” used by the senior party leader to address the Prime Minister and asserted that both he and the Congress party “expect him (Aiyar) to apologise for what he said”. However, Rahul also emphasises that the “BJP and PM repeatedly use filthy language to attack the Congress party”.

Modi’s clearly political tirade against the Congress at an event to dedicate an institution named after Dr Ambedkar to the nation comes in the wake of his party facing a huge challenge in wooing Dalit voters in Gujarat. The home state of the Prime Minister has been witness to massive protests by Dalits against the BJP since last year when two Dalit men were mercilessly flogged in Gujarat’s Una by cow vigilantes on the suspicion that they had slaughtered cows. It had later turned out that the Dalit men were merely taking a hide off dead cattle – a routine business chore that the Dalit community often has to engage in to make ends meet – and the outrage over the violence against them turned into a campaign against the BJP.

It is pertinent to note that the BJP is facing a huge electoral challenge mounted by young Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani who has asked his massive following of Dalits in the state to uproot the BJP from Gujarat. Mewani is contesting the Gujarat Assembly polls as an independent candidate from the Vadgam constituency in Banaskantha district and has received support from the Congress and Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party which have not fielded any candidate from the seat, thereby making the election in Vadgam a direct clash between the BJP and Mewani.

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Asish Banerjee found dead in Rampurhat, Mamata Banerjee aide’s death shocks TMC

Former West Bengal deputy speaker and five-time Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office in Birbhum.

Published

12 hours ago

on

August 16, 2026

By

Mamata Banerjee

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning.

Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem. A large crowd gathered outside the Trinamool Congress office after news of his death spread.

Who was Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee had served as the deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the state’s chief minister. He was also a five-time MLA from Rampurhat.

He had served as Bengal’s education and agriculture minister after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress first came to power in the state.

Banerjee contested the West Bengal Assembly election earlier this year but lost the Rampurhat seat to BJP’s Dhruba Saha.

Asish Banerjee’s recent party role

Banerjee stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June. At the time, he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

He lived in the Hattalapara neighbourhood of Rampurhat, with the party office where his body was found located next to his house.

BJP gains in Birbhum

The BJP won six of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Birbhum in the latest state election. This marked a significant change from 2021, when the Trinamool Congress had won 10 seats in the district while the BJP had secured one.

Police have sent Asish Banerjee’s body for postmortem as the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

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India News

IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 15, 2026

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IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

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India News

Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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