<p>In their response to&nbsp;Subramanian Swamy&#39;s complaint in connection with the National Herald case,&nbsp;Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi stated that the application filed by the BJP leader was not bonafide.</p>

<p>Calling the complaint a &quot;lifeless case&quot; they said that the application has been filled with the sole object of &quot;delaying the proceedings&quot;.</p>

<p>They also said in their&nbsp;response that the complainant and BJP leader has used various tactics to delay his appearance in the court.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They said that the application was filed with &quot;most casual manner&quot;. It failed to call witnesses and documents within a&nbsp;specified period of time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The mother-son duo called for an immediate rejection of the complaint.</p>

<p>Subramanian Swamy had filed a complaint against the newspaper National Herald in 2012. The complaint was filed against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, party leaders Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda.</p>

<p>In the complaint, he alleged that the Congress granted an interest-free loan of Rs 90.25 crore to the owner of National Herald-Associated Journal Limited (AJL). It further stated&nbsp;that Congress had mismanaged the loan which remained outstanding. Sonia and Rahul were made directors of the company, Young India, in 2010. The company acquired all the shareholdings of the AJL amounting to Rs 5,000 crore.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The court will hear the matter on January 20.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Calling the complaint a 'lifeless case' they said that the application has been filled with the sole object of 'delaying the proceedings'

In their response to Subramanian Swamy's complaint in connection with the National Herald case, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi stated that the application filed by the BJP leader was not bonafide. Calling the complaint a "lifeless case" they said that the application has been filled with the sole object of "delaying the proceedings". They also said in their response that the complainant and BJP leader has used various tactics to delay his appearance in the court. They said that the application was filed with "most casual manner". It failed to call witnesses and documents within a specified period of time. The mother-son duo called for an immediate rejection of the complaint. Subramanian Swamy had filed a complaint against the newspaper National Herald in 2012. The complaint was filed against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, party leaders Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda. In the complaint, he alleged that the Congress granted an interest-free loan of Rs 90.25 crore to the owner of National Herald-Associated Journal Limited (AJL). It further stated that Congress had mismanaged the loan which remained outstanding. Sonia and Rahul were made directors of the company, Young India, in 2010. The company acquired all the shareholdings of the AJL amounting to Rs 5,000 crore. The court will hear the matter on January 20.

Sonia, Rahul respond to National Herald case, call for its dismissal

<p>As India&#39;s first and only female Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi&nbsp;fought for her vision against &#39;vested interests&#39;, said Congress president Sonia Gandhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Inauguration of a photo exhibition on Indira Gandhi on the occasion of her 100th birth anniversary, the Congress president said,&nbsp;&quot;Indira Ji was the iron lady of India.&quot;.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Indira ji was the iron lady of India.She fought for her vision against vested interests: Sonia Gandhi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/JJdQM041OH">pic.twitter.com/JJdQM041OH</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932121467478614016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;&#39;&#39;Indira Gandhi fought for secularism, against those who wanted to divide society on religion and caste,&#39;&#39; she added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">She fought for secularism and against those who wanted to divide society on religion and caste lines: Sonia Gandhi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ik9GW1ah2b">pic.twitter.com/Ik9GW1ah2b</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932134665850273792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Speaking on the occasion, former president Pranab Mukherjee said that Indira can never be erased from the pages of history.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">She can never be erased from the pages of history: Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Indira Gandhi&#39;s birth anniversary <a href="https://t.co/9AWyaAUXtB">pic.twitter.com/9AWyaAUXtB</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932128367591034880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Over 200 archived images from&nbsp;Indira Gandhi&#39;s life will be available for public viewing at the&nbsp;Indira Gandhi&nbsp;Memorial Trust from November 21.&nbsp;Titled &#39;Indira: A Life of Courage&#39;, the exclusive photographic exhibition was inaugurated to commemorate the birth centenary of former the former prime minister.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi greets senior party leaders Sheila Dikshit and Dr. Karan Singh at inauguration of a photo exhibition on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/0M6YAdr7sd">pic.twitter.com/0M6YAdr7sd</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932126656407334914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier in the day, several leaders including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi,&nbsp;former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/100-years-of-indira-gandhi-24551" target="_blank">paid their respects to Indira Gandhi</a>.</p>


Former president Pranab Mukherjee also spoke on the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi.He said that Indira can never be erased from the pages of history

As India's first and only female Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi fought for her vision against 'vested interests', said Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Inauguration of a photo exhibition on Indira Gandhi on the occasion of her 100th birth anniversary, the Congress president said, "Indira Ji was the iron lady of India.". Indira ji was the iron lady of India.She fought for her vision against vested interests: Sonia Gandhi #IndiraGandhi pic.twitter.com/JJdQM041OH — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017 × ''Indira Gandhi fought for secularism, against those who wanted to divide society on religion and caste,'' she added. She fought for secularism and against those who wanted to divide society on religion and caste lines: Sonia Gandhi #IndiraGandhi pic.twitter.com/Ik9GW1ah2b — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017 × Speaking on the occasion, former president Pranab Mukherjee said that Indira can never be erased from the pages of history. She can never be erased from the pages of history: Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary pic.twitter.com/9AWyaAUXtB — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017 × Over 200 archived images from Indira Gandhi's life will be available for public viewing at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust from November 21. Titled 'Indira: A Life of Courage', the exclusive photographic exhibition was inaugurated to commemorate the birth centenary of former the former prime minister. Delhi: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi greets senior party leaders Sheila Dikshit and Dr. Karan Singh at inauguration of a photo exhibition on #IndiraGandhi pic.twitter.com/0M6YAdr7sd — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017 × Earlier in the day, several leaders including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid their respects to Indira Gandhi.

Indira Gandhi fought for secularism: Sonia Gandhi

<p>The ruling JD(U) on Saturday took a swipe at the luncheon meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav and claimed that the Congress vice president in the past was aversed to any show of proximity to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.</p>

<p>&quot;It seems a new relationship is being built between Bofors and &#39;Chara&#39; (fodder)&quot;, Janata Dal (United) chief spokesman Sanjay Singh said in an obvious dig at the scams in which the names of top leaders of the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal have figured.</p>

<p>Gandhi and Yadav had met over lunch at a restaurant in Delhi yesterday after which the latter had posted a photograph clicked on the occasion on Twitter, thanking the Congress vice president and saying he felt &quot;appreciated&quot; and &quot;grateful&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OfficeOfRG</a> for taking me out for wonderful lunch. Feel appreciated and grateful. Again thanks for taking out time out of ur tight schedule. <a href="https://t.co/wqIg8Ss3xm">pic.twitter.com/wqIg8Ss3xm</a></p>
&mdash; Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) <a href="https://twitter.com/yadavtejashwi/status/931449616582590464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Taking potshots at Rahul Gandhi, Singh asked, &quot;He is so conscious of his image that he used to avoid sharing the stage with Lalu Prasad despite the latter being his long-time political ally. Does he see no problem now in hobnobbing with the RJD supremo&#39;s son.&quot;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, RJD national vice president Shivanand Tiwary said &quot;it is indeed the beginning of a new relationship. Both Rahul and Tejashwi have a common political goal which is to defeat the BJP.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;We hope misunderstandings if any, between Rahul and Lalu will be cleared and the Congress vice president will be in direct touch with Tejashwi over issues relating to Bihar,&quot; Tiwary added.</p>

<p>The RJD, the JD(U) and the Congress had fought the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls together forming a formidable &#39;mahagathbandhan&#39; (grand alliance) which had defeated the BJP-led NDA in the state surmounting a country-wide wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p>

<p>However, differences between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the RJD leadership over the issue of corruption cases involving Tejashwi, who was then his deputy, led to the collapse of the &#39;grand alliance&#39; in July last.</p>

<p>Kumar resigned from his post and was immediately offered support by the BJP, which paved way for his return to the NDA after four years.</p>


Gandhi and Yadav had met over lunch at a restaurant in Delhi yesterday after which the latter had posted a photograph clicked on the occasion on Twitter, thanking the Congress vice president and saying he felt "appreciated" and "grateful".

The ruling JD(U) on Saturday took a swipe at the luncheon meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav and claimed that the Congress vice president in the past was aversed to any show of proximity to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad. "It seems a new relationship is being built between Bofors and 'Chara' (fodder)", Janata Dal (United) chief spokesman Sanjay Singh said in an obvious dig at the scams in which the names of top leaders of the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal have figured. Gandhi and Yadav had met over lunch at a restaurant in Delhi yesterday after which the latter had posted a photograph clicked on the occasion on Twitter, thanking the Congress vice president and saying he felt "appreciated" and "grateful". Thank you @OfficeOfRG for taking me out for wonderful lunch. Feel appreciated and grateful. Again thanks for taking out time out of ur tight schedule. pic.twitter.com/wqIg8Ss3xm — Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) November 17, 2017 × Taking potshots at Rahul Gandhi, Singh asked, "He is so conscious of his image that he used to avoid sharing the stage with Lalu Prasad despite the latter being his long-time political ally. Does he see no problem now in hobnobbing with the RJD supremo's son." Meanwhile, RJD national vice president Shivanand Tiwary said "it is indeed the beginning of a new relationship. Both Rahul and Tejashwi have a common political goal which is to defeat the BJP." "We hope misunderstandings if any, between Rahul and Lalu will be cleared and the Congress vice president will be in direct touch with Tejashwi over issues relating to Bihar," Tiwary added. The RJD, the JD(U) and the Congress had fought the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls together forming a formidable 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) which had defeated the BJP-led NDA in the state surmounting a country-wide wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, differences between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the RJD leadership over the issue of corruption cases involving Tejashwi, who was then his deputy, led to the collapse of the 'grand alliance' in July last. Kumar resigned from his post and was immediately offered support by the BJP, which paved way for his return to the NDA after four years.

New relationship being built between Bofors and 'Chara':  JD(U) on Rahul-Tejashwi luncheon meet

<p>Several leaders including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi,&nbsp;former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to India&#39;s first and only female Prime Minister&nbsp;Indira Gandhi on her 100th birth anniversary on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tributes to former PM Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/932059203132411905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Indira Gandhi, who was born on&nbsp;November 19, 1917, was assassinated by her own bodyguard&nbsp;in October 1984.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indira100?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indira100</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/932101627510534145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Known as the &#39;Iron Lady&#39;, Gandhi was&nbsp;India&rsquo;s most powerful prime minister.</p>

<p>Over 200 archived images from&nbsp;Indira Gandhi&#39;s life will be available for public viewing at the&nbsp;Indira Gandhi&nbsp;Memorial Trust from November 21.&nbsp;Titled &#39;Indira: A Life of Courage&#39;, the exclusive photographic exhibition will be inaugurated on November 19 to commemorate the birth centenary of former the former prime minister.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: Former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress VP Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> on her birth anniversary <a href="https://t.co/Gncpb2CJoa">pic.twitter.com/Gncpb2CJoa</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932084170951606272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&quot;I don&#39;t mind if my life goes in the service of the nation - If I die..every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indira100?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indira100</a> <a href="https://t.co/hYqEI22aUU">pic.twitter.com/hYqEI22aUU</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@0ffice0ffRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/0ffice0ffRG/status/932085858454212608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Indira Gandhi, who was born on?November 19, 1917, was assassinated by her own bodyguard?in October 1984

Several leaders including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to India's first and only female Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 100th birth anniversary on Sunday. Tributes to former PM Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 19, 2017 × Indira Gandhi, who was born on November 19, 1917, was assassinated by her own bodyguard in October 1984. I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength. #Indira100 — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 19, 2017 × Known as the 'Iron Lady', Gandhi was India’s most powerful prime minister. Over 200 archived images from Indira Gandhi's life will be available for public viewing at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust from November 21. Titled 'Indira: A Life of Courage', the exclusive photographic exhibition will be inaugurated on November 19 to commemorate the birth centenary of former the former prime minister. Delhi: Former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress VP Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to #IndiraGandhi on her birth anniversary pic.twitter.com/Gncpb2CJoa — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017 × "I don't mind if my life goes in the service of the nation - If I die..every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation" #Indira100 pic.twitter.com/hYqEI22aUU — Office of RG (@0ffice0ffRG) November 19, 2017 ×

Indira Gandhi remembered on her 100th birth anniversary

<p>After missing several deadlines Congress Working Committee (CWC) &nbsp;is expected to approve an election schedule on Monday.</p>

<p>According to the party constitution, the CWC meeting is required to approve the schedule for the election of the party president. This will be the final step for Rahul &nbsp;Gandhi to be elevated as President of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).</p>

<p>And as it is unlikely that there will be a contender to challenge Rahul, his election will be complete by mid-December.</p>

<p>The decision came after a meeting was held on Saturday.</p>

<p>The elevation of Rahul Gandhi will mean that he will also be heading the final phase of the politically crucial Gujarat elections as AICC chief.</p>

<p>Rahul&#39;s taking charge of the party will bring the end of an era of Sonia Gandi heading as party chief and it will end a long apprenticeship that saw Rahul being named vice-president in January 2013.</p>


After missing several deadlines Congress Working Committee (CWC) ?is expected to approve an election schedule on Monday

After missing several deadlines Congress Working Committee (CWC) is expected to approve an election schedule on Monday. According to the party constitution, the CWC meeting is required to approve the schedule for the election of the party president. This will be the final step for Rahul Gandhi to be elevated as President of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). And as it is unlikely that there will be a contender to challenge Rahul, his election will be complete by mid-December. The decision came after a meeting was held on Saturday. The elevation of Rahul Gandhi will mean that he will also be heading the final phase of the politically crucial Gujarat elections as AICC chief. Rahul's taking charge of the party will bring the end of an era of Sonia Gandi heading as party chief and it will end a long apprenticeship that saw Rahul being named vice-president in January 2013.

Congress will start process to make Rahul Gandhi chief on Monday

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/party-set-to-sack-mugabe-zimbabweans-celebrate-expected-downfall-24539" target="_blank">Party set to sack Mugabe, Zimbabweans celebrate expected downfall</a></p>

<p>Zimbabwe&#39;s ruling party will dismiss President Robert Mugabe on Sunday and reinstate Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president he fired, two party sources told Reuters on Saturday, as ecstatic crowds celebrated the expected downfall. Mugabe&#39;s 37-year rule has been effectively at an end since the army seized control on Wednesday, confining him to his residence, saying it wanted to target the &quot;criminals&quot; around him.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/your-boss-silencing-you-rahul-gandhi-asks-nirmala-sitharaman-24541" target="_blank">Your boss silencing you is &#39;shameful&#39;: Rahul Gandhi to Nirmala Sitharaman</a></p>

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday&nbsp;hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was &quot;shameful&quot; that her boss was &quot;silencing&quot; her. Mr Gandhi&#39;s retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal. He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/former-pm-manmohan-singh-to-get-indira-gandhi-peace-prize-24545" target="_blank">Former prime minister Manmohan Singh to get Indira Gandhi peace prize</a></p>

<p>&quot;The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India&#39;s stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language,&quot; a statement from the Trust&#39;s secretary Suman Dubey said.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-be-made-congress-president-before-december-5-sources-to-wion-24527" target="_blank">Rahul Gandhi to be made Congress President before December 5: Sources to WION</a></p>

<p>Sources also said that the elevation is not going to be delayed any further. The CWC is expected to adopt the resolution to make Rahul Gandhi Congress president on Monday which would subsequently be ratified by the All India Congress Committee. As per the rules of the Congress constitution,&nbsp;the final ratification has to be done by the All India Congress Committee (AICC).</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-vasundhara-raje-asks-smriti-irani-for-changes-in-film-24535" target="_blank">&#39;Padmavati&#39; row: Vasundhara Raje asks Smriti Irani for changes in film</a></p>

<p>Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has written to Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani requesting her that the film &quot;Padmavati&quot; should not be released until some changes are made to it so that it &quot;does not hurt the sentiments of any community&quot;. In her letter, the Rajasthan chief minister has suggested that a committee should be formed to discuss the film and its plot and should suggest amendments.&nbsp;</p>


Party set to sack Mugabe, Zimbabweans celebrate expected downfall Zimbabwe's ruling party will dismiss President Robert Mugabe on Sunday and reinstate Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president he fired, two party sources told Reuters on Saturday, as ecstatic crowds celebrated the expected downfall. Mugabe's 37-year rule has been effectively at an end since the army seized control on Wednesday, confining him to his residence, saying it wanted to target the "criminals" around him. Your boss silencing you is 'shameful': Rahul Gandhi to Nirmala Sitharaman Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was "shameful" that her boss was "silencing" her. Mr Gandhi's retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal. He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh to get Indira Gandhi peace prize "The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India's stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language," a statement from the Trust's secretary Suman Dubey said. Rahul Gandhi to be made Congress President before December 5: Sources to WION Sources also said that the elevation is not going to be delayed any further. The CWC is expected to adopt the resolution to make Rahul Gandhi Congress president on Monday which would subsequently be ratified by the All India Congress Committee. As per the rules of the Congress constitution, the final ratification has to be done by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). 'Padmavati' row: Vasundhara Raje asks Smriti Irani for changes in film Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has written to Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani requesting her that the film "Padmavati" should not be released until some changes are made to it so that it "does not hurt the sentiments of any community". In her letter, the Rajasthan chief minister has suggested that a committee should be formed to discuss the film and its plot and should suggest amendments.

WION Morning News Brief, November 19, 2017

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday&nbsp;hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was &quot;shameful&quot; that her boss was &quot;silencing&quot; her.</p>

<p>Mr Gandhi&#39;s retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal.</p>

<p>He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris.</p>

<p>The Congress had raised several questions on the deal, accusing the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting &quot;crony capitalism&quot; and causing a loss to the public exchequer.</p>

<p>&quot;Dear RM, what&#39;s shameful is your boss silencing you. Please tell us: 1. Final price of each Rafale jet? 2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris? 3. Why PM bypassed experienced HAL and gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience?&quot; Mr Gandhi tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dear RM, what&rsquo;s shameful is your boss silencing you. Please tell us :<br />
1. Final price of each Rafale jet?<br />
2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris?<br />
3. Why PM bypassed experienced HAL &amp; gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience?</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/931829739873898496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Congress and the BJP have exchanged barbs over the multi-crore Rafale fighter aircraft deal.</p>

<p>While the Congress was alleging that a scam was brewing in the deal, the BJP claimed that the renegotiated deal was transparent and better than the deal negotiated by the previous UPA government.</p>

<p>India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs. 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-half years after the Prime Minister announced the proposal during a visit to Paris.</p>

<p>The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September 2019.</p>


Mr Gandhi's retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was "shameful" that her boss was "silencing" her. Mr Gandhi's retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal. He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris. The Congress had raised several questions on the deal, accusing the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting "crony capitalism" and causing a loss to the public exchequer. "Dear RM, what's shameful is your boss silencing you. Please tell us: 1. Final price of each Rafale jet? 2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris? 3. Why PM bypassed experienced HAL and gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience?" Mr Gandhi tweeted. Dear RM, what’s shameful is your boss silencing you. Please tell us : 1. Final price of each Rafale jet? 2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris? 3. Why PM bypassed experienced HAL & gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience? — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 18, 2017 × The Congress and the BJP have exchanged barbs over the multi-crore Rafale fighter aircraft deal. While the Congress was alleging that a scam was brewing in the deal, the BJP claimed that the renegotiated deal was transparent and better than the deal negotiated by the previous UPA government. India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs. 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-half years after the Prime Minister announced the proposal during a visit to Paris. The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September 2019.

Your boss silencing you is 'shameful': Rahul Gandhi to Nirmala Sitharaman

<p>Congress President Sonia Gandhi has called a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday (November 20)&nbsp;to finalise the schedule of the organisational elections of the Congress party, sources confirmed.</p>

<p>The meeting will take place at 10:30 am.</p>

<p>Sources also indicated that in all probability Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi would be elevated as the President of the Congress before December 5.</p>

<p>Sources also said that the elevation is not going to be delayed any further. The CWC is expected to adopt the resolution to make Rahul Gandhi Congress president on Monday which would subsequently be ratified by the All India Congress Committee. As per the rules of the Congress constitution,&nbsp;the final ratification has to be done by the All India Congress Committee (AICC).<br />
<br />
Sonia Gandhi&rsquo;s elevation as the President by CWC was challenged by Jitendra Prasad which led to an election.</p>

<p>Earlier there were speculations that Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s elevation has been put off but the sources inside Congress confirmed that no such decision had been taken.</p>

<p>The CWC can also be expected to look at the Gujarat elections but it would be peripheral.</p>

<p>It is for this reason that the agenda of the CWC has been kept open.</p>

<p>Sonia Gandhi has been the longest serving President of the grand old party. She assumed office in 1998 and has continued since then.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Congress President Sonia Gandhi has called a meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Sunday morning to finalise the schedule of the organisational elections of the Congress party

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has called a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday (November 20) to finalise the schedule of the organisational elections of the Congress party, sources confirmed. The meeting will take place at 10:30 am. Sources also indicated that in all probability Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi would be elevated as the President of the Congress before December 5. Sources also said that the elevation is not going to be delayed any further. The CWC is expected to adopt the resolution to make Rahul Gandhi Congress president on Monday which would subsequently be ratified by the All India Congress Committee. As per the rules of the Congress constitution, the final ratification has to be done by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Sonia Gandhi’s elevation as the President by CWC was challenged by Jitendra Prasad which led to an election. Earlier there were speculations that Rahul Gandhi’s elevation has been put off but the sources inside Congress confirmed that no such decision had been taken. The CWC can also be expected to look at the Gujarat elections but it would be peripheral. It is for this reason that the agenda of the CWC has been kept open. Sonia Gandhi has been the longest serving President of the grand old party. She assumed office in 1998 and has continued since then.

Rahul Gandhi to be made Congress President before December 5: Sources to WION

<p>Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Friday that the allegations against the Rafale deal were &quot;shameful&quot; and a &quot;disservice&quot; to the country&#39;s armed forces.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sitharaman&#39;s remarks came a day after Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of changing the &quot;entire deal&quot; for the benefit of one businessman. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can you explain &quot;Reliance&quot; on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal?</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/930995047436185600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Self &quot;Reliance&quot; is obviously a critical aspect of &quot;Make in India.&quot;</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/930995317801082882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>India is buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress has alleged the deal is overpriced, and that there is a scam brewing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And that the deal was changed to benefit Anil Ambani&#39;s Reliance Defence Limited.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to the French government about the jets during his April 2015 visit to Paris.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The final agreement for the jets was signed in 2016.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress has alleged that the planes are being bought at three times the price the former UPA government had negotiated with France.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 36 Rafale jets are going to cost India Rs 58,000 crore.</p>

<p>The Congress says the UPA government had negotiated a $10.2 billion deal for the acquisition of 126 Rafale jets while the NDA government renegotiated the deal down to $8.7 billion -- but for just 36 fighters.</p>

<p>Sitharaman retorted Friday that the Congress had sat on the deal for 10 years -- at the cost of national security.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Smt <a href="https://twitter.com/nsitharaman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nsitharaman</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafale</a> : &quot; The present govt addressed the vacuum in our national security structure created by the indecisiveness of 10 yr long UPA regime by immediately procuring 36 aircraft in a fly-away condition&quot; (1)</p>
&mdash; Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceMinIndia/status/931494883226824706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;This (delay) potentially compromised national security interests,&quot; the minister was quoted as saying.</p>

<p>Sitharaman added Friday that the deal was signed after five rounds of discussions between the Indian and French sides, and approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;These allegations are shameful...The deal was finalised following a transparent procedure,&quot; PTI reported Sitharaman as telling reporters.</p>

<p>Indian Air Force Chief BS Dhano had on Thursday also weighed in on the controversy, saying he did not understand what it was about.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;This is a cheaper deal,&quot; he had said.&nbsp;</p>


The Congress has alleged the deal -- India is buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France -- is overpriced, and that there is a scam brewing

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Friday that the allegations against the Rafale deal were "shameful" and a "disservice" to the country's armed forces. Sitharaman's remarks came a day after Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of changing the "entire deal" for the benefit of one businessman. Can you explain "Reliance" on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal? — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 16, 2017 × Self "Reliance" is obviously a critical aspect of "Make in India." — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 16, 2017 × India is buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. The Congress has alleged the deal is overpriced, and that there is a scam brewing. And that the deal was changed to benefit Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence Limited. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to the French government about the jets during his April 2015 visit to Paris. The final agreement for the jets was signed in 2016. The Congress has alleged that the planes are being bought at three times the price the former UPA government had negotiated with France. The 36 Rafale jets are going to cost India Rs 58,000 crore. The Congress says the UPA government had negotiated a $10.2 billion deal for the acquisition of 126 Rafale jets while the NDA government renegotiated the deal down to $8.7 billion -- but for just 36 fighters. Sitharaman retorted Friday that the Congress had sat on the deal for 10 years -- at the cost of national security. Smt @nsitharaman on #Rafale : " The present govt addressed the vacuum in our national security structure created by the indecisiveness of 10 yr long UPA regime by immediately procuring 36 aircraft in a fly-away condition" (1) — Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) November 17, 2017 × "This (delay) potentially compromised national security interests," the minister was quoted as saying. Sitharaman added Friday that the deal was signed after five rounds of discussions between the Indian and French sides, and approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security. "These allegations are shameful...The deal was finalised following a transparent procedure," PTI reported Sitharaman as telling reporters. Indian Air Force Chief BS Dhano had on Thursday also weighed in on the controversy, saying he did not understand what it was about. "This is a cheaper deal," he had said.

Allegations against Rafale deal 'shameful', 'disservice' to armed forces: Nirmala Sitharaman

<p>Continuing his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today fired yet another salvo on Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Attacking Modi on the Rafale deal, the Congress leader told reporters that they have been asking so many questions and he responded but why have they failed to question the prime minister on who changed the Rafale deal to&nbsp;benefit of &quot;one&quot;&nbsp;businessman.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">You ask me so many questions &amp; I answer you properly, why don&#39;t you ask the PM about Rafale deal? He changed the whole deal for benefit of one businessman. Why don&#39;t you ask questions about Amit Shah&#39;s son? These are the questions I wanted to ask you: Rahul Gandhi <a href="https://t.co/p5S3nPMecR">pic.twitter.com/p5S3nPMecR</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/931057231935676416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;You ask me so many questions &amp; I answer you properly, why don&#39;t you ask the PM about Rafale deal? He changed the whole deal for benefit of one businessman. Why don&#39;t you ask questions about Amit Shah&#39;s son? These are the questions I wanted to ask you,&#39;&#39; Rahul Gandhi said without mentioning Anil Ambani-owned Reliance.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Can you explain &quot;Reliance&quot; on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal?</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/930995047436185600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Taking a jibe at Modi on Twitter, the Congress vice-president said Self &quot;Reliance&quot; is obviously a critical aspect of &quot;Make in India.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Self &quot;Reliance&quot; is obviously a critical aspect of &quot;Make in India.&quot;</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/930995317801082882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rahul took a dig at PM&nbsp;Modi asking: Can you explain &quot;Reliance&quot; on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal?</p>


Continuing his witty jibe on Modi, he further asked on his Twitter handle: Can you explain "Reliance" on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal?

Continuing his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today fired yet another salvo on Twitter. Attacking Modi on the Rafale deal, the Congress leader told reporters that they have been asking so many questions and he responded but why have they failed to question the prime minister on who changed the Rafale deal to benefit of "one" businessman. You ask me so many questions & I answer you properly, why don't you ask the PM about Rafale deal? He changed the whole deal for benefit of one businessman. Why don't you ask questions about Amit Shah's son? These are the questions I wanted to ask you: Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/p5S3nPMecR — ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2017 × "You ask me so many questions & I answer you properly, why don't you ask the PM about Rafale deal? He changed the whole deal for benefit of one businessman. Why don't you ask questions about Amit Shah's son? These are the questions I wanted to ask you,'' Rahul Gandhi said without mentioning Anil Ambani-owned Reliance. Can you explain "Reliance" on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal? — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 16, 2017 × Taking a jibe at Modi on Twitter, the Congress vice-president said Self "Reliance" is obviously a critical aspect of "Make in India." Self "Reliance" is obviously a critical aspect of "Make in India." — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 16, 2017 × Rahul took a dig at PM Modi asking: Can you explain "Reliance" on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal?

Now, Rahul Gandhi tweets on Rafale deal, takes a dig at Modi government

<p>Is Gujarat ready to deliver the sixth term for Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on December 18, 2017? The answer is not as simple as the question. Since 1962, Congress and BJP have each been successful six and five times respectively in winning five consecutive terms. However, Madhav Singh Solanki of Congress and Narendra Modi of BJP were the only Chief Ministers to win three consecutive terms for their parties.</p>

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<p>It is common sense that each electoral victory is based on a combination of several factors for which positive determinants outweigh the negative ones. Whatever may, in the 2017 Gujarat election, one may notice that the competitiveness of Congress and BJP is more balanced than expected at least with regard to the popular perception.</p>

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<h5>In the Saurashtra and Kutch region as the present political conjuncture in this region is favourable to Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s Congress.</h5>
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<p>While the planets may seem aligned for BJP, the bad news is the party running for the sixth consecutive term. Therefore, it appears that there is a risk of fatigue on the part of the electorates in Gujarat. This trend is more visible in the Saurashtra and Kutch region as the present political conjuncture in this region is favourable to Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s Congress.</p>

<p>We must remember that &ldquo;all politics is local&rdquo; and thus each region has their own political dynamics. It is equally true about Saurashtra and Kutch&nbsp;region. In total, there are 54 assembly seats in this region, the highest number comparing other regions. In particular, these assembly seats are divided as per the following: 6 in Kutch, 5 in Surendranagar, 11 in Rajkot, 7 in Jamnagar, 2 in Porbandar, 9 in Junagarh, 5 in Amreli, and 9 in Bhavnagar.</p>

<p>Saurashtra and Kutch&#39;s region is no longer appearing ideologically stable with BJP and showing trends to swing in favour of Congress. Though BJP did well in this region in 2012 Assembly elections despite the probable challenge from Keshubhai Patel&rsquo;s Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP). The BJP won 34 of the 54 seats. But the party&rsquo;s vote share in the region was declined from 48 per cent in 2007 to 45 per cent in 2012.</p>

<p>One of the reasons was the GPP&rsquo;s performance that secured almost 8 per cent of the votes in this region and ended up winning two seats. The Congress won 16 seats that is a gain of two seats from 2007. Interestingly, BJP with 34 seats got 45 per cent of votes while Congress with only 16 seats got 37 per cent of votes.</p>

<p>In the past and even now, there has been a deep schism between the mainland Gujarat and Saurashtra. In 1957, Jivraj Mehta from Saurashtra as Chief Minister nominated most of the minsters from Saurashtra region and refused to take orders from the mainland dominated Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee.</p>

<p>The replacement of Keshubhai Patel from Saurashtra by Narendra Modi in 2001 was seen in the similar light. Similarly, in popular imaginations, mainland Gujarat is treated modern, progressive while Saurashtra as backward and regressive.</p>

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<h5>The changing social dynamics in this region is equally worrisome for BJP.</h5>
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<p>In 2017, we must underline that Congress is becoming stronger in this region. As for the voters Congress resembles more as BJP in its methods and approach to make a dent in BJP&rsquo;s support base like visiting temples, attending local festivals, sidelining minorities, playing religious card like using Lord Shiva, exploiting the economic pessimism among farmers, workers, traders, industrialists due to GST, demonetisation, poor employment records and other governance failures at local level.</p>

<p>At the same time, the changing social dynamics in this region is equally worrisome for BJP. It can be seen in the rising anxiety amongst the close circle of BJP due to the rising graph of the Congress. If election will held today, as reflected in the November 2017 survey of Lokniti-CSDS data, both Congress and BJP will secure 42 per cent of votes. However, in the August 2017 Survey, BJP was supposedly enjoying 65 per cent of vote shares while Congress only 26 per cent. It is certainly a huge decline of BJP on perception index.</p>

<p>How do we explain such a decline in popular perception? The significant development is the frustration of Patidars and Karadia Rajputs with BJP. Karadia Rajputs having a dominant presence in 25 Assembly constituencies of this region and traditionally voted for BJP are mobilising against the party.</p>

<p>We must note that Karadia Rajputs are OBCs and the OBC leader Alpesh Thakor is gaining prominence among them. Interestingly, their rivalries with Patidars are also getting diluted due to their anti-BJP convergence. What could not be gained socially is achieved politically? It is also to be highlighted that Rajputs in Saurashtra includes lower castes such as Kathis, Kolis and Mers and collectively referred as Kshatriyas.</p>

<p>For Patidars, Saurashtra and Kutch&nbsp;is a stronghold. They are in sizable presence in more than 30 Assembly seats and are in a position to tip the scale of victory in these constituencies. The Patidar leader, Hardik Patel still enjoys the confidence of his community despite the attempt to demean his character through the sudden release of CDs. It must be noted that it is not for the first time Patidars are giving a challenge to BJP. In 2012, Keshubhai Patel also tried to mobilise Patidar voters but failed.</p>

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<h5>The certain swing of voters and the habit of &lsquo;panic vote&rsquo; in the last minute may still be able to change the fate of the BJP in Saurashtra as it happened in 2012.</h5>
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<p>But unlike the past, first, Patidar&rsquo;s anger was consolidated with an organised movement by the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti on the pretext of &lsquo;first reservation then vote&rsquo;. Second, the overall pessimism of the electorate was relatively modest in 2012, and thus BJP did well due to excellent management of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Third, for the first time, Kadvas, Leuvas and other sub-castes of Patels like Chaudharys and Anjanas came together to emerge as the united force due to reservation movement.</p>

<p>However, BJP may get the support from Koli community that is more than 20 per cent and has a sizable presence in 18 Assembly seats in Saurashtra. More specifically, like always, the certain swing of voters and the habit of &lsquo;panic vote&rsquo; in the last minute may still be able to change the fate of the BJP in Saurashtra as it happened in 2012.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer</em>: <em>The author writes here in a personal capacity)</em></p>


The changing social dynamics in Saurashtra and Kutch is worrisome for BJP and also Congress is becoming stronger in this region

Is Gujarat ready to deliver the sixth term for Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on December 18, 2017? The answer is not as simple as the question. Since 1962, Congress and BJP have each been successful six and five times respectively in winning five consecutive terms. However, Madhav Singh Solanki of Congress and Narendra Modi of BJP were the only Chief Ministers to win three consecutive terms for their parties. It is common sense that each electoral victory is based on a combination of several factors for which positive determinants outweigh the negative ones. Whatever may, in the 2017 Gujarat election, one may notice that the competitiveness of Congress and BJP is more balanced than expected at least with regard to the popular perception. In the Saurashtra and Kutch region as the present political conjuncture in this region is favourable to Rahul Gandhi’s Congress. × While the planets may seem aligned for BJP, the bad news is the party running for the sixth consecutive term. Therefore, it appears that there is a risk of fatigue on the part of the electorates in Gujarat. This trend is more visible in the Saurashtra and Kutch region as the present political conjuncture in this region is favourable to Rahul Gandhi’s Congress. We must remember that “all politics is local” and thus each region has their own political dynamics. It is equally true about Saurashtra and Kutch region. In total, there are 54 assembly seats in this region, the highest number comparing other regions. In particular, these assembly seats are divided as per the following: 6 in Kutch, 5 in Surendranagar, 11 in Rajkot, 7 in Jamnagar, 2 in Porbandar, 9 in Junagarh, 5 in Amreli, and 9 in Bhavnagar. Saurashtra and Kutch's region is no longer appearing ideologically stable with BJP and showing trends to swing in favour of Congress. Though BJP did well in this region in 2012 Assembly elections despite the probable challenge from Keshubhai Patel’s Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP). The BJP won 34 of the 54 seats. But the party’s vote share in the region was declined from 48 per cent in 2007 to 45 per cent in 2012. One of the reasons was the GPP’s performance that secured almost 8 per cent of the votes in this region and ended up winning two seats. The Congress won 16 seats that is a gain of two seats from 2007. Interestingly, BJP with 34 seats got 45 per cent of votes while Congress with only 16 seats got 37 per cent of votes. In the past and even now, there has been a deep schism between the mainland Gujarat and Saurashtra. In 1957, Jivraj Mehta from Saurashtra as Chief Minister nominated most of the minsters from Saurashtra region and refused to take orders from the mainland dominated Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee. The replacement of Keshubhai Patel from Saurashtra by Narendra Modi in 2001 was seen in the similar light. Similarly, in popular imaginations, mainland Gujarat is treated modern, progressive while Saurashtra as backward and regressive. The changing social dynamics in this region is equally worrisome for BJP. × In 2017, we must underline that Congress is becoming stronger in this region. As for the voters Congress resembles more as BJP in its methods and approach to make a dent in BJP’s support base like visiting temples, attending local festivals, sidelining minorities, playing religious card like using Lord Shiva, exploiting the economic pessimism among farmers, workers, traders, industrialists due to GST, demonetisation, poor employment records and other governance failures at local level. At the same time, the changing social dynamics in this region is equally worrisome for BJP. It can be seen in the rising anxiety amongst the close circle of BJP due to the rising graph of the Congress. If election will held today, as reflected in the November 2017 survey of Lokniti-CSDS data, both Congress and BJP will secure 42 per cent of votes. However, in the August 2017 Survey, BJP was supposedly enjoying 65 per cent of vote shares while Congress only 26 per cent. It is certainly a huge decline of BJP on perception index. How do we explain such a decline in popular perception? The significant development is the frustration of Patidars and Karadia Rajputs with BJP. Karadia Rajputs having a dominant presence in 25 Assembly constituencies of this region and traditionally voted for BJP are mobilising against the party. We must note that Karadia Rajputs are OBCs and the OBC leader Alpesh Thakor is gaining prominence among them. Interestingly, their rivalries with Patidars are also getting diluted due to their anti-BJP convergence. What could not be gained socially is achieved politically? It is also to be highlighted that Rajputs in Saurashtra includes lower castes such as Kathis, Kolis and Mers and collectively referred as Kshatriyas. For Patidars, Saurashtra and Kutch is a stronghold. They are in sizable presence in more than 30 Assembly seats and are in a position to tip the scale of victory in these constituencies. The Patidar leader, Hardik Patel still enjoys the confidence of his community despite the attempt to demean his character through the sudden release of CDs. It must be noted that it is not for the first time Patidars are giving a challenge to BJP. In 2012, Keshubhai Patel also tried to mobilise Patidar voters but failed. The certain swing of voters and the habit of ‘panic vote’ in the last minute may still be able to change the fate of the BJP in Saurashtra as it happened in 2012. × But unlike the past, first, Patidar’s anger was consolidated with an organised movement by the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti on the pretext of ‘first reservation then vote’. Second, the overall pessimism of the electorate was relatively modest in 2012, and thus BJP did well due to excellent management of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Third, for the first time, Kadvas, Leuvas and other sub-castes of Patels like Chaudharys and Anjanas came together to emerge as the united force due to reservation movement. However, BJP may get the support from Koli community that is more than 20 per cent and has a sizable presence in 18 Assembly seats in Saurashtra. More specifically, like always, the certain swing of voters and the habit of ‘panic vote’ in the last minute may still be able to change the fate of the BJP in Saurashtra as it happened in 2012. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)

Changing dynamics in Saurashtra might hurt BJP in Gujarat

<p>The Election Commission(EC) has put restrictions on the use of the term &quot;Pappu&quot; by BJP&#39;s electronic advertisement cell in Gujarat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The ruling BJP has been barred from using the term &quot;Pappu&quot; in their electronic advertisement for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The term is often used to describe Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>Calling the term &quot;derogatory&quot;&nbsp;the Election Commission in Gujarat has asked to remove or replace it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The media committee under the Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) objected to the word &quot;pappu&quot; which was mentioned in the BJP&#39;s script of advertising, BJP sources cited. The script was submitted to the media committee for approval.</p>

<p>Clarifying itself, the BJP said the script of the advertisement did not &quot;link the word to any individual&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A BJP leader said that they asked the Election Commission to reconsider their decision as there was no direct reference to any person with the term. However, the request was rejected by the EC.</p>

<p>The leader later assured to replace the word and submit a new script to the Election Commission.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
All political parties need to submit their script related to the election advertisement to the EC. The parties can continue with the advertisement only after they get a certificate of approval from the commission.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Calling the term "derogatory"?the Election Commission in Gujarat has asked to remove or replace it

The Election Commission(EC) has put restrictions on the use of the term "Pappu" by BJP's electronic advertisement cell in Gujarat. The ruling BJP has been barred from using the term "Pappu" in their electronic advertisement for the upcoming assembly elections in the state. The term is often used to describe Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Calling the term "derogatory" the Election Commission in Gujarat has asked to remove or replace it. The media committee under the Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) objected to the word "pappu" which was mentioned in the BJP's script of advertising, BJP sources cited. The script was submitted to the media committee for approval. Clarifying itself, the BJP said the script of the advertisement did not "link the word to any individual". A BJP leader said that they asked the Election Commission to reconsider their decision as there was no direct reference to any person with the term. However, the request was rejected by the EC. The leader later assured to replace the word and submit a new script to the Election Commission. All political parties need to submit their script related to the election advertisement to the EC. The parties can continue with the advertisement only after they get a certificate of approval from the commission.

Election Commission bars BJP from using the term 'Pappu' in Gujarat elections

<p>The politics of caste has always been there in Gujarat like it has existed elsewhere in the country. But never before in the last two decades has it assumed a pole position in the manner that it has in the ongoing Assembly election campaign. What makes the development more interesting is that it is neither of the two major competitors &mdash; the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party &mdash; which is the driver.</p>

<p>The thrust is being engineered by three caste leaders who are upstarts and hope to, in the process, gain a pan-State relevance. Since they have decided to oppose the BJP, the Congress has latched on to them. And, the issue is not only one of caste calculations but of caste reservations.</p>

<p>Having jumped on to the caste bandwagon, the Congress cannot now turn back. Therefore, it is busy crafting the KHAM 2.0 version in the hope that this will shut down the BJP&rsquo;s page in the State. It was in the 1980s that senior Congress leader and four-time Chief Minister Madhav Singh Solanki along with Congressman Jinabhai Darji formulated the Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim (KHAM) grouping. It served his party well.</p>

<p>The Congress won the Assembly election in 1981, bagging 156 seats &mdash; an achievement which the BJP has been straining to match. The winning formula worked for several years before the BJP took over Gujarat and reduced the KHAM phenomenon to ashes. The combination eventually lost out because it alienated the others, especially the upper castes and the influential Patidar community whom the BJP courted with success. The 2014 Lok Sabha election decimated whatever had remained of this coalition, with the BJP winning all the 26 seats on offer in the State. The new revived KHAM version includes the Patidars.</p>

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<p>On the face of it, KHAM-plus-Patidar is a formidable formulation. The Patidar community represents a little over 12 per cent of the State&rsquo;s population; the Muslims comprise roughly 10 per cent, and the Adivasi community is around 15 per cent (the Scheduled Castes are eight per cent or so). The Kshatriyas in Gujarat are a mixed lot &mdash; the Koli people consider themselves as Kshatriyas, and so do a few others. But the success of KHAM 2.0 depends more on paper calculations. Will the chemistry complement the mathematics?</p>

<p>It stands to reason that the OBCs who are present beneficiaries of the reservation policy will not be amused by the demands of aspiring entrants. This could be more pronounced in the Patidar case, given that the Patidars are seen to have gained considerably over the decades, socially, educationally and economically, and are considered unworthy of the &lsquo;positive discrimination&rsquo; they now demand.</p>

<p>Additionally, if the Patidars become part of the Congress&rsquo;s KHAM 2.0, it would need a resolution of the long-standing conflict between the Patidar community and the rest, especially the main religious minority &mdash; the Muslims. Whether it was during the 2002 communal violence or thereafter, the Patidars backed the BJP and the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.</p>

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<h5>Dissatisfaction among large sections of the traditional voters of the BJP need not automatically lead to their casting votes against the party.</h5>
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<p>It is one thing for a bunch of Patidar leaders, such as Hardik Patel and the Congress to align with each other. The real test lies in the alliance&rsquo;s acceptance among the people at the lower levels. Uttar Pradesh provides a good example. Congress&rsquo;s Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party&rsquo;s Akhilesh Yadav formed a coalition, but the understanding did not strike a chord at the local levels of the leadership. Neither was it seen as credible among the caste voters of both the groups. The Congress-SP combine faced a rout.</p>

<p>Besides, dissatisfaction among large sections of the traditional voters of the BJP need not automatically lead to their casting votes against the party. For instance, major opinion polls conducted so far in the State have noted considerable levels of unhappiness with the Government on a host of issues, including the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax and the demonetisation decision. And yet, the projected anger does not get reflected in the overall numbers the surveys projected &mdash; with the BJP doing nearly as well as it did in 2012.</p>

<p>However, none of the above arguments can be reason enough to dismiss the challenge the BJP faces in the wake the new caste coalition. The BJP cannot wish away the thought of the Congress reviving the KHAM coalition, strengthened with the addition of a good chunk of the OBCs and the Patidars. Nor can it shut its eyes to the traction that the trio of Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor (OBC leader) and Jignesh Mevani (Scheduled Castes leader) has gained and their pronounced tilt in the Congress&rsquo;s favour.</p>

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<h5>Fobbing off the Hardik Patel challenge could be a different cup of tea for BJP this time, given that the Patel charge is fortified with the OBC factor and possible anti-incumbency.</h5>
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<p>Some commentators may have gone overboard in comparing their combined assault against the BJP to the India Against Corruption movement Anna Hazare had launched four years ago. But it is a fact that the three have managed to sway public opinion in their favour at least in their strongholds. Mevani seeks to make a mark in Ahmedabad and nearabout; Patel in and around Bhavnagar; and Thakor at Mehsana and the neighbourhood.</p>

<p>Saurashtra and north Gujarat are the key regions that will determine the larger Patel drift as they are dominated by the Patidar community. Together they account for more than 100 seats. In 2012, the BJP had easily overcome a stiff challenge from Keshubhai Patel who had rebelled against the party. Fobbing off the Hardik Patel challenge could be a different cup of tea for the party this time, given that the Patel charge is fortified with the OBC factor and possible anti-incumbency.</p>

<p>And yet, it would be pertinent to note the word of caution which the original architect of KHAM, Solanki, expressed two years ago. He said the Patidar agitation would eventually fizzle out &ldquo;because truth has no role in it&rdquo;. While he did not name Hardik Patel or his outfit, the inference was clear as daylight.</p>

<p>This is what the BJP hopes in, more so because it believes that the Congress is in no position to offer a credible and workable reservation formula. It may be that Solanki was out of touch with the new realities when he made that remark and that his forward caste bias was on display. But the over-zealous and newly-emerged caste leaders cannot be oblivious to the fact that glories acquired overnight can dissipate just as quickly.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The real test of Hardik Patel's alliance with the Congress party lies in the alliance?s acceptance among the people at the lower levels.

The politics of caste has always been there in Gujarat like it has existed elsewhere in the country. But never before in the last two decades has it assumed a pole position in the manner that it has in the ongoing Assembly election campaign. What makes the development more interesting is that it is neither of the two major competitors — the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party — which is the driver. The thrust is being engineered by three caste leaders who are upstarts and hope to, in the process, gain a pan-State relevance. Since they have decided to oppose the BJP, the Congress has latched on to them. And, the issue is not only one of caste calculations but of caste reservations. Having jumped on to the caste bandwagon, the Congress cannot now turn back. Therefore, it is busy crafting the KHAM 2.0 version in the hope that this will shut down the BJP’s page in the State. It was in the 1980s that senior Congress leader and four-time Chief Minister Madhav Singh Solanki along with Congressman Jinabhai Darji formulated the Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim (KHAM) grouping. It served his party well. The Congress won the Assembly election in 1981, bagging 156 seats — an achievement which the BJP has been straining to match. The winning formula worked for several years before the BJP took over Gujarat and reduced the KHAM phenomenon to ashes. The combination eventually lost out because it alienated the others, especially the upper castes and the influential Patidar community whom the BJP courted with success. The 2014 Lok Sabha election decimated whatever had remained of this coalition, with the BJP winning all the 26 seats on offer in the State. The new revived KHAM version includes the Patidars. Whether it was during the 2002 communal violence or thereafter, the Patidars backed the BJP and the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. × On the face of it, KHAM-plus-Patidar is a formidable formulation. The Patidar community represents a little over 12 per cent of the State’s population; the Muslims comprise roughly 10 per cent, and the Adivasi community is around 15 per cent (the Scheduled Castes are eight per cent or so). The Kshatriyas in Gujarat are a mixed lot — the Koli people consider themselves as Kshatriyas, and so do a few others. But the success of KHAM 2.0 depends more on paper calculations. Will the chemistry complement the mathematics? It stands to reason that the OBCs who are present beneficiaries of the reservation policy will not be amused by the demands of aspiring entrants. This could be more pronounced in the Patidar case, given that the Patidars are seen to have gained considerably over the decades, socially, educationally and economically, and are considered unworthy of the ‘positive discrimination’ they now demand. Additionally, if the Patidars become part of the Congress’s KHAM 2.0, it would need a resolution of the long-standing conflict between the Patidar community and the rest, especially the main religious minority — the Muslims. Whether it was during the 2002 communal violence or thereafter, the Patidars backed the BJP and the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Dissatisfaction among large sections of the traditional voters of the BJP need not automatically lead to their casting votes against the party. × It is one thing for a bunch of Patidar leaders, such as Hardik Patel and the Congress to align with each other. The real test lies in the alliance’s acceptance among the people at the lower levels. Uttar Pradesh provides a good example. Congress’s Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav formed a coalition, but the understanding did not strike a chord at the local levels of the leadership. Neither was it seen as credible among the caste voters of both the groups. The Congress-SP combine faced a rout. Besides, dissatisfaction among large sections of the traditional voters of the BJP need not automatically lead to their casting votes against the party. For instance, major opinion polls conducted so far in the State have noted considerable levels of unhappiness with the Government on a host of issues, including the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax and the demonetisation decision. And yet, the projected anger does not get reflected in the overall numbers the surveys projected — with the BJP doing nearly as well as it did in 2012. However, none of the above arguments can be reason enough to dismiss the challenge the BJP faces in the wake the new caste coalition. The BJP cannot wish away the thought of the Congress reviving the KHAM coalition, strengthened with the addition of a good chunk of the OBCs and the Patidars. Nor can it shut its eyes to the traction that the trio of Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor (OBC leader) and Jignesh Mevani (Scheduled Castes leader) has gained and their pronounced tilt in the Congress’s favour. Fobbing off the Hardik Patel challenge could be a different cup of tea for BJP this time, given that the Patel charge is fortified with the OBC factor and possible anti-incumbency. × Some commentators may have gone overboard in comparing their combined assault against the BJP to the India Against Corruption movement Anna Hazare had launched four years ago. But it is a fact that the three have managed to sway public opinion in their favour at least in their strongholds. Mevani seeks to make a mark in Ahmedabad and nearabout; Patel in and around Bhavnagar; and Thakor at Mehsana and the neighbourhood. Saurashtra and north Gujarat are the key regions that will determine the larger Patel drift as they are dominated by the Patidar community. Together they account for more than 100 seats. In 2012, the BJP had easily overcome a stiff challenge from Keshubhai Patel who had rebelled against the party. Fobbing off the Hardik Patel challenge could be a different cup of tea for the party this time, given that the Patel charge is fortified with the OBC factor and possible anti-incumbency. And yet, it would be pertinent to note the word of caution which the original architect of KHAM, Solanki, expressed two years ago. He said the Patidar agitation would eventually fizzle out “because truth has no role in it”. While he did not name Hardik Patel or his outfit, the inference was clear as daylight. This is what the BJP hopes in, more so because it believes that the Congress is in no position to offer a credible and workable reservation formula. It may be that Solanki was out of touch with the new realities when he made that remark and that his forward caste bias was on display. But the over-zealous and newly-emerged caste leaders cannot be oblivious to the fact that glories acquired overnight can dissipate just as quickly.

Gujarat election: Hardik Patel's glory may fizzle out

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday&nbsp;alleged that Narendra Modi made money &quot;disappear&quot; from Gujarat through &quot;magic&quot; in the last two decades of the BJP rule, as he stepped up his attack on the Prime Minister in the poll-bound state.</p>

<p>Gandhi&#39;s jibe at Modi came after a man met him during an interaction with members of the notified and denotified tribes in Harij village in the district and lamented that he was once a snake charmer and now makes a living by performing magic.</p>

<p>Gandhi then asked him to perform some tricks and the man obliged. During his brief performance, the man produced some money through tricks.</p>

<p>&quot;....Narendra Modi did magic in Gujarat for 22 years like you did. The difference is that you produced money but Modiji made it disappear,&quot; Gandhi told the gathering after the performance got over.</p>

<p>He assured the members that their problems and difficulties will be considered by the party.</p>

<p>&quot;We are preparing the manifesto of the Congress Party (for December polls). Earlier 2-3 leaders used to make the manifesto behind closed doors. This time we are preparing the manifesto by consulting people,&quot; the Congress vice president said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Rahul Gandhi campaigning in Mehsana <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujaratelections2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujaratelections2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/S3hoKDIHwF">pic.twitter.com/S3hoKDIHwF</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/930071750330564609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He asked the members to send a delegation to the manifesto committee and apprise them about their issues.</p>

<p>&quot;Tell them what do you want exactly. We will listen to your delegation and we will include your demands in our manifesto,&quot; Gandhi said.</p>

<p>Later addressing a public meeting in Varana, Gandhi asked Modi to respond to allegations of manipulative share trading by a firm linked to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.</p>

<p>&quot;This charge (against Rupani) is not levelled by media. The body which controls the stock markets says that your chief minister is &#39;beimaan&#39; (dishonest). They have fined him,&quot; Gandhi said.</p>

<p>He also raked up allegations of profiteering against the firm of BJP president Amit Shah&#39;s son Jay.</p>

<p>&quot;No businessmen, howsoever clever, can make Rs 80 crore from Rs 50,000 in a span of few months. But it happened in the company owned by Amit Shah&#39;s son after the BJP came to power in 2014,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Referring to Modi&#39;s promise that he won&#39;t let corruption thrive under him, Gandhi said the country wants to listen what the Prime Minister has to say about Rupani or Jay Shah&#39;s dealings.</p>

<p>&quot;Modiji used to say &#39;Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga&#39;. People of the country want to listen what you (Modi) have to say about the company of Amit Shah&#39;s son and on Vijay Rupani. People of Gujarat will believe that you are not &#39;chowkidar&#39; (watchman) but &#39;bhagidar&#39; (collaborator) if you don&#39;t say anything on these issues,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reportedly fined 22 entities, including Rupani&#39;s HUF (Hindu Undivided Family), for alleged manipulative trading in the shares of a company, Saran Chemicals Ltd, during the January- June 2011 period.</p>

<p>Rupani has said that the SEBI set aside the fine of Rs 6.91 crore imposed on 22 entities, including his firm.</p>

<p>Gandhi also targeted the Modi government over demonetisation, the GST, unemployment and various issues related to farmers.</p>

<p>He visited Rani Ki Vav, a UNESCO world heritage site in Patan, and a cotton growing farm to inquire how cotton is grown.</p>

<p>During his interaction with a group of Dalits in Patan, Gandhi assured them of implementing all the promises made in the Congress&#39;s manifesto.</p>

<p>He also termed the RSS, the BJP&#39;s ideological mentor, as a &quot;manuvadi institute&quot;.</p>


Gandhi's jibe at Modi came after a man met him during an interaction with members of the notified and denotified tribes in Harij village in the district and lamented that he was once a snake charmer and now makes a living by performing magic.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Narendra Modi made money "disappear" from Gujarat through "magic" in the last two decades of the BJP rule, as he stepped up his attack on the Prime Minister in the poll-bound state. Gandhi's jibe at Modi came after a man met him during an interaction with members of the notified and denotified tribes in Harij village in the district and lamented that he was once a snake charmer and now makes a living by performing magic. Gandhi then asked him to perform some tricks and the man obliged. During his brief performance, the man produced some money through tricks. "....Narendra Modi did magic in Gujarat for 22 years like you did. The difference is that you produced money but Modiji made it disappear," Gandhi told the gathering after the performance got over. He assured the members that their problems and difficulties will be considered by the party. "We are preparing the manifesto of the Congress Party (for December polls). Earlier 2-3 leaders used to make the manifesto behind closed doors. This time we are preparing the manifesto by consulting people," the Congress vice president said. #WATCH Rahul Gandhi campaigning in Mehsana #Gujaratelections2017 pic.twitter.com/S3hoKDIHwF — ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2017 × He asked the members to send a delegation to the manifesto committee and apprise them about their issues. "Tell them what do you want exactly. We will listen to your delegation and we will include your demands in our manifesto," Gandhi said. Later addressing a public meeting in Varana, Gandhi asked Modi to respond to allegations of manipulative share trading by a firm linked to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. "This charge (against Rupani) is not levelled by media. The body which controls the stock markets says that your chief minister is 'beimaan' (dishonest). They have fined him," Gandhi said. He also raked up allegations of profiteering against the firm of BJP president Amit Shah's son Jay. "No businessmen, howsoever clever, can make Rs 80 crore from Rs 50,000 in a span of few months. But it happened in the company owned by Amit Shah's son after the BJP came to power in 2014," he said. Referring to Modi's promise that he won't let corruption thrive under him, Gandhi said the country wants to listen what the Prime Minister has to say about Rupani or Jay Shah's dealings. "Modiji used to say 'Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga'. People of the country want to listen what you (Modi) have to say about the company of Amit Shah's son and on Vijay Rupani. People of Gujarat will believe that you are not 'chowkidar' (watchman) but 'bhagidar' (collaborator) if you don't say anything on these issues," he said. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reportedly fined 22 entities, including Rupani's HUF (Hindu Undivided Family), for alleged manipulative trading in the shares of a company, Saran Chemicals Ltd, during the January- June 2011 period. Rupani has said that the SEBI set aside the fine of Rs 6.91 crore imposed on 22 entities, including his firm. Gandhi also targeted the Modi government over demonetisation, the GST, unemployment and various issues related to farmers. He visited Rani Ki Vav, a UNESCO world heritage site in Patan, and a cotton growing farm to inquire how cotton is grown. During his interaction with a group of Dalits in Patan, Gandhi assured them of implementing all the promises made in the Congress's manifesto. He also termed the RSS, the BJP's ideological mentor, as a "manuvadi institute".

Modi made money disappear from Gujarat through magic: Rahul

<p>With the Gujarat elections just around the corner, a &quot;sex CD&quot; has gone viral on social media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News reports said the CD showed &quot;intimate moments&quot; between a man and a woman. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The allegation -- which has not been proved -- is that the man in the video is Hardik Patel, the leader of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Patel reacted to the allegation, tweeting:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">?? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ???????? ????? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ??????,????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??? ????</p>
&mdash; Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) <a href="https://twitter.com/HardikPatel_/status/930005238991478784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;This is the beginning of dirty politics. Defame me, it will not make a difference,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;But the women of Gujarat are being insulted,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>A prophecy foretold</strong></p>

<p>The interesting thing is Hardik had foretold -- on November 10 -- the release of the sex CD.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hardik had said then that the BJP would be responsible, and that they would do so for electoral gain.</p>

<p>&quot;The BJP has prepared a doctored sex CD to defame me and it will be released just before the election. What else can one expect from the BJP? So just wait, watch and enjoy,&quot; Hardik had said then.</p>

<p>When he was asked how he knew about the CD, Hardik had said, &quot;This is typical of the BJP.&quot;</p>

<p><strong>The Patidar </strong><strong>agit</strong><strong>ation</strong></p>

<p>Patel had led the massive Patidar agitation in the state in 2015.</p>

<p>The Patidars had been asking for reservations for the community in government jobs and educational institutions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress has since been courting Patel, who has said that he will work towards beating the BJP in the upcoming Gujarat elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-invites-hardik-patel-to-contest-gujarat-elections-22699" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Congress invites Hardik Patel to contest Gujarat elections</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-cong-gives-3-quota-options-to-patidars-who-say-theyll-get-back-to-them-23775" target="_blank">Also read: Gujarat elections: Cong gives 3 quota options to Patidars who say they&#39;ll get back to them</a></p>

<p><strong>Not the first time</strong></p>

<p>This is not the first time an attempt has been made to defame Patel.</p>

<p>A sex CD was released in 2015 also, with exactly the same allegation -- that it was Hardik in the video.</p>


With the Gujarat elections just around the corner, a "sex CD" has gone viral on social media. News reports said the CD showed "intimate moments" between a man and a woman. The allegation -- which has not been proved -- is that the man in the video is Hardik Patel, the leader of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). Patel reacted to the allegation, tweeting: ?? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ???????? ????? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ??????,????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??? ???? — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) November 13, 2017 × "This is the beginning of dirty politics. Defame me, it will not make a difference," he said. "But the women of Gujarat are being insulted," he added. A prophecy foretold The interesting thing is Hardik had foretold -- on November 10 -- the release of the sex CD. Hardik had said then that the BJP would be responsible, and that they would do so for electoral gain. "The BJP has prepared a doctored sex CD to defame me and it will be released just before the election. What else can one expect from the BJP? So just wait, watch and enjoy," Hardik had said then. When he was asked how he knew about the CD, Hardik had said, "This is typical of the BJP." The Patidar agitation Patel had led the massive Patidar agitation in the state in 2015. The Patidars had been asking for reservations for the community in government jobs and educational institutions. The Congress has since been courting Patel, who has said that he will work towards beating the BJP in the upcoming Gujarat elections. Also read: Congress invites Hardik Patel to contest Gujarat elections Also read: Gujarat elections: Cong gives 3 quota options to Patidars who say they'll get back to them Not the first time This is not the first time an attempt has been made to defame Patel. A sex CD was released in 2015 also, with exactly the same allegation -- that it was Hardik in the video.

Gujarat elections: Sex CD goes viral, allegation is it features Hardik Patel

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday elaborated on the strategy that undergoes for the maintenance of his much-talked-about Twitter handle these days.</p>

<p>The Congress scion responded when people questioned him on his mounting fan following, as he addressed a gathering in Gujarat&#39;s Banaskantha.</p>

<p>He said, &quot;We reflect on ideas, there is a team of three or four people, to who I give suggestions and after fine tuning them we tweet. Routine work, like birthday wishes, isn&#39;t done by me, I give little inputs on it, tweets on political issues are mine.&quot;</p>

<p>Rahul further said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has &#39;paid social media&#39;, while the Congress has &#39;free social media&#39;.</p>

<p>&quot;The way they (BJP) can spread anger, you (IT cell members) cannot. Even if you give your entire life to it. It is because you are from the Congress and they from the BJP,&quot; he said, adding, &quot;Like radio&#39;s fine tuning, Modi ji fine-tunes the truth,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi, of late, has been making headlines due to his tweets that spell humour, coupled with political wit.</p>

<p>Recently, he created quite a buzz on social media when he posted a video on Twitter of his dog being fed biscuits.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ppl been asking who tweets for this guy..I&#39;m coming clean..it&#39;s me..Pidi..I&#39;m way ?? than him. Look what I can do with a tweet..oops..treat! <a href="https://t.co/fkQwye94a5">pic.twitter.com/fkQwye94a5</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/924531438661148673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>In the political arena, this tweet of his was highly criticised by the opposition.</p>


Rahul further said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 'paid social media', while the Congress has 'free social media'.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday elaborated on the strategy that undergoes for the maintenance of his much-talked-about Twitter handle these days. The Congress scion responded when people questioned him on his mounting fan following, as he addressed a gathering in Gujarat's Banaskantha. He said, "We reflect on ideas, there is a team of three or four people, to who I give suggestions and after fine tuning them we tweet. Routine work, like birthday wishes, isn't done by me, I give little inputs on it, tweets on political issues are mine." Rahul further said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 'paid social media', while the Congress has 'free social media'. "The way they (BJP) can spread anger, you (IT cell members) cannot. Even if you give your entire life to it. It is because you are from the Congress and they from the BJP," he said, adding, "Like radio's fine tuning, Modi ji fine-tunes the truth," he added. Rahul Gandhi, of late, has been making headlines due to his tweets that spell humour, coupled with political wit. Recently, he created quite a buzz on social media when he posted a video on Twitter of his dog being fed biscuits. Ppl been asking who tweets for this guy..I'm coming clean..it's me..Pidi..I'm way ?? than him. Look what I can do with a tweet..oops..treat! pic.twitter.com/fkQwye94a5 — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 29, 2017 × In the political arena, this tweet of his was highly criticised by the opposition.

Rahul reveals his Twitter strategy amid Gujarat poll frenzy

<p>Stating that structural changes are needed in the Goods and Services Tax, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he will reduce GST rate to just one slab of 18 per cent in 2019.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">India does not need a Gabbar Singh Tax. We want a true GST. Congress, along with the people of India, fought for and ensured reduction in items in 28% bracket. Next we will fight for one rate, with a cap at 18%. If BJP doesn&rsquo;t do it, Congress will.</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/929311443605864448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Speaking at a rally in Gandhinagar, Raul Gandhi said, &quot;It`s a good thing that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has slashed the tax rate from 28 percent to 18 percent for many products due to the pressure made by the Congress party and the people of India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We are still not happy and won`t stop here. India doesn`t want five different types of taxes, we want one. There`s a need to make structural changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST). In 2019, we will reduce GST rate to just one slab of 18 per cent,&#39;&#39; Gandhi said.</p>

<p>Earlier on Wednesday, while interacting with traders in Gujarat`s Surat, Congress vice-president said they (Congress) will reassess and restructure the Goods and Service Tax (GST), if they come to power at the Centre in the 2019 general elections.</p>

<p>&quot;We were against the implementation of GST because the Government`s version was not right. Eventually when Modi ji realised it was a mistake, he said Congress was also a part of it,&quot; Rahul said.</p>

<p>He further said that ruling government`s version of GST is not the actual one and accused the Centre of making the uniform tax reform &quot;complex&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;GST is one tax reform not five tax. The Centre does not know the meaning of GST. They made the GST complex. We asked them for a simple version,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul further asserted that the Congress Party had cautioned the government about the drawbacks of implementation of the GST in the &quot;wrong way&quot;.&nbsp;</p>


"It`s a good thing that the BJP government has slashed the tax rate from 28 percent to 18 percent for many products due to the pressure made by the Congress party and the people of India.

Stating that structural changes are needed in the Goods and Services Tax, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he will reduce GST rate to just one slab of 18 per cent in 2019. India does not need a Gabbar Singh Tax. We want a true GST. Congress, along with the people of India, fought for and ensured reduction in items in 28% bracket. Next we will fight for one rate, with a cap at 18%. If BJP doesn’t do it, Congress will. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 11, 2017 × Speaking at a rally in Gandhinagar, Raul Gandhi said, "It`s a good thing that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has slashed the tax rate from 28 percent to 18 percent for many products due to the pressure made by the Congress party and the people of India. "We are still not happy and won`t stop here. India doesn`t want five different types of taxes, we want one. There`s a need to make structural changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST). In 2019, we will reduce GST rate to just one slab of 18 per cent,'' Gandhi said. Earlier on Wednesday, while interacting with traders in Gujarat`s Surat, Congress vice-president said they (Congress) will reassess and restructure the Goods and Service Tax (GST), if they come to power at the Centre in the 2019 general elections. "We were against the implementation of GST because the Government`s version was not right. Eventually when Modi ji realised it was a mistake, he said Congress was also a part of it," Rahul said. He further said that ruling government`s version of GST is not the actual one and accused the Centre of making the uniform tax reform "complex". "GST is one tax reform not five tax. The Centre does not know the meaning of GST. They made the GST complex. We asked them for a simple version," he said. Rahul further asserted that the Congress Party had cautioned the government about the drawbacks of implementation of the GST in the "wrong way".

Next fight is for one rate, with cap at 18 per cent: Rahul on GST

<p>Union Minister&nbsp;Smriti Irani&nbsp;on Saturday launched a scathing attack on&nbsp;Congress&nbsp;vice-president&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi&nbsp;saying he should give up the hope of winning the Gujarat Assembly polls.</p>

<p>The Union Minister had hit back at Rahul for criticising the Goods and Services tax (GST) implemented by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.</p>

<p>&quot;Rahul is an MP from Amethi Lok Sabha Constituency for the last 13 years and Gandhi-Nehru has ruled the Amethi Constituency for 50 years. He should be worried about the fact that in the Uttar Pradesh elections last year, the Congress could not win a single seat out of his five Vidhan Sabha seats,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>Irani added,&quot;So someone who could not win his five Vidhan Sabha seats, should stop dreaming about winning Gujarat elections. We and the people of Gujarat will not let this dream come true.&quot;</p>

<p>Taking a jibe at the Congress leader for his statement on development in Gujarat, she said, &quot;When Rahul talks of development, he should know that we went to lay the foundation stone of the collector&#39;s office of his constituency.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;He was not even able to build the collector&#39;s office, provide roads, education, health to his constituency. So on what basis is he talking about development in Gujarat?&quot; she questioned.</p>

<p>The Congress has been critical of GST ever since it was implemented.</p>

<p>&quot;In GST Council meeting, the Congress was also included. All the decisions have been taken till now on the basis of consensus. During the Congress rule, the GST was not passed as the state governments did not have faith in the party. In GST, someone whose annual income is below Rs 20 lakh is already exempted and that means poor are exempted from GST,&quot; Irani opined.</p>

<p>The Congress vice-president had called for structural changes in the uniform tax regime and termed GST as Gabbar Singh Tax.</p>

<p>Speaking at a rally in Gandhinagar, Gandhi said, &quot;It&#39;s a good thing that the BJP government has slashed the tax rate from 28 percent to 18 percent for many products due to the pressure made by the Congress party and the people of India.&quot;</p>

<p>He further said, &quot;We are still not happy and won&#39;t stop here. India doesn&#39;t want five different types of taxes, we want one. There&#39;s a need to make structural changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST).&quot;</p>

<p>Earlier on Wednesday, while interacting with traders in Gujarat&#39;s Surat, Rahul said that Congress will reassess and restructure the GST, if they come to power at the Centre in the 2019 general elections.</p>


The Congress has been critical of GST ever since it was implemented.

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi saying he should give up the hope of winning the Gujarat Assembly polls. The Union Minister had hit back at Rahul for criticising the Goods and Services tax (GST) implemented by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre. "Rahul is an MP from Amethi Lok Sabha Constituency for the last 13 years and Gandhi-Nehru has ruled the Amethi Constituency for 50 years. He should be worried about the fact that in the Uttar Pradesh elections last year, the Congress could not win a single seat out of his five Vidhan Sabha seats," she said. Irani added,"So someone who could not win his five Vidhan Sabha seats, should stop dreaming about winning Gujarat elections. We and the people of Gujarat will not let this dream come true." Taking a jibe at the Congress leader for his statement on development in Gujarat, she said, "When Rahul talks of development, he should know that we went to lay the foundation stone of the collector's office of his constituency." "He was not even able to build the collector's office, provide roads, education, health to his constituency. So on what basis is he talking about development in Gujarat?" she questioned. The Congress has been critical of GST ever since it was implemented. "In GST Council meeting, the Congress was also included. All the decisions have been taken till now on the basis of consensus. During the Congress rule, the GST was not passed as the state governments did not have faith in the party. In GST, someone whose annual income is below Rs 20 lakh is already exempted and that means poor are exempted from GST," Irani opined. The Congress vice-president had called for structural changes in the uniform tax regime and termed GST as Gabbar Singh Tax. Speaking at a rally in Gandhinagar, Gandhi said, "It's a good thing that the BJP government has slashed the tax rate from 28 percent to 18 percent for many products due to the pressure made by the Congress party and the people of India." He further said, "We are still not happy and won't stop here. India doesn't want five different types of taxes, we want one. There's a need to make structural changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST)." Earlier on Wednesday, while interacting with traders in Gujarat's Surat, Rahul said that Congress will reassess and restructure the GST, if they come to power at the Centre in the 2019 general elections.

Rahul should stop dreaming about sweeping Gujarat polls: Smriti Irani

<p><br />
WION evening news brief, Nov 11, 2017</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/odd-even-called-for-now-delhi-transport-minister-23985">Delhi calls off odd-even car rationing scheme for now</a></p>

<p>The Delhi transport minister Kailash Gehlot on Saturday afternoon said that odd-even car rationing scheme has been called off for the time being. The scheme, proposed by the Delhi government, was supposed to be rolled out on Monday.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/my-son-is-completely-innocent-and-is-being-tortured-by-cbi-father-of-accused-class-11th-student-23993">Pradyuman murder: My son is innocent and tortured by CBI, says father of accused</a></p>

<p>The father of the class 11 student arrested in connection with the murder of Pradyuman on Saturday accused the CBI of torturing his son. However, the CBI denied the allegations. The Class 11 student, who has been sent to Faridabad observation home until the next hearing on 22nd November, said that his son was completely innocent and got nothing to do with the murder.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-says-trump-begged-for-a-war-during-his-asia-trip-23983">Trump begged for a war during his Asia trip: North Korea</a></p>

<p>North Korea said on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s first trip to Asia showed he was a &quot;destroyer&quot; and he had begged for war on the Korean peninsula. The North&#39;s state-run television KRT also said the Trump&#39;s current trip was &quot;nothing more than a war-dealer&#39;s business of taking money from its allies&#39; pockets&quot;, quoting a statement released by its foreign ministry.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pok-is-part-of-pakistan-farooq-abdullah-23989">&#39;Pok is part of Pakistan&#39;: Farooq Abdullah</a></p>

<p>Opposition National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday claimed that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to Pakistan and &quot;this won&#39;t change&quot; no matter how many wars India and Pakistan fight against each other. Talk of an independent Kashmir was &quot;wrong&quot; as the Valley is landlocked and surrounded by three nuclear powers -- China, Pakistan and India.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cong-says-credit-for-gst-rate-cuts-goes-to-rahul-gandhi-23995">Cong says credit for GST rate cuts goes to Rahul Gandhi</a></p>

<p>The Congress today claimed credit for the the GST Council&#39;s decision to cut tax rates on 178 items of daily use, saying the government was forced to do so due to the pressure mounted by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the &quot;huge response&quot; his campaign had been receiving in poll-bound Gujarat.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Delhi transport minister Kailash Gehlot on Saturday afternoon said that odd-even car rationing scheme has been called off for the time being. The scheme, proposed by the Delhi government, was supposed to be rolled out on Monday.

WION evening news brief, Nov 11, 2017 Delhi calls off odd-even car rationing scheme for now The Delhi transport minister Kailash Gehlot on Saturday afternoon said that odd-even car rationing scheme has been called off for the time being. The scheme, proposed by the Delhi government, was supposed to be rolled out on Monday. Pradyuman murder: My son is innocent and tortured by CBI, says father of accused The father of the class 11 student arrested in connection with the murder of Pradyuman on Saturday accused the CBI of torturing his son. However, the CBI denied the allegations. The Class 11 student, who has been sent to Faridabad observation home until the next hearing on 22nd November, said that his son was completely innocent and got nothing to do with the murder. Trump begged for a war during his Asia trip: North Korea North Korea said on Saturday that U.S. President Donald Trump's first trip to Asia showed he was a "destroyer" and he had begged for war on the Korean peninsula. The North's state-run television KRT also said the Trump's current trip was "nothing more than a war-dealer's business of taking money from its allies' pockets", quoting a statement released by its foreign ministry. 'Pok is part of Pakistan': Farooq Abdullah Opposition National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday claimed that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to Pakistan and "this won't change" no matter how many wars India and Pakistan fight against each other. Talk of an independent Kashmir was "wrong" as the Valley is landlocked and surrounded by three nuclear powers -- China, Pakistan and India. Cong says credit for GST rate cuts goes to Rahul Gandhi The Congress today claimed credit for the the GST Council's decision to cut tax rates on 178 items of daily use, saying the government was forced to do so due to the pressure mounted by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the "huge response" his campaign had been receiving in poll-bound Gujarat.

WION evening news digest

<p>Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi&nbsp;made some promising comments while addressing people in Khedbrahma, Sabarkantha on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He took a jab at Modi&#39;s government yet again and said that &#39;as soon as his government comes to power, he promises to bring down&nbsp;&#39;Gabbar Singh Tax&#39; (GST), bring a sound GST so that no one will have to pay anything over 18% tax&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">As soon as Congress comes to the power, we will bring down Gabbar Singh Tax, bring a sound GST so that no one will have to pay anything above 18% tax.: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Khedbrahma, Sabarkantha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a> <a href="https://t.co/xub6Oo3d7l">pic.twitter.com/xub6Oo3d7l</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929333658137214977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Gandhi further stated that &#39;this is the highest unemployment rate in 8 years&#39;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This phase marks the highest number of unemployment in 8 years: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Khedbrahma, Sabarkantha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a> <a href="https://t.co/NAKpN2P8F3">pic.twitter.com/NAKpN2P8F3</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929331099452313607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Congress leader has previously taken many hits at Modi&#39;s government, suggesting them to impose a &#39;simple tax&#39; rather than &#39;Gabbar Singh Tax&#39; and how the recent rearrangement in GST is going to cause a slowdown for small and medium businesses.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moreover,&nbsp;Congress, on Saturday, also&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/23995">claimed credit for the the GST Council&#39;s decision to cut tax rates on 178 items of daily use</a>, saying the government was forced to do so due to the pressure mounted by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the &#39;huge response&#39;&nbsp;his campaign had been receiving in poll-bound Gujarat.</p>


Gandhi further stated that 'this is the highest unemployment rate in 8 years'.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi made some promising comments while addressing people in Khedbrahma, Sabarkantha on Saturday. He took a jab at Modi's government yet again and said that 'as soon as his government comes to power, he promises to bring down 'Gabbar Singh Tax' (GST), bring a sound GST so that no one will have to pay anything over 18% tax'. As soon as Congress comes to the power, we will bring down Gabbar Singh Tax, bring a sound GST so that no one will have to pay anything above 18% tax.: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Khedbrahma, Sabarkantha #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/xub6Oo3d7l — ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2017 × Gandhi further stated that 'this is the highest unemployment rate in 8 years'. This phase marks the highest number of unemployment in 8 years: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Khedbrahma, Sabarkantha #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/NAKpN2P8F3 — ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2017 × The Congress leader has previously taken many hits at Modi's government, suggesting them to impose a 'simple tax' rather than 'Gabbar Singh Tax' and how the recent rearrangement in GST is going to cause a slowdown for small and medium businesses. Moreover, Congress, on Saturday, also claimed credit for the the GST Council's decision to cut tax rates on 178 items of daily use, saying the government was forced to do so due to the pressure mounted by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the 'huge response' his campaign had been receiving in poll-bound Gujarat.

Will bring down GST if Congress comes to power, says Rahul Gandhi

<p>The Congress today claimed credit for the the GST Council&#39;s decision to cut tax rates on 178 items of daily use, saying the government was forced to do so due to the pressure mounted by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the &quot;huge response&quot; his campaign had been receiving in poll-bound Gujarat.</p>

<p>Leading the charge against the government on the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Gandhi said the Congress would continue to fight for a 18-per cent cap on the highest GST slab instead of the current 28 per cent, and vowed that the party would get the job done &quot;if the ruling BJP doesn&#39;t&quot;.</p>

<p>He also reiterated that India needed a simple tax and not the &quot;Gabbar Singh Tax&quot; as he had been describing the tax regime to target the Modi government.</p>

<p>Congress general secretary in-charge of Gujarat, Ashok Gehlot told PTI that the GST Council yesterday decided to cut the tax rates due to the pressure mounted by Gandhi and the &quot;huge response&quot; he had been receiving in the poll-bound western state.</p>

<p>Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, has been under the BJP&#39;s rule for over two decades and the Congress is trying to oust it from power. Congress leaders, particularly Gandhi, have made the GST and demonetisation as key issues of their campaign.</p>

<p>Gehlot claimed the GST Council brought about the changes in tax rates with an eye on votes in Gujarat. The state goes to poll in two phases on December 9 and December 14.</p>

<p>&quot;It (BJP) is rankled by trepidation that Gujarat will slip off its hands. That&#39;s why the rates were cut. The Council did so because of the pressure Rahulji mounted and response his yatras in the state are getting,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Congress&#39;s chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala termed the GST Council&#39;s move &quot;installment-based tinkering&quot; which he said underscored the &quot;chaos within and adhocism&quot; of the BJP-led central government.</p>

<p>Accusing Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the government of &quot;paying lip service and creating havoc&quot;, Surjewala said the Congress was determined to make the tax regime &quot;flawless&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;India needs a simple tax, not Gabbar Singh Tax. The Congress and people have got 28 per cent tax abolished on several items fighting for it. Our fight for 18 per cent cap with one rate will continue. If the BJP doesn&#39;t do it, the Congress will,&quot; Gandhi tweeted.</p>

<p>Surjewala demanded that petroleum products, real estate and electricity be brought under the ambit of the GST. He also called for reducing &quot;compliance burden&quot; of the GST and added that the textile sector was faced with deep stress due to &quot;distorted duty structure&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;Adjournment and deferment, rather than decision, appear to be the &#39;way forward&#39; for this government.</p>

<p>&quot;None of these challenges have been addressed by the Council. This is owing to the sheer ineptitude and amateurish handling of the biggest tax reform by BJP the government,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Congress leader Pawan Khera said that the credit should be given to Gandhi.</p>

<p>&quot;There was a pressure from Rahul Gandhi. The Gabbar Singh Tax went so much viral in Gujarat that the BJP did not know how to deal with it,&quot; Khera said.</p>

<p>He, however, added that much more needed to be done to extend the relief to the farming community as the central excise on fertilisers was 1.03 per cent before GST, but after the new taxation system came into force, the tax was increased to 5 per cent.</p>

<p>He said that the tax on agricultural equipment such as tractor was as high as 18 per cent.</p>

<p>The GST Council yesterday decided to reduce tax rate on items ranging from chewing gums to detergents -- to 18 per cent from current 28 per cent</p>

<p>The all-powerful council pruned the list of items attracting the top 28 per cent tax rate to just 50 from 228 previously.</p>

<p>The GST, implemented from July 1, has five tax slabs of 0 per cent, 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent.&nbsp;</p>


Congress general secretary in-charge of Gujarat, Ashok Gehlot told that the GST Council decided to cut the tax rates due to the pressure mounted by Gandhi.

The Congress today claimed credit for the the GST Council's decision to cut tax rates on 178 items of daily use, saying the government was forced to do so due to the pressure mounted by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the "huge response" his campaign had been receiving in poll-bound Gujarat. Leading the charge against the government on the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Gandhi said the Congress would continue to fight for a 18-per cent cap on the highest GST slab instead of the current 28 per cent, and vowed that the party would get the job done "if the ruling BJP doesn't". He also reiterated that India needed a simple tax and not the "Gabbar Singh Tax" as he had been describing the tax regime to target the Modi government. Congress general secretary in-charge of Gujarat, Ashok Gehlot told PTI that the GST Council yesterday decided to cut the tax rates due to the pressure mounted by Gandhi and the "huge response" he had been receiving in the poll-bound western state. Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, has been under the BJP's rule for over two decades and the Congress is trying to oust it from power. Congress leaders, particularly Gandhi, have made the GST and demonetisation as key issues of their campaign. Gehlot claimed the GST Council brought about the changes in tax rates with an eye on votes in Gujarat. The state goes to poll in two phases on December 9 and December 14. "It (BJP) is rankled by trepidation that Gujarat will slip off its hands. That's why the rates were cut. The Council did so because of the pressure Rahulji mounted and response his yatras in the state are getting," he said. Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala termed the GST Council's move "installment-based tinkering" which he said underscored the "chaos within and adhocism" of the BJP-led central government. Accusing Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the government of "paying lip service and creating havoc", Surjewala said the Congress was determined to make the tax regime "flawless". "India needs a simple tax, not Gabbar Singh Tax. The Congress and people have got 28 per cent tax abolished on several items fighting for it. Our fight for 18 per cent cap with one rate will continue. If the BJP doesn't do it, the Congress will," Gandhi tweeted. Surjewala demanded that petroleum products, real estate and electricity be brought under the ambit of the GST. He also called for reducing "compliance burden" of the GST and added that the textile sector was faced with deep stress due to "distorted duty structure". "Adjournment and deferment, rather than decision, appear to be the 'way forward' for this government. "None of these challenges have been addressed by the Council. This is owing to the sheer ineptitude and amateurish handling of the biggest tax reform by BJP the government," he added. Congress leader Pawan Khera said that the credit should be given to Gandhi. "There was a pressure from Rahul Gandhi. The Gabbar Singh Tax went so much viral in Gujarat that the BJP did not know how to deal with it," Khera said. He, however, added that much more needed to be done to extend the relief to the farming community as the central excise on fertilisers was 1.03 per cent before GST, but after the new taxation system came into force, the tax was increased to 5 per cent. He said that the tax on agricultural equipment such as tractor was as high as 18 per cent. The GST Council yesterday decided to reduce tax rate on items ranging from chewing gums to detergents -- to 18 per cent from current 28 per cent The all-powerful council pruned the list of items attracting the top 28 per cent tax rate to just 50 from 228 previously. The GST, implemented from July 1, has five tax slabs of 0 per cent, 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent.

Cong says credit for GST rate cuts goes to Rahul Gandhi

<p>It has been a year since Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared on the national television and announced the scrapping of Rs 500 and 1000 currency notes.</p>

<p>The BJP is celebrating the first year anniversary of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/demonetisation-indian-economy-watershed-or-waterboarded-23707" target="_blank">Demonetisation</a> as &quot;Anti Black Money Day&quot;&nbsp;while the Congress along with other opposition parties is observing the day as &quot;Black Day&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The PM assured that the scrapping of the currency notes&nbsp;will help in countering the growing corruption, killing black money, counterfeit notes and cut down funding to terrorists.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Claiming it to be a pro-poor move he said that demonetisation will root out inequality from the society.</p>

<p>PM Modi asked the country to unite in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/demonetisation-will-spur-indian-economy-in-long-run-indias-pm-modi-10715" target="_blank">larger objective of a cleaner society</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However,&nbsp; since the past one year, there has been a constant criticism of the &quot;Modi&nbsp;policy&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Opposition has claimed that the policy&nbsp;was responsible for job losses, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sambit-patra-says-for-congress-ease-of-doing-corruption-was-the-core-issue-23288" target="_blank">GDP downfall and destroying small business</a>, besides the physical pain that the people suffered in long queues.</p>

<p>On the eve of the first anniversary of Demonetisation <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-repeat-was-organised-loot-and-legalised-plunder-manmohan-singh-on-demonetisation-23656" target="_blank">former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh</a> said, &quot;Demonetisation was a black day for economy and democracy&quot;.</p>

<p>But the govt has maintained that the policy implemented has achieved its set goals.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/demonetisation-november-8-watershed-moment-in-history-of-indian-economy-says-arun-jaitley-23652" target="_blank">Finance Minister Arun Jaitley </a>said that&nbsp;demonetisation has led to a significant <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/demonitisation-choked-terror-funds-says-jaitley-23669" target="_blank">decrease in terror activities</a> in Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He claimed that the total fake currencies seized after demonetisation accounted to Rs 11.23 crore</p>

<p>The Reserve Bank of India recently claimed that 99 per cent of the old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes amounting to Rs 15.44 lakh crore have come back to the banking system.</p>

<p>The government also said that about Rs 17,000 crore has been recovered from income tax raids after the implementation of the policy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The government also claims that demonetisation has led to an increase in tax base with 9.1 million new taxpayers. They have stated an increase of 24 per cent in tax collections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also&nbsp;read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-is-moving-towards-digital-economy-post-demonetisation-arun-jaitley-23614" target="_blank">India moving towards digital economy </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-is-moving-towards-digital-economy-post-demonetisation-arun-jaitley-23614" target="_blank">post-demonetisation</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-is-moving-towards-digital-economy-post-demonetisation-arun-jaitley-23614" target="_blank">: Arun Jaitley</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The BJP-led central government is celebrating the first year anniversary of Demonetisation as 'Anti Black Money Day'?while the Congress along with other opposition parties is observing the day as 'Black Day'

It has been a year since Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared on the national television and announced the scrapping of Rs 500 and 1000 currency notes. The BJP is celebrating the first year anniversary of Demonetisation as "Anti Black Money Day" while the Congress along with other opposition parties is observing the day as "Black Day". The PM assured that the scrapping of the currency notes will help in countering the growing corruption, killing black money, counterfeit notes and cut down funding to terrorists. Claiming it to be a pro-poor move he said that demonetisation will root out inequality from the society. PM Modi asked the country to unite in the larger objective of a cleaner society. However, since the past one year, there has been a constant criticism of the "Modi policy". The Opposition has claimed that the policy was responsible for job losses, GDP downfall and destroying small business, besides the physical pain that the people suffered in long queues. On the eve of the first anniversary of Demonetisation former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said, "Demonetisation was a black day for economy and democracy". But the govt has maintained that the policy implemented has achieved its set goals. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that demonetisation has led to a significant decrease in terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh. He claimed that the total fake currencies seized after demonetisation accounted to Rs 11.23 crore The Reserve Bank of India recently claimed that 99 per cent of the old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes amounting to Rs 15.44 lakh crore have come back to the banking system. The government also said that about Rs 17,000 crore has been recovered from income tax raids after the implementation of the policy. The government also claims that demonetisation has led to an increase in tax base with 9.1 million new taxpayers. They have stated an increase of 24 per cent in tax collections. Also read: India moving towards digital economy post-demonetisation: Arun Jaitley

One year of demonetisation: Government observes 'Anti Black Money Day'

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has said that demonetisation was a &quot;tragedy&quot; and a &quot;thoughtless act&quot; by the government.</p>

<p>&quot;Demonetisation is a tragedy. We stand with millions of honest Indians, whose lives &amp; livelihoods were destroyed by PM&rsquo;s thoughtless act,&quot; he said in a tweet posted on Wednesday, on the first anniversary of demonetisation.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Demonetisation is a tragedy. We stand with millions of honest Indians, whose lives &amp; livelihoods were destroyed by PM&rsquo;s thoughtless act.</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/928073578733387776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He also used a Hindi couplet to attack the central government.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Demonetisation is a tragedy. We stand with millions of honest Indians, whose lives &amp; livelihoods were destroyed by PM&rsquo;s thoughtless act.</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/928073578733387776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Gandhi will visit Surat in Gujarat today to participate in a candle-light vigil there as part of the Opposition parties&#39; &quot;Black Day&quot; protest.</p>

<p>Congress and other Opposition parties have decided to observe November 8, the date when Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year announced demonetisation, as &quot;Black Day&quot;.</p>

<p>Gandhi&#39;s decision to take part in the protest in Gujarat is significant as the state is going to polls next month.</p>

<p>On the eve of the demonetisation anniversary, former prime minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-repeat-was-organised-loot-and-legalised-plunder-manmohan-singh-on-demonetisation-23656">Manmohan Singh attacked the&nbsp;BJP-led central government</a> on Tuesday, terming the note ban&nbsp;as &quot;organised loot&quot; and &quot;legalised plunder&quot;.</p>

<p>Hitting out at the Congress for observing the Demonetisation anniversary as Black Day, Haryana minister Anil Vij has said, &quot;only those parties which have black money left with them&quot; will observe November 8, the first anniversary of demonetisation, as &quot;black day&quot;.</p>

<p>He added that November 8 can be observed as &quot;black day&quot; for the Congress which was involved in scams of around Rs 12 lakh crore.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He praised his government for implementing Demonetisation and said that the &quot;revolutionary step&quot; can only be taken by a strong government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He claimed that Demonetisation has not only promoted cashless payment system but it has also led to an increase in the number of taxpayers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Gandhi will visit Surat in Gujarat today to participate in a candle-light vigil there as part of the Opposition parties' 'Black Day' protest

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has said that demonetisation was a "tragedy" and a "thoughtless act" by the government. "Demonetisation is a tragedy. We stand with millions of honest Indians, whose lives & livelihoods were destroyed by PM’s thoughtless act," he said in a tweet posted on Wednesday, on the first anniversary of demonetisation. Demonetisation is a tragedy. We stand with millions of honest Indians, whose lives & livelihoods were destroyed by PM’s thoughtless act. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 8, 2017 × He also used a Hindi couplet to attack the central government. Demonetisation is a tragedy. We stand with millions of honest Indians, whose lives & livelihoods were destroyed by PM’s thoughtless act. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 8, 2017 × Gandhi will visit Surat in Gujarat today to participate in a candle-light vigil there as part of the Opposition parties' "Black Day" protest. Congress and other Opposition parties have decided to observe November 8, the date when Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year announced demonetisation, as "Black Day". Gandhi's decision to take part in the protest in Gujarat is significant as the state is going to polls next month. On the eve of the demonetisation anniversary, former prime minister Manmohan Singh attacked the BJP-led central government on Tuesday, terming the note ban as "organised loot" and "legalised plunder". Hitting out at the Congress for observing the Demonetisation anniversary as Black Day, Haryana minister Anil Vij has said, "only those parties which have black money left with them" will observe November 8, the first anniversary of demonetisation, as "black day". He added that November 8 can be observed as "black day" for the Congress which was involved in scams of around Rs 12 lakh crore. He praised his government for implementing Demonetisation and said that the "revolutionary step" can only be taken by a strong government. He claimed that Demonetisation has not only promoted cashless payment system but it has also led to an increase in the number of taxpayers.

Demonetisation a tragedy, thoughtless act: Rahul Gandhi

<p>Lashing out at the Centre, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on&thinsp;Wednesday said note ban and GST rollout have broken the legs of Surat as he observed a &ldquo;black day&rdquo; in the country&rsquo;s textile and diamond hub.</p>

<p>Gandhi interacted with industry representatives and workers at Nirman Industries&rsquo; loom factory in Katargam industrial development area after he arrived in the Surat city of the poll-bound Gujarat.</p>

<p>&ldquo;There was an attack on India&rsquo;s economy one year back,&rdquo; he said.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I interacted with the people here and they told me that notebandi (demonetisation) and then GST have broken Surat&rsquo;s legs. The industry has been finished by the twin blows not only here, but in the entire country,&rdquo; Gandhi said.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The people said that they have been threatened. But truth cannot be suppressed, it will come out,&rdquo; the Congress leader told reporters.</p>

<p>He said, &ldquo;Surat is the place which can compete with China and has been doing it. Jobs will either come to India or China. But instead of helping them, the government has destroyed their strength.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Hitting out at the new tax regime rolled out by the NDA government on July 1 this year, Gandhi said, &ldquo;We had told (Prime Minister) Narendra Modiji and (Union Finance Minister) Arun Jaitleyji not to implement the GST in this way.&rdquo;</p>

<p>He said, &ldquo;This is not a political thing, this is not between the Congress and the BJP. This is about India&rsquo;s competitiveness, we have to compete with China. You please do not kill our industries and businesses. But they said that we are going to implement it at 12 midnight,&rdquo; he said.</p>

<p>&ldquo;You press (media) people were asking us, why we are not allowing GST to be implemented, because we wanted to save Surat and the country,&rdquo; he said.</p>

<p>&ldquo;GST means one nation, one tax. But this GST, implemented by Modiji, which has five layers will not work. We had said that maximum cap on taxes should be 18 per cent but they did not listen to us,&rdquo; the Congress leader said.</p>

<p>Gandhi is expected to have a formal interaction with traders in Adajan area of the city this evening.</p>

<p>He is also likely to participate in a candle light vigil, to mark the &ldquo;black day&rdquo;, near Vivekanand statue in Chowk Bazar area of Surat.</p>

<p>The prime minister had announced demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes as a measure to fight black money, corruption, fake currency and terror funding on this day last year.</p>

<p>The opposition is observing a &ldquo;black day&rdquo; today.</p>


The opposition is observing a ?black day? today.

Lashing out at the Centre, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said note ban and GST rollout have broken the legs of Surat as he observed a “black day” in the country’s textile and diamond hub. Gandhi interacted with industry representatives and workers at Nirman Industries’ loom factory in Katargam industrial development area after he arrived in the Surat city of the poll-bound Gujarat. “There was an attack on India’s economy one year back,” he said. “I interacted with the people here and they told me that notebandi (demonetisation) and then GST have broken Surat’s legs. The industry has been finished by the twin blows not only here, but in the entire country,” Gandhi said. “The people said that they have been threatened. But truth cannot be suppressed, it will come out,” the Congress leader told reporters. He said, “Surat is the place which can compete with China and has been doing it. Jobs will either come to India or China. But instead of helping them, the government has destroyed their strength.” Hitting out at the new tax regime rolled out by the NDA government on July 1 this year, Gandhi said, “We had told (Prime Minister) Narendra Modiji and (Union Finance Minister) Arun Jaitleyji not to implement the GST in this way.” He said, “This is not a political thing, this is not between the Congress and the BJP. This is about India’s competitiveness, we have to compete with China. You please do not kill our industries and businesses. But they said that we are going to implement it at 12 midnight,” he said. “You press (media) people were asking us, why we are not allowing GST to be implemented, because we wanted to save Surat and the country,” he said. “GST means one nation, one tax. But this GST, implemented by Modiji, which has five layers will not work. We had said that maximum cap on taxes should be 18 per cent but they did not listen to us,” the Congress leader said. Gandhi is expected to have a formal interaction with traders in Adajan area of the city this evening. He is also likely to participate in a candle light vigil, to mark the “black day”, near Vivekanand statue in Chowk Bazar area of Surat. The prime minister had announced demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes as a measure to fight black money, corruption, fake currency and terror funding on this day last year. The opposition is observing a “black day” today.

Note ban, GST have broken textile hub Surat's legs: Rahul Gandhi

<p>During the last Assembly election in Gujarat, Narendra Modi was the chief minister; Shankersinh Vaghela was the tallest Congress leader in the State; veteran Patidar leader Keshubhai Patel had rebelled against the Bharatiya Janata Party and floated his own outfit, the Gujarat Parivartan Party; Sonia Gandhi had vigorously campaigned for the Congress; the Congress was in power at the Centre; 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab was hanged; and Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray had passed away.</p>

<p>The BJP led by Modi had registered a resounding victory while the Congress helmed by Vaghela and consisting of a motley of lesser leaders managed just about half the number of seats the winning party got. Keshubhai Patel&rsquo;s party, contrary to its partvartan promise, could bring no change, ending with a paltry two seats. The so-called KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) combine, that had been crafted in the 1980s by Congress leader Madhavsinh Solanki as his party&rsquo;s vote bank, failed to deliver &mdash; as it had on previous occasions in the past decade or so.</p>

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<p>Now, as the people of Gujarat prepare to vote in a few weeks from now for a new Assembly, much has changed. Modi is the country&rsquo;s Prime Minister; Vaghela has quit the Congress and is expected to harm his former party&rsquo;s prospects; Keshubhai Patel has reconciled to being a non-entity in the State&rsquo;s politics; the Hardik Patel factor has been introduced to lure the Patidar votes away from the BJP; Balasaheb Thackeray&rsquo;s son and successor Uddhav Thackeray has turned into more of a rival than an ally (which is officially is) of the ruling party; Sonia Gandhi may not campaign extensively owing to her health; Rahul Gandhi, soon to be made Congress president, is at the forefront of his party&rsquo;s electoral battle; and, the BJP has replaced the Congress at the Centre.</p>

<p>Yet, some things remain the same. Modi in 2017, as in 2012, is the BJP&rsquo;s mascot and the Congress&rsquo;s chief enemy and a wall yet to be dented. Like in 2012, Modi is hard selling &lsquo;development&rsquo; and Gujarati pride in 2017 as well. Rahul Gandhi is seeking to establish his credentials as a serious and credible politician, something he had attempted in 2012 as well.</p>

<p>The Muslim voters of the State are as wary of the BJP today as they were in 2012, and they have to do with the ruling party&rsquo;s slogan of &ldquo;Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas&rdquo;. Finally, if the Gujarat election in 2012 was important on account of Modi, it is more so in 2017. The last election prepared the ground for Modi&rsquo;s elevation to the national stage; the 2017 result could solidify his and his party&rsquo;s position in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.</p>

<p>The gloves are off on both the sides. Prime Minister Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi have visited Gujarat on several occasions and are expected to keep doing so in the run-up to the election. If Modi has sought to leverage &lsquo;development&rsquo;, Rahul Gandhi has concentrated on the &lsquo;divisive&rsquo; nature of his rival and rubbished the claimed development.</p>

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<h5>If Modi has sought to leverage &lsquo;development&rsquo;, Rahul Gandhi has concentrated on the &lsquo;divisive&rsquo; nature of his rival and rubbished the claimed development.</h5>
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<p>Modi talks of the Congress&rsquo;s corruption while Rahul Gandhi attacks the BJP for &lsquo;atrocities&rsquo; on Scheduled Castes and discrimination against the Muslims. If the BJP brandishes the World Bank&rsquo;s Doing Business report as a vindication of the Modi regime&rsquo;s economic policies, the Congress alleges the report was &lsquo;manufactured&rsquo; and &lsquo;fixed&rsquo;. The Congress cautions Gujarat&rsquo;s voters against social and economic disasters in case they let the BJP return to power, and the BJP warns them of a rude jolt to the development and Gujarati pride if the Congress succeeds.</p>

<p>The Congress believes, and with good reasons of its own, that it has the best chance in two decades to oust the BJP from the State. It may not have been wrong in sensing a level of disaffection among a section of the traditional BJP supporters &mdash; the business community and the Patidars, for example. The Congress is seeking to tap into the discontent among traders over disruptions caused by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, while it is hoping to swing the Patel votes its way by holding out the promise of reservations in Government jobs and educational institutions.</p>

<p>With Patidar leader Hardik Patel apparently throwing his weight behind the Congress, the opposition party is upbeat. Add to this, the anger in the Scheduled Caste community following the Una incident last year under the BJP rule. The Congress hopes to exploit this as well, although the Dalit population in the State is too insignificant to make a major overall electoral impact.</p>

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<h5>The BJP is banking on its strong and decades-long socio-economic connect with the Patidar community to neutralise the Hardik Patel fallout.</h5>
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<p>Mindful of the new challenges which have come its way, the BJP has adopted a multi-pronged approach. For one, it has stepped up its focus on development and Gujarati pride &mdash; juxtaposing it with the Congress&rsquo;s &lsquo;indifference&rsquo;. While dedicating the Sardar Sarovar project to the nation, Modi did not fail to underline what he alleged were obstacles that Congress regimes at the Centre had placed in the early completion of the dam work. In later meetings in the State, he spoke of the delays the Congress-led UPA had effected, in the name of environment protection, in developing coastal Gujarat.</p>

<p>Modi spoke of the Congress&rsquo;s sidelining of Gujarati pride &mdash; freedom fighter, senior Congress leader and independent India&rsquo;s first Minister for Home Affairs, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel &mdash; and mentioned the ongoing work on the Statue of Unity that the BJP had undertaken in the Iron Man&rsquo;s memory. It has been wooing important leaders of the Patidar community to blunt the Hardik Patel impact, and also highlighting Hardik Patel&rsquo;s proximity to the Congress &mdash; a party which it says had consistently betrayed the Patel cause. The BJP is banking on its strong and decades-long socio-economic connect with the Patidar community to neutralise the Hardik Patel fallout.</p>

<p>As campaigning picks up and nominations are filed and confirmed, there will emerge a better understanding at constituency levels on which way the battle is going. Certain issues will gain steam while others may fall by the wayside. The larger picture, going by published opinion polls so far, appears to be in the BJP&rsquo;s favour. The party is expected to sweep as it did in 2012. These surveys also inform that a majority of the people are unhappy with the GST mess and the effects of demonetisation. And yet, if the BJP still wins, it can only mean one thing &mdash; and one that is discouraging to the Congress: People may be unhappy with some of the BJP Government&rsquo;s decisions, but they will not necessarily vote against the party.</p>


BJP has stepped up its focus on development and Gujarati pride ? juxtaposing it with the Congress?s ?indifference?.

During the last Assembly election in Gujarat, Narendra Modi was the chief minister; Shankersinh Vaghela was the tallest Congress leader in the State; veteran Patidar leader Keshubhai Patel had rebelled against the Bharatiya Janata Party and floated his own outfit, the Gujarat Parivartan Party; Sonia Gandhi had vigorously campaigned for the Congress; the Congress was in power at the Centre; 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab was hanged; and Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray had passed away. The BJP led by Modi had registered a resounding victory while the Congress helmed by Vaghela and consisting of a motley of lesser leaders managed just about half the number of seats the winning party got. Keshubhai Patel’s party, contrary to its partvartan promise, could bring no change, ending with a paltry two seats. The so-called KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) combine, that had been crafted in the 1980s by Congress leader Madhavsinh Solanki as his party’s vote bank, failed to deliver — as it had on previous occasions in the past decade or so. The last election prepared the ground for Modi’s elevation to the national stage; the 2017 result could solidify his and his party’s position in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. × Now, as the people of Gujarat prepare to vote in a few weeks from now for a new Assembly, much has changed. Modi is the country’s Prime Minister; Vaghela has quit the Congress and is expected to harm his former party’s prospects; Keshubhai Patel has reconciled to being a non-entity in the State’s politics; the Hardik Patel factor has been introduced to lure the Patidar votes away from the BJP; Balasaheb Thackeray’s son and successor Uddhav Thackeray has turned into more of a rival than an ally (which is officially is) of the ruling party; Sonia Gandhi may not campaign extensively owing to her health; Rahul Gandhi, soon to be made Congress president, is at the forefront of his party’s electoral battle; and, the BJP has replaced the Congress at the Centre. Yet, some things remain the same. Modi in 2017, as in 2012, is the BJP’s mascot and the Congress’s chief enemy and a wall yet to be dented. Like in 2012, Modi is hard selling ‘development’ and Gujarati pride in 2017 as well. Rahul Gandhi is seeking to establish his credentials as a serious and credible politician, something he had attempted in 2012 as well. The Muslim voters of the State are as wary of the BJP today as they were in 2012, and they have to do with the ruling party’s slogan of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”. Finally, if the Gujarat election in 2012 was important on account of Modi, it is more so in 2017. The last election prepared the ground for Modi’s elevation to the national stage; the 2017 result could solidify his and his party’s position in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. The gloves are off on both the sides. Prime Minister Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi have visited Gujarat on several occasions and are expected to keep doing so in the run-up to the election. If Modi has sought to leverage ‘development’, Rahul Gandhi has concentrated on the ‘divisive’ nature of his rival and rubbished the claimed development. If Modi has sought to leverage ‘development’, Rahul Gandhi has concentrated on the ‘divisive’ nature of his rival and rubbished the claimed development. × Modi talks of the Congress’s corruption while Rahul Gandhi attacks the BJP for ‘atrocities’ on Scheduled Castes and discrimination against the Muslims. If the BJP brandishes the World Bank’s Doing Business report as a vindication of the Modi regime’s economic policies, the Congress alleges the report was ‘manufactured’ and ‘fixed’. The Congress cautions Gujarat’s voters against social and economic disasters in case they let the BJP return to power, and the BJP warns them of a rude jolt to the development and Gujarati pride if the Congress succeeds. The Congress believes, and with good reasons of its own, that it has the best chance in two decades to oust the BJP from the State. It may not have been wrong in sensing a level of disaffection among a section of the traditional BJP supporters — the business community and the Patidars, for example. The Congress is seeking to tap into the discontent among traders over disruptions caused by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, while it is hoping to swing the Patel votes its way by holding out the promise of reservations in Government jobs and educational institutions. With Patidar leader Hardik Patel apparently throwing his weight behind the Congress, the opposition party is upbeat. Add to this, the anger in the Scheduled Caste community following the Una incident last year under the BJP rule. The Congress hopes to exploit this as well, although the Dalit population in the State is too insignificant to make a major overall electoral impact. The BJP is banking on its strong and decades-long socio-economic connect with the Patidar community to neutralise the Hardik Patel fallout. × Mindful of the new challenges which have come its way, the BJP has adopted a multi-pronged approach. For one, it has stepped up its focus on development and Gujarati pride — juxtaposing it with the Congress’s ‘indifference’. While dedicating the Sardar Sarovar project to the nation, Modi did not fail to underline what he alleged were obstacles that Congress regimes at the Centre had placed in the early completion of the dam work. In later meetings in the State, he spoke of the delays the Congress-led UPA had effected, in the name of environment protection, in developing coastal Gujarat. Modi spoke of the Congress’s sidelining of Gujarati pride — freedom fighter, senior Congress leader and independent India’s first Minister for Home Affairs, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — and mentioned the ongoing work on the Statue of Unity that the BJP had undertaken in the Iron Man’s memory. It has been wooing important leaders of the Patidar community to blunt the Hardik Patel impact, and also highlighting Hardik Patel’s proximity to the Congress — a party which it says had consistently betrayed the Patel cause. The BJP is banking on its strong and decades-long socio-economic connect with the Patidar community to neutralise the Hardik Patel fallout. As campaigning picks up and nominations are filed and confirmed, there will emerge a better understanding at constituency levels on which way the battle is going. Certain issues will gain steam while others may fall by the wayside. The larger picture, going by published opinion polls so far, appears to be in the BJP’s favour. The party is expected to sweep as it did in 2012. These surveys also inform that a majority of the people are unhappy with the GST mess and the effects of demonetisation. And yet, if the BJP still wins, it can only mean one thing — and one that is discouraging to the Congress: People may be unhappy with some of the BJP Government’s decisions, but they will not necessarily vote against the party.

Gujarat election: Demonetisation vs Gujarati pride

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/texas-shooting-leaves-at-least-26-dead-officials-23554" target="_blank">Gunman walks into Texas church, shoots 26 people dead</a></p>

<p>A black-clad gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire on a small-town Texas church during Sunday morning services, killing 26 people and wounding 20 in the last mass shooting to shock the United States.The victims, who ranged in age from five to 72, were gunned down at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a rural community of about 400 people located 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cong-has-run-away-hp-poll-one-sided-modi-at-rally-23538" target="_blank">Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban: Modi</a></p>

<p>Prime minister Narendra Modi stressed that the implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented by the BJP government.&nbsp;&quot;Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,&#39;&#39; said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-tells-modi-to-quit-if-unable-to-control-price-rise-give-jobs-23545" target="_blank">Rahul asks Modi to quit if unable to control price rise, give jobs</a></p>

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today asked the Narendra Modi government to stop delivering &quot;hollow&quot; speeches and quit if it was unable to stop prices from rising and give jobs to the people.Gandhi, whose Twitter feed has become more active of late, posted on the micro-blogging site: &quot;Mehngi gas, mehnga ration, band karo khokhla bhashan, daam bandho, kaam do, varna khali karo singhasan.&quot;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/sacked-catalan-leader-carles-puigdemont-freed-on-bail-in-belgium-23557" target="_blank">Sacked Catalan leader Puigdemont freed on bail in Belgium</a></p>

<p>Catalonia&#39;s sacked separatist leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers were released with conditions in Belgium on Sunday after turning themselves in to face a Spanish warrant for their arrest. A judge ordered the five, who fled Spain earlier this week after being accused of rebellion and sedition, not to leave Belgium until their extradition case is heard.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/queen-elizabeth-ii-has-13m-in-investments-in-offshore-tax-havens-documents-23562" target="_blank">US Commerce Secretary has ties to firm linked to Putin&#39;s inner circle</a></p>

<p>US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has business ties to a shipping firm linked to Vladimir Putin&#39;s inner circle, according to a vast leak of financial documents that also revealed Britain&#39;s Queen Elizabeth II&#39;s investments in tax havens.</p>

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Gunman walks into Texas church, shoots 26 people dead A black-clad gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire on a small-town Texas church during Sunday morning services, killing 26 people and wounding 20 in the last mass shooting to shock the United States.The victims, who ranged in age from five to 72, were gunned down at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a rural community of about 400 people located 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio. Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban: Modi Prime minister Narendra Modi stressed that the implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented by the BJP government. "Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,'' said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul asks Modi to quit if unable to control price rise, give jobs Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today asked the Narendra Modi government to stop delivering "hollow" speeches and quit if it was unable to stop prices from rising and give jobs to the people.Gandhi, whose Twitter feed has become more active of late, posted on the micro-blogging site: "Mehngi gas, mehnga ration, band karo khokhla bhashan, daam bandho, kaam do, varna khali karo singhasan." Sacked Catalan leader Puigdemont freed on bail in Belgium Catalonia's sacked separatist leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers were released with conditions in Belgium on Sunday after turning themselves in to face a Spanish warrant for their arrest. A judge ordered the five, who fled Spain earlier this week after being accused of rebellion and sedition, not to leave Belgium until their extradition case is heard. US Commerce Secretary has ties to firm linked to Putin's inner circle US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has business ties to a shipping firm linked to Vladimir Putin's inner circle, according to a vast leak of financial documents that also revealed Britain's Queen Elizabeth II's investments in tax havens.

WION Morning news brief, Nov 6, 2017

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today asked the Narendra Modi government to stop delivering &quot;hollow&quot; speeches and quit if it was unable to stop prices from rising and give jobs to the people.<br />
Gandhi, whose Twitter feed has become more active of late, posted on the micro-blogging site: &quot;Mehngi gas, mehnga ration, band karo khokhla bhashan, daam bandho, kaam do, varna khali karo singhasan.&quot;</p>

<p>This roughly translates to &quot;costly gas, dearer food items, stop delivering hollow speeches, fix prices, give jobs or quit the seat of power&quot;.</p>

<p>Along with the tweet, he attached a news report on rising prices of liquefied petroleum gas and other items.</p>

<p>During his Gujarat tour, Gandhi caught the attention of people, especially social media users, with his attack on the Modi government over rising prices, unemployment, demonetisation, poor economy and the Goods and Services Tax.</p>


"costly gas, dearer food items, stop delivering hollow speeches, fix prices, give jobs or quit the seat of power," Rahul Gandhi tweeted

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today asked the Narendra Modi government to stop delivering "hollow" speeches and quit if it was unable to stop prices from rising and give jobs to the people. Gandhi, whose Twitter feed has become more active of late, posted on the micro-blogging site: "Mehngi gas, mehnga ration, band karo khokhla bhashan, daam bandho, kaam do, varna khali karo singhasan." This roughly translates to "costly gas, dearer food items, stop delivering hollow speeches, fix prices, give jobs or quit the seat of power". Along with the tweet, he attached a news report on rising prices of liquefied petroleum gas and other items. During his Gujarat tour, Gandhi caught the attention of people, especially social media users, with his attack on the Modi government over rising prices, unemployment, demonetisation, poor economy and the Goods and Services Tax.

Rahul asks Modi to quit if unable to control price rise, give jobs

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-beats-china-in-womens-asia-cup-hockey-2017-23548">India beat China to win Asia Cup, qualify for Hockey World Cup</a></p>

<p>The Indian women&rsquo;s hockey team qualified for next year&rsquo;s World Cup after defeating China 5-4 via a shootout in a nail-biting Asia Cup final on Sunday. It was 1-1 at full-time after China found a late equaliser by Tiantian Luo, who converted a penalty corner in the 47th minute.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cong-has-run-away-hp-poll-one-sided-modi-at-rally-23538">Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban: Modi</a></p>

<p>&quot;Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,&#39;&#39; said PM&nbsp;Narendra Modi. Stressing that the implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented by the BJP government, he added.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-tells-modi-to-quit-if-unable-to-control-price-rise-give-jobs-23545">Rahul asks Modi to quit if unable to control price rise, give jobs</a></p>

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today asked the Narendra Modi government to stop delivering &quot;hollow&quot; speeches and quit if it was unable to stop prices from rising and give jobs to the people. Gandhi tweeted: &quot;Mehngi gas, mehnga ration, band karo khokhla bhashan, daam bandho, kaam do, varna khali karo singhasan.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/securing-n-korea-nukes-would-require-us-ground-invasion-reports-23528">Securing N. Korea nukes would require US ground invasion: Reports</a></p>

<p>The only certain way to locate and secure all North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons sites would be via a US ground invasion, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing a letter from Pentagon officials sent to US lawmakers.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/council-to-consider-slashing-gst-on-common-use-goods-23536">Council to consider slashing GST on common use goods</a></p>

<p>The all-powerful GST Council may consider lowering tax rates on a host of goods such as handmade furniture, plastic products and daily use items like shampoo, and simplify return filing rules in its meeting this week.</p>

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"Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,'' said PM?Narendra Modi.

India beat China to win Asia Cup, qualify for Hockey World Cup The Indian women’s hockey team qualified for next year’s World Cup after defeating China 5-4 via a shootout in a nail-biting Asia Cup final on Sunday. It was 1-1 at full-time after China found a late equaliser by Tiantian Luo, who converted a penalty corner in the 47th minute. Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban: Modi "Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,'' said PM Narendra Modi. Stressing that the implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented by the BJP government, he added. Rahul asks Modi to quit if unable to control price rise, give jobs Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today asked the Narendra Modi government to stop delivering "hollow" speeches and quit if it was unable to stop prices from rising and give jobs to the people. Gandhi tweeted: "Mehngi gas, mehnga ration, band karo khokhla bhashan, daam bandho, kaam do, varna khali karo singhasan. Securing N. Korea nukes would require US ground invasion: Reports The only certain way to locate and secure all North Korea's nuclear weapons sites would be via a US ground invasion, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing a letter from Pentagon officials sent to US lawmakers. Council to consider slashing GST on common use goods The all-powerful GST Council may consider lowering tax rates on a host of goods such as handmade furniture, plastic products and daily use items like shampoo, and simplify return filing rules in its meeting this week.

WION evening news brief, Nov 5, 2017

<p>Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said rising unemployment in India was &quot;MMD: Modi Made Disaster&quot;.</p>

<p>Rahul used 112th Annual Session of PHD Chamber of Commerce platform here to launch a scathing attack on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government. &quot;Rising unemployment in India is a&nbsp;&#39;MMD: Modi Made Disaster&#39; and after 3 years of NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government, India&#39;s expectations are shattered,&quot; Rahul claimed, while adding:&quot;China creates 50,000 jobs per day against Indian rate of 458, but no amount of growth is good enough if it isn&#39;t accompanied by jobs.&quot;</p>

<p>The Congress vice-president further asserted that people don&#39;t trust the Modi-led central government. &quot;Business thrives on trust. Business is about creating harmony. The truth is that the trust in this government is dead. For some reasons, the PM and his government are absolutely convinced that every single person in this country is a thief,&quot; Rahul Gandhi said.</p>

<p>He also said that today no one in the government listens to the pain of people. &quot;One develops trust by listening to each other. Today there is no one in the government who is ready to listen to the pain of our people,&quot; the Congress vice president said.</p>

<p>Rahul also took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s claim of having &#39;56-inch chest&#39; and said, &quot;Prime Minister Narendra Modi has very a big chest but a small heart. Modi <em>ji</em><em> </em>and his government have given a double blow to our economy- demonetisation and GST (Goods and Services Tax).&quot;</p>

<p>As the BJP&#39;s prime ministerial candidate in January 2014, Narendra Modi declared at a rally in Uttar Pradesh that &quot;a 56-inch chest&quot; is a pre-requisite to convert India&#39;s most populous state into one as developed as Gujarat.</p>

<p>Ahead of the first anniversary of demonetisation on November 8, Rahul also targeted the prime minister over the shock move.</p>

<p>&quot;Prime Minister has forgotten that all cash is not black and all black is not bad. November 8th is the &#39;barsi&#39; (death anniversary) of note ban. GST or Gabbar Singh Tax has unleashed tax terrorism. Small businesses are crying due to the GST,&quot; Rahul Gandhi said.</p>

<p>On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the&nbsp;demonetisation of Rs 500&nbsp;and Rs 1000&nbsp;banknotes with an aim to weaken the black money or shadow economy in the country. With the shock move completing a year, the Opposition parties have announced they will observe November 8 as &#39;black day&#39;.</p>

<p>The BJP will&nbsp;observe the day as &#39;Anti-Black Money Day&#39; to counter the Opposition&#39;s plan. The GST is an indirect tax which was introduced in India on July 1, 2017, and is applicable throughout India which replaced multiple cascading taxes levied by the central and state governments.</p>

<p>On Monday, while addressing a rally in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Rahul for the first time termed GST as &#39;Gabbar Singh Tax&#39;.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Congress vice-president also launched an attack on Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and said, &quot;Businesses are drowning, but Mr&nbsp;Jaitley has the nerve to go on TV every other day saying things are just fine. However, recent research by eminent economists has shown that economic inequality is at is at its highest in the Modi regime.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;The &#39;Startup India&#39; is good for the economy but it cannot be accompanied by &#39;Shut up India&#39;,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Jaitley on Wednesday criticised the Congress over black money by saying that he can&#39;t recollect any significant step that the grand old party had taken during its tenure to address the problem. The Finance Minister also said that the Congress and others who are making comments on note ban have not understood the whole object behind the demonetisation move.</p>

<p>Jaitley said that it is obvious that those parties which were in power couldn&#39;t take action against black money as squeezing black money is not possible through baby steps. Rahul also mocked the BJP over Taj Mahal controversy, on a day Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Taj Mahal for the first time since assuming power in the state and after BJP MLA Sangeet Som&#39;s stirred up a controversy with his statement on the iconic monument. &quot;World is laughing at us with debates that Taj Mahal was built by Indians,&quot; Rahul said.</p>

<p>The BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh raked up a controversy by saying that Taj Mahal was built by &quot;traitors&quot; who wanted to eliminate all Hindus. After the issue was picked up by the Opposition, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that it didn&#39;t matter who built Taj Mahal and for what reason. It was built by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers.&nbsp;</p>


Rahul Gandhi used 112th Annual Session of PHD Chamber of Commerce platform to launch a scathing attack on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said rising unemployment in India was "MMD: Modi Made Disaster". Rahul used 112th Annual Session of PHD Chamber of Commerce platform here to launch a scathing attack on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government. "Rising unemployment in India is a 'MMD: Modi Made Disaster' and after 3 years of NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government, India's expectations are shattered," Rahul claimed, while adding:"China creates 50,000 jobs per day against Indian rate of 458, but no amount of growth is good enough if it isn't accompanied by jobs." The Congress vice-president further asserted that people don't trust the Modi-led central government. "Business thrives on trust. Business is about creating harmony. The truth is that the trust in this government is dead. For some reasons, the PM and his government are absolutely convinced that every single person in this country is a thief," Rahul Gandhi said. He also said that today no one in the government listens to the pain of people. "One develops trust by listening to each other. Today there is no one in the government who is ready to listen to the pain of our people," the Congress vice president said. Rahul also took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim of having '56-inch chest' and said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has very a big chest but a small heart. Modi ji and his government have given a double blow to our economy- demonetisation and GST (Goods and Services Tax)." As the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in January 2014, Narendra Modi declared at a rally in Uttar Pradesh that "a 56-inch chest" is a pre-requisite to convert India's most populous state into one as developed as Gujarat. Ahead of the first anniversary of demonetisation on November 8, Rahul also targeted the prime minister over the shock move. "Prime Minister has forgotten that all cash is not black and all black is not bad. November 8th is the 'barsi' (death anniversary) of note ban. GST or Gabbar Singh Tax has unleashed tax terrorism. Small businesses are crying due to the GST," Rahul Gandhi said. On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes with an aim to weaken the black money or shadow economy in the country. With the shock move completing a year, the Opposition parties have announced they will observe November 8 as 'black day'. The BJP will observe the day as 'Anti-Black Money Day' to counter the Opposition's plan. The GST is an indirect tax which was introduced in India on July 1, 2017, and is applicable throughout India which replaced multiple cascading taxes levied by the central and state governments. On Monday, while addressing a rally in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Rahul for the first time termed GST as 'Gabbar Singh Tax'. Meanwhile, the Congress vice-president also launched an attack on Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and said, "Businesses are drowning, but Mr Jaitley has the nerve to go on TV every other day saying things are just fine. However, recent research by eminent economists has shown that economic inequality is at is at its highest in the Modi regime." "The 'Startup India' is good for the economy but it cannot be accompanied by 'Shut up India'," he added. Jaitley on Wednesday criticised the Congress over black money by saying that he can't recollect any significant step that the grand old party had taken during its tenure to address the problem. The Finance Minister also said that the Congress and others who are making comments on note ban have not understood the whole object behind the demonetisation move. Jaitley said that it is obvious that those parties which were in power couldn't take action against black money as squeezing black money is not possible through baby steps. Rahul also mocked the BJP over Taj Mahal controversy, on a day Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Taj Mahal for the first time since assuming power in the state and after BJP MLA Sangeet Som's stirred up a controversy with his statement on the iconic monument. "World is laughing at us with debates that Taj Mahal was built by Indians," Rahul said. The BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh raked up a controversy by saying that Taj Mahal was built by "traitors" who wanted to eliminate all Hindus. After the issue was picked up by the Opposition, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that it didn't matter who built Taj Mahal and for what reason. It was built by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers.

Rising unemployment in India is 'Modi Made Disaster': Rahul Gandhi

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pidi-can-save-congress-bjps-jibe-at-rahul-gandhi-23113" target="_blank">Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi </a>would meet Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Friday at Navsari, a spokesperson of the party said.</p>

<p>Mevani, who has been critical of the ruling BJP in the state, is expected to discuss the demands of his community when he meets the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-likens-rahul-gandhi-congress-to-pakistan-23338" target="_blank">Congress vice-president</a>, who is currently on an election campaign tour of south Gujarat.</p>

<p>&quot;Jignesh Mevani and other Dalit leaders had met Ashok Gehlot, the Congress&#39; Gujarat affairs in-charge earlier and presented a set of demands to him,&quot; Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said.</p>

<p>&quot;We have extended an invitation to Mevani to meet our vice-president Rahul Gandhi today. The two will meet at Navsari later in the day,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Congress Scheduled Castes (SC) cell national president K Raju also said a meeting had been arranged between Rahul Gandhi and Mevani.</p>

<p>Mevani had earlier said he would meet Rahul Gandhi only when he will be called to discuss the opposition party&#39;s stand on various demands of the Dalit community.</p>

<p>The Dalit rights campaigner, who has dubbed the BJP &quot;anti-Dalit&quot;, had also said he had no plans to join any political party.</p>

<p>&quot;I want to make it clear that neither have I joined the Congress nor am I going to join the party in the future. Not just the Congress, I have no plans of joining any other party as of now,&quot; he had told reporters in Ahmedabad yesterday.</p>

<p>However, the young leader, who shot to fame after the Una Dalit flogging incident last year, had added that he was ready to meet Rahul Gandhi to know about the Congress&#39; stand on 17 demands related to his community.</p>

<p>The demands include an allotment of five acres of farmland to the Dalits, alternative employment for those involved in cattle-skinning and manual scavenging and the release of a probe report into an incident of firing on the community members at Thangadh in Surendranagar district in 2012.</p>

<p>&quot;Since the BJP government is not even ready to hold talks with us on these demands, it is very clear that it is anti-Dalit. And, that is why we are also anti-BJP. But, that does not mean we are joining another party,&quot; Mevani had said.</p>

<p>&quot;However, I am ready to meet Rahul Gandhi to know about his party&#39;s stand on these demands. I want to know what can they do for our community if they come to power (in Gujarat),&quot; he had added.&nbsp;</p>


Mevani, who has been critical of the ruling BJP in the state, is expected to discuss the demands of his community when he meets the Congress vice-president, who is currently on an election campaign tour of south Gujarat

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi would meet Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Friday at Navsari, a spokesperson of the party said. Mevani, who has been critical of the ruling BJP in the state, is expected to discuss the demands of his community when he meets the Congress vice-president, who is currently on an election campaign tour of south Gujarat. "Jignesh Mevani and other Dalit leaders had met Ashok Gehlot, the Congress' Gujarat affairs in-charge earlier and presented a set of demands to him," Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said. "We have extended an invitation to Mevani to meet our vice-president Rahul Gandhi today. The two will meet at Navsari later in the day," he added. Congress Scheduled Castes (SC) cell national president K Raju also said a meeting had been arranged between Rahul Gandhi and Mevani. Mevani had earlier said he would meet Rahul Gandhi only when he will be called to discuss the opposition party's stand on various demands of the Dalit community. The Dalit rights campaigner, who has dubbed the BJP "anti-Dalit", had also said he had no plans to join any political party. "I want to make it clear that neither have I joined the Congress nor am I going to join the party in the future. Not just the Congress, I have no plans of joining any other party as of now," he had told reporters in Ahmedabad yesterday. However, the young leader, who shot to fame after the Una Dalit flogging incident last year, had added that he was ready to meet Rahul Gandhi to know about the Congress' stand on 17 demands related to his community. The demands include an allotment of five acres of farmland to the Dalits, alternative employment for those involved in cattle-skinning and manual scavenging and the release of a probe report into an incident of firing on the community members at Thangadh in Surendranagar district in 2012. "Since the BJP government is not even ready to hold talks with us on these demands, it is very clear that it is anti-Dalit. And, that is why we are also anti-BJP. But, that does not mean we are joining another party," Mevani had said. "However, I am ready to meet Rahul Gandhi to know about his party's stand on these demands. I want to know what can they do for our community if they come to power (in Gujarat)," he had added.

Rahul Gandhi to meet Gujarat Dalit leader Mevani: Congress leader

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visited the NTPC plant in Rae Bareli today after a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ntpc-boiler-explosion-it-started-shaking-then-there-was-a-blast-recalls-worker-23351" target="_blank">boiler had exploded in the plant </a>yesterday killing 26 people and leaving several injured.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul&nbsp;met Union power minister RK Singh at the spot.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress vice-president expressed his condolences over the deaths and tweeted that he was very upset on seeing the plight of the victims.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He hoped for better compensation and a government job for kins of the deceased.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">NTPC ???? ?? ???????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?????? (1/2)</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/926009894536278018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rahul claimed the explosion occurred due to &quot;irresponsibility&quot;, he also demanded an investigation into the matter.</p>

<p>He also said the people responsible for this should be strictly punished.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">???????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?????? (2/2)</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/926010619555278848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rae Bareli has been a Congress constituency for a very long time.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from ANI)</em></p>


He further hoped for better compensation and a government job for kins of the deceased

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visited the NTPC plant in Rae Bareli today after a boiler had exploded in the plant yesterday killing 26 people and leaving several injured. Rahul met Union power minister RK Singh at the spot. The Congress vice-president expressed his condolences over the deaths and tweeted that he was very upset on seeing the plight of the victims. He hoped for better compensation and a government job for kins of the deceased. NTPC ???? ?? ???????? ?? ???? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?????? (1/2) — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 2, 2017 × Rahul claimed the explosion occurred due to "irresponsibility", he also demanded an investigation into the matter. He also said the people responsible for this should be strictly punished. ???????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?????? (2/2) — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 2, 2017 × Rae Bareli has been a Congress constituency for a very long time. (With inputs from ANI)

Rahul Gandhi visits NTPC plant, demands investigation in boiler explosion

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