The Indian Express has reported exclusively that the BJP may ask K Annamalai to step down as the party's Tamil Nadu president, in order to avoid having both BJP and AIADMK's state election faces come from the Gounder community. This move is seen as a strategic decision to strengthen the BJP's alliance with AIADMK, as both Annamalai and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami belong to this community. Despite his successful leadership style, Annamalai has reportedly been assured of a bright future within the party and has pledged complete loyalty.
It has been speculated that K Annamalai, the current BJP Tamil Nadu president, may step down from his position as alliance talks between the BJP and AIADMK intensify. The move comes amid concerns over caste equations and the BJP's strategy to consolidate its hold beyond the western region of Tamil Nadu. Sources reveal that Annamalai has expressed complete loyalty to the party and may take on a national role or a different assignment in the state.
The filing of a case under the SC/ST Atrocities Act against Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan and 17 others highlights the issue of caste discrimination in Indian educational institutions. The complaint, filed by a member of the Bovi community, alleges wrongful dismissal and caste-based abuse following his implication in a honey trap case in 2014. This incident sheds light on the ongoing problem of systemic biases and discrimination faced by marginalized communities in professional settings. It serves as a reminder for the need to address and rectify these issues, fostering a culture of inclusivity and equality for all.
Actor-politician Balakrishna and activist Manda Krishna Madiga receive Padma Awards for their respective contributions to Art and Public Affairs. Balakrishna, son of veteran actor NT Rama Rao, is also an MLA from Telugu Desam Party while Manda Krishna Madiga is an important leader of the Madiga Scheduled Caste community. They are among the several awardees from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, including economist KL Krishna and gastroenterologist Dr Duvvur Nageshwar Reddy.
On January 3, 2025, India commemorates the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule, a trailblazing woman who defied societal norms to promote female education and fight against caste and gender discrimination. She, along with her husband Jyotirao Phule, established India's first school for girls in 1848 and went on to establish numerous educational institutions that impacted the lives of women and marginalized communities. Let's remember and honor this remarkable reformer and her enduring legacy on her 194th birth anniversary.
In the recent expansion of the Shiv Sena cabinet, party chief and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde carefully balanced regional and caste considerations, as well as the upcoming civic polls. With a strong message to his party members, Shinde retained five ministers and dropped three, while also including six new faces, following a rotation policy for ministers. Despite controversy surrounding some of the dropped ministers, Shinde's focus was on expanding the party's reach across all five regions of the state.
During a discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India in the Lok Sabha, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi pointed out the BJP's contradictory stance on the Constitution and its ideology. He quoted Veer Savarkar, a key figure in the RSS and BJP's ideology, who had stated that there is nothing Indian about the Constitution and that it should be superseded by the Manusmriti. Gandhi also highlighted the BJP's questionable actions, such as handing over Dharavi and other national assets to Adani, which goes against the principles of economic and social equality outlined in the Constitution. He also announced plans for a Caste Census to shed light on the marginalized communities that have been neglected by the ruling party.
During a special debate on the Constitution, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi delivered a fiery speech, quoting Mahabharata's Eklavya and Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, in the context of caste oppression in India. Gandhi accused the BJP of going against the principles of the Constitution and raised issues like caste census, removal of quota ceiling, and the Hathras rape-murder case to highlight the party's neglect towards the lower caste and marginalized sections of society.
After a series of allegations made against former Mumbai NCB director Sameer Wankhede regarding his caste and religion, the Maharashtra government's Social Justice Department has ordered for a caste scrutiny. The committee has given Wankhede a clean chit, stating that he is indeed a member of the Mahar community, a Scheduled Caste. The ruling also dismissed objections raised by Nawab Malik and others, stating lack of evidence.
In a strong statement, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Kavitha has called on the Congress government in Telangana to fulfill its promise of implementing the Kamareddy Declaration, which aimed to provide multiple benefits to the Backward Classes (BCs). This demand comes after Kavitha submitted a comprehensive caste survey report to the Dedicated BC Commission, urging the government to fulfill the promises made during the Assembly elections. The Telangana Jagruthi report, prepared by Kavitha's organization, outlines 20 key demands for the Commission's consideration and highlights the BJP's opposition to caste census as a major hindrance in BC welfare.