Haldwani ‘Purification’ Row Escalates: Congress to March to CM’s Residence on Sept 7..
The controversy that erupted after Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally in Haldwani has now escalated into a political movement. Congress has begun preparations to increase pressure on the government on this issue. As a result, the Congress Party is planning to march to the Chief Minister’s residence in the state capital, Dehradun, on September 7th, 2026. Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi are also expected to participate in this major political protest. The primary reason for this controversy is a large Congress Party public meeting held on August 8th, 2026, at the Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, addressed by Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge. Two days after the rally, on August 10, 2026, individuals associated with some Hindu organizations (allegedly Shri Ram Sena) sprinkled Ganga water on the stage and grounds amid chanting of Vedic mantras and performed a “havan” (sacrifice). Photos and videos of this incident went viral on social media. The Congress party has taken this incident to be extremely serious and has directly labeled it an act of “caste discrimination and untouchability.” Mallikarjun Kharge belongs to the Scheduled Caste (Dalit) community. The Congress alleges that Kharge’s presence alone was the reason for the “purification” of the grounds, reflecting a feudal and casteist mindset. Mallikarjun Kharge himself raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, calling it an act of untouchability and demanding the arrest of the perpetrators. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, also strongly criticized the incident, calling it against the Constitution and human values. Meanwhile, the Congress party alleges that the police have not yet filed an FIR against those responsible for the purification incident. Furthermore, the Congress party is demanding the cancellation of the cases filed against Rahul Gandhi. The Congress party will now march to the Chief Minister’s residence on September 7th to protest the purification incident. State Congress leaders have begun preparations to make the march a success. According to party sources, Rahul Gandhi and other national leaders may also participate in the rally. However, the Congress party has not yet formally announced this.State Congress President Ganesh Godiyal stated that party workers from across the state will march to the Chief Minister’s residence on September 7th. The Congress party will continue to fight the purification issue to the last minute. He added that no schedule for Rahul Gandhi’s arrival at the rally has been finalized.
NTA Cancels UGC-NET Papers for Three Subjects After Audit Finds Factual Errors, Typos & Repeated Questions; Rahul Gandhi Questions Paper Leaks..
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has admitted to significant irregularities in the UGC-NET June 2026 exam question paper. Serious allegations surfaced, including numerous spelling mistakes, strange names of thinkers, and blatant copying of old questions from previous years. Following this, the NTA has cancelled the English, Commerce, and Sociology exam papers. This decision was made by the NTA based on the report of an audit committee formed after complaints from candidates and experts regarding serious irregularities in the question papers. The NTA will conduct re-exams for these three affected subjects in September 2026. The NTA has released a new exam schedule for the re-exams. Candidates will not be charged any additional examination fees for re-exams. Here is the re-exam schedule: According to a report in the Indian Express, on Sunday, August 16, the NTA released the provisional answer keys for 84 subjects for the UGC-NET June 2026. However, the answer keys for some papers were withheld. Following this, the NTA issued a separate notice in the evening. It stated that a major decision had been made regarding English, Commerce, and Sociology. According to the NTA, the committee formed to review these three papers found several errors. These included factual errors, typos, and translation errors. The committee found the names of several prominent scholars misspelled in the question paper. The names of some books were also incorrect. Furthermore, some questions contained language errors. Grammar errors were also found in several places. Gender and number mismatches were also found. There were also punctuation errors. Moreover, non-standard terms were used for concepts for which pre-established and commonly used terms exist. It was also discovered that many questions had already been asked in previous exams. Following these discrepancies, the committee recommended that the NTA re-examine the three subjects. Rahul Gandhi Targets PM Modi After NTA Cancels Three UGC-NET Papers Meanwhile, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on PM Modi and the National Testing Agency (NTA) over the decision to re-examine the UGC-NET exam in three subjects due to errors in the question papers. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote on the social media platform X, “Modi ji, look what your NTA has done again.” The UGC-NET exams for Sociology, English, and Commerce were held between June 22 and 30. After nearly two months, the NTA canceled all three exams because they had prepared incorrect question papers and re-asked old questions. Rahul Gandhi said, “Thousands of candidates who prepared diligently for years, filled out forms, paid fees, and traveled to far-flung exam centers will now have to do it all again in September. The NTA makes mistakes, but the students of the country suffer the consequences. I said this in Kota, Dehradun, and Prayagraj, and I will continue to say it. This is no longer an education system. It has become just a money-and-labor-sucking machine. It takes away your money, your years, your mental health, and your self-confidence, and gives you nothing in return, not even a job. The NTA is still not answering the real question. Were these papers leaked before the exams?”
BJP National Spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla Quits Party Citing Personal Reasons
BJP leader and national spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla has abruptly resigned from the BJP, citing personal reasons. However, an official announcement on this matter has not yet been made. Poonawalla updated his bio on his social media account, X, without mentioning the BJP. He stated that an official statement regarding his resignation will be issued soon. His sudden resignation from the party has surprised political analysts. A day before his resignation, Shahzad Poonawalla shared an old interview in which he stated that he was considering a departure from active politics. He said, “I have been in active politics for about 18-19 years. I started at a very young age and have now reached the point I wanted to reach.” Poonawalla explained that he initially decided to leave politics after Prime Minister Modi secured a third consecutive term in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, he subsequently decided to remain active to help the BJP in key assembly elections, including in Delhi, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. He further stated that he now feels the time has come to move on from active political life. 38-year-old Shahzad Poonawalla is known as the BJP’s chief spokesperson. He began his political career with the Congress party. He served as vice-president of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) in Pune, a member of the All India Congress Committee’s media cell’s research team, and secretary of the Maharashtra Congress. However, in 2017, after questions arose about Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, he joined the BJP. He publicly challenged the presidential election within the Congress party, alleging that the election was rigged to make Rahul Gandhi president. He demanded a transparent and merit-based election and asked whether Rahul Gandhi would resign from his post and contest the election as an ordinary member of the party. This public rebellion led to his isolation within the Congress party, and he eventually left the party. During the 2017 Gujarat Assembly election campaign, PM Modi praised Shahzad Poonawalla for publicly exposing the lack of internal democracy within the Congress.
Congress agreed to shift the “Chhatraon Ki Goonj” event to Bannu School Ground in Dehradun
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to address students at the “Chhatraon Ki Goonj” event on July 17th. The event was scheduled to be held at the Parade Ground in Dehradun, booked by the State Congress Committee for three days, and the committee had already paid the fees. However, three days before the event, on July 14th, the administration cancelled it. During the event, they demanded a new venue for the event, which will now be held at the Bannu School Ground in Dehradun. It is reported that late at night, a truck loaded with supplies was sent from the Parade Ground to Bannu School, leading to a heated altercation between Congress leaders and workers and the police. Following the uproar at the Parade Ground late at night on July 14th, Congress leaders and workers gathered at the Congress state headquarters, where they arrived, having been informed by the police administration. The administration had erected barricades and deployed a large police force before the parade ground. Despite this, Congress workers broke through the barricades and proceeded towards the parade ground, engaging in a heated argument with the police. Upon reaching the parade ground, they entered the ground through a gate, broke the lock, and opened the gate, after which Congress workers created a massive uproar inside the parade ground. Congress State President Ganesh Godiyal, along with Yashpal Arya, Pritam Singh, and Harak Singh Rawat, were also present during the protest. When the administration did not relent, Congress leaders decided after the protest that they would organize Rahul Gandhi’s program at the ground suggested by the administration, and preparations would begin soon. Congress State President Ganesh Godiyal stated that Congress is not averse to this government’s decision. The government has the intention to answer to the court, and transparency is the government’s responsibility. However, the government has been exposed, and therefore, Rahul Gandhi’s rally on July 17th will be historic. He also described the Parade Ground protest as a warning to the government. He urged the government to desist from its actions, warning that their downfall is beginning. He also stated that wherever a youth stands, a line is drawn. Uttarakhand needs change because the BJP government has pushed the state into the abyss. Leader of the Opposition Yashpal Arya stated that the Parade Ground was completely empty, so permission was sought from the Municipal Corporation for the event, which was granted. However, the 170,000 rupee fee was also deposited. Despite this, the reason for revoking the permission is clear: the government is afraid of Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi is currently organizing the “Chhatraon Ki Goonj” program across the country. This program began in Kota, Rajasthan. Rahul Gandhi wants to expand this organizational campaign across the country. He has also instructed all his front and cell organizations to work with the NSUI to reach out to students at the district level and, under the name of the “Chhatraon Ki Goonj” program, communicate issues such as paper leaks, recruitment scams, expensive education, and shortcomings in the education system. Under this, Rahul Gandhi’s rally is proposed in Dehradun on July 17, which can also be seen as a show of strength before the Uttarakhand Assembly elections 2027.
Rahul Gandhi to Visit Dehradun on July 17 for ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ Youth Program on Education and Paper Leaks
Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Uttarakhand has been confirmed once again. He will arrive in Dehradun on July 17th. During this visit, he will interact with students and youth at a program organized under the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” campaign. The program aims to discuss issues related to the education system, competitive examinations, and youth. Previously, Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Uttarakhand was scheduled for June 4th and 5th, but he was unable to attend due to bad weather. On June 4th, Rahul Gandhi arrived in Pantnagar, where he was supposed to fly to Almora. However, due to the bad weather, the pilot refused to take off. Following this, Rahul Gandhi shared this information via social media. Many children have committed suicide due to NEET paper leak Meanwhile, Congress state in-charge Kumari Selja said that the paper leak scandal across the country has jeopardized the future of the youth. Many children have committed suicide. The immense damage caused by the paper leak is palpable not only to the children but also to their families and the entire society. In this context, Rahul Gandhi is traveling across the country to raise the voice of the children and Rahul Gandhi is also visiting Uttarakhand on July 17th. In addition, the state’s youth are migrating to other parts of the country for menial jobs. A major question arises: why aren’t youth finding employment in the state itself? Industries established during the Congress regime are also closing down, with no policy in place to prevent this. This is why Rahul Gandhi is visiting Uttarakhand. He will interact with the youth on the evening of July 17th. A program called “Chhatraon Ki Goonj” will be organized for this purpose.
Siddaramaiah vs DK Shivakumar? Congress Deliberates Strategic Changes Ahead of Key Elections
Major political developments are underway within India’s premier political party, the Congress. The party’s top leadership held several important meetings in Delhi today. This meeting took place at a time when there are fears of a possible major reshuffle in the party. It is believed that this change could change the betting equation between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. This information has intensified political discussions in Karnataka. Major questions related to leadership balance, cabinet reshuffle and future election strategy are continuously making headlines here. According to sources, the Congress is closely assessing the structural and governance aspects of the party before the upcoming elections. The uncertainty surrounding the Karnataka leadership has intensified as the Congress high command is considering several options. These options include cabinet reshuffle, replacing Maiya with DK Shivakumar, or a surprising statement involving Mallika Arjun. The party faces the challenge of striking a crucial political balance due to factionalism within the party, governance concerns, and the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its leader. The shifting equations between DK Shivakumar and Siddharth Maiya and the meetings held within the Congress party’s high command are currently the focus of discussion in Indian political discourse. Speculation has repeatedly arisen regarding the leadership arrangement and internal discussions between the DK Shivakumar and Siddharth Maiya duo. The meeting in Delhi has sparked debate over whether the Congress party is planning a strategic shift.