Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of serving the interests of billionaires at the expense of India’s poor.

Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district, Gandhi said: “The money that Narendra Modi is giving to his friend is your money. It is written in the Constitution that you have rights over water, forest and land. That is why BJP wants to destroy the Constitution so that you do not get your rights.”

“You pay GST, but everything is taken away from you. Dharavi in ​​Maharashtra is the land of the poor, but it is being taken away from them and no one is saying anything. The media also never talks about farmers, labourers or steel plants because these belong to Adani. That is why they show Modi’s face 24 hours a day,” he charged.

“PM Modi keeps calling himself OBC, but till date he has not done anything for the Dalits, backward classes and tribals. The Modi government is distributing the country’s wealth to a select few. Hospitals, education system, industry… everything is being privatised. Modi has waived off Rs 16 lakh crore of billionaires, but he has not waived off a single rupee of farmers,” he charged further.

Gandhi also criticised PM Modi for repeatedly referencing a “red book,” emphasising that its content holds significance rather than its color. “If you had truly engaged with it, you wouldn’t be promoting hatred and dividing our society,” he said while addressing the rally in Godda district.

He described the current political landscape as a battle of ideologies between the Opposition bloc INDIA and the BJP-RSS. “We stand in defense of the Constitution, while the BJP-RSS seeks to discard it. They are inciting violence and attempting to fracture society along caste, creed, and religious lines,” he alleged.

Expressing that he was not afraid of Modi and his so-called “56-inch chest,” Gandhi said, “He is merely a puppet for the wealthy.” He accused the Prime Minister of preaching to the public during the day yet mingling at industrialists’ weddings at night.

Gandhi claimed that the government led by Uddhav Thackeray in Maharashtra was destabilised to facilitate the land acquisition. He alleged that Modi is attempting to transfer land valued at Rs 1 lakh crore in Dharavi, Mumbai, to a business tycoon.

He advocated for a nationwide caste census, asserting that it would transform India’s social landscape. “A caste census is inevitable,” he declared, adding, “We will dismantle the 50 per cent reservation cap, regardless of what PM Modi attempts.”

Gandhi pointed out that despite Modi’s claims of caring for the underprivileged, he has not forgiven farm loans. He also criticised the BJP for the arrest of JMM leader Hemant Soren, stating, “A tribal chief minister who was elected by the people is now imprisoned in Jharkhand.”

Accusing the BJP of fostering “hate and violence,” he expressed his belief that these issues could be countered with love. “We represent ‘mohabbat ki dukan’ (a shop of love), while they run ‘nafrat ka bazar’ (a market of hatred),” he said.

The West Bengal government has formed a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe into a fraud in which government funds meant for students to purchase tabs or mobile phones were diverted elsewhere, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday.

Speaking to reporters at the Bagdogra airport in the northern part of the state, the West Bengal Chief Minister said six people were arrested in this case.

The fraud has sparked significant concern after several students spoke about their funds being diverted. According to investigations, at least 300 students have been impacted, including 88 from Purba Bardhaman, 65 from Purba Medinipur, and 149 from Malda district.

The government had transferred Rs 10,000 to the bank accounts of each higher secondary and matric student in government schools to purchase tablets or mobile phones; however, many did not receive the funds due to alleged malpractices.

“An SIT has been formed. Our administration is very strong. They have already arrested six people and will do whatever is required. The group (involved in the case) is from Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Such groups exist in almost all other states,” Banerjee said.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also mentioned that her government has begun distributing funds to those who did not receive them.

On Tuesday, Education Minister Bratya Basu stated that the state government is committed to identifying those involved in the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for purchasing tablets for students in classes 11 and 12. State Education Secretary Vinod Kumar assured that stringent measures would be taken against those responsible and that a departmental investigation is currently underway.

In the allegations of tablet fraud, the Malda district police filed five more FIRs and formed an SIT to investigate the claims on Thursday. The Malda Police froze 181 bank accounts linked to the case. In several cases, the funds have been traced to bank accounts outside the state.

The Taruner Swapno Scheme is an initiative introduced by the state government to address the digital divide faced by students in West Bengal. This programme provides financial assistance to students in purchasing smartphones and tablets for educational purposes.

Under this scheme, a one-time grant of Rs 10,000 is deposited into the bank accounts of students in higher secondary classes. For the financial year 2024-25, the West Bengal government has allocated approximately Rs 900 crore for this program, according to reports.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Friday announced staggered timings for government offices across the city in an attempt to tackle the city’s worsening air quality. This decision aims to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. The development follows as the national capital’s air quality remained in the severe category for three consecutive days. 

The GRAP III restrictions have been imposed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), due to the city’s air quality remaining severe.  Reportedly, the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am stood at 411, well within the severe range of 400-500.

Notably, the GRAP for Delhi-NCR is divided into four stages of air quality, namely Stage 1 for poor Air Quality Index (AQI) ranging between 201 and 300, Stage 2 for very poor AQI of 301-400, Stage 3 for severe AQI of 401-450 and Stage 4 for severe plus AQI more than 450.

In a bid to control the situation, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has announced that government offices will function at different timings with immediate effect in order to reduce the congestion. As per the government order, Municipal Corporation of Delhi will operate from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Central Government offices will operate from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, Delhi Government offices will operate from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.

This decision is reportedly a part of a broader plan to minimize the emissions from transport, one of the primary contributors to the city’s poor air quality. Meanwhile, other GRAP Stage III restrictions include ban on non-essential construction and demolition, closure of stone crushers and mining activities in Delhi-NCR, and prohibition on inter-state buses from NCR states, except electric, CNG, and BS-VI diesel buses.

Furthermore, if the AQI worsens further, Stage IV restrictions may be imposed, which would include, stringent ban on construction and demolition activities, suspension of mining-related activities, shifting to online classes for students up to Class V, and daily water sprinkling on major roads.