Politics
Ramdas Athawale proposes to increase caste-based reservations to 75%, promotes inter-caste marriages to end casteism

Ramdas Athawale (Photo by: Suyash Sethiya)
The newly appointed Minister of State for social justice and empowerment in the Modi government, Ramdas Athawale, arrived in Nagpur on Saturday, October 8, for the first time after he became the minister. Athawale, who was greeted with firecrackers, was dressed in a red shirt and a bright yellow Nehru jacket with bling sunglasses.
Addressing his first press conference after being appointed as the minister, during his four-day Vidarbha tour, he expressed his support for a separate Vidarbha and concern over farmer’s suicides in Vidarbha. He said, I hope the Modi government will carve out more states like Telangana.
Talking about reservations, Athawale said that he’d move a proposal to increase the caste-based reservations in the country from 50% to 75%. Interestingly, Athawale, in the same breath, spoke about the need to encourage inter-caste marriages in order to bring an end to casteism in the country.
Stating that a lot of injustice has been meted out to Dalits in our country, he also spoke about the Maratha protest going on in Maharashtra for the past two months.
Athawale was recently panned by the media for changing his opinion on the Maratha protest. While he initially said that the protest instilled fear amongst the Dalits, later he changed his stance, saying that the Maratha reservation was worth emulating, as it’s a silent protest.
When Nation Next asked him whether the BJP pressurised him to change his stance on the Maratha protest, he said. “The Maratha agitation is led by common people and is apolitical in nature. It has no political backing. People voluntarily joined the protest, as they were outraged due to the Kopardi rape incident. Dalits don’t have a reason to fear, as the Marathas’ demand to review Atrocities Act won’t adulterate the law. It will only ensure that the act doesn’t get misused. The act won’t be repealed anyway.”
He also said, There’s a lot of unrest among Maratha, Gujjars and Jat communities. They are socially backward and face lot of problems in education field. The Parliament should increase the caste-based reservation up to 75%. No reservations on the basis of economic criteria would be accepted.
Athawale announced that he’d be organising a Dalit-Maratha unity rally? on October 19 to make peace between Dalits and Marathas. He also declared that the scholarships ranging from Rs 230 to Rs 1200 per month would be granted to almost 68 lakh students belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories.
Politics
Chinese attack in Galwan was pre-planned; govt. was fast asleep: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the PM Modi-led government in June 19 saying that the government was fast-asleep even as tension increased on the Indo-Chinese border. Gandhi claimed that the Chinese attack in Galwan valley in Ladakh was ?pre-planned and that soldiers paid the price of government’s mistake.
Gandhi took to twitter to question the Government’s alertness on the standoff at the border. Gandhi cited an ANI report, which quoted Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Shripad Naik as saying that the violent face off, which killed around 20 Indian soldiers was ?pre-planned by China? and that the Indian forces will give a ?befitting reply.
Gandhi’s tweet read:
It’s now crystal clear that:
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The Chinese attack in Galwan was pre-planned.
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GOI was fast asleep and denied the problem.
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The price was paid by our martyred Jawans.
Also read: COVID-19 positive Congress MLA votes in PPE kit for Rajya Sabha polls
Gandhi’s attack on the government comes before an all-party meeting, which will be convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 19 evening to discuss the India-China border situation.
Politics
COVID-19 positive Congress MLA votes in PPE kit for Rajya Sabha polls
COVID-19 positive Congress MLA votes in PPE kit for Rajya Sabha polls…

Congress MLA Kunal Chaudhary, who is a COVID-19 patient, arrived in a PPE kit to cast his vote for the 24-seat Rajya Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh on Friday.
The MLA, who was the last one to vote, was tested for COVID-19 on June 12. Chaudhary told NDTV, “I reached Vidhan Sabha around 12.45 pm in an ambulance, with full precaution wearing a PPE kit, the officials were also wearing PPE kit, though I felt they were a bit scared, which is natural. I voted for my party candidate and came back. To ensure virus doesn’t get spread from respiratory droplets, people around him ensured strict social distancing.
In Madhya Pradesh, a candidate needs 52 votes for winning a seat in the Rajya Sabha elections.
Also read: Congress to distribute 50 lakh food kits, PPEs to mark Rahul Gandhi’s 50th birthday today
Politics
Ramdas Athawale calls for ban on restaurants selling Chinese food, asks citizens to stop eating it

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, President of Republican Party of India (RPI-A), on June 18, called for a ban on restaurants and hotels serving Chinese cuisine and also asked the citizens to stop eating Chinese food.
Athawale, who coined the famous Go Corona, Go Corona? chant in February, made the statement against the backdrop of clash between Indian and Chinese armed forces in the Galwan valley area of Ladakh on June 15. The clash led to deaths of around 20 Indian Army personnel including a Colonel rank officer.
Also read: Nagpur businessman Ravi Agrawal raises his stake in Infibeam Avenues from 5.65% to 7.11%
Athawale said, Restaurants selling Chinese food should be banned. Restaurants should be closed by the order of the state government. I appeal people who consume Chinese food to boycott it.
The Chinese literature should also be banned. Its products should be banned and it’s companies too should not be given business here. We should develop such companies in India, which can manufacture the same products here, the Union Minister added.
Athawale warned China to reconsider its actions and stop its criminal activities on the border. You took Buddha from us but we don’t want yuddha (war) with you. A war will prove to be costly for both countries, economically and loss of lives will also occur. If we (Indians) are not crossing the border, then why are you doing so?? he added.
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