Whatever be the fate of Congress government in Rajasthan, a massive blow has been delivered to the Congress leadership by Sachin Pilot. He has shown that central leadership does not count for anything in the Congress and demonstrated the weakness of the Interim Congress President. 
 
Imagine that party’s top leadership was unable to speak to him through Sunday. After Jyotiraditya Scindhia, it will be the second big exit from the Congress if it happens.

Even in Maharashtra, a fait accompli was served to Sonia Gandhi whereby regional leadership went and formed the government with Shiv Sena and NCP.

Secondly, many leaders in the Congress are comparing an impending exit by Sachin Pilot and his marginalization to a purge in the party where they feel that Rahul Gandhi does not want some leaders in the organizational fold anymore. Many have silently conveyed that they are paying the price for suggesting a non-Gandhi name for the position of the President of the party after Rahul Gandhi’s exit.

Thirdly, 2019 Lok Sabha defeat did away with the old binary of old vs new in the Congress Party. After 2019 defeat, a new political architecture has evolved in the Congress. A section of the party is being run by Rahul Gandhi through organizational general secretary K C Venugopal and another by senior leader Ahmad Patel who by virtue of his political weight continues to exercise power in the organization. It is no more a fight between old and new, but between a Rahul Gandhi camp and others, and has young and old in both camps. For example, Sachin Pilot met Ahmad Patel but did not make himself available to the top leadership of the Congress, despite being once considered close to Rahul Gandhi, while Ashok Gehlot is now closer to Rahul Gandhi where he was once considered Ahmad Patel’s man.

Added to this melee is another set of people whom I call the “lost generation” who are loyal Congressmen but considered close to Ahmad Patel and could never reconfigure a relationship with Rahul Gandhi who always regarded them with a degree of suspicion. This “lost generation” is also one of the main reason behind the dissent as most of them joined Congress when Sonia Gandhi was taking over the party in 90s. Coming back to the point, 10 Janpath is confident that Rahul Gandhi would take over as the President of the Congress in August and would like leaders in sync with him, leaving others out in the cold.

In politics, however, wishes don’t&nbsp;turn into reality. If and when Rahul Gandhi takes over the Congress, he will, once again, inherit a party that is at loggerheads with the leadership. Deepinder Hooda’s Rajya Sabha seat is the best example where his father Bhupinder Hooda made sure of his son’s ticket to the Upper House despite opposition from the Gandhi family.

Sachin Pilot may or may not remain in the Congress, but his exit would send a message to leaders like RPN Singh, Milind Deora and Jitin Prasada, people who went on to become the young faces of UPA 2 between 2009-2014 that despite their age (or lack of it) if not firmly aligned with the Gandhi’s, they may have no space in the party.

Though some politicians like Ashok Tanwar have been compromised in the feud, the writing on the wall is clear that Rahul Gandhi will not let go of control and is being actively encouraged to intervene more openly. In the meeting held on Saturday with party MPs, Interim President Sonia Gandhi asked Rahul Gandhi to intervene a number of times when, barring a few, the rest of them praised him for a “successful” anti-government campaign. Rahul Gandhi politely refused to intervene almost all the times but the writing on the wall was clear and that being that this time Sonia Gandhi will not let allow any dissent on Rahul Gandhi.

Sachin Pilot is himself a dynast like Jyotiraditya Scindhia but his reinvention in 2014 made him get rid of the dynast tag. He reinvented himself and worked in Rajasthan where other people were sulking in Delhi. It is for this reason, he still enjoys sympathy.

Life within Congress can continue as normal even if Sachin Pilot leaves, but it will impact its image badly. In the 1970s and 80s, socialists were bitter adversaries of Indira Gandhi, but they could never keep their house in order. They also sealed the image in public that they could neither run a government efficiently nor be a cohesive political unit. In this case, the continuous exit of leaders for varying reasons can reinforce the image that Rahul Gandhi cannot run the Congress properly. Sometimes perceptions become a liability bigger than the actual weight of facts and Rahul Gandhi needs to be mindful of it. By 1990s, Indians junked socialists after romanticising them for 45 years and voted for BJP as an alternative to Congress. Rest is history.

Congress lost Lok Sabha elections under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. 2024 is far away. If he cannot put the house in order, then there will be nothing to fight against with and Congress will get reduced to another Swatantra Party or Jan Sangh which neither had a say nor the way in Lok Sabha till Indira Gandhi was alive. 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Whatever be the fate of Congress government in Rajasthan, a massive blow has been delivered to the Congress leadership by Sachin Pilot. He has shown that central leadership does not count for anything in the Congress and demonstrated the weakness of the Interim Congress President.

Whatever be the fate of Congress government in Rajasthan, a massive blow has been delivered to the Congress leadership by Sachin Pilot. He has shown that central leadership does not count for anything in the Congress and demonstrated the weakness of the Interim Congress President. Imagine that party’s top leadership was unable to speak to him through Sunday. After Jyotiraditya Scindhia, it will be the second big exit from the Congress if it happens. Even in Maharashtra, a fait accompli was served to Sonia Gandhi whereby regional leadership went and formed the government with Shiv Sena and NCP. Secondly, many leaders in the Congress are comparing an impending exit by Sachin Pilot and his marginalization to a purge in the party where they feel that Rahul Gandhi does not want some leaders in the organizational fold anymore. Many have silently conveyed that they are paying the price for suggesting a non-Gandhi name for the position of the President of the party after Rahul Gandhi’s exit. Thirdly, 2019 Lok Sabha defeat did away with the old binary of old vs new in the Congress Party. After 2019 defeat, a new political architecture has evolved in the Congress. A section of the party is being run by Rahul Gandhi through organizational general secretary K C Venugopal and another by senior leader Ahmad Patel who by virtue of his political weight continues to exercise power in the organization. It is no more a fight between old and new, but between a Rahul Gandhi camp and others, and has young and old in both camps. For example, Sachin Pilot met Ahmad Patel but did not make himself available to the top leadership of the Congress, despite being once considered close to Rahul Gandhi, while Ashok Gehlot is now closer to Rahul Gandhi where he was once considered Ahmad Patel’s man. Added to this melee is another set of people whom I call the “lost generation” who are loyal Congressmen but considered close to Ahmad Patel and could never reconfigure a relationship with Rahul Gandhi who always regarded them with a degree of suspicion. This “lost generation” is also one of the main reason behind the dissent as most of them joined Congress when Sonia Gandhi was taking over the party in 90s. Coming back to the point, 10 Janpath is confident that Rahul Gandhi would take over as the President of the Congress in August and would like leaders in sync with him, leaving others out in the cold. In politics, however, wishes don’t turn into reality. If and when Rahul Gandhi takes over the Congress, he will, once again, inherit a party that is at loggerheads with the leadership. Deepinder Hooda’s Rajya Sabha seat is the best example where his father Bhupinder Hooda made sure of his son’s ticket to the Upper House despite opposition from the Gandhi family. Sachin Pilot may or may not remain in the Congress, but his exit would send a message to leaders like RPN Singh, Milind Deora and Jitin Prasada, people who went on to become the young faces of UPA 2 between 2009-2014 that despite their age (or lack of it) if not firmly aligned with the Gandhi’s, they may have no space in the party. Though some politicians like Ashok Tanwar have been compromised in the feud, the writing on the wall is clear that Rahul Gandhi will not let go of control and is being actively encouraged to intervene more openly. In the meeting held on Saturday with party MPs, Interim President Sonia Gandhi asked Rahul Gandhi to intervene a number of times when, barring a few, the rest of them praised him for a “successful” anti-government campaign. Rahul Gandhi politely refused to intervene almost all the times but the writing on the wall was clear and that being that this time Sonia Gandhi will not let allow any dissent on Rahul Gandhi. Sachin Pilot is himself a dynast like Jyotiraditya Scindhia but his reinvention in 2014 made him get rid of the dynast tag. He reinvented himself and worked in Rajasthan where other people were sulking in Delhi. It is for this reason, he still enjoys sympathy. Life within Congress can continue as normal even if Sachin Pilot leaves, but it will impact its image badly. In the 1970s and 80s, socialists were bitter adversaries of Indira Gandhi, but they could never keep their house in order. They also sealed the image in public that they could neither run a government efficiently nor be a cohesive political unit. In this case, the continuous exit of leaders for varying reasons can reinforce the image that Rahul Gandhi cannot run the Congress properly. Sometimes perceptions become a liability bigger than the actual weight of facts and Rahul Gandhi needs to be mindful of it. By 1990s, Indians junked socialists after romanticising them for 45 years and voted for BJP as an alternative to Congress. Rest is history. Congress lost Lok Sabha elections under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. 2024 is far away. If he cannot put the house in order, then there will be nothing to fight against with and Congress will get reduced to another Swatantra Party or Jan Sangh which neither had a say nor the way in Lok Sabha till Indira Gandhi was alive. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Congress at crossroads again

Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed Emergency in India forty-four years ago on June 25, 1975.

The move threw India's democratic polity completely out of gear as several Opposition leaders were arrested and draconian measures undertaken to stifle free speech and press. The Emergency lasted for 21 months from June 25 to March 21, 1977.

The Emergency was imposed after India's President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed issued orders under Article 352(1) of the Indian constitution plunging the country into what is now known as the "darkest period" in post-Independent India. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
Under the powers of the emergency law, Indira Gandhi had given herself extraordinary powers to arrest opposition leaders. There is an interesting story about George Fernandes, who later went on to become India's Defence minister.

He was living underground, trying to escape a police encounter. His socialist friends had made a plan to call BBC'S correspondent in Mark Tully. In case the police came knocking.

True to their suspicions — it happened and they called Mark Tully, and the BBC flashed the news.

Many believe that may have saved George Fernandes' life. Finally — in January 1977 — Indira Gandhi called for fresh elections and released all political prisoners. That was two months before the emergency was lifted.

The opposition warned Indians and said it's the last chance to choose between democracy and dictatorship. In the elections — both Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi lost their seats.

Morarji Desai became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India and he amended the Indian constitution making it impossible for any government in the future to clamp emergency.

Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed Emergency in India forty-four years ago on June 25, 1975. The move threw India's democratic polity completely out of gear as several Opposition leaders were arrested and draconian measures undertaken to stifle free speech and press.

Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed Emergency in India forty-four years ago on June 25, 1975. The move threw India's democratic polity completely out of gear as several Opposition leaders were arrested and draconian measures undertaken to stifle free speech and press. The Emergency lasted for 21 months from June 25 to March 21, 1977. The Emergency was imposed after India's President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed issued orders under Article 352(1) of the Indian constitution plunging the country into what is now known as the "darkest period" in post-Independent India. Under the powers of the emergency law, Indira Gandhi had given herself extraordinary powers to arrest opposition leaders. There is an interesting story about George Fernandes, who later went on to become India's Defence minister. He was living underground, trying to escape a police encounter. His socialist friends had made a plan to call BBC'S correspondent in Mark Tully. In case the police came knocking. True to their suspicions — it happened and they called Mark Tully, and the BBC flashed the news. Many believe that may have saved George Fernandes' life. Finally — in January 1977 — Indira Gandhi called for fresh elections and released all political prisoners. That was two months before the emergency was lifted. The opposition warned Indians and said it's the last chance to choose between democracy and dictatorship. In the elections — both Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi lost their seats. Morarji Desai became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India and he amended the Indian constitution making it impossible for any government in the future to clamp emergency.

Revisiting the Emergency: When Iron Lady's dark move galvanized the Opposition

Emergency was the darkest hour of the post-independent India. It was a subversion of the Indian Constitution. Emergency also showed how easily Indira Gandhi could manipulate existing set-up to use draconian provisions vested in the Constitution. It was also a poor reflection on the status of the Congress party which failed to resist the supreme leader and her son’s encroachment on the democratic principle of the Constitution. Emergency not only broke the myth of the constant rule of Congress at Centre but also broke traditional strongholds of the party&nbsp;in north India. The effects of emergency could still be felt today by the leaders it spawned. 
 
Let’s recount the most important development which impacted Indian politics.

Emergency mainstreamed RSS in Indian politics. After the brief experience of 1967 when non-Congress governments came up in various north Indian states by taking help from Jan Sangh, RSS still remained at the political periphery.&nbsp;The close cooperation of RSS with other opposition parties&nbsp;gave rise to the idea of combined opposition. This idea made it possible for VP Singh to become the Prime Minister for a brief time as he received support from both Left and BJP.

Emergency also spawned new leaders. It also pushed old leaders to centre stage. Morarji Desai went on to become the Prime Minister at the age of 81. Vajpayee and Advani, from RSS background, became ministers. New leaders emerged both at the Central&nbsp;and state level. Mulayam Singh, Laloo Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, George Fernandes, Ram Vilas Paswan and Sharad Yadav broke into national politics. Vajpayee and Advani went on to become PM and deputy Prime Ministers. Mulayam, Nitish and Laloo served both as chief ministers and Central ministers and also laid foundations of regional parties in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh respectively. It also impacted Congress. Many Congress leaders nurtured by Sanjay Gandhi came to dominate UPA 1 and 2. Sanjay Gandhi’s men had a little say in Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress but Sonia Gandhi brought back the old-timers into the system.

Another impact of emergency was the injection of activism in journalism. It also spawned a number of journalists who actively opposed Indira Gandhi. Many were jailed and many more lost jobs. The net impact of emergency was that anti-government reporting acquired political heft. It continued till 2014. Only after 2014, political heft of anti-government reporting came down.

Emergency also led to the foundation of BJP in the 1980s. With the failure of the Janata experiment, leaders associated with RSS formed a new party called BJP. When born, it chose to wall a centrist path until Advani decided to change it for good. After two back to back debacles in Lok Sabha election, Advani took a political turn and got the BJP married to hard Hindutva politics officially. BJP went on to form government in 1996 and by 2014 became the dominant party of India, displacing Congress from both Centre and many states.

Another impact of Emergency, in the long run, was political marginalisation of socialist politics in India. India repeatedly witnessed socialist not being able to run governments. It discredited them in public. The experiment of 1977, 1989 and 1996 showed that socialist parties cannot run governments on their own. Subsequently, the socialist block got divided, a part of it aligned with BJP led NDA and rest chose to become part of the Congress-led UPA. After 1996, the dominance of socialist politics was finished at the Centre.

Emergency also raised questions on the nature of Indian film industry. Barring few voices, many film stars remained silent. This continues till today where very few actors take strong political positions on important issues.

Emergency also&nbsp;tarred the legacy of Congress forever. The party which fought for India’s independence suspended democratic rights. Till today, the party&nbsp;grapples with the legacy of Congress despite admitting in public that it was a mistake.

Another impact of Emergency was the downfall of the Congress in north Indian states. Congress was able to retain south in the 1980s and was wiped out in the north. By 1989, Congress became irrelevant in Bihar and UP which accounts for 120 seats in Lok Sabha. It also showed every Indian how the absence of dissent in the party can compromise with the functioning of a nation. In absence of dissent in Congress, Indira got away with Emergency. It is the biggest lesson. Even the opposition was not convinced of a victory against Indira but people voted her out. It is a lesson, India&nbsp;must remember that dissent within the party and outside the government, in form of a strong opposition with a strong and neutral press, is an essential prerequisite for a functional democracy.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Emergency was the darkest hour of the post-independent India. It was a subversion of the Indian Constitution. Emergency also showed how easily Indira Gandhi could manipulate existing set-up to use draconian provisions vested in the Constitution.

Emergency was the darkest hour of the post-independent India. It was a subversion of the Indian Constitution. Emergency also showed how easily Indira Gandhi could manipulate existing set-up to use draconian provisions vested in the Constitution. It was also a poor reflection on the status of the Congress party which failed to resist the supreme leader and her son’s encroachment on the democratic principle of the Constitution. Emergency not only broke the myth of the constant rule of Congress at Centre but also broke traditional strongholds of the party in north India. The effects of emergency could still be felt today by the leaders it spawned. Let’s recount the most important development which impacted Indian politics. Emergency mainstreamed RSS in Indian politics. After the brief experience of 1967 when non-Congress governments came up in various north Indian states by taking help from Jan Sangh, RSS still remained at the political periphery. The close cooperation of RSS with other opposition parties gave rise to the idea of combined opposition. This idea made it possible for VP Singh to become the Prime Minister for a brief time as he received support from both Left and BJP. Emergency also spawned new leaders. It also pushed old leaders to centre stage. Morarji Desai went on to become the Prime Minister at the age of 81. Vajpayee and Advani, from RSS background, became ministers. New leaders emerged both at the Central and state level. Mulayam Singh, Laloo Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, George Fernandes, Ram Vilas Paswan and Sharad Yadav broke into national politics. Vajpayee and Advani went on to become PM and deputy Prime Ministers. Mulayam, Nitish and Laloo served both as chief ministers and Central ministers and also laid foundations of regional parties in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh respectively. It also impacted Congress. Many Congress leaders nurtured by Sanjay Gandhi came to dominate UPA 1 and 2. Sanjay Gandhi’s men had a little say in Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress but Sonia Gandhi brought back the old-timers into the system. Another impact of emergency was the injection of activism in journalism. It also spawned a number of journalists who actively opposed Indira Gandhi. Many were jailed and many more lost jobs. The net impact of emergency was that anti-government reporting acquired political heft. It continued till 2014. Only after 2014, political heft of anti-government reporting came down. Emergency also led to the foundation of BJP in the 1980s. With the failure of the Janata experiment, leaders associated with RSS formed a new party called BJP. When born, it chose to wall a centrist path until Advani decided to change it for good. After two back to back debacles in Lok Sabha election, Advani took a political turn and got the BJP married to hard Hindutva politics officially. BJP went on to form government in 1996 and by 2014 became the dominant party of India, displacing Congress from both Centre and many states. Another impact of Emergency, in the long run, was political marginalisation of socialist politics in India. India repeatedly witnessed socialist not being able to run governments. It discredited them in public. The experiment of 1977, 1989 and 1996 showed that socialist parties cannot run governments on their own. Subsequently, the socialist block got divided, a part of it aligned with BJP led NDA and rest chose to become part of the Congress-led UPA. After 1996, the dominance of socialist politics was finished at the Centre. Emergency also raised questions on the nature of Indian film industry. Barring few voices, many film stars remained silent. This continues till today where very few actors take strong political positions on important issues. Emergency also tarred the legacy of Congress forever. The party which fought for India’s independence suspended democratic rights. Till today, the party grapples with the legacy of Congress despite admitting in public that it was a mistake. Another impact of Emergency was the downfall of the Congress in north Indian states. Congress was able to retain south in the 1980s and was wiped out in the north. By 1989, Congress became irrelevant in Bihar and UP which accounts for 120 seats in Lok Sabha. It also showed every Indian how the absence of dissent in the party can compromise with the functioning of a nation. In absence of dissent in Congress, Indira got away with Emergency. It is the biggest lesson. Even the opposition was not convinced of a victory against Indira but people voted her out. It is a lesson, India must remember that dissent within the party and outside the government, in form of a strong opposition with a strong and neutral press, is an essential prerequisite for a functional democracy. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Children of Emergency

India's two major political parties, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress exchanged a heated war of words following comments made by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the India-China border crisis in Ladakh.

Singh asked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure justice for Indian soldiers who lost their lives following a violent face-off with Chinese security personnel at Galwan Valley in Ladakh last week.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/turning-50-rahul-gandhi-down-but-not-out-307119">Turning 50: Rahul Gandhi, down but not out</a>

He said that disinformation cannot replace diplomacy or decisive leadership.&nbsp;

"The prime minister must always be mindful of the implications of his words and declarations on our nation's security as also strategic and territorial interests," the former PM said in a statement.

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पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह जी की महत्वपूर्ण सलाह। भारत की भलाई के लिए, मैं आशा करता हूँ कि PM उनकी बात को विनम्रता से मानेंगे। <a href="https://t.co/0QTewzmcyD">pic.twitter.com/0QTewzmcyD</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1274922923413762048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Singh's comments were endorsed by his senior party member Rahul Gandhi, who in a tweet called the former PM's advice "important", adding "for the betterment of India, I hope the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) will accept it politely."

The comments were not taken down well by the BJP and its chief JP Nadda asked Congress to stop insulting the armed forces and questioning their bravery.&nbsp;

"You did this post the air strikes and surgical strikes. Please understand the true meaning of national unity, especially in such times. It`s never too late to improve," Nadda said in a tweet.&nbsp;

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Dear Dr. Singh and Congress Party, 
 
Please stop insulting our forces repeatedly, questioning their valour. You did this post the air strikes and surgical strikes. 
 
Please understand the true meaning of national unity, especially in such times. 
 
It’s never too late to improve.
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) <a href="https://twitter.com/JPNadda/status/1274963217425588226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In other tweets, he also accused Congress of surrendering 43,000 kms of Indian territory to the Chinese without offering a fight and said Singh "presided over 600 incursions made by China between 2010 to 2013".

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One only wishes that Dr. Singh was as worried about Chinese designs when, as PM, he abjectly surrendered hundreds of square kilometres of India’s land to China. He presided over 600 incursions made by China between 2010 to 2013!
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) <a href="https://twitter.com/JPNadda/status/1274963017751560192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Dr. Manmohan Singh belongs to the same party which: 
 
Helplessly surrendered over 43,000 KM of Indian territory to the Chinese! 
 
During the UPA years saw abject strategic and territorial surrender without a fight. 
 
Time and again belittles our forces.
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) <a href="https://twitter.com/JPNadda/status/1274962925262966786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala slammed Nadda for his remarks and asked him to "stop compromising on national security and India's territorial integrity".

"This would be the biggest disservice to our armed forces and our 20 martyrs. Don't buckle down, have the strength to rise to the occasion. We`ll give the government every support," Surjewala, in a tweet, said.

India's two major political parties, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress exchanged a heated war of words following comments made by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the India-China border crisis in Ladakh.

India's two major political parties, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress exchanged a heated war of words following comments made by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the India-China border crisis in Ladakh. Singh asked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure justice for Indian soldiers who lost their lives following a violent face-off with Chinese security personnel at Galwan Valley in Ladakh last week. Also read | Turning 50: Rahul Gandhi, down but not out He said that disinformation cannot replace diplomacy or decisive leadership. "The prime minister must always be mindful of the implications of his words and declarations on our nation's security as also strategic and territorial interests," the former PM said in a statement. पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह जी की महत्वपूर्ण सलाह। भारत की भलाई के लिए, मैं आशा करता हूँ कि PM उनकी बात को विनम्रता से मानेंगे। pic.twitter.com/0QTewzmcyD — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 22, 2020 × Singh's comments were endorsed by his senior party member Rahul Gandhi, who in a tweet called the former PM's advice "important", adding "for the betterment of India, I hope the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) will accept it politely." The comments were not taken down well by the BJP and its chief JP Nadda asked Congress to stop insulting the armed forces and questioning their bravery. "You did this post the air strikes and surgical strikes. Please understand the true meaning of national unity, especially in such times. It`s never too late to improve," Nadda said in a tweet. Dear Dr. Singh and Congress Party, Please stop insulting our forces repeatedly, questioning their valour. You did this post the air strikes and surgical strikes. Please understand the true meaning of national unity, especially in such times. It’s never too late to improve. — Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) June 22, 2020 × In other tweets, he also accused Congress of surrendering 43,000 kms of Indian territory to the Chinese without offering a fight and said Singh "presided over 600 incursions made by China between 2010 to 2013". One only wishes that Dr. Singh was as worried about Chinese designs when, as PM, he abjectly surrendered hundreds of square kilometres of India’s land to China. He presided over 600 incursions made by China between 2010 to 2013! — Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) June 22, 2020 × Dr. Manmohan Singh belongs to the same party which: Helplessly surrendered over 43,000 KM of Indian territory to the Chinese! During the UPA years saw abject strategic and territorial surrender without a fight. Time and again belittles our forces. — Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) June 22, 2020 × Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala slammed Nadda for his remarks and asked him to "stop compromising on national security and India's territorial integrity". "This would be the biggest disservice to our armed forces and our 20 martyrs. Don't buckle down, have the strength to rise to the occasion. We`ll give the government every support," Surjewala, in a tweet, said.

BJP, Congress exchange war of words on former PM Manmohan Singh's remarks

At 50, people in general start actively planning for retirement, but it does not hold true for politicians in India. Indian politics has dynasties which control the functioning of political parties. It roughly means that one can continue to have a long career despite making big mistakes. Secondly, the Indian public is more forgiving. Politicians have made comebacks after years of oblivion or even failed beginnings. Look at the career of Morarji Desai, PV Narsimha Rao or even YSR Reddy, their patience paid off.

Lastly, India loves old politicians. Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was an odd case out. Indians for the last 70 years have supported and voted for old leaders. Even the icon of emergency, Jayaprakash Narayan, was old and bedridden. Narsimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh, Morarji Desai, Deve Gowda, IK Gujral and even Narendra Modi became Prime Ministers in their 60s and 70s. Morarji Bhai became Prime Minister when he was 81.

So, what is the future of Rahul Gandhi at 50? He might not be the party president today, but eventually, he will head the Congress. And hence, he will have to deal with a diminished party, resurgent Hindutva and a mainstreamed RSS in his political life. I would say that even then, Rahul Gandhi cannot be discounted.

First, he is the only dynast at the national level which&nbsp;gives Rahul Gandhi enough longevity in politics. You will never be able to rule him out till the platform of the Congress party is available to him. It means that Rahul Gandhi will continue to play an active role in politics.

Congress has become virtually non-existent in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Delhi, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. It is a marginal player in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. It remains stagnant in Karnataka and Gujarat. North East remains a bigger challenge for the party which has almost been abandoned by the leadership. If we add numbers of states where Congress is non-existent, it comes down to 238 Lok Sabha seats. If we add states, where Congress has become a junior partner in alliances, the number stands at 102 seats. If we add both then number rises to 340 seats. It's here, the challenge lies for Rahul Gandhi. It is here that Rahul Gandhi and Congress will need to focus if it wants to tackle BJP.

At the age of 50, Rahul Gandhi confronts another problem as well - the ideological dominance of right-wing politics globally. Rahul Gandhi will need to merge constitutional nationalism with cultural heritage which Indira Gandhi was able to do.

Lastly, Rahul Gandhi’s biggest challenge is the political mainstreaming of RSS. This was not the case even when Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. RSS is a behemoth compared to the Congress today. Today, it has acquired intellectual heft too. Their views are being published regularly in mainstream newspapers which once reflected Congress view of the world. RSS has always been a cultural organisation with a political heartbeat. It mobilised large parts of the civil society for BJP by being active in non-political seasons. Only time, Congress and Rahul Gandhi could do something similar was during COVID-19 crisis, when party workers helped migrant labourers.

Rahul Gandhi has four more years to prepare for Lok Sabha elections. He has nothing more to lose. The Opposition is fragmented.&nbsp;

Most state leaders have accommodated BJP barring a few like Mamata Banerjee. If Rahul Gandhi is able to become the sole voice of the opposition at the national level, half the job would be done. Leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia, JB Kriplani, Jayaprakash Narayan or even Charan Singh could never match electoral stature of Indira Gandhi, but they commanded respect and people took them seriously. Rahul Gandhi needs to enter this space.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

At 50, people in general start actively planning for retirement, but it does not hold true for politicians in India. Indian politics has dynasties which control the functioning of political parties.

At 50, people in general start actively planning for retirement, but it does not hold true for politicians in India. Indian politics has dynasties which control the functioning of political parties. It roughly means that one can continue to have a long career despite making big mistakes. Secondly, the Indian public is more forgiving. Politicians have made comebacks after years of oblivion or even failed beginnings. Look at the career of Morarji Desai, PV Narsimha Rao or even YSR Reddy, their patience paid off. Lastly, India loves old politicians. Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was an odd case out. Indians for the last 70 years have supported and voted for old leaders. Even the icon of emergency, Jayaprakash Narayan, was old and bedridden. Narsimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh, Morarji Desai, Deve Gowda, IK Gujral and even Narendra Modi became Prime Ministers in their 60s and 70s. Morarji Bhai became Prime Minister when he was 81. So, what is the future of Rahul Gandhi at 50? He might not be the party president today, but eventually, he will head the Congress. And hence, he will have to deal with a diminished party, resurgent Hindutva and a mainstreamed RSS in his political life. I would say that even then, Rahul Gandhi cannot be discounted. First, he is the only dynast at the national level which gives Rahul Gandhi enough longevity in politics. You will never be able to rule him out till the platform of the Congress party is available to him. It means that Rahul Gandhi will continue to play an active role in politics. Congress has become virtually non-existent in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Delhi, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. It is a marginal player in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. It remains stagnant in Karnataka and Gujarat. North East remains a bigger challenge for the party which has almost been abandoned by the leadership. If we add numbers of states where Congress is non-existent, it comes down to 238 Lok Sabha seats. If we add states, where Congress has become a junior partner in alliances, the number stands at 102 seats. If we add both then number rises to 340 seats. It's here, the challenge lies for Rahul Gandhi. It is here that Rahul Gandhi and Congress will need to focus if it wants to tackle BJP. At the age of 50, Rahul Gandhi confronts another problem as well - the ideological dominance of right-wing politics globally. Rahul Gandhi will need to merge constitutional nationalism with cultural heritage which Indira Gandhi was able to do. Lastly, Rahul Gandhi’s biggest challenge is the political mainstreaming of RSS. This was not the case even when Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. RSS is a behemoth compared to the Congress today. Today, it has acquired intellectual heft too. Their views are being published regularly in mainstream newspapers which once reflected Congress view of the world. RSS has always been a cultural organisation with a political heartbeat. It mobilised large parts of the civil society for BJP by being active in non-political seasons. Only time, Congress and Rahul Gandhi could do something similar was during COVID-19 crisis, when party workers helped migrant labourers. Rahul Gandhi has four more years to prepare for Lok Sabha elections. He has nothing more to lose. The Opposition is fragmented. Most state leaders have accommodated BJP barring a few like Mamata Banerjee. If Rahul Gandhi is able to become the sole voice of the opposition at the national level, half the job would be done. Leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia, JB Kriplani, Jayaprakash Narayan or even Charan Singh could never match electoral stature of Indira Gandhi, but they commanded respect and people took them seriously. Rahul Gandhi needs to enter this space. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Turning 50: Rahul Gandhi, down but not out

Sewa bhav or service remains an important and respected component of India's public life. It has always been acknowledged and reciprocated by the Indian electorate.

Institutions or political parties which regularly uphold&nbsp;sewa&nbsp;bhav end up being more organically connected with the people at large.

It is this element of service which enables political parties to have a special relationship with civil society actors. The biggest reason behind&nbsp;BJP’s success or survival of RSS despite being banned on a number of occasions is the element of service, independent of political action.

RSS, on multiple occasions, has deployed thousands of its workers to help poor people and civil society during national crisis like floods, war, drought or dislocation of the population. Today, RSS is not limited to relief action as its organisational infrastructure includes thousands of people in various institutions involved with schools, forests, tribals, backward communities, students, trade union workers, farmers and multiple study groups.

Congress, perhaps for the first time in the last 40 years, has been able to connect with the civil society during the migrant crisis in India. Congress cadres and leaders, throughout the crisis, organised food camps and helped people to move from one part of the country to another. There was intense politicisation of the event, but the fact is that social action of the Congress was loaded with political message enabling the party to truly behave like an opposition party.

It is through this social action, Congress was able to create a debate on social media in whose absence the coverage of lockdown and pandemic would have remained one-sided and extremely pro-government. Raising the issues on social media would have been one thing, but letting cadres be on the ground to help those who suffered pulled the party out of deep slumber.&nbsp;

It will be too presumptuous to say that the act of working on the ground has revitalised the party, but it has indeed granted a diminished party the national voice.

For long, political parties in India have ignored the importance of social action in politics. Congress, during the independence struggle, was not dedicated solely to political rights. It worked on other fronts as well. The party helped workers, farmers get better benefits and attain dignity in society. Champaran is the case in point, wherein Mahatma Gandhi led the protests to organise better compensation for farmers. It was social action which consolidated the political legitimacy of both Congress and Gandhi.

During the drought in Gujarat, Sardar Pate,l on multiple occasions, organised money and help for the farmers. In post-independent India during 1984, RSS saved many Sikh lives by letting workers go out and help them.

Almost all political parties simply turned into electoral machines after independence. The sewa bhav was reduced to lip service. Help today only means a subsidy from the state.&nbsp;

Congress after decades has walked the path it had pioneered during Indian independence. Congress must continue to engage with civil society and marginal communities on the ground on real issues and in real-time, irrespective of electoral mathematics. Sewa bhav can turn the fortune of the party around as it would&nbsp;reinforce the message that the only party on the ground during the migrant crisis was Congress. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Sewa bhav or service remains an important and respected component of India's public life. It has always been acknowledged and reciprocated by the Indian electorate.

Sewa bhav or service remains an important and respected component of India's public life. It has always been acknowledged and reciprocated by the Indian electorate. Institutions or political parties which regularly uphold sewa bhav end up being more organically connected with the people at large. It is this element of service which enables political parties to have a special relationship with civil society actors. The biggest reason behind BJP’s success or survival of RSS despite being banned on a number of occasions is the element of service, independent of political action. RSS, on multiple occasions, has deployed thousands of its workers to help poor people and civil society during national crisis like floods, war, drought or dislocation of the population. Today, RSS is not limited to relief action as its organisational infrastructure includes thousands of people in various institutions involved with schools, forests, tribals, backward communities, students, trade union workers, farmers and multiple study groups. Congress, perhaps for the first time in the last 40 years, has been able to connect with the civil society during the migrant crisis in India. Congress cadres and leaders, throughout the crisis, organised food camps and helped people to move from one part of the country to another. There was intense politicisation of the event, but the fact is that social action of the Congress was loaded with political message enabling the party to truly behave like an opposition party. It is through this social action, Congress was able to create a debate on social media in whose absence the coverage of lockdown and pandemic would have remained one-sided and extremely pro-government. Raising the issues on social media would have been one thing, but letting cadres be on the ground to help those who suffered pulled the party out of deep slumber. It will be too presumptuous to say that the act of working on the ground has revitalised the party, but it has indeed granted a diminished party the national voice. For long, political parties in India have ignored the importance of social action in politics. Congress, during the independence struggle, was not dedicated solely to political rights. It worked on other fronts as well. The party helped workers, farmers get better benefits and attain dignity in society. Champaran is the case in point, wherein Mahatma Gandhi led the protests to organise better compensation for farmers. It was social action which consolidated the political legitimacy of both Congress and Gandhi. During the drought in Gujarat, Sardar Pate,l on multiple occasions, organised money and help for the farmers. In post-independent India during 1984, RSS saved many Sikh lives by letting workers go out and help them. Almost all political parties simply turned into electoral machines after independence. The sewa bhav was reduced to lip service. Help today only means a subsidy from the state. Congress after decades has walked the path it had pioneered during Indian independence. Congress must continue to engage with civil society and marginal communities on the ground on real issues and in real-time, irrespective of electoral mathematics. Sewa bhav can turn the fortune of the party around as it would reinforce the message that the only party on the ground during the migrant crisis was Congress. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Congress must continue to engage with migrant workers in a time of crisis like COVID-19

Congress party launched 'Speak Up India' campaign today where the party asked people to share their problems due to coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.

Urging Centre to open its 'treasury', Congress chief Sonia Gandhi also asked the government to provide every month Rs 7,500 to each family for six months.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sonia-gandhi-writes-to-pm-modi-seeks-financial-package-for-msme-sector-294769">Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi, seeks financial package for MSME sector</a>

"After the country gained Independence, for the first time, everybody experienced the pain of lakhs of labourers, who were forced to go home barefooted, hungry and without medicines. Their pain was felt by everyone, but not by this govt," Gandhi said in his address.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-launches-a-broadside-against-modi-says-pm-has-gone-into-low-key-mode-301089">Rahul Gandhi launches a broadside against Modi, says PM has gone into low-key mode</a>

"This is why Congress leaders have decided that to strengthen India's voice, we have to run this social media campaign."

She said that Rs 7,500 per month in cash should be given to each family for six months and for the same Rs 10,000 should be released immediately.&nbsp;

"Under MGNREGA, 200 days for work should be given so that employment can be generated in villages," Gandhi said.&nbsp;

Congress party launched 'Speak Up India' campaign today where the party asked people to share their problems due to coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. Urging Centre to open its 'treasury', Congress chief Sonia Gandhi also asked the government to provide every month Rs 7,500 to each family for six months.

Congress party launched 'Speak Up India' campaign today where the party asked people to share their problems due to coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. Urging Centre to open its 'treasury', Congress chief Sonia Gandhi also asked the government to provide every month Rs 7,500 to each family for six months. Also read | Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi, seeks financial package for MSME sector "After the country gained Independence, for the first time, everybody experienced the pain of lakhs of labourers, who were forced to go home barefooted, hungry and without medicines. Their pain was felt by everyone, but not by this govt," Gandhi said in his address. Also read | Rahul Gandhi launches a broadside against Modi, says PM has gone into low-key mode "This is why Congress leaders have decided that to strengthen India's voice, we have to run this social media campaign." She said that Rs 7,500 per month in cash should be given to each family for six months and for the same Rs 10,000 should be released immediately. "Under MGNREGA, 200 days for work should be given so that employment can be generated in villages," Gandhi said.

Sonia Gandhi asks Centre to provide Rs 7,500 per month to each family

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Modi government on the issue of lifting lockdown when infection rates are soaring across the country.&nbsp;

Gandhi said that the Centre has failed in implementing all four versions of lockdown and should come out with a solution as to what the government intends to do now. 
&nbsp; 
He also said that he has been meeting daily wage labourers and most of them told him that they have lost faith in the government.&nbsp;

In his press conference, Gandhi once again pushed the point that economic package has not worked, and state governments are not being supported by the centre in combating the pandemic.

“Even PM would accept that the plan of the government failed but now he should tell us the way out. PM has gone in a low-key position and is absent from the scene,” said Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul said that he would like the prime minister to acquire centre stage again. 
&nbsp; 
Congress has taken a strong stand on the issue of migrant workers and cornered the government multiple time on this issue. The lifting of lockdown has witnessed a lot of teething problems and a haphazard opening up could lead to second wave. 
&nbsp; 
Gandhi also said that the states cannot function in isolation. When asked about Maharashtra, he said,” Connected states will face the brunt more than far off areas. Then one also has to account for the fact that there is a difference between running the government and supporting the government,” he said. 
&nbsp; 
Speaking on the issue of China, Rahul Gandhi said that the government must share facts with the nation. He also welcomed that Centre did give the right to the state governments for zoning and decision making at the local level.

Gandhi said that the reason why the Congress Party made the film on migrants was to showcase the problems faced by the migrant workers and the message needed to be sent across.&nbsp;

India is undergoing fourth stage of lockdown and also simultaneously opening up. There is definitely an absence of a coordinated action amongst states and Congress insiders feel that it is the best way to pin Narendra Modi down as issues related to MSMEs and migrant labour issue has not been addressed properly by Modi government.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Modi government on the issue of lifting lockdown when infection rates are soaring across the country.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Modi government on the issue of lifting lockdown when infection rates are soaring across the country. Gandhi said that the Centre has failed in implementing all four versions of lockdown and should come out with a solution as to what the government intends to do now. He also said that he has been meeting daily wage labourers and most of them told him that they have lost faith in the government. In his press conference, Gandhi once again pushed the point that economic package has not worked, and state governments are not being supported by the centre in combating the pandemic. “Even PM would accept that the plan of the government failed but now he should tell us the way out. PM has gone in a low-key position and is absent from the scene,” said Rahul Gandhi. Rahul said that he would like the prime minister to acquire centre stage again. Congress has taken a strong stand on the issue of migrant workers and cornered the government multiple time on this issue. The lifting of lockdown has witnessed a lot of teething problems and a haphazard opening up could lead to second wave. Gandhi also said that the states cannot function in isolation. When asked about Maharashtra, he said,” Connected states will face the brunt more than far off areas. Then one also has to account for the fact that there is a difference between running the government and supporting the government,” he said. Speaking on the issue of China, Rahul Gandhi said that the government must share facts with the nation. He also welcomed that Centre did give the right to the state governments for zoning and decision making at the local level. Gandhi said that the reason why the Congress Party made the film on migrants was to showcase the problems faced by the migrant workers and the message needed to be sent across. India is undergoing fourth stage of lockdown and also simultaneously opening up. There is definitely an absence of a coordinated action amongst states and Congress insiders feel that it is the best way to pin Narendra Modi down as issues related to MSMEs and migrant labour issue has not been addressed properly by Modi government.

Rahul Gandhi launches a broadside against Modi, says PM has gone into low-key mode

India should look at Indonesian experiment in context of transfer of funds in the face of the coronavirus-enforced crisis, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee said on Tuesday, asserting that putting cash in the hands of people would be the best way to boost the economy post lockdown.

Banerjee, while talking to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi through video-conferencing, also suggested giving money into the hands of the bottom 60 per cent population to help revive demand.

He was deliberating on the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with Gandhi as part of a series of dialogues broadcast on Congress' social media handles.

Banerjee said that Indonesia has decided it would give cash transfer -- that too through community decision making process.&nbsp;

“The community decides as to who are needy and who get the funds,” he said, adding he worked with the Indonesian government and the approach will not work in a bad manner when compared with centralised targeting.&nbsp;

Banerjee said it was an experience India could learn from.&nbsp;

“In an emergency, it is a good policy,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi countered this, saying that one cannot discount caste bias in the said concept.&nbsp;

To this end, Banerjee said that even centrally targetted schemes are reported to have missed people, "so local authorities should be identified."

"Elite capture of funds cannot be avoided but we must be brave, take a chance and identify local authorities to distribute funds,” he said.

“India has enough stocks and we can continue for a while,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi also questioned him about the centralisation of power -- to which Banerjee replied&nbsp;that migrants should have been tested and should not have been left to the state governments.&nbsp;

"It should have been handled by the Centre."

Banerjee insisted that good NGOs should be roped in. He also suggested that the government should hand out temporary ration cards to people to deal with the problem of food distribution.

On the issue of strongmen politics, he said that US and Brazil are messing the COVID-19 situation.

"This is the time to relook at the strongmen theory and dissuade themselves. These two are pretending as they understand everything,” he said.

Banerjee further said that India should come out with a large enough stimulus package to revive demand. He said it was important for India to announce a large enough stimulus package to deal with the crisis on the lines of what the US, Japan and the Europe are doing

“We need a stimulus package. That’s what the US is doing; Japan is doing; Europe is doing. We really haven’t decided on a large enough stimulus package. We are still talking about 1% of GDP. United States has gone for 10% of GDP,” he said.

India should look at Indonesian experiment in context of transfer of funds in the face of the coronavirus-enforced crisis, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee said on Tuesday, asserting that putting cash in the hands of people would be the best way to boost the economy post lockdown.

India should look at Indonesian experiment in context of transfer of funds in the face of the coronavirus-enforced crisis, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee said on Tuesday, asserting that putting cash in the hands of people would be the best way to boost the economy post lockdown. Banerjee, while talking to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi through video-conferencing, also suggested giving money into the hands of the bottom 60 per cent population to help revive demand. He was deliberating on the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with Gandhi as part of a series of dialogues broadcast on Congress' social media handles. Banerjee said that Indonesia has decided it would give cash transfer -- that too through community decision making process. “The community decides as to who are needy and who get the funds,” he said, adding he worked with the Indonesian government and the approach will not work in a bad manner when compared with centralised targeting. Banerjee said it was an experience India could learn from. “In an emergency, it is a good policy,” he said. Rahul Gandhi countered this, saying that one cannot discount caste bias in the said concept. To this end, Banerjee said that even centrally targetted schemes are reported to have missed people, "so local authorities should be identified." "Elite capture of funds cannot be avoided but we must be brave, take a chance and identify local authorities to distribute funds,” he said. “India has enough stocks and we can continue for a while,” he said. Rahul Gandhi also questioned him about the centralisation of power -- to which Banerjee replied that migrants should have been tested and should not have been left to the state governments. "It should have been handled by the Centre." Banerjee insisted that good NGOs should be roped in. He also suggested that the government should hand out temporary ration cards to people to deal with the problem of food distribution. On the issue of strongmen politics, he said that US and Brazil are messing the COVID-19 situation. "This is the time to relook at the strongmen theory and dissuade themselves. These two are pretending as they understand everything,” he said. Banerjee further said that India should come out with a large enough stimulus package to revive demand. He said it was important for India to announce a large enough stimulus package to deal with the crisis on the lines of what the US, Japan and the Europe are doing “We need a stimulus package. That’s what the US is doing; Japan is doing; Europe is doing. We really haven’t decided on a large enough stimulus package. We are still talking about 1% of GDP. United States has gone for 10% of GDP,” he said.

India can learn from Indonesia in terms of transfer of funds during coronavirus pandemic: Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee to Rahul Gandhi

Expressing concerns over the Centre's decision to stop the hike in Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief to all government employees and pensioners, Congress leader and former PM Manmohan Singh on Saturday said that it is not necessary to impose hardships on government servants.

"I sincerely believe it is not necessary at this stage to impose hardships on government servants and also on the armed forces people," said the former Prime Minister in a video message put out on Congress' Twitter handle.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
As <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID</a> spreads, Modi Govt hurts 1.1cr Central Govt employees instead of providing relief. Withdrawing DA instead of cutting wasteful expenditure like Central Vista project is insensitive &amp; inhumane. Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RahulGandhi</a> &amp; others express deep concern. <a href="https://t.co/M6WQ0tojxG">pic.twitter.com/M6WQ0tojxG</a>
— Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/1253877689926193153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Ministry of Finance on Thursday stopped a hike in dearness allowance (DA) for the central government employees and dearness relief (DR) for the central government pensioners till July next year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/coronavirus-sonia-gandhi-urges-government-to-provide-relief-package-for-msme-sector-294217">Also read:&nbsp;Coronavirus: Sonia Gandhi urges government to provide relief package for MSME sector</a>

According to the order issued, no arrears will be paid for the period from January 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

"In view of the crisis arising out of COVID-19, it has been decided that the additional instalment of dearness allowance payable to Central Government employees and dearness relief to Central Government pensioners, due from January 1, 2020, shall not be paid," the order said.

Expressing concerns over the Centre's decision to stop the hike in Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief to all government employees and pensioners, Congress leader and former PM Manmohan Singh on Saturday said that it is not necessary to impose hardships on government servants.

Expressing concerns over the Centre's decision to stop the hike in Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief to all government employees and pensioners, Congress leader and former PM Manmohan Singh on Saturday said that it is not necessary to impose hardships on government servants. "I sincerely believe it is not necessary at this stage to impose hardships on government servants and also on the armed forces people," said the former Prime Minister in a video message put out on Congress' Twitter handle. As #COVID spreads, Modi Govt hurts 1.1cr Central Govt employees instead of providing relief. Withdrawing DA instead of cutting wasteful expenditure like Central Vista project is insensitive & inhumane. Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, Shri @RahulGandhi & others express deep concern. pic.twitter.com/M6WQ0tojxG — Congress (@INCIndia) April 25, 2020 × The Ministry of Finance on Thursday stopped a hike in dearness allowance (DA) for the central government employees and dearness relief (DR) for the central government pensioners till July next year. Also read: Coronavirus: Sonia Gandhi urges government to provide relief package for MSME sector According to the order issued, no arrears will be paid for the period from January 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. "In view of the crisis arising out of COVID-19, it has been decided that the additional instalment of dearness allowance payable to Central Government employees and dearness relief to Central Government pensioners, due from January 1, 2020, shall not be paid," the order said.

No need to halt DA/DR hikes at this stage, says Manmohan Singh in a video message

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s elaborate press conference on Zoom was a sober affair. Unlike his usual self, where Rahul Gandhi can become aggressive and pushy during a press conference, he was unusually interactive and refrained from making any strong comment against the government.&nbsp;

He tried to push his agenda on the issue of COVID 19. During national emergencies, people generally rally around the government and opposition generally allows the leeway. This time, Congress has used a different tactic. It has understood the problems faced by the migrant workers and started kitchen for them throughout India. Narendra Modi government cannot take this overture lightly.&nbsp;

On earlier occasions, Prime Ministers have lost their jobs because of the hardship people go through. Winston Churchill lost elections after World War II and so did Indira Gandhi after bifurcating Pakistan. It is not to say that Rahul Gandhi has suddenly acquired gravitas and would be able to challenge the Narendra Modi, but overture of the Congress towards migrant workers who are right now jobless and without a steady income can prove to be a problem for the BJP.

Though the government has done its best to provide food and money to them, but the problem has not gone away. Rahul Gandhi also avoided attacking Narendra Modi which would have distracted the attention from the real issue to personalities. There was even a strategic goalpost shifting, but former Congress President. Instead of insisting on testing at large, he stressed on precision testing. He even refused to attack the government directly and instead put forth his idea of dealing with the pandemic.&nbsp;

It is a small image reboot for Rahul Gandhi. It is a small step of Rahul Gandhi on addressing this issue nationally. But he will need to be consistent with it. He was one of the first politicians to raise the issue in public, but Congress as a party was more focused on CAA than pandemic which was raising its head next door. Ideally, national parties should not and cannot remain dependent on one leader to pitch an issue in public discourse. Nonetheless, it is a precursor of things to come. If not now then later, Rahul Gandhi will take over Congress once again. His challenges remain huge and job even more difficult for the next two years as Congress is not a real challenger in any state elections.

One will also have to see whether state elections will take place on time for Congress to re-test itself under his leadership. There are chances, the elections may get delayed but then till then, Rahul Gandhi can engage with social issues to deepen its party’s engagement with civil society which become purely electoral in its body rhythm. RSS, in past, was able to deepen its presence by engaging in social issues. May be time has come that Congress does the same and enrich itself through the non-political process, a bond which it enjoyed with people during colonial time. &nbsp;It reminds me of a conversation between Prime Minister IK Gujaral and his secretary. Gujral said to have complained that people were&nbsp;accusing him of running the government like a Punjabi. The reply from his aide was prompt. “Then let’s behave like one.” Here lies the answer to Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

You can be name called for eternity, but do what you want to as chances and opportunities do not present themselves again and again.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s elaborate press conference on Zoom was a sober affair. Unlike his usual self, where Rahul Gandhi can become aggressive and pushy during a press conference, he was unusually interactive and refrained from making any strong comment against the government.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s elaborate press conference on Zoom was a sober affair. Unlike his usual self, where Rahul Gandhi can become aggressive and pushy during a press conference, he was unusually interactive and refrained from making any strong comment against the government. He tried to push his agenda on the issue of COVID 19. During national emergencies, people generally rally around the government and opposition generally allows the leeway. This time, Congress has used a different tactic. It has understood the problems faced by the migrant workers and started kitchen for them throughout India. Narendra Modi government cannot take this overture lightly. On earlier occasions, Prime Ministers have lost their jobs because of the hardship people go through. Winston Churchill lost elections after World War II and so did Indira Gandhi after bifurcating Pakistan. It is not to say that Rahul Gandhi has suddenly acquired gravitas and would be able to challenge the Narendra Modi, but overture of the Congress towards migrant workers who are right now jobless and without a steady income can prove to be a problem for the BJP. Though the government has done its best to provide food and money to them, but the problem has not gone away. Rahul Gandhi also avoided attacking Narendra Modi which would have distracted the attention from the real issue to personalities. There was even a strategic goalpost shifting, but former Congress President. Instead of insisting on testing at large, he stressed on precision testing. He even refused to attack the government directly and instead put forth his idea of dealing with the pandemic. It is a small image reboot for Rahul Gandhi. It is a small step of Rahul Gandhi on addressing this issue nationally. But he will need to be consistent with it. He was one of the first politicians to raise the issue in public, but Congress as a party was more focused on CAA than pandemic which was raising its head next door. Ideally, national parties should not and cannot remain dependent on one leader to pitch an issue in public discourse. Nonetheless, it is a precursor of things to come. If not now then later, Rahul Gandhi will take over Congress once again. His challenges remain huge and job even more difficult for the next two years as Congress is not a real challenger in any state elections. One will also have to see whether state elections will take place on time for Congress to re-test itself under his leadership. There are chances, the elections may get delayed but then till then, Rahul Gandhi can engage with social issues to deepen its party’s engagement with civil society which become purely electoral in its body rhythm. RSS, in past, was able to deepen its presence by engaging in social issues. May be time has come that Congress does the same and enrich itself through the non-political process, a bond which it enjoyed with people during colonial time. It reminds me of a conversation between Prime Minister IK Gujaral and his secretary. Gujral said to have complained that people were accusing him of running the government like a Punjabi. The reply from his aide was prompt. “Then let’s behave like one.” Here lies the answer to Rahul Gandhi. You can be name called for eternity, but do what you want to as chances and opportunities do not present themselves again and again. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A small image reboot for Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called for a united fight against COVID-19, and said a lockdown was no solution to defeat the coronavirus. He added aggressive testing was the main weapon and it should be used strategically.

"A misconception that I want to clear is, in no way does a lockdown defeat the virus, it stops the virus for sometime. It's just a pause button," said Rahul, in press briefing through video conferencing.

So, while he said he differed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he did not want to "get involved in 'Tu Tu Main Main' (blame game) as the country is fighting a tough battle against the virus and we will only be successful to contain it when everybody works together."

"There should be no declaration of victory, it is a long fight. I disagree with PM Modi on a lot of issues but we have to unite and not fight. We have to defeat the virus together," he said.

Lockdown is said to have allowed time and space to put in medical resources, ramp up testing abilities, prepare hospitals, and get ventilators for patients. It has been substantially proved -- across the world -- that lockdown did impact COVID-19 tally positively.

Twitterverse latched onto this, and consequently, Rahul Gandhi trended for hours.

On one hand, people asked him for an alternative to lockdown -- because,&nbsp;kya karein otherwise?&nbsp;and on the other, doled out some harmless humour, and some valuable advice.

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So basically <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulGandhi</a> did nothing since start on Covid with no contribution to PM relief fund, now he comes up with prepared Q &amp; A n starts giving govt advice which gov is actually doing it..kudos..!! <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> has done everything to control virus and helping indians
— Naveen Singh (@Rebel_Naveen22) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rebel_Naveen22/status/1250745661307453440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulGandhi</a> has put several BJP MPs MLAs and numerous IT Cell wannabes to work. Hahahaha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulSpeaksForIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulSpeaksForIndia</a>
— Akshay Khatry (@AkshayKhatry) <a href="https://twitter.com/AkshayKhatry/status/1250745581988806656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Rahul Gandhi: Lockdown is not the Solution. 
Also Rahul Gandhi: Lockdown relaxation may cause danger of Spread of Coronavirus.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulGandhi</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulSpeaksforIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulSpeaksforIndia</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Covid_19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Covid_19</a> <a href="https://t.co/DdRlNHGYZy">pic.twitter.com/DdRlNHGYZy</a>
— Vikash P Tiwari (@bana_rasiya) <a href="https://twitter.com/bana_rasiya/status/1250698783123402752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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So <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulGandhi</a> gave an actual press conference on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID</a> and did not give any tasks? Strong leaders are supposed to ask us to bang plates or light lamps no?
— Prabha پربھا (@deepsealioness) <a href="https://twitter.com/deepsealioness/status/1250747642897854464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Harmless and vaulable, as we said!

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi talked of exit strategies too. He concluded his address by saying the government should think of the exit strategy and economic burden which is going to come in months.&nbsp;

"Decide what your exit strategy would be after the lockdown," he said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called for a united fight against COVID-19, and said a lockdown was no solution to defeat the coronavirus. He added aggressive testing was the main weapon and it should be used strategically.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called for a united fight against COVID-19, and said a lockdown was no solution to defeat the coronavirus. He added aggressive testing was the main weapon and it should be used strategically. "A misconception that I want to clear is, in no way does a lockdown defeat the virus, it stops the virus for sometime. It's just a pause button," said Rahul, in press briefing through video conferencing. So, while he said he differed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he did not want to "get involved in 'Tu Tu Main Main' (blame game) as the country is fighting a tough battle against the virus and we will only be successful to contain it when everybody works together." "There should be no declaration of victory, it is a long fight. I disagree with PM Modi on a lot of issues but we have to unite and not fight. We have to defeat the virus together," he said. Lockdown is said to have allowed time and space to put in medical resources, ramp up testing abilities, prepare hospitals, and get ventilators for patients. It has been substantially proved -- across the world -- that lockdown did impact COVID-19 tally positively. Twitterverse latched onto this, and consequently, Rahul Gandhi trended for hours. On one hand, people asked him for an alternative to lockdown -- because, kya karein otherwise? and on the other, doled out some harmless humour, and some valuable advice. So basically #RahulGandhi did nothing since start on Covid with no contribution to PM relief fund, now he comes up with prepared Q & A n starts giving govt advice which gov is actually doing it..kudos..!! @narendramodi has done everything to control virus and helping indians — Naveen Singh (@Rebel_Naveen22) April 16, 2020 × #RahulGandhi has put several BJP MPs MLAs and numerous IT Cell wannabes to work. Hahahaha #RahulSpeaksForIndia — Akshay Khatry (@AkshayKhatry) April 16, 2020 × Rahul Gandhi: Lockdown is not the Solution. Also Rahul Gandhi: Lockdown relaxation may cause danger of Spread of Coronavirus.#RahulGandhi#RahulSpeaksforIndia#Covid_19 pic.twitter.com/DdRlNHGYZy — Vikash P Tiwari (@bana_rasiya) April 16, 2020 × So #RahulGandhi gave an actual press conference on #COVID and did not give any tasks? Strong leaders are supposed to ask us to bang plates or light lamps no? — Prabha پربھا (@deepsealioness) April 16, 2020 × Harmless and vaulable, as we said! Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi talked of exit strategies too. He concluded his address by saying the government should think of the exit strategy and economic burden which is going to come in months. "Decide what your exit strategy would be after the lockdown," he said.

'Lockdown is only a pause button to coronavirus': Rahul's assertion has Twitter confused

The telltale signs were visible to all, except the Congress leadership which was either unable to read the writing on the wall or lived in a denial mode. Prising out the wicket of Jyotiraditya Scindia is a major victory for the country’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as he was one of the very few leaders within the Congress party who could swing things in the party’s favour as seen during the last elections in Madhya Pradesh about 15 months ago. Scindia had played a key role in snatching the win from the BJP which had a 15-year uninterrupted run in the crucial state.

If Scindia has walked out on the Congress, the blame squarely lies with the party which mysteriously failed to accommodate him, who was a close confidante of Rahul Gandhi, in a manner which was due to him. He had high hopes that the party could reward him with the chief ministership of the state, which ultimately went to Kamal Nath who commanded the support of a larger number of elected legislators in comparison to about two dozen MLAs who were rooting for Scindia. Though a temporary truce was brought about by Rahul Gandhi after days of intense deliberations, Scindia felt sidelined as he was neither given the presidentship of the state unit of the party nor a berth in Rajya Sabha.

The Congress has not only lost Scindia, but there are chances the party losing out the state to the BJP as well. It remains to be seen how many of the 22 Congress legislators who resigned return to the party as not all of them seem to happy with Scindia’s decision to join the BJP. But as things stand today, it is unlikely that the Congress will be able to weather the storm. After netting Scindia, it will not be that difficult for the BJP to catch some small fish who were not part of the Kamal Nath cabinet to switch sides after the fall of the government.

Even though some of the 22 Congress legislators decide to return to the party fold, the strength of the house will get significantly reduced giving an edge to the BJP which has 107 MLAs. The Congress had seven more MLAs than the BJP besides the support of two MLAs of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and one MLA of Samajwadi Party before the revolt. So, all eyes will be on the rebel Congress MLAs and more importantly the role of the Speaker. The BJP would like the rebel Congress MLAs to tender their resignation to the Speaker first so as to bring down the Kamal Nath government to escape the Anti-Defection Law. 
 
Once the Congress loses power in the truncated assembly following the acceptance of the resignation of the rebel party legislators by the Speaker, the BJP can move fast to stake its claim as it would have the magic number to form the government. The rebel Congress MLAs can be accommodated by the BJP later when they would be allowed to contest fresh elections in bypolls that would have to be held in a few months from now. In any case, it would be naïve to think that BJP strategists would have been eyeing only the disgruntled Scindia.

There is an urgent need of retrospection for the Congress if it fancies any chances of revival, which at present looks very gloomy. In the past, Congress has lost several leaders who went on to chart their independent course after coming out of their parent party and are doing well as regional leaders. And the BJP has been successfully tapping on the performers of the Congress who were denied their rightful due. In the recent memory, one such sulking leader was Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam who not only plotted the fall of the Congress but helped the BJP to come to power in the state as well as several other states in the North-east. &nbsp;

In Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Congress has lost a performer, an orator and above all a charismatic leader who could steer the ship of the party which is sinking rapidly.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The telltale signs were visible to all, except the Congress leadership which was either unable to read the writing on the wall or lived in a denial mode. Prising out the wicket of Jyotiraditya Scindia is a major victory for the country’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as he was one of the very few leaders within the Congress party who could swing things in the party’s favour as seen during the last elections in Madhya Pradesh about 15 months ago.

The telltale signs were visible to all, except the Congress leadership which was either unable to read the writing on the wall or lived in a denial mode. Prising out the wicket of Jyotiraditya Scindia is a major victory for the country’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as he was one of the very few leaders within the Congress party who could swing things in the party’s favour as seen during the last elections in Madhya Pradesh about 15 months ago. Scindia had played a key role in snatching the win from the BJP which had a 15-year uninterrupted run in the crucial state. If Scindia has walked out on the Congress, the blame squarely lies with the party which mysteriously failed to accommodate him, who was a close confidante of Rahul Gandhi, in a manner which was due to him. He had high hopes that the party could reward him with the chief ministership of the state, which ultimately went to Kamal Nath who commanded the support of a larger number of elected legislators in comparison to about two dozen MLAs who were rooting for Scindia. Though a temporary truce was brought about by Rahul Gandhi after days of intense deliberations, Scindia felt sidelined as he was neither given the presidentship of the state unit of the party nor a berth in Rajya Sabha. The Congress has not only lost Scindia, but there are chances the party losing out the state to the BJP as well. It remains to be seen how many of the 22 Congress legislators who resigned return to the party as not all of them seem to happy with Scindia’s decision to join the BJP. But as things stand today, it is unlikely that the Congress will be able to weather the storm. After netting Scindia, it will not be that difficult for the BJP to catch some small fish who were not part of the Kamal Nath cabinet to switch sides after the fall of the government. Even though some of the 22 Congress legislators decide to return to the party fold, the strength of the house will get significantly reduced giving an edge to the BJP which has 107 MLAs. The Congress had seven more MLAs than the BJP besides the support of two MLAs of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and one MLA of Samajwadi Party before the revolt. So, all eyes will be on the rebel Congress MLAs and more importantly the role of the Speaker. The BJP would like the rebel Congress MLAs to tender their resignation to the Speaker first so as to bring down the Kamal Nath government to escape the Anti-Defection Law. Once the Congress loses power in the truncated assembly following the acceptance of the resignation of the rebel party legislators by the Speaker, the BJP can move fast to stake its claim as it would have the magic number to form the government. The rebel Congress MLAs can be accommodated by the BJP later when they would be allowed to contest fresh elections in bypolls that would have to be held in a few months from now. In any case, it would be naïve to think that BJP strategists would have been eyeing only the disgruntled Scindia. There is an urgent need of retrospection for the Congress if it fancies any chances of revival, which at present looks very gloomy. In the past, Congress has lost several leaders who went on to chart their independent course after coming out of their parent party and are doing well as regional leaders. And the BJP has been successfully tapping on the performers of the Congress who were denied their rightful due. In the recent memory, one such sulking leader was Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam who not only plotted the fall of the Congress but helped the BJP to come to power in the state as well as several other states in the North-east. In Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Congress has lost a performer, an orator and above all a charismatic leader who could steer the ship of the party which is sinking rapidly. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Congress loses Jyotiraditya Scindia, perhaps Madhya Pradesh as well

The resignation letter of Mr. Scindia, dated March 9, 2020 and addressed to party president Sonia Gandhi, stated "this was a path that has been drawing itself out over the last year."

Jyotiraditya Scindia jumps cong ship, joins BJP

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "destabilising" the elected Congress government in Madhya Pradesh.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-ridicules-jyotiraditya-scindia-on-twitter-calls-him-a-greedy-politician-285548">Congress ridicules Jyotiraditya Scindia on twitter, calls him a greedy politician</a>

Gandhi also said the PM may have "missed" noticing the 35 per cent crash in global oil prices and asked him to pass on the benefit to Indians by slashing petrol prices.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cong-leaders-slam-scindia-say-he-chose-personal-ambition-over-ideology-285502">Cong leaders slam Scindia, say he chose 'personal ambition' over ideology&nbsp;</a>

The former Congress chief took&nbsp;to Twitter to attack Modi.

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Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMOIndia</a> , while you were busy destabilising an elected Congress Govt, you may have missed noticing the 35% crash in global oil prices. Could you please pass on the benefit to Indians by slashing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/petrol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#petrol</a> prices to under 60₹ per litre? Will help boost the stalled economy.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1237615604040781829?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Congress' prominent youth leader Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the party on Tuesday and appeared set to join the BJP amid a rebellion in Madhya Pradesh by his supporters, pushing the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government to the brink of collapse.

On Tuesday morning, as much of India was celebrating Holi, Scindia met senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, following which he called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "destabilising" the elected Congress government in Madhya Pradesh. Also read: Congress ridicules Jyotiraditya Scindia on twitter, calls him a greedy politician Gandhi also said the PM may have "missed" noticing the 35 per cent crash in global oil prices and asked him to pass on the benefit to Indians by slashing petrol prices.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "destabilising" the elected Congress government in Madhya Pradesh. Also read: Congress ridicules Jyotiraditya Scindia on twitter, calls him a greedy politician Gandhi also said the PM may have "missed" noticing the 35 per cent crash in global oil prices and asked him to pass on the benefit to Indians by slashing petrol prices. Also read: Cong leaders slam Scindia, say he chose 'personal ambition' over ideology The former Congress chief took to Twitter to attack Modi. Hey @PMOIndia , while you were busy destabilising an elected Congress Govt, you may have missed noticing the 35% crash in global oil prices. Could you please pass on the benefit to Indians by slashing #petrol prices to under 60₹ per litre? Will help boost the stalled economy. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 11, 2020 × Congress' prominent youth leader Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the party on Tuesday and appeared set to join the BJP amid a rebellion in Madhya Pradesh by his supporters, pushing the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government to the brink of collapse. On Tuesday morning, as much of India was celebrating Holi, Scindia met senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, following which he called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence.

Rahul Gandhi accuses PM of destabilising elected Congress govt in MP

In April, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will elect the new Congress&nbsp;President at the party's plenary session. 
 
Sonia Gandhi took over as interim chief after the party's debacle in Lok Sabha elections, 2019, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. Although, due to her health, it's not possible for her to remain the face of the party for a long time.&nbsp;

A faction of the party still wants Rahul to be back as&nbsp;the party chief, however, Gandhi scion has clarified that he will not take up the post again.&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi had resigned after the election results, taking responsibility for the debacle of Congress. 
 
What went against him was his strategy of attacking the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi all the time. In fact, political pundits and a few senior Congress leaders had alerted him to refrain from launching negative campaigns against the Prime Minister.

He was highly criticised when Pakistan quoted his words to condemn the Indian government after Article 370 was scrapped. Rahul&nbsp;also disappointed his loyalists with his absence during important developments. 
 
Neither he was in the country when Congress launched a campaign against the government for the economic slowdown, nor when&nbsp;party delegation went to President Ram Nath Kovind to hand over a memorandum.

The consensus within&nbsp;party leaders, backing&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi&nbsp;as the party chief is highly unlikely with prominent party leaders keen on finding an alternative to Rahul Gandhi.

On the other hand, Priyanka Gandhi was the party's face during the campaign for Uttar Pradesh assembly election in 2019 - this was her official entry into politics. She indeed proved to be a crowd-puller and was considered someone who could revive the party.&nbsp;

Also, there is clamour among the party leaders for Priyanka Gandhi as Rajya Sabha MP. She has a huge following within&nbsp;the party and the charisma to take on Prime Minister Narendra&nbsp;Modi with her oratory skills. Priyanka is someone who can connect with both classes and masses.&nbsp;

According to party sources, Priyanka's entry into politics was delayed so far, because Sonia Gandhi did not want two power centres within the party. She wanted Rahul to be the face of Congress.

With literally no chances of Rahul Gandhi returning as the Party President, Congress has no other choice than Priyanka if they want one of the Gandhis to remain the party chief.

Meanwhile, some leaders have also suggested that CWC takes a collective decision and elect a young non-Gandhi as the Party President for&nbsp;strong and decisive leadership. Milind Deora had even recommended the names of Jyodiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot.

Party factions are still not able to express unanimous opinion on the issue, but the delay in the process is harming the party big time - Congress is losing its traditional vote banks and credibility among allies. It's high time Congress takes&nbsp;a decision to end the&nbsp;leadership crisis. The party must elect&nbsp;a chief who has the charisma, administrative and oratory skills to lead the country's main opposition party. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp; 
 
.

In April, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will elect the new Congress President at the party's plenary session. Sonia Gandhi took over as interim chief after the party's debacle in Lok Sabha elections, 2019, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.

In April, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will elect the new Congress President at the party's plenary session. Sonia Gandhi took over as interim chief after the party's debacle in Lok Sabha elections, 2019, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. Although, due to her health, it's not possible for her to remain the face of the party for a long time. A faction of the party still wants Rahul to be back as the party chief, however, Gandhi scion has clarified that he will not take up the post again. Rahul Gandhi had resigned after the election results, taking responsibility for the debacle of Congress. What went against him was his strategy of attacking the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi all the time. In fact, political pundits and a few senior Congress leaders had alerted him to refrain from launching negative campaigns against the Prime Minister. He was highly criticised when Pakistan quoted his words to condemn the Indian government after Article 370 was scrapped. Rahul also disappointed his loyalists with his absence during important developments. Neither he was in the country when Congress launched a campaign against the government for the economic slowdown, nor when party delegation went to President Ram Nath Kovind to hand over a memorandum. The consensus within party leaders, backing Rahul Gandhi as the party chief is highly unlikely with prominent party leaders keen on finding an alternative to Rahul Gandhi. On the other hand, Priyanka Gandhi was the party's face during the campaign for Uttar Pradesh assembly election in 2019 - this was her official entry into politics. She indeed proved to be a crowd-puller and was considered someone who could revive the party. Also, there is clamour among the party leaders for Priyanka Gandhi as Rajya Sabha MP. She has a huge following within the party and the charisma to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi with her oratory skills. Priyanka is someone who can connect with both classes and masses. According to party sources, Priyanka's entry into politics was delayed so far, because Sonia Gandhi did not want two power centres within the party. She wanted Rahul to be the face of Congress. With literally no chances of Rahul Gandhi returning as the Party President, Congress has no other choice than Priyanka if they want one of the Gandhis to remain the party chief. Meanwhile, some leaders have also suggested that CWC takes a collective decision and elect a young non-Gandhi as the Party President for strong and decisive leadership. Milind Deora had even recommended the names of Jyodiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot. Party factions are still not able to express unanimous opinion on the issue, but the delay in the process is harming the party big time - Congress is losing its traditional vote banks and credibility among allies. It's high time Congress takes a decision to end the leadership crisis. The party must elect a chief who has the charisma, administrative and oratory skills to lead the country's main opposition party. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) .

Who will be the next Congress President? Discordance remains

Former Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday visited the riot-hit northeast Delhi and said violence in the capital had hurt the country`s reputation in the world.

Gandhi arrived in Brijpuri area where miscreants set fire to and vandalised a school. On reaching Arun Public School, Gandhi said, " This school is the future of Delhi. Hate and violence has destroyed it. This violence is of no benefit to Bharat Mata. Everybody has to work in together and take India forward at this time. ."

He said "People who are spreading hatred and violence are enemies of progress. Efforts are being made to divide people, today it is a time of sorrow, so I have come here. Let us all come together to restore the situation."

He said "the violence in the country`s capital has hurt the country`s reputation in the world."

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Rahul Gandhi after visiting a vandalised school in Brijpuri: This school is the future of Delhi. Hate and violence has destroyed it. This violence is of no benefit to Bharat Mata. Everybody has to work in together and take India forward at this time. <a href="https://t.co/wXYSny1qDq">https://t.co/wXYSny1qDq</a> <a href="https://t.co/VFLai5Khb1">pic.twitter.com/VFLai5Khb1</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1235179858650484736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Asking people in the violence-hit areas to maintain peace , he said, "Brotherhood, unity and love is our strength, which we must maintain."

''India is being divided; no one is benefitting from this,'' he said.

Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala, Shaktisinh Gohil and K.C. Venugopal were also present along with Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary.

 
&nbsp;

Former Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday visited the riot-hit northeast Delhi and said violence in the capital had hurt the country`s reputation in the world.

Former Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday visited the riot-hit northeast Delhi and said violence in the capital had hurt the country`s reputation in the world. Gandhi arrived in Brijpuri area where miscreants set fire to and vandalised a school. On reaching Arun Public School, Gandhi said, " This school is the future of Delhi. Hate and violence has destroyed it. This violence is of no benefit to Bharat Mata. Everybody has to work in together and take India forward at this time. ." He said "People who are spreading hatred and violence are enemies of progress. Efforts are being made to divide people, today it is a time of sorrow, so I have come here. Let us all come together to restore the situation." He said "the violence in the country`s capital has hurt the country`s reputation in the world." Rahul Gandhi after visiting a vandalised school in Brijpuri: This school is the future of Delhi. Hate and violence has destroyed it. This violence is of no benefit to Bharat Mata. Everybody has to work in together and take India forward at this time. https://t.co/wXYSny1qDq pic.twitter.com/VFLai5Khb1 — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2020 × Asking people in the violence-hit areas to maintain peace , he said, "Brotherhood, unity and love is our strength, which we must maintain." ''India is being divided; no one is benefitting from this,'' he said. Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala, Shaktisinh Gohil and K.C. Venugopal were also present along with Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary.

Our future has been burnt here: Rahul Gandhi on gutted school in riot-hit northeast Delhi 

The Indian parliament was adjourned till Monday after lawmakers nearly came to blows in the lower house after Union Minister Harsh Vardhan tried to make a statement on congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent jibe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Chaos in LS after Rahul Gandhi's jibe against PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took repeated digs at opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress whom he dubbed as "tubelight" saying that it took him 30-40 minutes to respond to his speech in Lok Sabha.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi in his reply to the discussion on the presidential address referred to the Congress leader's comments he had reportedly made about "youth beating Modi with sticks over the lack of jobs", and said he would increase the number of Surya Namaskars (a yoga exercise) so that his back can bear the sticks.

"In 70 years, no Congress leader has ever become self- sufficient. I heard one leader's manifesto yesterday. He said 'we will beat Modi with a stick in six months'. I can imagine that it is a difficult prospect, so it will take six months to prepare.

"In these six months, I will do more surya namaskar so that my back is ready for the beating...I have been subjected to abuses in the past 20 years, I will make myself gaali-proof (abuse-proof) and also danda-proof (stick-proof)," Modi said.

When Rahul Gandhi got up from his seat and questioned Modi on the issue of unemployment, Modi said he was waiting for the Congress leader's reaction but it took him 30-40 minutes.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/If-we-had-worked-according-to-old%20ways-then-Article-370-would-never-have-been-abrogated-says-PM-Modi-in-Lok-Sabha">Had we worked according to old ways, Article 370 would have never been abrogated - PM Modi</a>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Rahul Gandhi made an intervention in his speech in Lok Sabha: I was speaking for the last 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach there. Many tubelights are like this. <a href="https://t.co/NwbQVBHWPx">pic.twitter.com/NwbQVBHWPx</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1225352188291145734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"I have been speaking for 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach. Many tubelights are like this," Modi said prompting ruling NDA members to burst into laugh.

Modi, who was in a witty mood, took several digs at Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for frequently rising from his seat and interrupting him, saying that he is publicising 'Fit India' campaign of his government in Parliament.

Responding to Chowdhury on the issue unemployment, Modi said he will resolve unemployment in the country but not his and of his party's.

As soon as Prime Minister Modi entered the Lok Sabha premises he was welcomed by the BJP members by raising slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' to which Congress responded by 'Mahatma Gandhi Zindabad' and 'Mahatma Gandhi Amar Rahe'.

Responding to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's criticism of the government, Modi suggested that Tharoor should have some soft corner for Kashmir, after all he was "son-in-law" of the region, referring to his late wife Sunanda Pushkar.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took repeated digs at opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress whom he dubbed as "tubelight" saying that it took him 30-40 minutes to respond to his speech in Lok Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took repeated digs at opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi of the Congress whom he dubbed as "tubelight" saying that it took him 30-40 minutes to respond to his speech in Lok Sabha. Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi in his reply to the discussion on the presidential address referred to the Congress leader's comments he had reportedly made about "youth beating Modi with sticks over the lack of jobs", and said he would increase the number of Surya Namaskars (a yoga exercise) so that his back can bear the sticks. "In 70 years, no Congress leader has ever become self- sufficient. I heard one leader's manifesto yesterday. He said 'we will beat Modi with a stick in six months'. I can imagine that it is a difficult prospect, so it will take six months to prepare. "In these six months, I will do more surya namaskar so that my back is ready for the beating...I have been subjected to abuses in the past 20 years, I will make myself gaali-proof (abuse-proof) and also danda-proof (stick-proof)," Modi said. When Rahul Gandhi got up from his seat and questioned Modi on the issue of unemployment, Modi said he was waiting for the Congress leader's reaction but it took him 30-40 minutes. Also read: Had we worked according to old ways, Article 370 would have never been abrogated - PM Modi #WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Rahul Gandhi made an intervention in his speech in Lok Sabha: I was speaking for the last 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach there. Many tubelights are like this. pic.twitter.com/NwbQVBHWPx — ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2020 × "I have been speaking for 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach. Many tubelights are like this," Modi said prompting ruling NDA members to burst into laugh. Modi, who was in a witty mood, took several digs at Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for frequently rising from his seat and interrupting him, saying that he is publicising 'Fit India' campaign of his government in Parliament. Responding to Chowdhury on the issue unemployment, Modi said he will resolve unemployment in the country but not his and of his party's. As soon as Prime Minister Modi entered the Lok Sabha premises he was welcomed by the BJP members by raising slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' to which Congress responded by 'Mahatma Gandhi Zindabad' and 'Mahatma Gandhi Amar Rahe'. Responding to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's criticism of the government, Modi suggested that Tharoor should have some soft corner for Kashmir, after all he was "son-in-law" of the region, referring to his late wife Sunanda Pushkar.

PM Modi fires salvos at opposition leaders, dubs Rahul Gandhi as tubelight

In a rare display of displeasure Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the media without naming the word per se. He did not even mention the issues in detail but was quick to use the Hindi word ‘madhyam’. Prime Minister said that BJP workers should not expect the version of the government to be represented by the 'madhyam' and asked them to bypass the 'madhyam' and directly connect with its electoral base. Prime Minister also took a dig at the Opposition by saying that people without political capital are trying to malign the government. Though Prime Minister did not specify the issue, but government has been under exceeding attack on the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act and slowdown in the economy.

BJP has been the pioneer in using social media techniques for electoral and political purposes. Other Opposition parties continue to be way behind BJP when it comes to constant communication with its electoral constituency. Prime Minister’s direction to the workers to have a direct connection with the people on important issues is a strong message in this direction.

Media baiting is not new in the world of politics. Heavyweight global leaders like US President Donald Trump to Russia’s Vladimir Putin have taken a strong position against the mainstream media which is labelled as liberal, and hence, opposed to their political vision. In this case, the attack was not direct. In the past, even Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of regional parties have been taking jibe against the mainstream media, asking them to take a strong position against the ruling dispensation. Social media accounts supported by various parties have attacked mainstream media of either being lame or liberal.

Media bashing by every political party in both India and abroad, reflects a growing public trend of politics becoming illiberal in nature. BJP has a huge mandate in Lok Sabha and it came back with an increased number in 2019. Despite a huge mandate, there is a feeling within the govt that the Opposition has not reconciled to its defeat.

Same are the concerns reflected by Donald Trump who continues to face Opposition from various institutions of the US government. Despite getting CAA passed in Lok Sabha, BJP too faces street protests throughout India supported by civil society activists and Opposition leaders quietly. This issue has led to a lockdown in a conversation between the Opposition and the government which refuses to back down on the issue. Whatever may be the outcome, the ultimate loser is the mainstream media which is getting caught between political crossfire that gets personal and highly accentuated through social media. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

In a rare display of displeasure Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the media without naming the word per se. He did not even mention the issues in detail but was quick to use the Hindi word ‘madhyam’.

In a rare display of displeasure Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the media without naming the word per se. He did not even mention the issues in detail but was quick to use the Hindi word ‘madhyam’. Prime Minister said that BJP workers should not expect the version of the government to be represented by the 'madhyam' and asked them to bypass the 'madhyam' and directly connect with its electoral base. Prime Minister also took a dig at the Opposition by saying that people without political capital are trying to malign the government. Though Prime Minister did not specify the issue, but government has been under exceeding attack on the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act and slowdown in the economy. BJP has been the pioneer in using social media techniques for electoral and political purposes. Other Opposition parties continue to be way behind BJP when it comes to constant communication with its electoral constituency. Prime Minister’s direction to the workers to have a direct connection with the people on important issues is a strong message in this direction. Media baiting is not new in the world of politics. Heavyweight global leaders like US President Donald Trump to Russia’s Vladimir Putin have taken a strong position against the mainstream media which is labelled as liberal, and hence, opposed to their political vision. In this case, the attack was not direct. In the past, even Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of regional parties have been taking jibe against the mainstream media, asking them to take a strong position against the ruling dispensation. Social media accounts supported by various parties have attacked mainstream media of either being lame or liberal. Media bashing by every political party in both India and abroad, reflects a growing public trend of politics becoming illiberal in nature. BJP has a huge mandate in Lok Sabha and it came back with an increased number in 2019. Despite a huge mandate, there is a feeling within the govt that the Opposition has not reconciled to its defeat. Same are the concerns reflected by Donald Trump who continues to face Opposition from various institutions of the US government. Despite getting CAA passed in Lok Sabha, BJP too faces street protests throughout India supported by civil society activists and Opposition leaders quietly. This issue has led to a lockdown in a conversation between the Opposition and the government which refuses to back down on the issue. Whatever may be the outcome, the ultimate loser is the mainstream media which is getting caught between political crossfire that gets personal and highly accentuated through social media. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

'Madhyam' becomes the victim: Media and strongmen of global politics

Actor Vikram Gokhale criticised Sonia Gandhi and Rahul on their stand on freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and said that Congress leaders who are not aware of Savarkar should not make any comment. 
 
While targeting at Sonia Gandhi, he stated, "I just don't care for her. What she knows about Savarkar? What has she read about Savarkar? She doesn't have any right to make any comment about him..."

Gokhale also said, " What Rahul Gandhi knows about Savarkar?" Expressing his views on Veer Savarkar, Gokhale said, "I am a Savarkar devotee, and an ardent fan of his poems and people who don`t know what Savarkar is, they have no right to make any comment about him." 
 
He further said, "Savarkar was not God, he was a human being. Why do you expect Savarkar, Gandhi to be God, why? They were also human beings they can also make mistakes." 
 
While elaborating about Savarkar's Hindutva policy, he said, "Why do not Brahmins want a reservation for every caste? We do not want whatever we can achieve on the basis of whatever little wisdom we have, even if we will be begging for life, but we do not want a reservation." 
 
This comes in the backdrop of Savarkar's grandson Ranjit Savarkar's disappointment over the distribution of a booklet titled 'Veer Savarkar Kitne Veer?'&nbsp;during 10-day camp of Congress Seva Dal. 
 
The booklet gave a reference citing page 423 the 'Freedom at Midnight'&nbsp;book written by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, which states that Godse had a homosexual relationship with his "political guru" Savarkar before the former turned celibate. 
 
The booklet also claimed that Savarkar encouraged his followers to rape women from minorities and pelted stones at mosques when he was 12-years-old.&nbsp;

Actor Vikram Gokhale criticised Sonia Gandhi and Rahul on their stand on freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and said that Congress leaders who are not aware of Savarkar should not make any comment.

Actor Vikram Gokhale criticised Sonia Gandhi and Rahul on their stand on freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and said that Congress leaders who are not aware of Savarkar should not make any comment. While targeting at Sonia Gandhi, he stated, "I just don't care for her. What she knows about Savarkar? What has she read about Savarkar? She doesn't have any right to make any comment about him..." Gokhale also said, " What Rahul Gandhi knows about Savarkar?" Expressing his views on Veer Savarkar, Gokhale said, "I am a Savarkar devotee, and an ardent fan of his poems and people who don`t know what Savarkar is, they have no right to make any comment about him." He further said, "Savarkar was not God, he was a human being. Why do you expect Savarkar, Gandhi to be God, why? They were also human beings they can also make mistakes." While elaborating about Savarkar's Hindutva policy, he said, "Why do not Brahmins want a reservation for every caste? We do not want whatever we can achieve on the basis of whatever little wisdom we have, even if we will be begging for life, but we do not want a reservation." This comes in the backdrop of Savarkar's grandson Ranjit Savarkar's disappointment over the distribution of a booklet titled 'Veer Savarkar Kitne Veer?' during 10-day camp of Congress Seva Dal. The booklet gave a reference citing page 423 the 'Freedom at Midnight' book written by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, which states that Godse had a homosexual relationship with his "political guru" Savarkar before the former turned celibate. The booklet also claimed that Savarkar encouraged his followers to rape women from minorities and pelted stones at mosques when he was 12-years-old.

Sonia, Rahul Gandhi are unaware of Savarkar, doesn't have right to comment: Actor Vijay Gokhle

Bihar Chief Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/nitish-kumar-no-more-the-able-administrator-he-once-was-229884">Nitish Kumar</a> on Monday said that there is no question of implementing the National Registers of Citizens (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-proposal-of-nationwide-nrc-right-now-ravi-shankar-prasad-270883">NRC</a>) in the state and asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clarified his stance on the exercise.

"No question of NRC in Bihar. It was in discussions only in the context of Assam. Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/narendra-modi-government-20-must-focus-on-fixing-indias-economy-263158">Narendra Modi</a> has also clarified on it," said Kumar in the state assembly, whose JD (U) is an ally of BJP.

At a rally in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on December 22 last year, Modi had said that the central government had no discussions of conducting a nationwide NRC.

"After I came to power in 2014, the government has held no discussions over NRC. We did carry out the NRC exercise in Assam, but it was at the orders of the Supreme Court," the Prime Minister had said.

Earlier on Sunday, JD (U) vice-president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jdu-has-nothing-to-do-with-prashant-kishors-activities-in-wb-nitish-kumar-225557">Prashant Kishor</a> thanked the Congress party and its leadership for their "formal and unequivocal rejection" of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC.

He also reassured the people of Bihar that the CAA and NRC will not be implemented in the state.

Thanking Congress leaders <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shahs-challenge-to-rahul-mamata-over-caa-273794">Rahul Gandhi</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/what-rubbish-entire-nation-knows-he-is-indian-priyanka-gandhi-vadra-on-rahuls-citizenship-row-214729">Priyanka Gandhi Vadra</a>, Kishor had tweeted, "I join my voice with all to thank #Congress leadership for their formal and unequivocal rejection of #CAA_NRC. Both @rahulgandhi &amp;@priyankagandhi deserves special thanks for their efforts on this count. Also would like to reassure to all - CAA and NRC will not be implemented in Bihar."

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I join my voice with all to thank <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Congress?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Congress</a> leadership for their formal and unequivocal rejection of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAA_NRC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CAA_NRC</a>. Both <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rahulgandhi</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/priyankagandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@priyankagandhi</a> deserves special thanks for their efforts on this count. 
 
Also would like to reassure to all - बिहार में CAA-NRC लागू नहीं होगा।
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrashantKishor/status/1216209842521526272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that there is no question of implementing the National Registers of Citizens (NRC) in the state and asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clarified his stance on the exercise.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that there is no question of implementing the National Registers of Citizens (NRC) in the state and asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clarified his stance on the exercise. "No question of NRC in Bihar. It was in discussions only in the context of Assam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also clarified on it," said Kumar in the state assembly, whose JD (U) is an ally of BJP. At a rally in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on December 22 last year, Modi had said that the central government had no discussions of conducting a nationwide NRC. "After I came to power in 2014, the government has held no discussions over NRC. We did carry out the NRC exercise in Assam, but it was at the orders of the Supreme Court," the Prime Minister had said. Earlier on Sunday, JD (U) vice-president Prashant Kishor thanked the Congress party and its leadership for their "formal and unequivocal rejection" of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC. He also reassured the people of Bihar that the CAA and NRC will not be implemented in the state. Thanking Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Kishor had tweeted, "I join my voice with all to thank #Congress leadership for their formal and unequivocal rejection of #CAA_NRC. Both @rahulgandhi &@priyankagandhi deserves special thanks for their efforts on this count. Also would like to reassure to all - CAA and NRC will not be implemented in Bihar." I join my voice with all to thank #Congress leadership for their formal and unequivocal rejection of #CAA_NRC. Both @rahulgandhi & @priyankagandhi deserves special thanks for their efforts on this count. Also would like to reassure to all - बिहार में CAA-NRC लागू नहीं होगा। — Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) January 12, 2020 ×

No question of NRC in Bihar, PM has clarified his stand on it: Nitish Kumar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to "find out the provision in the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)" which can take the citizenship away from any Indian, reported news agency ANI.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to "find out the provision in the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)" which can take the citizenship away from any Indian, reported news agency ANI. "I challenge Mamata Banerjee and Rahul Baba to find out a provision in the Citizenship Amendment Act that can take the citizenship away from anyone in this country," Shah was quoted as saying while addressing a public meeting in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. When the partition of the country took place, the Congress party divided the country based on religion, he said and added that then leaders had assured Indian citizenship to the minority refugees from Pakistan. "The Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Jain, who lived in both East and West Pakistan wanted to come here, but they stayed there because of the bloodshed. The leaders of our country then assured them that they will be welcome here and given the citizenship whenever they come," said Shah. Taking a swipe at Congress for opposing the CAA, he said: "When the partition took place, there were 30 per cent Hindus in both East and West Pakistan. Today, there are just 3 per cent Hindus in Pakistan and 7 per cent Hindus in East Pakistan (Bangladesh). I want to ask the blind and deaf Congress leaders, where are my Hindu, Sikh, Sindhi brothers." The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (With inputs from ANI)

Amit Shah's challenge to Rahul Gandhi, Mamata over CAA 

Union Home Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/union-council-of-ministers-two-day-meeting-gets-underway-today-271958">Amit Shah</a> on Sunday said Congress leaders <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/even-ordinary-bjp-worker-can-defeat-rahul-gandhi-in-debate-over-caa-nrc-g-kishan-reddy-271068">Rahul Gandhi</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/can-priyanka-gandhi-make-a-difference-in-uttar-pradesh-271109">Priyanka Vadra</a> instigated riots by supporting the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/if-cong-not-behind-anti-caa-violence-why-havent-they-condemned-it-nadda-271808">anti-Citizenship Amendment Act</a> drive. 
 
"Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra instigated riots by misleading people over the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/police-might-have-fired-in-self-defence-at-mathura-road-sources-on-jamia-violence-272276">Citizenship Amendment Act</a>," Shah said while addressing a Booth Karyakarta Sammelan in New Delhi. 
 
The Act grants Indian citizenship to Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. 
 
The opposition Congress has time and again criticised the amended law, deeming it discriminatory. While Rahul has termed it an attack on the poor, his sister Priyanka has dubbed the new law unconstitutional. 
 
Meanwhile, Union Minister Shah also targeted Chief Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/do-not-vote-for-those-who-create-divisions-among-hindus-and-muslims-arvind-kejriwal-272091">Arvind Kejriwal</a> for not doing enough for the development of the capital. 
 
"They (AAP) promised that they will install 15 lakh CCTV cameras across the capital. So far, they have not fulfilled their promise. They also promised to make the contractual teachers and employees permanent. This task has also not been completed by them. And whatever development we want to bring in Delhi, Kejriwal is becoming an obstruction in that also. People of Delhi now know them properly," he said. 
 
"I urge the people of Delhi to seek report of the work undertaken by the Arvind Kejriwal government while being in power for the past five years," the Union Minister said in his concluding remark.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra instigated riots by supporting the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act drive.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra instigated riots by supporting the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act drive. "Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra instigated riots by misleading people over the Citizenship Amendment Act," Shah said while addressing a Booth Karyakarta Sammelan in New Delhi. The Act grants Indian citizenship to Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. The opposition Congress has time and again criticised the amended law, deeming it discriminatory. While Rahul has termed it an attack on the poor, his sister Priyanka has dubbed the new law unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Union Minister Shah also targeted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for not doing enough for the development of the capital. "They (AAP) promised that they will install 15 lakh CCTV cameras across the capital. So far, they have not fulfilled their promise. They also promised to make the contractual teachers and employees permanent. This task has also not been completed by them. And whatever development we want to bring in Delhi, Kejriwal is becoming an obstruction in that also. People of Delhi now know them properly," he said. "I urge the people of Delhi to seek report of the work undertaken by the Arvind Kejriwal government while being in power for the past five years," the Union Minister said in his concluding remark.

Rahul, Priyanka instigated riots by supporting anti-CAA drive: Home Minister Amit Shah

Can Priyanka Gandhi Vadra make a difference to Congress Party in Uttar Pradesh? Going by the value of her party in the state, it looks like an impossible task. Congress does not have workers, regional leaders, cadre and a proper cause which can bring different communities together during an election.

Congress has a depleted vote bank and fractured leadership which is divided into different factions. The present support which Congress lent to CAA may get temporary publicity, but the cause may not help it electorally for the simple reason that Muslims may decide to vote for Samajwadi Party (SP) once again during assembly elections. On the other hand, Congress will have to deal with BJP which might gain because of reverse polarisation.

Priyanka’s own late campaign during Lok Sabha elections was a political disaster in 2019. Her entry instead of delivering a hit, turned into a colossal flop. Congress even lost Amethi, a bastion of the Gandhi family. Technically, Priyanka Gandhi has inherited nothing from the Congress Party or her own brother Rahul Gandhi who experimented thrice in Uttar Pradesh.

The point I’m trying to make is that Priyanka Gandhi is virtually starting with scratch. The only thing she today possesses is her conviction and courage which can be lost to prevailing circumstances. Nonetheless, Priyanka has made all the right noises after Lok Sabha debacle that too on her own strength. The credit must be given to Priyanka Gandhi that she did not give up on Uttar Pradesh.

The state is deeply divided on caste and religion. Even during CAA protest, maximum protests happened near Muslim dominated areas and maximum firepower was used against them. The approach towards Muslims was tough. The message was two-fold.

The first message was that the government stands firm on CAA and will use force if protests do not stop. The message was to BJP’s vote bank that it is the only party which stands between them and an aggressive minority. It is a trap which Priyanka Gandhi needs to avoid.

She will need to pick up an issue which resonates closer to the Congress and not the Left parties and BJP. She needs to ensure that the focus remains on issues and not on her. On Monday, she rightly did not allow her own security became a talking point during the press conference. Priyanka Gandhi cannot be an eye-grabber all the time. Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have shown that silent campaign, which is less focused on Gandhis, works well.&nbsp;

She will also need to invest herself in the state by staying there for a few days and even weeks. The present leadership of the Congress is such condition that it cannot even get more than 20 MLAs in the assembly today. None of the leaders of the Uttar Pradesh from Congress can today be projected as Chief Ministers.

If Congress Party can allow Priyanka Gandhi another 10 years in Uttar Pradesh, then something might happen. It took BJP 15 years to come back to power. Today, regional parties are getting stronger and BJP and Congress are directly pitted against each other directly in 8 states. In rest of the states, BJP is the number 1 party and Congress is either number 2, number 3 and in some cases even number 3 party. Maharashtra is a case in example. In almost all cases, BJP has either emerged as the principal party or the principal challenger.

So, it is imperative that Priyanka Gandhi should not get mighty impressed with the TV coverage she gets. Rahul Gandhi fell prey to this temporary adulation. The only way she can revive Congress in Uttar Pradesh is by seen continuously engaged on regional issues in Uttar Pradesh.

Rahul Gandhi by the end of 2010 was considered a tourist in the state. Priyanka Gandhi cannot afford to walk down the same path.

Across the world, major leaderless protests have taken place starting from Tahrir using new communication platforms but fundamentally failed to alter the dynamic of the state or electoral politics in the long run. CAA also runs the risk of walking down the same path as the government has 4 more years to go.&nbsp;

CAA protests are unlike the1970s protests which were personally directed towards Indira Gandhi. &nbsp;

Priyanka might succeded if she stays put in the state and focuses on issues which are important for Congress, its leaders and associated interest groups. 
 
(Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Can Priyanka Gandhi Vadra make a difference to Congress Party in Uttar Pradesh? Going by the value of her party in the state, it looks like an impossible task. Congress does not have workers, regional leaders, cadre and a proper cause which can bring different communities together during an election.

Can Priyanka Gandhi Vadra make a difference to Congress Party in Uttar Pradesh? Going by the value of her party in the state, it looks like an impossible task. Congress does not have workers, regional leaders, cadre and a proper cause which can bring different communities together during an election. Congress has a depleted vote bank and fractured leadership which is divided into different factions. The present support which Congress lent to CAA may get temporary publicity, but the cause may not help it electorally for the simple reason that Muslims may decide to vote for Samajwadi Party (SP) once again during assembly elections. On the other hand, Congress will have to deal with BJP which might gain because of reverse polarisation. Priyanka’s own late campaign during Lok Sabha elections was a political disaster in 2019. Her entry instead of delivering a hit, turned into a colossal flop. Congress even lost Amethi, a bastion of the Gandhi family. Technically, Priyanka Gandhi has inherited nothing from the Congress Party or her own brother Rahul Gandhi who experimented thrice in Uttar Pradesh. The point I’m trying to make is that Priyanka Gandhi is virtually starting with scratch. The only thing she today possesses is her conviction and courage which can be lost to prevailing circumstances. Nonetheless, Priyanka has made all the right noises after Lok Sabha debacle that too on her own strength. The credit must be given to Priyanka Gandhi that she did not give up on Uttar Pradesh. The state is deeply divided on caste and religion. Even during CAA protest, maximum protests happened near Muslim dominated areas and maximum firepower was used against them. The approach towards Muslims was tough. The message was two-fold. The first message was that the government stands firm on CAA and will use force if protests do not stop. The message was to BJP’s vote bank that it is the only party which stands between them and an aggressive minority. It is a trap which Priyanka Gandhi needs to avoid. She will need to pick up an issue which resonates closer to the Congress and not the Left parties and BJP. She needs to ensure that the focus remains on issues and not on her. On Monday, she rightly did not allow her own security became a talking point during the press conference. Priyanka Gandhi cannot be an eye-grabber all the time. Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have shown that silent campaign, which is less focused on Gandhis, works well. She will also need to invest herself in the state by staying there for a few days and even weeks. The present leadership of the Congress is such condition that it cannot even get more than 20 MLAs in the assembly today. None of the leaders of the Uttar Pradesh from Congress can today be projected as Chief Ministers. If Congress Party can allow Priyanka Gandhi another 10 years in Uttar Pradesh, then something might happen. It took BJP 15 years to come back to power. Today, regional parties are getting stronger and BJP and Congress are directly pitted against each other directly in 8 states. In rest of the states, BJP is the number 1 party and Congress is either number 2, number 3 and in some cases even number 3 party. Maharashtra is a case in example. In almost all cases, BJP has either emerged as the principal party or the principal challenger. So, it is imperative that Priyanka Gandhi should not get mighty impressed with the TV coverage she gets. Rahul Gandhi fell prey to this temporary adulation. The only way she can revive Congress in Uttar Pradesh is by seen continuously engaged on regional issues in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi by the end of 2010 was considered a tourist in the state. Priyanka Gandhi cannot afford to walk down the same path. Across the world, major leaderless protests have taken place starting from Tahrir using new communication platforms but fundamentally failed to alter the dynamic of the state or electoral politics in the long run. CAA also runs the risk of walking down the same path as the government has 4 more years to go. CAA protests are unlike the1970s protests which were personally directed towards Indira Gandhi. Priyanka might succeded if she stays put in the state and focuses on issues which are important for Congress, its leaders and associated interest groups. (Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Can Priyanka Gandhi make a difference in Uttar Pradesh?

Union Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/59-suspected-cases-of-infiltration-in-jk-from-august-to-october-2019-mha-sources-269011">G Kishan Reddy</a> on Monday challenged Congress leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/on-its-foundation-day-congress-holds-massive-protest-rally-against-caa-nrc-in-mumbai-270769">Rahul Gandhi</a> for a debate over the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and exuded confidence saying that Gandhi would be defeated even by an ordinary worker of the BJP. 
 
"Anywhere in the country, even our ordinary party worker is ready to debate on this issue and can defeat Rahul Gandhi as he does not have any knowledge about <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/caa-row-muslim-leaders-clerics-to-meet-pm-modi-amit-shah-270594">CAA</a> and NRC," the Minister of State (MoS) for Home said challenging the Congress MP from Wayanad. 
 
Further supporting the Uttar Pradesh government's move of seizing the property of those who participated in violence and arson during the anti-CAA and NRC protests, he said, "The rule to seize the property of rioters is correct and should be implemented all across the country." 
 
Reddy also slammed Congress over the allegations of a lapse in security and manhandling with its general secretary <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/priyanka-gandhi-holds-meeting-with-up-congress-leaders-to-discuss-bharat-bachao-rally-preparations-266589">Priyanka Gandhi Vadra</a> in Uttar Pradesh. He asserted that the Congress' method of time and again raising questions about their leaders' security is not correct. "Security to all the officials and ordinary people of the nation is our responsibility," he said. 
 
Earlier today, days after Vadra alleged breach of protocol by the UP Police in Lucknow, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said that there was "no breach in security" on their part as she was supposed to visit only Pradesh Congress Committee office according to her tour programme. 
 
"Tour programme of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Z+ Category Central Category (CRPF Protectee) to visit Lucknow on 27-28 December was received and communicated to state authorities. 
 
On December 28, the only programme indicated was to visit PCC office for attending Congress foundation function for which ASL had been conducted," said CRPF in a statement.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for a debate over the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and exuded confidence saying that Gandhi would be defeated even by an ordinary worker of the BJP.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for a debate over the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and exuded confidence saying that Gandhi would be defeated even by an ordinary worker of the BJP. "Anywhere in the country, even our ordinary party worker is ready to debate on this issue and can defeat Rahul Gandhi as he does not have any knowledge about CAA and NRC," the Minister of State (MoS) for Home said challenging the Congress MP from Wayanad. Further supporting the Uttar Pradesh government's move of seizing the property of those who participated in violence and arson during the anti-CAA and NRC protests, he said, "The rule to seize the property of rioters is correct and should be implemented all across the country." Reddy also slammed Congress over the allegations of a lapse in security and manhandling with its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Uttar Pradesh. He asserted that the Congress' method of time and again raising questions about their leaders' security is not correct. "Security to all the officials and ordinary people of the nation is our responsibility," he said. Earlier today, days after Vadra alleged breach of protocol by the UP Police in Lucknow, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said that there was "no breach in security" on their part as she was supposed to visit only Pradesh Congress Committee office according to her tour programme. "Tour programme of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Z+ Category Central Category (CRPF Protectee) to visit Lucknow on 27-28 December was received and communicated to state authorities. On December 28, the only programme indicated was to visit PCC office for attending Congress foundation function for which ASL had been conducted," said CRPF in a statement.

Even ordinary BJP worker can defeat Rahul Gandhi in debate over CAA, NRC: G Kishan Reddy

BJP working president JP Nadda on Sunday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to say 10 lines on the provisions of the amended Citizenship Act.

Addressing a public gathering here, Nadda threw another challenge to Gandhi for speaking two lines on the provisions of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) that hurt the nation.

"I want to ask Rahul Gandhi to speak 10 lines on provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act and two lines on the provision that hurts the nation," he said.

In what appeared to be an attempt to belittle Gandhi`s understanding of the issue, he said, "It is unfortunate that the people who have come forward to lead the country have not tried to understand basic things."

In Patna, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also hit out at the Congress leader for his anti-CAA protest, saying "he does not do homework."

This comes within an hour after Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah for 'dividing'&nbsp;the country and hiding behind the hate.

"Dear Youth of India, Modi and Shah have destroyed your future. They can't face your anger over the lack of jobs and damage they've done to the economy. That's why they are dividing our beloved India and hiding behind the hate. We can only defeat them by responding with love towards every Indian," tweeted Gandhi.

 
&nbsp;

BJP working president JP Nadda on Sunday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to say 10 lines on the provisions of the amended Citizenship Act. Addressing a public gathering here, Nadda threw another challenge to Gandhi for speaking two lines on the provisions of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) that hurt the nation.

BJP working president JP Nadda on Sunday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to say 10 lines on the provisions of the amended Citizenship Act. Addressing a public gathering here, Nadda threw another challenge to Gandhi for speaking two lines on the provisions of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) that hurt the nation. "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi to speak 10 lines on provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act and two lines on the provision that hurts the nation," he said. In what appeared to be an attempt to belittle Gandhi`s understanding of the issue, he said, "It is unfortunate that the people who have come forward to lead the country have not tried to understand basic things." In Patna, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also hit out at the Congress leader for his anti-CAA protest, saying "he does not do homework." This comes within an hour after Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah for 'dividing' the country and hiding behind the hate. "Dear Youth of India, Modi and Shah have destroyed your future. They can't face your anger over the lack of jobs and damage they've done to the economy. That's why they are dividing our beloved India and hiding behind the hate. We can only defeat them by responding with love towards every Indian," tweeted Gandhi.

Speak 10 lines on provisions of Citizenship Act: JP Nadda challenges Rahul Gandhi

The Election Commission of India has sought the response of Jharkhand`s Chief Electoral Officer on Union Minister Smriti Irani`s complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his "rape in India" remark, news agency ANI reported.

Rahul Gandhi made the remarks during an election rally in Godda, Jharkhand on December 12.

Irani, on Friday, approached the election body over Gandhi`s remark and sought strong action against him for allegedly using crimes against women as a "political tool".

Addressing a poll rally in Jharkhand on Thursday, Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched `Make in India` but nowadays all one can see is `Rape in India`.

&nbsp;In Uttar Pradesh Narendra Modi`s MLA raped a woman, then she met with an accident but Narendra Modi did not utter a word," Rahul had said.&nbsp;

Voting for the fourth phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections began earlier today. The fifth and the last phase of voting will take place on December 20 and the counting of votes will be held on December 23.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Election Commission of India has sought the response of Jharkhand`s Chief Electoral Officer on Union Minister Smriti Irani`s complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his "rape in India" remark, news agency ANI reported.

The Election Commission of India has sought the response of Jharkhand`s Chief Electoral Officer on Union Minister Smriti Irani`s complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his "rape in India" remark, news agency ANI reported. Rahul Gandhi made the remarks during an election rally in Godda, Jharkhand on December 12. Irani, on Friday, approached the election body over Gandhi`s remark and sought strong action against him for allegedly using crimes against women as a "political tool". Addressing a poll rally in Jharkhand on Thursday, Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched `Make in India` but nowadays all one can see is `Rape in India`. In Uttar Pradesh Narendra Modi`s MLA raped a woman, then she met with an accident but Narendra Modi did not utter a word," Rahul had said. Voting for the fourth phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections began earlier today. The fifth and the last phase of voting will take place on December 20 and the counting of votes will be held on December 23. (With inputs from ANI)

Election Commission seeks response from Jharkhand CEO over Rahul's 'rape in India' remark

In midst of the nationwide chorus against NRC and high-profile campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on national issues in Jharkhand, Congress continues to press on with its low-profile campaign in the state.

The low-key Congress campaign is focused on local issues and has avoided taking Modi-Shah combine on any of the polarising statements. Even senior Congress leaders who were roped in for campaign were asked to limit themselves to issues of the state. The best example was the press conference by former finance minister P Chidambaram, who spoke on the economy and then went on to address local issues. Sources in the Jharkhand Congress said that the state unit also did not invite controversial and controversy making leaders to ensure that attention is not diverted to non-issues.

Even the posters issued by the Jharkhand Congress are very different in design and content. The posters do not showcase central leadership of the party. It showcases the issues which the party has taken up in the state. Even the tagline, “AA RAHEE HAI CONGRESS” has been promoted without adding a face to it. This is very different from Gujarat and Karnataka campaigns where Rahul Gandhi was pitched as the face of the election.

A functionary closely associated with the election campaign told WION that the Jharkhand campaign took the cue from the Chhattisgarh elections where Congress swept the state. Chhattisgarh also witnessed a very low-key campaign unlike Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in 2018.

Congress has picked up the issue of land acquisition and promised to return the land to the tribal's under a new scheme. The campaign is also focused on the issue of malnourishment, death of children due to lack of food, women safety and unemployment. Congress has also taken special care not to get tripped by the Pathalgadi rebellion issue which led to largescale violence in the state.

Like Chhattisgarh, procurement price for rice and farmers' loan has been a prominent part of the election campaign. Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel too was looped into the campaign by the Jharkhand Congress. Congress is a junior partner to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the state. This time the Congress ensured that it settles seats even if it didn’t suit their interest in order to stitch the alliance. JMM is contesting in 43 seats, Congress 31 and RJD in 7 seats in the state.

Congress secured a mere 10.60 per cent of votes in 2014 assembly elections whereas the BJP secured 31.80 per cent of votes. Even in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 and 2019, BJP secured 40.71 per cent and 51.61 per cent of votes.

The data shows that there was a dip of 10 per cent of votes immediately after the Lok Sabha elections even in 2014. Similarly, BJP’s vote share dipped in the Haryana assembly election in 2019. This has made small parties like JMM and Congress slightly confident. Though BJP remains the dominant party in Jharkhand, it does not have friends in the local set up. Congress, on the other hand, is heavily banking on 26 per cent of Adivasis and 14 per cent of Muslim votes for electoral success.

Though the BJP created a very successful non-tribal polarization in 2014, it failed to get a simple majority in the house of 81 in the state. BJP secured 37 seats in the election followed by 19 of JMM.

In 2014, BJP had contested 72 seats and now it is contesting 79 seats. Only support it can expect is from AJSU as it decided not to field a candidate against Sudesh Mehto. The last phase of polling is on December 20th and counting will take place on December 23rd.&nbsp;

An upset in Jharkhand after Maharashtra can act as a glue to bring the Opposition parties together once again to fight a dominant BJP nationally and in states.&nbsp;BJP apart from local issues is facing incumbency which flows from Chief Minister Raghubar Das himself. 
&nbsp;

In midst of the nationwide chorus against NRC and high-profile campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on national issues in Jharkhand, Congress continues to press on with its low-profile campaign in the state.

In midst of the nationwide chorus against NRC and high-profile campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on national issues in Jharkhand, Congress continues to press on with its low-profile campaign in the state. The low-key Congress campaign is focused on local issues and has avoided taking Modi-Shah combine on any of the polarising statements. Even senior Congress leaders who were roped in for campaign were asked to limit themselves to issues of the state. The best example was the press conference by former finance minister P Chidambaram, who spoke on the economy and then went on to address local issues. Sources in the Jharkhand Congress said that the state unit also did not invite controversial and controversy making leaders to ensure that attention is not diverted to non-issues. Even the posters issued by the Jharkhand Congress are very different in design and content. The posters do not showcase central leadership of the party. It showcases the issues which the party has taken up in the state. Even the tagline, “AA RAHEE HAI CONGRESS” has been promoted without adding a face to it. This is very different from Gujarat and Karnataka campaigns where Rahul Gandhi was pitched as the face of the election. A functionary closely associated with the election campaign told WION that the Jharkhand campaign took the cue from the Chhattisgarh elections where Congress swept the state. Chhattisgarh also witnessed a very low-key campaign unlike Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in 2018. Congress has picked up the issue of land acquisition and promised to return the land to the tribal's under a new scheme. The campaign is also focused on the issue of malnourishment, death of children due to lack of food, women safety and unemployment. Congress has also taken special care not to get tripped by the Pathalgadi rebellion issue which led to largescale violence in the state. Like Chhattisgarh, procurement price for rice and farmers' loan has been a prominent part of the election campaign. Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel too was looped into the campaign by the Jharkhand Congress. Congress is a junior partner to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the state. This time the Congress ensured that it settles seats even if it didn’t suit their interest in order to stitch the alliance. JMM is contesting in 43 seats, Congress 31 and RJD in 7 seats in the state. Congress secured a mere 10.60 per cent of votes in 2014 assembly elections whereas the BJP secured 31.80 per cent of votes. Even in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 and 2019, BJP secured 40.71 per cent and 51.61 per cent of votes. The data shows that there was a dip of 10 per cent of votes immediately after the Lok Sabha elections even in 2014. Similarly, BJP’s vote share dipped in the Haryana assembly election in 2019. This has made small parties like JMM and Congress slightly confident. Though BJP remains the dominant party in Jharkhand, it does not have friends in the local set up. Congress, on the other hand, is heavily banking on 26 per cent of Adivasis and 14 per cent of Muslim votes for electoral success. Though the BJP created a very successful non-tribal polarization in 2014, it failed to get a simple majority in the house of 81 in the state. BJP secured 37 seats in the election followed by 19 of JMM. In 2014, BJP had contested 72 seats and now it is contesting 79 seats. Only support it can expect is from AJSU as it decided not to field a candidate against Sudesh Mehto. The last phase of polling is on December 20th and counting will take place on December 23rd. An upset in Jharkhand after Maharashtra can act as a glue to bring the Opposition parties together once again to fight a dominant BJP nationally and in states. BJP apart from local issues is facing incumbency which flows from Chief Minister Raghubar Das himself.

Congress applies Chhattisgarh model on Jharkhand

RSS leader Indresh Kumar on Sunday said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cannot become `Savarkar` even if he takes several births and he should not insult Mahatma Gandhi using his surname, "Gandhi", reported news agency ANI.

RSS leader Indresh Kumar on Sunday said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cannot become `Savarkar` even if he takes several births and he should not insult Mahatma Gandhi using his surname, "Gandhi", reported news agency ANI. "Britishers used to be afraid of Savarkar that`s why he was given life imprisonment twice. Rahul can never even be close to the personality of Savarkar. He rightly said that he is no Savarkar, whether he said to disrespect (Savarkar) or insult him," ANI report added quoting Kumar. "Rahul can never be Savarkar. He has to take many births to become Savarkar till then he wouldn`t be like him. `Gandhi` associated with Rahul is disrespect of Gandhi word. He should not disrespect Gandhi using his surname. He can also never Gandhi or Savarkar. The nation is hurt (due to his statement)," he said. Addressing a Congress rally `Bharat Bachao` on Saturday, Gandhi said he would not apologise for his "rape in India" remark as his name is not Rahul Savarkar. "I was asked by the BJP in Parliament yesterday to apologize for the comment. I was asked to apologize for something right. My name is not Rahul Savarkar. My name is Rahul Gandhi. I will never apologize for truth," the Congress leader said. Reacting to Gandhi`s statement, Savarkar`s grandson Ranjit has said that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray should beat Gandhi publicly for `insulting` his grandfather.

Rahul can never become 'Savarkar' even if he takes several births: RSS

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reaffirmed on Saturday that he would not apologise for his remarks on rape, adding that he will not seek foregiveness for stating "truth".

"BJP yesterday told me 'Rahul you gave a speech, apologise for that'. I was asked to apologise for speaking something correct. I am not Rahul Savarkar. I am Rahul Gandhi. I will never apologise for truth," Rahul said while addressing Congress's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/priyanka-gandhi-slams-bjp-government-on-economy-citizenship-bill-268260">Bharat Bachao </a>rally at the iconic Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Rahul Gandhi,at 'Bharat Bachao' rally: I was told in Parliament by BJP y'day 'Rahul ji, you gave a speech. Apologise for that.' I was told to apologise for speaking something correct. My name is not Rahul Savarkar. My name is Rahul Gandhi. I will never apologise for truth <a href="https://t.co/DhgFyZNX1a">pic.twitter.com/DhgFyZNX1a</a>
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Rahul also said that no Congress member will apologise for the comments.&nbsp;

On Friday, a ruckus erupted in the Parliament for Rahul's remarks where he said that the country is witnessing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajya-sabha-adjourned-after-uproar-over-rahul-gandhis-remark-268035">"Rape in India" </a>rather than PM Narendra Modi's ambitious programme "Make in India", referring to rising number of rape incidents in the recent days. &nbsp;

Rahul later clarified on Friday that he meant whenever one reads a newspaper, there is a report of rape in different parts of India instead of a story on 'Make in India'. He had also said that BJP sought his apology as it wanted to deflect attention from protests in the northeast.&nbsp;

At the Bharat Bachao rally, the senior Congress leader also pulled up BJP government for creating religious divisions, mentioning the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast India.&nbsp;

"They (BJP) work to create divisions, between religions. in Jammu and Kashmir, in northeast. Go to Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh. Go and witness what Narendra Modi did there, he has set those regions on fire."

Rahul Gandhi also slammed the Centre for the economic crisis in the country. "Today, GDP growth is at 4 per cent, that too even after they (BJP) changed the way to measure GDP. If GDP is measured according to the previous method, it will be just 2.5 per cent."

Earlier, senior Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi and P Chidambaram also slammed BJP government in the rally.&nbsp;

(with inputs from agencies)

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reaffirmed on Saturday that he would not apologise for his remarks on rape, adding that he will not seek foregiveness for stating "truth".

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reaffirmed on Saturday that he would not apologise for his remarks on rape, adding that he will not seek foregiveness for stating "truth". "BJP yesterday told me 'Rahul you gave a speech, apologise for that'. I was asked to apologise for speaking something correct. I am not Rahul Savarkar. I am Rahul Gandhi. I will never apologise for truth," Rahul said while addressing Congress's Bharat Bachao rally at the iconic Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. #WATCH: Rahul Gandhi,at 'Bharat Bachao' rally: I was told in Parliament by BJP y'day 'Rahul ji, you gave a speech. Apologise for that.' I was told to apologise for speaking something correct. My name is not Rahul Savarkar. My name is Rahul Gandhi. I will never apologise for truth pic.twitter.com/DhgFyZNX1a — ANI (@ANI) December 14, 2019 × Rahul also said that no Congress member will apologise for the comments. On Friday, a ruckus erupted in the Parliament for Rahul's remarks where he said that the country is witnessing "Rape in India" rather than PM Narendra Modi's ambitious programme "Make in India", referring to rising number of rape incidents in the recent days. Rahul later clarified on Friday that he meant whenever one reads a newspaper, there is a report of rape in different parts of India instead of a story on 'Make in India'. He had also said that BJP sought his apology as it wanted to deflect attention from protests in the northeast. At the Bharat Bachao rally, the senior Congress leader also pulled up BJP government for creating religious divisions, mentioning the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast India. "They (BJP) work to create divisions, between religions. in Jammu and Kashmir, in northeast. Go to Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh. Go and witness what Narendra Modi did there, he has set those regions on fire." Rahul Gandhi also slammed the Centre for the economic crisis in the country. "Today, GDP growth is at 4 per cent, that too even after they (BJP) changed the way to measure GDP. If GDP is measured according to the previous method, it will be just 2.5 per cent." Earlier, senior Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi and P Chidambaram also slammed BJP government in the rally. (with inputs from agencies)

Won't apologise for 'Rape in India' remarks': Rahul Gandhi at Congress rally

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