Brinda Karat

DBT schemes for women not freebies, result of struggles: Brinda Karat

As political parties jockey to woo women with schemes and promises of sops every election season, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat feels that these are reflections of their assertion as independent citizens even as these schemes take away the discourse from women's rights and make them mere "beneficiaries". In an interview with PTI, she, however, welcomed cash transfer to women while stressing that it was not a "freebie" as women contribute almost seven per cent of the GDP through unpaid labour. It shows that political parties have realised that women cannot be taken for granted, said Karat, a well known activist who is among the founding members of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), one of the largest women organisations in the country. Asked about direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes for women being brought in by political parties in the run up to eleections, she said, "That is a result of women's movements, women's organisations, the struggles and the consciousness

CPI (M) leader Brinda hits BJP, says turned Jharkhand into 'lootkhand'

Senior CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat on Sunday accused the BJP of raising the infiltration issue in the election campaign only for publicity and political gains. She also alleged that the BJP has converted Jharkhand into 'lootkhand' (place of loot). "The word 'ghuspathiya' (infiltrator) is itself an insult. If they are entering Jharkhand illegally, the Centre should identify them as per the law and deport them after speaking with the Bangladesh government. "But, instead, they are raising the issue only for publicity. When the Jharkhand High Court sought a reply on a petition in this regard, the central government said they don't have any data but have suspicion. It means they are spreading poison here on the basis of doubt only," she told reporters in Pakur. Karat alleged that infiltration was a failure on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "BJP had ruled the state for a maximum period and they converted Jharkhand into 'lootkhand' (place of .

'No demolitions without prior approval': Supreme Court issues interim order

Order on demolition: The SC bench was addressing a plea challenging the practice of various state governments demolishing properties of individuals accused of crimes as a form of punishment

Aryan Mishra was religious, recently visited Ram temple: CPI(M) delegation

Aryan Mishra, the 19-year-old youth shot dead allegedly by cow vigilantes in a car chase in Faridabad, was "deeply religious" and had recently visited the Ram temple at Ayodhya, a CPI(M) delegation said after meeting the teenager's family. In a statement issued on Friday, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the delegation, which included party leaders Brinda Karat, Rajiv Kunwar, Shiv Prasad, Virinder Dangial, Vijay Jha and others, met the deceased's father Siyanand, mother Uma and brother Ajay. They said the Mishra family is poor with only one earning member. Aryan was allegedly chased in a car and shot dead in Faridabad on August 23 by a group of five cow vigilantes who mistook him for a cattle smuggler, police had said. Aryan studied in Class 12 and simultaneously training at a small company for social media branding. "He was deeply religious and had recently visited Ayodhya temple and other temples. He was a keen bodybuilder and recently won a prize for weightlifting. H

LS elections: Left leaders cast vote in Delhi, say 'democracy at stake'

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, polit bureau members Brinda Karat and Prakash Karat and Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Annie Raja were among the Left leaders who cast their votes in Delhi on Saturday and appealed to voters to exercise their franchise. The Left leaders also expressed confidence in the Opposition INDIA alliance emerging victorious in the ongoing polls. Talking to PTI after casting his vote at Delhi's Vasant Kunj, Yechury said: "I voted for India, for my country. I voted for democracy, unity of my country and my Constitution. The people of India will win. Therefore India will win. That is what I hope, I expect, and am sure of," Yechury told PTI. "The prime minister of India himself, every day he speaks only to sharpen communal polarisation... The Election Commission has to take cognisance. Unfortunately, it is not doing so. But the people of India are opposing it," he said. Annie Raja, who is in the fray from Kerala's Wayan

Forest conservation Bill passed to benefit corporates: Brinda Karat

Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Thursday alleged that the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 was passed without any discussion in Parliament with an aim to give exemptions and benefits to corporates. Karat was here to participate in a condolence meet of Subhash Munda, a CPI (M) leader, who was recently shot dead by unidentified criminals at his office in Ranchi. "Amendments to Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 are basically meant to give blanket exemptions. The rights of tribals and other forest dwellers have been eliminated. Forests of India are being handed over to corporates," Karat told PTI. She said it was really shameful and shocking that such an important Bill, which has a wide impact on environment, tribals and forest dwellers, was passed in such a manner. "This is an example of such an authoritarian act by the government of India that they are really reducing the Parliament to nothing but a rubber stamp," she alleged. Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed th

Juice shop owner moves SC against NDMC demolition drive in Jahangirpuri

Petitioner, Ganesh Gupta, whose juice shop was among the properties which were razed by the Municipal Corporation has moved before the top court against the mala fide power exercised by the NDMC

Karat requests Goyal's intervention on SC eviction order of jhuggi clusters

Brinda Karat wrote a letter to Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal requesting his intervention on the Supreme Court judgment of August 31, directing the removal of all jhuggi clusters on railway land

Brinda Karat cites fate of Rohingya, Ahmadiyya communities to take on CAA

Asks why the two communities persecuted in Myanmar and Pakistan have been excluded at a rally in Raipur's 'Shaheen Bagh'

Hindustan has turned into 'lynchistan', says CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat

She says 32 cases of attacks by vigilante groups on minorities have taken place since May, 2014

Threatening artists is 'pseudo nationalism': Brinda Karat on MNS

MNS's film wing has threatened Karan Johar and Mahesh Bhatt with 'a befitting response' if they release films featuring Pakistani artists