The BJP MLAs from Madhya Pradesh on Friday moved a Private Members’ Resolution seeking to abolish Article 30 of the Indian Constitution which gives the right to minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.
After moving the resolution in the state assembly, BJP MLA from Jabalpur North assembly constituency, Abhilash Pandey said that there should be a law for equal education and everyone should get equal education, then only the future of the coming generation could be built.
“I have moved a Private Members’ Resolution regarding Article 30 of the Indian constitution which gives the right to minorities to establish and administer educational institutions. I think that there should be a law for equal education. Everyone should get an equal education, then only we can build the future of the coming generation. That is why I have moved a resolution with the message in the House,” Pandey told ANI.
“I have seen many times that the Child Commission has submitted a report on what is happening in minority institutions. Everyone should get equal education, this country should move forward with equality,” he added.
BJP MLA Usha Thakur supported the Private Members’ Resolution saying for the unity and integrity of the country, such activities should be stopped.
“I welcome the Private Members’ Resolution brought regarding Madrasas. For the unity and integrity of the country, such activities should be stopped. Our capable schools can provide modern education, hence there is no need for Madrasas separately,” Thakur said.
Through the resolution, the Government of India will be requested to issue an order to close these madrasas, she added.
When asked about what kind of activities go on in these Madrassas, the BJP MLA said, “Be it Jammu Kashmir or Assam, madrasas were teaching treason. They have an important role in nurturing terrorists. Madrasas should be investigated from every angle. Strict action should be taken against anyone who wants to disturb peace and harmony in the country.”
On the other hand, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said that the BJP always wanted to talk about communal issues and why didn’t they want to talk about farmers of the state?
“Bharatiya Janata Party always wants to talk about communal issues. Why don’t they want to talk about the farmers of the state? Shouldn’t farmers get a minimum support price (MSP)? Shouldn’t Farmers get their rights? The state government is making false promises. Why are they not talking about their Ladli Bahnas, why are they not giving them Rs 3000 a month to them? The state government and their MLAs are bringing such issues to divert attention,” Singhar told ANI.
Congress MLA Atif Aqeel said that the BJP MLAs were taking such a step to save themselves from the nursing college scam though nothing would happen with this.
“The BJP MLAs were taking such steps to save themselves from the nursing college scam though it will not lead to anything. Innocent children study in madrasas who have difficulty even getting two meals a day. The principals and responsible authorities are running it with the help of donations,” Aqeel told ANI.
Reacting to BJP MLA Usha Thakur’s remark connecting Madrasas with terrorism, he said, “Nothing can be done about the virus in her mind.”
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Conservative Party candidate Marco Longhi who sought support from Muslims for the independence of Kashmir in the United Kingdom general election has suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Labour Party’s Indian-origin candidate Sonia Kumar. Rishi Sunak-led Conservative Party govt lost the elections, and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has become the new Prime Minister of the UK after the secured a landslide victory.
During the election campaign, Longhi railed against Hindus, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kashmir in an attempt to gain votes. Notably, he won the election from Britain’s Dudley North seat in 2019 and was standing for re-election in 2024. On the other hand, the Labour Party fielded Sonia Kumar against him and she secured 12,215 votes in the election while he could only obtain 10,315 votes and lost by a margin of 1900 votes.
He tried to win over the electorate by raising the Kashmir issue. On 17th June he even published a letter in which he propagated Hindu hatred and took an anti-India stance and asked Muslims in his constituency to vote for him, so he could bring up the issue of ‘independence’ of Kashmir in the UK Parliament. He further congratulated the Muslim voters in Dudley who were British Pakistani and Kashmiri on Eid-al-Azha and informed them that the saffron party had recently won elections in India again. He incited enmity by claiming that this indicated that the people of Kashmir are going to experience ‘tough times’ in the upcoming months.
He alleged, “Narendra Modi made it clear recently that he is going for a full statehood for Kashmir which would mean full removal of any sovereign rights of the Kashmiris and their special status.” He added that he was elected as MP in 2019 and since then he has been vocal about the “Indian Government atrocities towards the people of Kashmir.” The politician highlighted, “My involvement is well publicised and I have participated in several Kashmir events. I have always condemned India’s continuous illegal actions in Kashmir.”
He then specifically brought attention to and underscored the name of Labour Party Parliamentary candidate Sonia Kumar. He targeted her for her surname which he mentioned in capital letters and claimed, “I leave this decision to you. However should you vote for me, I pledge to you that I will raise my voice for Kashmir in Parliament even more and will be at the forefront of standing up for Kashmiris in Parliament.”
Labour Parliamentary Candidate in Leicester East, Rajesh Agrawal condemned the letter issued by 57-year-old Marco Longhi and noted, “This is a shameful attempt to divide communities and is offensive to both Muslim and Hindu communities. There should be zero tolerance for the dog-whistle politics Mr Longhi is engaged in.” He urged the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, who also comes from the Conservative Party, to remove support for Marco Longhi’s campaign immediately and stated, “Rishi Sunak should put country before party and immediately remove his Party’s support for Mr Longhi’s campaign and apologise for attempting to alienate British Indians.”
However, Marco Longhi tried to shrug off the matter by calling it a human rights issue after severe criticism. Interestingly, about 50% of voters in the Dudley seat, where he lost, are Christians, 6% are Muslims and 2% are Sikhs. Hindus only make up around 1% of the population in the area. Importantly, Marco Longhi’s ploy to court Muslims under the guise of Kashmir did not succeed in the election.
In June this year, the LBTQ+ community celebrated “Pride Month” across different countries. While pride events have been organised in India as well in the past, this year, this global woke menace reached government-funded model schools in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu goes one step further for creating an inclusive future society!
At #ChennaiPride, I learned that TN Model Schools across all 38 districts celebrated #PrideMonth by educating the school children about gender & sexuality etc
During a pride march, 200 students from Coimbatore Model School in R.S. Puram held rainbow flags to demonstrate their “support” for the LGBTQIA+ community. It is said that these students had discussions on distinct gender identities. In addition, the school held a “gender sensitisation” programme where students taught about Pride Month’s history and the range of genders and sexual orientations that make up the LGBTQIA+ community.
Tamil filmmaker Lenin Bharathi was also present in the march, which started at the school and finished at DB Road Square. A transgender person interacted with the students and answered their questions during the programme.
In addition, Muthamizh Kalaivizhi, the coordinator for holistic development in the State’s model schools, S. Naveenatha Krishnan, the coordinator for the northern zone, and V. Rajendran, the coordinator for Tamil Nadu Model Schools in the western region, were present at the event.
Reportedly, similar pride events were organised across model schools in all 38 districts of Tamil Nadu. Several netizens raised concerns about whether the school authorities sought parental consent before making students a part of such programmes.
A chariot being constructed for the upcoming Rath Yatra festival was attacked in Manipur capital Imphal on Thursday-Friday night. Unknown miscreants fired at the unfinished chariot at around 12.30 am and then fled from the scene.
As per reports, the incident took place near the Sana Konung in Imphal, where the Chariot was parked. The attackers arrived in a car from the direction of Advance Hospital and fired two rounds at the chariot. The attackers then quickly fled towards the Palace Gate. Nobody was injured in the firing.
Unknown armed miscreants attacked a chariot being prepared for the upcoming Ratha Yatra festival in Imphal, Manipur, early on July 5.
The Imphal East Police were immediately informed and cops arrived at the scene to investigate the matter.
The Rath Yatra is scheduled for 8 July, and the Chariot was being given final touches for the festival. The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
The incident took place amid continued tension in the state after the last year’s violence and ongoing debate whether the Rath Yatra should be celebrated in the state. Last year the Rath Yatra procession was cancelled amid the violence and only ritual ceremonies were performed.
On Friday, the 5th of July, the National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo moto cognizance of the derogatory remark made by TMC MP Mahua Moitra against Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, NCW, and demanded strict action against the MP. The NCW wrote to LS Speaker Om Birla and condemned the remarks made by the TMC MP.
“The crude remarks are outrageous and a violation of a woman’s right to dignity. The Commission observed that this remark attracts Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023. NCW strongly condemns these defamatory remarks and requests strict action against Ms Moitra. An FIR should be registered against Ms Moitra and a detailed action report should be communicated to the Commission within 3 days,” NCW tweeted.
The National Commission for Women has taken suo moto cognizance of the derogatory remark made by Ms. Mahua Moitra, Member of Parliament, against Ms. Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, NCW. The crude remarks are outrageous and a violation of a woman's right to dignity. The Commission…
As per ANI, the complaint has also been made to Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora. As per the reports, Moitra made derogatory remarks against Sharma as the latter attempted to visit Hathras to take stock of the situation after the stampede.
Sharma was seen at the site, with someone carrying an umbrella for her. Journalist Nidhi Razdan on X wanted to know why the chairman did not hold the umbrella herself. Moitra responded to Razdan’s post on X, commenting, “She’s too busy holding up her boss’s pajamas.”
Responding to NCW’s complaint, Moitra stated no regrets. Instead, she posed a challenge to Delhi Police to get to her in the next three days. “Come on Delhi Police please take action immediately on these suo moto orders. Am in Nadia in case you need me in the next 3 days to make a quick arrest. I Can Hold My Own Umbrella,” she tweeted.
Come on @DelhiPolice please take action immediately on these suo moto orders. Am in Nadia in case you need me in the next 3 days to make a quick arrest. I Can Hold My Own Umbrella . https://t.co/pXvRSVSzxa
Meanwhile, the BJP has demanded Moitra’s resignation. BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla said, “MP Mahua Moitra who justified & remained silent during Sandeshkhali, Chopra Talibani flogging, silent on Swati Maliwal now makes a disgusting comment at another woman that too at the NCW Chief! Imagine if a BJP MP had said this.. all hell would break loose!! MAHUA MOITRA SHOULD BE SACKED BY TMC! Will Priyanka Vadra, Rahul Gandhi, Kharge ji, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Chaturvedi, and AAP call this out? Will Mamata Didi act on her ? Nope just like they remained silent on Sandeshkhali & Chopra.”
On Friday, 5th July, the SIT formed to investigate the Hathras stampede delivered its initial report on the tragic incident, which killed at least 123 people earlier this week. Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar and Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh submitted the 15-page report to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence at 5, Kalidas Marg.
The stampede happened during ‘Satsang’ organized on Tuesday, 2nd July by ‘religious preacher’ Narayan Saakar Hari, commonly referred to as ‘Bhole Baba’. CM Yogi Adityanath had directed the SIT to submit the findings within 24 hours. This SIT report was prepared by ADG Agra Anupam Kulsreshtha and Aligarh Commissioner Chaitra V. The full 15-page report includes statements from approximately 100 people, including the DM and the SP. The SIT members are said to have interviewed administrative officials, event attendees, and sevadars (volunteers) to determine the reason for the stampede.
As reported exclusively by ABP news, the report submitted by the SIT mentions political connections of the ‘Bhole Baba’. It is believed that ‘Bhole Baba’ who fled from the spot after seeing the stampede, helped a particular political party in the recently happened Lok Sabha elections. The report evidently pointed towards a political conspiracy that still remains officially unexposed.
CM Yogi indicates a political conspiracy
CM Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the event and revealed that this incident was a political conspiracy. “Everyone knows with whom the gentleman’s (preacher) photos are and with whom he has political connections. You must have seen that during the rallies in the past days, where was the stampede and who was behind it? It is necessary for us to know about it. Those who play with the lives of innocent people will be held accountable for this,” he said.
#WATCH | On the Hathras stampede incident, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath says "Some people have the tendency to politicise such sad and painful incidents. These people have the nature of 'chori bhi aur seenazori bhi'. Everyone knows with whom the gentleman's (preacher) photos… pic.twitter.com/gNCHNJdpNz
It is important to note that Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav was seen attending ‘Bhole Baba’s events in the past. The videos and photos of Yadav have gone viral over the internet in which he can be seen praising Bhole Baba and his ‘Godly activities.
Yadav seen in Bhole Baba’s Ashram (NDTV)
He had also posted his visit to Bhole Baba’s ashram on X. “May Narayan Sarkar be praised forever in the universe,” he had written.
Concerns have also been raised about the roles of various local authorities, sevadars, event organizers, and other officials stationed there for failing to estimate the number of people in attendance. The permission for the event was granted for only 80,000 people to attend Bhole Baba’s satsang but around 2.5 lakh people gathered at the event.
As per the reports, CM Yogi Adityanath visited some of the families who lost their loved ones in the stampede. The Chief Minister assured justice and condemned ‘Bhole Baba’ for fleeing from the spot after the stampede occurred.
Rahul Gandhi’s selective family visit in Hathras and Aligarh
Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also visited Hathras and Aligarh to visit the families who lost their loved ones in the stampede. He met the families and later demanded strict punishment against those involved. He also asked the state to provide compensation to the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede.
Gandhi met families in Hathras
“I don’t want to say this from a political prism but there have been deficiencies on the part of the administration and the important thing is that maximum compensation should be given as they are poor families,” he said. “I had a personal conversation with the family members of the deceased and they told me that there was no police arrangement. They are in shock and I just wanted to understand their situation,” he added.
#WATCH | Hathras, UP: After meeting the victims of the stampede, Congress MP and LoP in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi says "It is a sad incident. Several people have died. I don't want to say this from a political prism but there have been deficiencies on the part of the administration… pic.twitter.com/n2CXvZztJx
However, it is important to note that several people from Hathras, Aligarh, Eta, Badaun, Mainpur, Shahjahanpur, Itawa, Kapnur, Agra, Noida, etc visited the event and several of these lost their lives. However, Gandhi visited families only from Hathras and Aligarh where the candidates of BJP got elected in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Anup Valmiki of BJP won Hathras by a margin of around 2.47 lakh votes and Satish Gautam won the Aligarh seat by a margin of 15647 votes.
Akhilesh Yadav avoids answering media on Hathras event
Gandhi selectively avoided meeting families of the deceased from Mainpur, Eta, Badaun, and Itawa where Samajwadi Party candidates Dimple Yadav, Devesh Shakya, Aditya Yadava, and Jitendra Dohre retained LS seats. On the other hand, when asked about the Hathras incident, Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav slammed the journalists and asked them to ‘stop working for BJP’.
Later, he praised the media for ‘exposing the truth’. He slammed the state CM for calling it a political conspiracy. “The government wants to hide everything. Who knows this better than you (the Media)?…The government cannot run away from its responsibilities. I don’t think there is a conspiracy behind this (incident)” he opined.
#WATCH | Lucknow | On Hathras stampede incident, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav says, "…The government wants to hide everything. Who knows this better than you (the Media)?…The government cannot run away from its responsibilities. I don't think there is a conspiracy… pic.twitter.com/psoESCqNdT
Witnesses blame ‘Bhole Baba’ for stampede, call him a dhongi
The witnesses of the incident meanwhile communicated to the media and unfolded how the stampede actually happened. One of the locals while talking to India TV stated that around 2.5 lakh people had gathered at the spot and after the satsang, ‘Bhole Baba’ had asked the crowd to wait for ‘charan raj’ (darshan of earth touched by baba). “He stopped the public for charan raj and later signalled the organizers to release them for dashan. Following this all the people rained for charan raj resulting in the stampede,” said one of the witnesses who lost his mother in the stampede. He also blamed ‘Bhole Baba’ for the stampede and called him a ‘dhongi’.
“If he was real God, he should have foreseen this. He should have stopped people from rushing. He should have done something to save lives of the people. But instead he fled from the spot. He is a dhongi, a cheat,” he added.
Another woman who lost her sister in the event also revealed that there were a few people who were massively drunk in the event and as the crowd rushed for charan raj, these drunkards pushed people strongly leading to stampede-like situation. So far, 123 people have lost their lives in the incident. Several others are injured and have been hospitalised.
FIR filed, ‘Bhole Baba’s name kept away
Notably, an FIR has been filed in the case, however, ‘Bhole Baba’ has not been mentioned in the complaint. The UP government has also formed a three-member judicial committee to investigate the event. ‘Bhole Baba’s lawyer previously denied the claim that the stampede occurred due to a rush for ‘charan raj’. AP Singh, a Supreme Court lawyer, claimed that Bhole Baba never requested anyone to touch his feet. He indicated that ‘Bhole Baba’ had nothing to do with the stampede and that it was all people’s rush that led to 123 deaths so far.
On Wednesday (3rd July), the Mayor of Kolkata Firhad Hakim stirred the hornet’s nest for deriding non-Muslims as ‘unfortunate’ and openly calling for their religious conversion to Islam.
Hakim, a Cabinet Minister in the West Bengal government and a close aide of Mamata Banerjee, made the contentious remarks during the ‘All India Quran Competition’ event at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata.
During his address, he claimed, “Those who were not born into Islam were born with misfortune. If we can give them Dawat (call for proselytism) and bring Iman (Faith) in them, then, we will make Allah happy.”
“We need to spread Islam among non-Muslims. If we can bring someone on the path of Islam, then, we will prove to be a true Muslims by ensuring the spread of Faith,” Firhad Hakim brazened out.
He further emphasised, “We showcase strength when thousands of people sit like this wearing skull caps. It shows unity and gives an assurance that none can subdue us.”
“Since we are born into Islam, Prophet and Allah made a clear path for us to Jannat. If we don’t commit any sins, we will directly go to Jaant,” the Kolkata Mayor was heard saying.
Firhad Hakim and his past controversies
This is not the first time when the Mayor of Kolkata has been in the news for the wrong reasons. In April 2016, he had dubbed a Muslim-dominated area of Kolkata as ‘Mini-Pakistan‘
In February 2021, he was spotted delivering a political speech at a masjid in Kolkata, in blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
To pacify Muslim rioters during the anti-CAA movement, Firhad Hakim referred to them as ‘brothers.’ He was also seen referring to the Central Armed forces and the BJP as ‘Suar er baccha‘ (progency of pigs).
Hakim had openly endorsed the Urduisation of Bengal and claimed, “Inshallah, one day will come when half of the population of Bengal will speak Urdu and recite poetry.”
United Kingdom’s outgoing Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak on Friday apologised to the country after the Conservative Party’s drubbing in the general election, its worst-ever in recent times and accepted blame for the defeat.
Sunak in his last speech to the nation as Prime Minister from outside 10 Downing Street said, “To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry. I have given this job my all but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change and yours is the only judgement that matters. I take responsibility for this loss…Following this result, I will step down as party leader…”
The 44-year-old leader said that he will step down as leader of the Conservative party which suffered a landslide loss in the election.
“Following this result, I will step down as party leader,” he said, a move that is set to trigger a contest for the next Conservative leader.
Labour Party won the UK general as per results declared from almost all the parliamentary seats. Keir Starmer will be the next prime minister and is due to meet the king shortly where he’ll be invited to form a government.
The Conservative Party lost more than 250 seats and now faces life in opposition.
“…This is a difficult day at the end of a number of difficult days. This is the best country in the world and it is thanks entirely to you, the British people,” said Sunak.
In his farewell speech as PM, Sunak wished the “decent public spirited man” Starmer. “Whilst he has been my political opponent, Keir Starmer, will shortly become our prime minister. In this job, his successes will be all our successes, and I wish him and his family well. Whatever our disagreements in this campaign, He is a decent, public spirited man who I respect,” said Sunak.
The outgoing PM said he had heard the “anger” of British voters, who delivered his Conservative Party its worst-ever defeat, and apologized to the candidates who had lost their seats.
“To all the conservative candidates and campaigners who worked tirelessly, but without success, I am sorry that we could not deliver what your efforts deserved. It pains me to think how many good colleagues who contributed so much to their communities and our country will now no longer sit in the House of Commons. I thank them for their hard work and their service,” said Sunak.
Reflecting on his 21-month premiership, Sunak said he had “returned stability to our economy” and rebuilt Britain’s relations with its allies.
“I have given this job my all. But you have sent a clear message, and yours is the only judgement that matters. This is a difficult day, but I leave this job honoured to have been Prime Minister of the best country in the world,” said Sunak.
He singled out a major deal he struck to normalize relations between the UK and European Union in the wake of Brexit – a policy he championed – as another of his achievements.
“When I first stood here as your prime minister, I told you the most important task I had was to return stability to our economy. Inflation is backed to target, mortgage rates are falling and growth has returned. We have enhanced our standing in the world, rebuilding relations with allies, leading global efforts to support Ukraine, and becoming the home of new generation of transformative technologies. And our United Kingdom is stronger too. With the Windsor framework, devolution restored in Northern Ireland, and our union strengthened. I’m proud of those achievements. I believe this country is safer, stronger, and more secure than it was 20 months ago. And it is more prosperous, fairer and resilient than it was in 2010,” said Sunak.
The next step in the handover of power in the UK is Sunak calling on King Charles after which Starmer will be invited to the palace and invited to form the next government.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
58-year-old Sandeep Thapar, also known as Gora who is the chief of the Shiv Sena in Punjab was attacked with swords by four unidentified individuals dressed as Nihang Sikhs outside the Ludhiana Civil Hospital on the afternoon of 5th July. The entire instance was recorded on camera. Notably, his security detail was reduced a week earlier.
Sandeep Thapar, who is a descendant of Indian freedom fighter and martyr Sukhdev, was assaulted upon leaving the Samvedna Trust office next to Civil Hospital, where he had attended a memorial service for Trust founder-president and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravinder Arora’s fourth death anniversary, according to the authorities. Local non-governmental organization Samvedna Trust offers patients free ambulance service and cars to transport the deceased for cremation.
#BREAKING: Punjab Shiv Sena leader Sandeep Thapar, who is also descendant of Indian Freedom fighter and martyr Sukhdev, has been assaulted with swords by a group of Nihangs outside Ludhiana Civil Hospital in Punjab on Friday afternoon, his condition is believed to be serious. pic.twitter.com/Yx7XiMx3jy
Police revealed that the accused who were waiting outside, assaulted him with swords and beat him on the head before absconding from the spot. His lone gunman did not try to pursue the assailants or fight back to defend him. Witnesses brought the severely injured man to the civil hospital, where he was subsequently referred to the nearby Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. Shiv Sena leaders gathered at both the hospitals following the shocking incident and chanted slogans against the police administration and the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party government headed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
“He had gone the civil hospital to attend a memorial function of BJP leader Ravinder Arora. As soon as he came out of the hospital with his gunman, a group of Nihangs intercepted him. The accused assaulted Sandeep Thapar with swords in front of his gunman who did nothing to save him,” disclosed Punjab Shiv Sena President Ravinder Arora.
According to Shiv Sena Punjab’s youth wing chief Sumit Arora, the victim had at least three gunmen providing security, but the police removed that protection a week ago. A gunman was later brought back to him. He added that the gunman used to abstain from work and watch silently, enabling the perpetrators to escape with ease. The police have started the inquiry and are looking for the culprits.
As the Labour Party sweeps the elections in Britain, it has won most of the Welsh seats. In Wales, Labour has gained 27 seats, including those in Montgomeryshire, Wrexham, Bridgend, and the Vale of Glamorgan. Kanishka Narayan, an Indian-origin Labour MP, defeated former Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns in the Vale of Glamorgan. With 17,740 votes, Narayan defeated Alun Cairns, who received 13,524 votes, to win the election. The voter turnout here was 61.62%.
After winning the election, Kanishka Narayan said, “My message is one of gratitude for everyone who put trust in me and the Labour Party. I also have a commitment to those who did not vote for us. We are going to reach out and deliver starting today. One overarching challenge is delivering in a place where we have come from – economic chaos. We are going to be rebuilding trust and integrity with the public.
Kanishka Narayan was born in Bihar, India, and was raised in Cardiff after moving there at the age of twelve. After a year at Cathays High School, he received a scholarship to attend the esteemed Eton College. He studied PPE at Oxford University and then he came to America to receive an MBA from Stanford University.
Incredible effort from Team Vale, speaking to thousands of voters today from Barry, through Cowbridge and Llantwit Major, all the way to Ogmore-by-Sea.
— Kanishka Narayan (@KanishkaNarayan) July 4, 2024
Narayan had joined the Labour Party at the age of eighteen. He went on to serve as a civil servant in the Environment Department under Liz Truss and the Cabinet Office under David Cameron. He moved from Cardiff to Barry in 2023 after being chosen as the Labour candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan constituency.
Notably, David TC Davies, the Welsh secretary, lost his seat in Monmouthshire and the Conservatives have not gained any seats in Wales.
With 37% vote share in Wales, the Labour Party secured 27 seats, while the Tories secured 18% of the vote but failed to win any seats. The Liberal Democrats secured one seat, while Plaid Cyrmu secured four seats — Ynys Mon, Caerfyrddin, Dwyfor Meirionnydd, and Ceredigion Preseli.
Apart from Kanishka Narayan many other candidates of Indian origin have won in these elections from Conservative and the Labour Party. Conservative candidate Shivani Raja won the Leicester East seat defeating Labour’s Rajesh Agarwal.
