Pioneer In Short
Helmet Rule Hits Latur Police
Maharashtra’s Latur police have taken action against 58 police personnel, including officers, for riding two-wheelers without helmets, ahead of the district-wide enforcement of mandatory helmet use from September 1. Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe has directed that police personnel must not be exempted from helmet rules, stressing that those enforcing the law must first follow it themselves. “Compliance must begin with us,” Tambe said. The traffic branch has been instructed to penalise officers and personnel arriving at police stations on two-wheelers without helmets. The action applies across all 23 police stations in the district. In a significant move, details of helmet violations will also be entered in the offenders’ service books. Personnel found violating the rule will face the applicable penalty as well as disciplinary action. The police said the initiative is intended to set an example for the public and promote responsible road behaviour as authorities prepare for stricter helmet enforcement from September 1. Motorists have been urged to make helmet use a habit rather than wait for enforcement.
NDA Allies Divided Over SC Subquota
Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday clashed over a proposed sub-category within the Scheduled Caste quota for the most deprived Dalit communities, with Paswan calling the move divisive and Manjhi arguing it would enable targeted welfare. Paswan, chief of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), said a sub-quota would "create a schism within the community". He also asked supporters of the proposal to back the concept of a creamy layer and give up their posts. His position echoes that of his late father, Ram Vilas Paswan, who opposed the "Mahadalit" category introduced in Bihar during Nitish Kumar's tenure. Manjhi, who belongs to the Musahar community, rejected Paswan's argument, saying more vulnerable Dalit castes needed targeted welfare. His son, Bihar minister Santosh Kumar Suman, also defended a "quota within quota", saying communities such as Musahar, Bhuia, Nat and Dom faced discrimination even within the SC category.
The JD(U) sought to defuse the dispute, saying reservations were constitutionally guaranteed and there should be no quarrel over quotas.
Paswan and Manjhi, however, jointly criticised Congress over Rahul Gandhi's remarks on alleged "purification" following Mallikarjun Kharge's visit to a temple.