Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has demanded that the cow be declared the "National Mother," and cow slaughter be made a punishable crime. He also called for the reservation of the Kumbh Mela exclusively for Hindus, and announced plans for a grand yagna during the event. The Hindu saint also appointed representatives to oversee cow protection in each state and called on Hindus to uphold their faith and the significance of cow protection.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally in Jharkhand's Simdega, pledged to raise the reservation cap above 50 per cent if his party is re-elected to power. He also accused PM Narendra Modi of waiving loans for wealthy capitalists while neglecting the debts of farmers. Rahul Gandhi further targeted the BJP and their ideology, stating that they want to run the country with only a few individuals and disregard the majority's voices.
In a major twist in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil announced that he would not back any candidates, breaking his earlier promise to support specific candidates in order to defeat those against Maratha reservation. This decision comes as a surprise to many as Jarange-Patil had earlier vowed to seek revenge against the ruling coalition for cheating the Maratha community. While the BJP has welcomed his move, the NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) have different perspectives on how this development will impact the elections.
In anticipation of the Janata Dal-United's executive committee meeting, Chotu Singh, a party leader, gained attention by displaying posters around Patna calling for the prestigious Bharat Ratna award to be bestowed upon Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Although these posters may have been Chotu Singh's own initiative, they also serve to garner support for Kumar and showcase his accomplishments, including his long leadership in Bihar and pivotal roles in implementing reforms and projects. With the election looming, these posters may serve as a reminder for the voters of the CM's contributions to the state's development, such as implementing 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and banning alcohol.
The Congress party in Maharashtra has launched 'Shakti Abhiyan', a campaign to empower women across the state. State president Nana Patole highlighted the positive response received by the Indira Gandhi Fellowship programme, under which the campaign was started a year ago. The campaign will be conducted at various levels and aims to bring women's leadership to the forefront. Patole also criticized the Modi government for not implementing the women's reservation bill, while assuring that the Congress will do so when in power.
Amidst ongoing protests against the ST reservation demanded by the Dhangar community, Maharashtra Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal reportedly attempted to jump from the third floor of the state secretariat building. The NCP MLA landed safely on a safety net, along with two other tribal legislators who also jumped in protest. The Ajit Pawar faction leader and other tribal MLAs were demanding that Dhangars not be given ST reservation and instead be given services under the PESA Act. The situation remains tense as discussions on the issue continue.
During the concluding session of the Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD) meeting, BJD president Naveen Patnaik made a passionate call to women in Odisha to expose the false promises of the BJP. He highlighted the BJD's commitment to empowering women and emphasized the need to expose the "lies" of the BJP. Patnaik also addressed the issue of crimes against women and expressed hope for the introduction of reservation for women in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha.
Shree Tirupati Balaji Agro Trading, a leading industrial packaging products manufacturer, will launch its initial public offering (IPO) on September 5th for a total of Rs. 169.65 crore. The IPO will consist of an offer-for-sale portion of Rs. 47.23 crore and a fresh issue of Rs. 122.43 crore. The price band for the IPO is set at Rs. 78 to Rs. 83 per share and retail investors can bid for up to 180 shares for a minimum of 1 lot. The company has reserved 50% of the net offer for Qualified Institutional Buyers, 35% for retail investors, and 15% for non-institutional investors. Don't miss out on this opportunity to invest in the growing SME IPO market!
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has posed a tough set of questions for the Congress leadership regarding their alliance with the National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir. Among the questions, the most pointed one is about the party's stance on reservation for marginalized communities, which has been a sensitive issue for the BJP. This crucial move by Shah shows the party's unease in the face of social justice gaining traction in national politics, and raises questions about its strategy going forward.
Various Adivasi-Dalit organisations in Kerala have called for a state-wide hartal on August 21 to protest against the recent Supreme Court verdict on sub-categorisation of reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The protestors allege that the verdict aims to divide the SC/ST list on a caste basis and introduce a 'creamy layer'. Despite the BJP government's assurance, the central government has yet to acknowledge that the creamy layer division is the basis for categorising the list, as stated by the protestors. The Union Cabinet has also asserted that there is no provision for a creamy layer in the reservation for SCs and STs in the Constitution given by B R Ambedkar.