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Dalit flogged in Badayun, UP; en masse conversion to Buddhism in Una Gujarat

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Dalit flogged in Badayun, UP; en masse conversion to Buddhism in Una Gujarat

Amid reports of brutalised Dalits converting to Buddhism en masse in Gujarat’s Una district, came news of Rajputs in Uttar Pradesh’s Badayun flogging a Dalit labourer for not obeying their orders to come immediately for harvesting their wheat crop.

Sitaram, a Dalit agricultural labourer in Azampur Bisoria village in Badayun district, was tied to a tree, flogged badly and his moustache ripped out by the village thakurs. Media reports said the thakurs had asked him to cut the standing wheat crop in their fields. Sitaram reportedly told them he could come only after two days.

This infuriated the thakurs. They dragged him to the village square, tied him to a tree and thrashed him. Still not satisfied, they pulled out his moustache, said media reports.

The incident occurred on April 23 but the local police registered a case only a week later after the intervention of Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Srivastav, said media reports.

UP Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission has taken cognisance of the incident. The UP SC ST Commission chairman Brijlal directed ADG Police (Bareilly zone) to proceed to the spot, take stern action against the culprits and ensure security of the victim of the assault. He has also sought a report on alleged police negligence and the action taken against the officers responsible.

The news comes at a time when hundreds of Dalits in Una, Gujarat converted to Buddhism on Sunday, a day before Buddha Jayanti, in reaction to the injustices meted out to them and the oppression of caste-based atrocities and discrimination.

Reacting to the development on Monday, April 30, BJP MP Udit Raj cited “social injustice” as the reason behind the move and called it “a dangerous situation”. ANI quoted him as saying:  “Dalits are beaten up for even having a moustache. I don’t know what alternative they have.”

Pradip Parmar, the BJP MLA from Asarva who was present at the conversion, told the gathering, “I congratulate those who are set to take diksha… I am a BJP worker and the party gave me a ticket, but had Babasaheb not given the Constitution and the provision of reservation, I would not have become an MLA.”

The conversion ceremony was held at the village Mota Samadhiyala, 15 km from Una in the Saurashtra region of the State where four persons were flogged in 2016 for skinning a dead cow in village near Una.

Those who converted to Buddhism included the four and 45 members of their family.

Vahsram, Ramesh, Ashok and Bechar had been allegedly beaten up by ‘cow vigilantes’ while skinning the carcass of a cow in Mota Samadhiyala village on July 11, 2016. The assailants had accused the Dalits of slaughtering the cow. Balu and Kunvar, who rushed to the spot to rescue the four, and Devashi Babariya and Arjan, who tried to intervene, had also been beaten up. Later, the accused had taken Vashram, Ramesh, Ashok and Bechar to Una town, tied them to a vehicle and publicly flogged them. Videos of the incident had gone viral, leading to an outcry.

Police investigation later determined that the cow had been killed by a lion.

Balu Sarvaiya, one of the converts, said, “We are embracing Buddhism today. There is no point being in a religion in which you are treated as second class,” reported The Indian Express (IE).

He said that even two years after the incident, the State government had hardly done anything for the victims, who were mercilessly flogged, tied onto an open jeep and paraded on the streets.

“It has been more than two years that our sons were flogged. The state government hasn’t given us any help so far. We haven’t got justice yet and all the accused are out on bail,” Balu Sarvaiya, the victims’ father, told TOI over the phone.

“After the incident, there was Dalit uprising. But we continued to face discrimination. Even our own community members told us not to adhere to a religion after tolerating humiliations. Even today, we shudder to see the flogging video,” Sarvaiya added.

In all, said a IE report, more than a thousand Dalits, including the family allegedly flogged by cow vigilantes in July 2016, converted to Buddhism at an event organised in Mota Samadhiyala village near Gujarat’s Una district.

Not believing in Hindu gods and goddesses was among the 22 resolutions that the converts made. The conversion will be recognised only when registered with the district collector, as per the Gujarat Freedom of Religion law.

Speaking to The Indian Express after the conversion ceremony, Balu said, “I feel relieved and empowered today. Today I junked blind faith forever. This is so liberating. After I was assaulted and humiliated, I realised that these things were burdening me. Now that I have thrown them out of the window, there will be a revolution. Now no god or goddess will prevent us from doing what we want to do. We shall study, educate ourselves and choose suitable professions.”

Ramesh told the media, “We followed Hinduism for thousands of years, but were never treated as a fellow Hindu by other faithful. We were not allowed to enter temples and were treated as untouchables. When we went to work on someone’s farm, we were asked to bring our own utensils for meals. Fed up of all these prejudices, we converted to Buddhism.”

This was the second major conversion event held in Saurashtra after one in Junagadh in late 2013.

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Fire in ICU at SCB medical college hospital in Cuttack kills 10 patients

Ten patients died after a fire broke out in the trauma ICU at SCB medical college hospital in Cuttack early Monday morning. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced compensation and ordered a judicial probe.

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March 16, 2026

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A major fire at the trauma care intensive care unit (ICU) of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha, early Monday morning left ten patients dead and several hospital staff members injured.

According to officials, the fire broke out between 2:30 am and 3:00 am in the trauma ICU where critically ill patients were undergoing treatment. Emergency teams rushed to the scene soon after the incident, and multiple fire engines were deployed to control the blaze and assist in rescue operations.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said hospital staff were injured while evacuating patients from the affected ward during the emergency.

Patients shifted as rescue operations continued

Following the fire, 23 patients were moved to other departments and wards within the hospital to ensure their safety and continued medical care.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said seven critically ill patients died while being shifted to other ICUs and wards, while three more succumbed later.

“A total of 23 patients have been shifted to other departments. Seven serious patients died while shifting to other ICUs and wards, while another three patients died later. I have directed the concerned officers for proper treatment of the injured patients,” Majhi said.

Chief minister visits hospital, announces compensation

Soon after the incident, Majhi visited the hospital along with Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling to review the situation. They also met patients who were undergoing treatment at the facility.

The Chief Minister announced financial assistance of ₹25 lakh for the families of each deceased patient.

He also ordered a judicial probe into the incident to determine the cause of the fire and examine safety measures at the hospital.

Authorities continue to monitor the condition of injured staff members and patients who were shifted from the ICU.

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Arvind Kejriwal moves Supreme Court against Delhi High Court order in excise policy case

Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order related to proceedings in the excise policy case and alleging violation of his fundamental rights.

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March 16, 2026

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Arvind Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging certain proceedings in the Delhi excise policy case and alleging a violation of his fundamental rights.

In a petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, Kejriwal has questioned a decision of the Delhi High Court that put a freeze on remarks related to the investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The petition also challenges an order of the High Court Chief Justice rejecting Kejriwal’s request to transfer the case to another bench.

Plea seeks change of bench

Earlier, on March 11, Kejriwal and several others submitted a representation to Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya seeking reassignment of the case to what they described as an “impartial” judge.

In the representation, Kejriwal stated that he had a “grave, bona fide and reasonable apprehension” that the matter may not receive an impartial hearing before the current bench.

However, the Chief Justice declined the request and said the petition had been assigned as per the existing roster.

According to the communication sent by the High Court’s Registrar General on March 13 to eight individuals including Kejriwal, the Chief Justice noted that any decision on recusal must be taken by the judge hearing the matter and that there was no reason to transfer the petition administratively.

Order on trial court proceedings also challenged

Kejriwal has also challenged a March 9 order passed by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court.

In that order, Justice Sharma had stayed a trial court direction that called for an investigation into a CBI officer who handled the excise policy case. The High Court had also asked the trial court to defer proceedings connected to the anti-money laundering aspect of the case.

Justice Sharma had further rejected certain observations made by the trial court while discharging Kejriwal and 22 others, stating that some of those remarks were erroneous.

Hearing expected on CBI plea

Meanwhile, Justice Sharma is scheduled to hear a petition filed by the CBI challenging the discharge of Kejriwal, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others in the excise policy case.

The matter remains under judicial consideration as the legal challenge now moves to the Supreme Court.

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Rajya Sabha elections Voting begins for 37 seats across 10 states

Voting for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections is underway for 37 seats across 10 states, with polling from 9 am to 4 pm and counting scheduled at 5 pm.

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10 hours ago

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March 16, 2026

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Polling for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections is being held on Monday for 37 seats across 10 states, with voting taking place between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, according to the Election Commission of India.

The counting of votes is scheduled to begin at 5:00 pm, after polling concludes. Authorities have issued detailed guidelines and deployed observers to ensure that the voting process takes place smoothly and in a transparent manner.

Seats across 10 states going to polls

The elections are being conducted to fill vacancies in the Upper House from several states. The 37 seats up for election are distributed across the following states:

  • Maharashtra – 7 seats
  • Tamil Nadu – 6 seats
  • Bihar – 5 seats
  • West Bengal – 5 seats
  • Odisha – 4 seats
  • Assam – 3 seats
  • Telangana – 2 seats
  • Chhattisgarh – 2 seats
  • Haryana – 2 seats
  • Himachal Pradesh – 1 seat

These biennial elections are held as sitting members of the Rajya Sabha complete their six-year terms.

Key leaders completing their terms

Several prominent members of the Upper House are set to complete their terms in April, leading to the current round of elections.

Among them are Union Ministers Ramnath Thakur and Ramdas Athawale, along with Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh.

Other leaders whose terms are ending include Sharad Pawar, Upendra Kushwaha, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, M Thambidurai, and Tiruchi Siva.

Election Commission guidelines for voting

The Election Commission has issued specific instructions for voting during the Rajya Sabha elections.

MLAs participating in the election must use only the integrated violet sketch pen supplied by the Returning Officer to mark their preferences on ballot papers. The use of any other pen is not permitted.

Observers appointed by the Commission will monitor the polling process closely to ensure that the elections are conducted freely and fairly across all participating states.

With polling underway and counting scheduled later in the evening, results are expected to clarify the new composition of the Upper House.

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