The Unnao rape case survivor and her mother met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday evening as they continue their protest against the Delhi High Court’s recent relief to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who has been convicted in the case. The meeting took place at the 10 Janpath residence of Sonia Gandhi, where she was also present.

The survivor and her mother have been demonstrating in Delhi after the court granted interim relief to Sengar, allowing him to remain out of jail while his appeal against conviction and sentence is pending. The development has triggered strong political reactions, with opposition parties questioning the message it sends to survivors of sexual violence.

Allegations of mistreatment during protest

Earlier in the day, the survivor’s mother was allegedly manhandled by Central paramilitary personnel during the protest. According to the account shared by the family, security personnel stopped the mother and daughter from speaking to the media and forced the elderly woman to jump off a moving bus.

The duo had been protesting at India Gate along with their lawyer-activist Yogita Bhayana following the court order. They were later detained. On Tuesday morning, they planned to address the media at Mandi House, but the vehicle arranged to transport them did not stop at the intended location. The CRPF later stated that permission to hold a protest had not been granted.

Rahul Gandhi questions treatment of survivor

Reacting to the incident, Rahul Gandhi posted on X questioning whether the survivor was being mistreated for raising her voice against injustice. In his post, he asked if such treatment of a gang rape survivor was justified and criticised what he described as a justice system that grants bail to convicts while treating survivors like criminals.

The survivor, who was sexually assaulted by Sengar in 2017, has said she also wants to meet the Prime Minister to place her concerns directly before him. The case and the latest court decision continue to draw national attention, reigniting debate over survivor safety and access to justice.

The killing of Bangladesh student leader Sharif Osman Hadi has triggered sharp political allegations, with his family accusing elements within the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of attempting to derail the country’s upcoming national election scheduled for February.

Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho — a cultural platform that emerged from the July 2024 uprising — was shot at close range in Dhaka on December 12. He was later airlifted to Singapore for advanced treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries on December 18. His death led to violent protests in parts of the capital, including attacks on offices of newspapers and cultural organisations.

Brother alleges political motive behind killing

At a protest gathering in Shahbagh, Sharif Osman Hadi’s brother, Sharif Omar Hadi, accused a section of the interim government of orchestrating the killing to disrupt the election process.

“You had Osman Hadi killed, and now you are trying to foil the election by using this as an issue,” Omar said while addressing protesters. He claimed that his brother was firm on holding the national election by February and did not align himself with any agency or “foreign masters”.

Omar demanded a swift and transparent trial, warning that delays would damage the election environment. He alleged that the authorities have failed to show any visible progress in the investigation so far.

“If justice for Osman Hadi is not delivered, you too will be compelled to flee Bangladesh one day,” Omar said, drawing an apparent reference to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who left the country following last year’s nationwide protests that resulted in a change of regime.

Claims of wider conspiracy surface

Leaders of Inquilab Moncho also alleged that the killing was part of a broader conspiracy to undermine the gains of the July uprising and weaken Bangladesh’s sovereignty. They claimed that international intelligence agencies and their local collaborators were involved in the murder.

The group demanded that the government identify and present the accused through an investigation meeting international standards within a fixed timeframe. They warned that protests would intensify if their demands were not met.

Protesters said demonstrations would continue until justice is delivered for Sharif Osman Hadi.

Protest plans and political developments

Leaders of Inquilab Moncho announced that they would not hold any programmes on December 25, the day when Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman is scheduled to return to the country. They expressed hope that Rahman would extend solidarity to their movement demanding justice.

The allegations and ongoing protests have added to political tensions in Bangladesh as the interim government faces growing scrutiny ahead of the proposed February election.

India has marked a major milestone in its space programme as the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3), popularly known as the ‘Baahubali’ rocket, successfully placed the heaviest-ever satellite launched from Indian soil into orbit on Wednesday.

The mission, LVM3-M6, lifted off from the second launch pad at the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh, carrying BlueBird 6, a next-generation communication satellite developed by US-based company AST SpaceMobile.

Mission lifts off from Sriharikota

The 43.5-metre-tall LVM3 rocket, powered by two S200 solid strap-on boosters, took off at 8:55 am after the completion of a 24-hour countdown. The spaceport is located around 135 km east of Chennai.

After a flight lasting nearly 15 minutes, the BlueBird Block-2 satellite separated from the launch vehicle and was injected into its intended low Earth orbit at an altitude of about 520 km.

Confirming the success of the mission, ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, Dr V Narayanan said the satellite had been placed “successfully and precisely” into the designated orbit.

Heaviest payload carried by an Indian launcher

According to ISRO, this mission marks the heaviest satellite ever launched from Indian soil using an Indian rocket. Dr Narayanan said the flight was also the third fully commercial mission of the LVM3.

He added that the mission demonstrated the strong performance record of the heavy-lift vehicle and highlighted its reliability in the global launch market.

Focus on space-based mobile broadband

BlueBird 6 is part of the BlueBird Block-2 series of communication satellites. These satellites are designed to provide space-based cellular broadband connectivity directly to standard mobile smartphones, without the need for any special hardware or equipment.

The aim of the technology is to enable broadband services straight from space, expanding connectivity to regions with limited or no terrestrial network coverage.

PM Modi calls launch a proud milestone

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the teams involved and described the launch as a significant achievement for India’s space sector.

In a statement, the Prime Minister said the successful placement of the US satellite into orbit strengthens India’s heavy-lift launch capability and reinforces the country’s growing role in the global commercial launch market.