Former US President Barack Obama's memoir 'A Promised Land', which will go on sale on Tuesday, interestingly, mentions&nbsp;several senior Indian leaders from Congress.

Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and senior leader Rahul Gandhi find mention in the book.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-like-a-child-trying-to-impress-teacher-barack-obama-says-in-his-new-memoir-a-promised-land-342781">Rahul Gandhi like a child trying to impress teacher: Barack Obama says in his new memoir 'A Promised Land'</a>

Obama compared Singh with former US Secretary of Defence Bob Gates, saying both coming across as "having a kind of impassive integrity".&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/remake-the-world-barack-obama-urges-youngsters-in-his-new-memoir-a-promised-land-342779">'Remake the world': Barack Obama urges youngsters in his new memoir 'A Promised Land'</a>

The former president also wrote about Sonia's beauty, saying "we are told of the handsomeness of men like Charlie Crist and Rahm Emanuel, but not the beauty of women, except for one or two instances, as in the case of Sonia Gandhi."

While describing Rahul Gandhi, Obama called him a "student" who "was eager to impress the teacher" but lacked "either the aptitude or the aptitude to master the subject".&nbsp;

Rahul has "a nervous, unformed quality about him, as if he were a student who’d done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject," writes Obama.&nbsp;

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Obama also wrote on the recent US President-elect Joe Biden, who was also the vice president during his tenure, saying: "He is a decent man who might get prickly if he thought he wasn’t given his due –– a quality that might flare up when dealing with a much younger boss".&nbsp;

Former US President Barack Obama's memoir 'A Promised Land', which will go on sale on Tuesday, interestingly, mentions several senior Indian leaders from Congress.

Former US President Barack Obama's memoir 'A Promised Land', which will go on sale on Tuesday, interestingly, mentions several senior Indian leaders from Congress. Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and senior leader Rahul Gandhi find mention in the book. Also read | Rahul Gandhi like a child trying to impress teacher: Barack Obama says in his new memoir 'A Promised Land' Obama compared Singh with former US Secretary of Defence Bob Gates, saying both coming across as "having a kind of impassive integrity". Also read | 'Remake the world': Barack Obama urges youngsters in his new memoir 'A Promised Land' The former president also wrote about Sonia's beauty, saying "we are told of the handsomeness of men like Charlie Crist and Rahm Emanuel, but not the beauty of women, except for one or two instances, as in the case of Sonia Gandhi." While describing Rahul Gandhi, Obama called him a "student" who "was eager to impress the teacher" but lacked "either the aptitude or the aptitude to master the subject". Rahul has "a nervous, unformed quality about him, as if he were a student who’d done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject," writes Obama. × Obama also wrote on the recent US President-elect Joe Biden, who was also the vice president during his tenure, saying: "He is a decent man who might get prickly if he thought he wasn’t given his due –– a quality that might flare up when dealing with a much younger boss".

From Sonia's beauty to Manmohan's 'integrity': Here's what Barack Obama wrote on Congress leaders

Speaking to WION, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said that there will be election to the post of the Congress President and anyone can fight the elections.

The statement set the ball for ending the question of non-Gandhi leading the Congress Party. It also blunts the charge of the gang of 23 of Congress being unresponsive to certain organizational issues.

This turn become important for the fact that Ahmed Patel was in fore front of defending Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in Congress Working Committee.

For Ahmad Patel to support this position means that all fences are mended with the Gandhi’s and once again he has emerged as the main trouble shooter for the Gandhi’s.

This will be preceded by the formation of a four-member committee which will assist interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi for next 6 months.

This decision succeeds the Congress Working Committee meeting where split was open between the Gandhi’s and the gang of 23.

When spoke to couple of signatories and all of them were of the issue that CWC failed to discuss the substantial nature of the letter. One of them candidly said that Congress cannot be run like a private fiefdom.

Nonetheless, CWC witnessed consolidation for the Gandhi family. One has to wait and see how member committee will be made and whether detractors would be accommodated in it.

Ahmed Patel in the CWC had pulled up Congress leader Anand Sharma on the letter controversy.

Though old timers like Mukul Wasnik also spoke their mind. They said that if the letter is objectionable and if there is anything anti-Gandhi, then action can be taken against them.

The divide in the Congress is hard reality. The only link between the old and new remains Ahmed Patel.

Only thing one will have to wait and see is as to how the difference between the Gang of 23 and Gandhi’s play out in future with AP in the middle.

WION knows that AP advised the leaders not to shoot of the letter and speak to Mrs. Gandhi in person on organizational issues.

Speaking to WION, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said that there will be election to the post of the Congress President and anyone can fight the elections. The statement set the ball for ending the question of non-Gandhi leading the Congress Party.

Speaking to WION, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said that there will be election to the post of the Congress President and anyone can fight the elections. The statement set the ball for ending the question of non-Gandhi leading the Congress Party. It also blunts the charge of the gang of 23 of Congress being unresponsive to certain organizational issues. This turn become important for the fact that Ahmed Patel was in fore front of defending Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in Congress Working Committee. For Ahmad Patel to support this position means that all fences are mended with the Gandhi’s and once again he has emerged as the main trouble shooter for the Gandhi’s. This will be preceded by the formation of a four-member committee which will assist interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi for next 6 months. This decision succeeds the Congress Working Committee meeting where split was open between the Gandhi’s and the gang of 23. When spoke to couple of signatories and all of them were of the issue that CWC failed to discuss the substantial nature of the letter. One of them candidly said that Congress cannot be run like a private fiefdom. Nonetheless, CWC witnessed consolidation for the Gandhi family. One has to wait and see how member committee will be made and whether detractors would be accommodated in it. Ahmed Patel in the CWC had pulled up Congress leader Anand Sharma on the letter controversy. Though old timers like Mukul Wasnik also spoke their mind. They said that if the letter is objectionable and if there is anything anti-Gandhi, then action can be taken against them. The divide in the Congress is hard reality. The only link between the old and new remains Ahmed Patel. Only thing one will have to wait and see is as to how the difference between the Gang of 23 and Gandhi’s play out in future with AP in the middle. WION knows that AP advised the leaders not to shoot of the letter and speak to Mrs. Gandhi in person on organizational issues.

Congress to hold elections for the post of president: Ahmed Patel

Former Punjab Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, whose name figured in the list of 23 leaders, who demanded an "active, full-time and visible" party president, said on Monday that their communication should not be seen as dissent, but good suggestions were given in party's interest.

Another signatory to the letter, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, however, declined to comment on the party's "internal matters".

Bhattal said that Sonia Gandhi had been made interim president of the Congress last year.

That was less than two years after she voluntarily relinquished the top post in favour of her son Rahul Gandhi who refused to continue as Congress chief (after the 2019 general election defeat), the former Punjab CM said.

After her tenure (as interim chief) came to an end on August 10, Congress had said that Sonia Gandhi will continue in the post till such time a "proper procedure" is implemented in the "not too distant future" to elect a party chief.

"She (Sonia Gandhi) had said that she will continue for one year and her tenure was to come to an end on August 10. Rahul ji had earlier said that he does not want to continue as party chief.

"In light of these things, we had given our suggestions (in the letter). Those who have read the full contents of the letter know that we have praised Sonia Gandhi and her leadership," Bhattal told PTI.

She said that despite the tragedies Sonia Gandhi faced on the personal front -- losing her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi and husband Rajiv Gandhi -- "she moved on and effectively guided the Congress and formed government at the Centre twice".

"Soniaji's leadership is acceptable to all, but we had said that a working group be formed under her which will be directly answerable to her. This was our demand, there is nothing wrong, it was not dissent, it was a suggestion letter, we gave good points to make the party strong," said the senior Congress leader.

On the other hand, when asked about the letter during an informal chat, Hooda replied, "I won't make any comment on the party's internal matters." He, however, said the Congress needs to be strengthened.

The Congress Working Committee on Monday urged Sonia Gandhi to continue as its interim chief till an AICC session can be convened and authorised her to effect necessary organisational changes to deal with the challenges facing the party.

At an over seven-hour long meeting, which took place in the backdrop of more than 20 party leaders seeking an immediate organisational overhaul and a collective leadership, Gandhi is said to have offered to quit but was requested by the party's top decision-making panel with over 50 members to stay on.

Bhattal said, "We had suggested that a working group should be formed under her and an AICC session should be summoned. We always accepted Sonia ji's leadership and never were any question marks raised. We have been well-wishers of the Nehru-Gandhi family, which made sacrifices for the nation's sake."

She said that Sonia Gandhi ran things quite smoothly being at the helm.

"But she had herself said last year that she will be there for one year. It is good that she will continue now," Bhattal said.

Bhattal said assembly elections are due in Punjab in over a year, polls in other states are going to take place in coming months and the suggestions they gave was to strength party for the elections also.

Asked why then there has been criticism to their letter, Bhattal replied: "Sometimes, things get misinterpreted in the media. We all want that Congress should be further strengthened. It is a grand old party which first fought for the country's freedom and then ran the country for all these years. To speak for strengthening the party, I think there is nothing wrong in that."&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Former Punjab Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, whose name figured in the list of 23 leaders, who demanded an "active, full-time and visible" party president, said on Monday that their communication should not be seen as dissent, but good suggestions were given in party's interest.

Former Punjab Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, whose name figured in the list of 23 leaders, who demanded an "active, full-time and visible" party president, said on Monday that their communication should not be seen as dissent, but good suggestions were given in party's interest. Another signatory to the letter, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, however, declined to comment on the party's "internal matters". Bhattal said that Sonia Gandhi had been made interim president of the Congress last year. That was less than two years after she voluntarily relinquished the top post in favour of her son Rahul Gandhi who refused to continue as Congress chief (after the 2019 general election defeat), the former Punjab CM said. After her tenure (as interim chief) came to an end on August 10, Congress had said that Sonia Gandhi will continue in the post till such time a "proper procedure" is implemented in the "not too distant future" to elect a party chief. "She (Sonia Gandhi) had said that she will continue for one year and her tenure was to come to an end on August 10. Rahul ji had earlier said that he does not want to continue as party chief. "In light of these things, we had given our suggestions (in the letter). Those who have read the full contents of the letter know that we have praised Sonia Gandhi and her leadership," Bhattal told PTI. She said that despite the tragedies Sonia Gandhi faced on the personal front -- losing her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi and husband Rajiv Gandhi -- "she moved on and effectively guided the Congress and formed government at the Centre twice". "Soniaji's leadership is acceptable to all, but we had said that a working group be formed under her which will be directly answerable to her. This was our demand, there is nothing wrong, it was not dissent, it was a suggestion letter, we gave good points to make the party strong," said the senior Congress leader. On the other hand, when asked about the letter during an informal chat, Hooda replied, "I won't make any comment on the party's internal matters." He, however, said the Congress needs to be strengthened. The Congress Working Committee on Monday urged Sonia Gandhi to continue as its interim chief till an AICC session can be convened and authorised her to effect necessary organisational changes to deal with the challenges facing the party. At an over seven-hour long meeting, which took place in the backdrop of more than 20 party leaders seeking an immediate organisational overhaul and a collective leadership, Gandhi is said to have offered to quit but was requested by the party's top decision-making panel with over 50 members to stay on. Bhattal said, "We had suggested that a working group should be formed under her and an AICC session should be summoned. We always accepted Sonia ji's leadership and never were any question marks raised. We have been well-wishers of the Nehru-Gandhi family, which made sacrifices for the nation's sake." She said that Sonia Gandhi ran things quite smoothly being at the helm. "But she had herself said last year that she will be there for one year. It is good that she will continue now," Bhattal said. Bhattal said assembly elections are due in Punjab in over a year, polls in other states are going to take place in coming months and the suggestions they gave was to strength party for the elections also. Asked why then there has been criticism to their letter, Bhattal replied: "Sometimes, things get misinterpreted in the media. We all want that Congress should be further strengthened. It is a grand old party which first fought for the country's freedom and then ran the country for all these years. To speak for strengthening the party, I think there is nothing wrong in that."

Letter not dissent, but good suggestions given in Congress's interests: Former Punjab CM

Sonia Gandhi will remain Congress party's interim president for now, new chief to be elected within next six months, said sources as the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting concludes after 7 hours.

According to the sources, a panel has also been formed to help Sonia Gandhi in her day-to-day functioning. An All India Congress Committee (AICC) session will be called within six months.&nbsp;

“Congress is one big family and I don’t hold anything against anyone. But all, especially senior leaders should raise concerns at the party forum only,” Sonia Gandhi said in her concluding remarks at the CWC meeting. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Sonia Gandhi will remain Congress party's interim president for now, new chief to be elected within next six months, said sources as the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting concludes after 7 hours.

Sonia Gandhi will remain Congress party's interim president for now, new chief to be elected within next six months, said sources as the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting concludes after 7 hours. According to the sources, a panel has also been formed to help Sonia Gandhi in her day-to-day functioning. An All India Congress Committee (AICC) session will be called within six months. “Congress is one big family and I don’t hold anything against anyone. But all, especially senior leaders should raise concerns at the party forum only,” Sonia Gandhi said in her concluding remarks at the CWC meeting. (With inputs from agencies)

Sonia Gandhi to remain interim Congress chief for a few more months: Sources

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked a section of the party during the Congress Working Committee meet&nbsp;for going public against the leadership, and charged that the letter seeking leadership changes was written in cahoots with the BJP.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-leadership-crisis-split-wide-open-322596">Also Read:&nbsp;Also Read - Congress leadership crisis: Split wide open</a>

The charge invited sharp rebuttals from former ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal. Azad said he would resign if any such link is established.

In his brief speech at the CWC, Rahul Gandhi also questioned the timing of the letter, which was sent when Sonia Gandhi was hospitalised.

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Rahul Gandhi says “ we are colluding with BJP “ 
 
Succeeded in Rajasthan High Court defending the Congress Party 
 
Defending party in Manipur to bring down BJP Govt. 
 
Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue 
 
Yet “ we are colluding with the BJP “!
— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KapilSibal/status/1297794831096459265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Azad, who is one of the signatories read out the contents of the letter, saying the leaders are not questioning Sonia Gandhi and only wanted organisational reform in the larger interest of the party.

Echoes of the fiery CWC meeting which is underway, were also heard outside with former minister Kapil Sibal, another signatory to the letter, publicly questioning Rahul's accusations of a BJP link to the letter seeking sweeping changes to party organisation and elections to the CWC.

"Rahul Gandhi says 'we are colluding with BJP'. Succeeded in Rajasthan High Court defending the Congress party. Defending party in Manipur to bring down BJP government. Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue. Yet 'we are colluding with the BJP'!," he tweeted.

Earlier addressing the CWC, Rahul Gandhi said Sonia Gandhi had accepted the party presidentship only after the committee last year urged her to take responsibility.

He took on the leaders who went public with their complaints saying, "it is the CWC where we discuss our differences and put out our thoughts, not the media,".

Questioning the timing of Azad's letter, the former Congress chief said the letter was sent when Sonia Gandhi was unwell and was admitted to a hospital and at a time when the Congress was fighting the crisis in Rajasthan. 
&nbsp;

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked a section of the party during the Congress Working Committee meet for going public against the leadership, and charged that the letter seeking leadership changes was written in cahoots with the BJP.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked a section of the party during the Congress Working Committee meet for going public against the leadership, and charged that the letter seeking leadership changes was written in cahoots with the BJP. Also Read: Also Read - Congress leadership crisis: Split wide open The charge invited sharp rebuttals from former ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal. Azad said he would resign if any such link is established. In his brief speech at the CWC, Rahul Gandhi also questioned the timing of the letter, which was sent when Sonia Gandhi was hospitalised. Rahul Gandhi says “ we are colluding with BJP “ Succeeded in Rajasthan High Court defending the Congress Party Defending party in Manipur to bring down BJP Govt. Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue Yet “ we are colluding with the BJP “! — Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) August 24, 2020 × Azad, who is one of the signatories read out the contents of the letter, saying the leaders are not questioning Sonia Gandhi and only wanted organisational reform in the larger interest of the party. Echoes of the fiery CWC meeting which is underway, were also heard outside with former minister Kapil Sibal, another signatory to the letter, publicly questioning Rahul's accusations of a BJP link to the letter seeking sweeping changes to party organisation and elections to the CWC. "Rahul Gandhi says 'we are colluding with BJP'. Succeeded in Rajasthan High Court defending the Congress party. Defending party in Manipur to bring down BJP government. Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue. Yet 'we are colluding with the BJP'!," he tweeted. Earlier addressing the CWC, Rahul Gandhi said Sonia Gandhi had accepted the party presidentship only after the committee last year urged her to take responsibility. He took on the leaders who went public with their complaints saying, "it is the CWC where we discuss our differences and put out our thoughts, not the media,". Questioning the timing of Azad's letter, the former Congress chief said the letter was sent when Sonia Gandhi was unwell and was admitted to a hospital and at a time when the Congress was fighting the crisis in Rajasthan.

Rahul questions timing of letter to Sonia; alleges written in cahoots with BJP

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi during at Congress Working Committee(CWC)&nbsp;meeting today asked the party committee to relieve her as interim party chief even as former prime minister Manmohan Singh urged her to continue, sources said.

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Rahul Gandhi says “ we are colluding with BJP “ 
 
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Defending party in Manipur to bring down BJP Govt. 
 
Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue 
 
Yet “ we are colluding with the BJP “!
— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KapilSibal/status/1297794831096459265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Sonia Gandhi referred to a letter by Ghulam Nabi Azad and others while offering to quit, sources said. Sonia Gandhi handed over the letter to KC Venugopal while replying to the note sent by dissidents. The contents of the letter were read out at the party meeting. Sonia Gandhi asked the party leaders to start the process to select a new party chief.

Rahul Gandhi criticised the letter by some leaders and questioned its timing. After Rahul Gandhi's remarks, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said he will the quit party if found of colluding with the BJP, the sources added.

"Rahul Gandhi says we are colluding with BJP, I have never made a statement in favour of BJP in last 30 years," Congress leader Kapil Sibal said.&nbsp;

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi during at Congress Working Committee(CWC) meeting today asked the party committee to relieve her as interim party chief even as former prime minister Manmohan Singh urged her to continue, sources said.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi during at Congress Working Committee(CWC) meeting today asked the party committee to relieve her as interim party chief even as former prime minister Manmohan Singh urged her to continue, sources said. Rahul Gandhi says “ we are colluding with BJP “ Succeeded in Rajasthan High Court defending the Congress Party Defending party in Manipur to bring down BJP Govt. Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue Yet “ we are colluding with the BJP “! — Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) August 24, 2020 × Sonia Gandhi referred to a letter by Ghulam Nabi Azad and others while offering to quit, sources said. Sonia Gandhi handed over the letter to KC Venugopal while replying to the note sent by dissidents. The contents of the letter were read out at the party meeting. Sonia Gandhi asked the party leaders to start the process to select a new party chief. Rahul Gandhi criticised the letter by some leaders and questioned its timing. After Rahul Gandhi's remarks, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said he will the quit party if found of colluding with the BJP, the sources added. "Rahul Gandhi says we are colluding with BJP, I have never made a statement in favour of BJP in last 30 years," Congress leader Kapil Sibal said.

Rahul Gandhi says we are colluding with BJP, never made a statement in favour of BJP: Kapil Sibal at CWC meeting

The Indian National Congress instead of reinventing itself after its second successive defeat in Lok Sabha election continues to hop from one crisis to another.&nbsp;

On Sunday, interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi offered her resignation to the party so that a new president can be elected.

Sources inside the Congress party confirmed the letter was indeed written to Sonia Gandhi and she too had responded to the letter.&nbsp;

In the very letter, she had suggested that all issues will be discussed within the party forum and the new leader can be elected if everyone is of the opinion.&nbsp;

According to the reports, Sonia Gandhi is not going to continue as Congress President indefinitely. Regardless of pressure on her from party faithfuls to continue, she will only grace the office until a new president is elected. This period, undoubtedly, is going to be very short.

Sources said that it is for the discussion of the grievances Sonia Gandhi had called for a Congress Working Committee meeting on August 24. It is the leak of Sonia Gandhi’s response which has upset Gandhi family.

This comes in the wake three dozen-odd leaders writing to Sonia Gandhi asking her to commence reforms in the Congress. A set of senior leaders is upset at the fact that decisions in the Congress party are being taken without consultations and Rahul Gandhi continues to run the party through the office of KC Venugopal who happens to be the General Secretary Organisation.

The leaders who shot off a letter to Sonia wants the immediate election to the Congress Working Committee but with Sonia Gandhi putting her papers, it will put them on backfoot. Sonia Gandhi as the Congress President in this period had closely aligned the party with ideas of Rahul Gandhi. Whether it personal and upfront attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on political and security issues to getting KC Venugopal and Rajiv Satav a seat in Rajya Sabha, Sonia Gandhi has supported decisions of Rahul Gandhi. This is being resented by a large majority of leaders that Rahul Gandhi instead of taking everyone along has chosen a set of people to run the party without consultation.

Gandhi camp, on the other hand, feel that letter is a ruse for bargaining for positions within the party. It is suspected that discussion may start from functioning from at the top but concrete compromise may each on important positions like General Secretary Organisation or head of the media department.

Gandhi camp also feels that the crisis is created and not natural. The Opposite camp feels that the party is not been run properly and requires greater participation from all sides rather than being run by a few people. Though sources feel that Sonia’s gesture to put in her paper would be immediately rejected by the seniors in the group who feel that in her absence Rahul’s takeover would become imminent.

The Indian National Congress instead of reinventing itself after its second successive defeat in Lok Sabha election continues to hop from one crisis to another. On Sunday, interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi offered her resignation to the party so that a new president can be elected.

The Indian National Congress instead of reinventing itself after its second successive defeat in Lok Sabha election continues to hop from one crisis to another. On Sunday, interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi offered her resignation to the party so that a new president can be elected. Sources inside the Congress party confirmed the letter was indeed written to Sonia Gandhi and she too had responded to the letter. In the very letter, she had suggested that all issues will be discussed within the party forum and the new leader can be elected if everyone is of the opinion. According to the reports, Sonia Gandhi is not going to continue as Congress President indefinitely. Regardless of pressure on her from party faithfuls to continue, she will only grace the office until a new president is elected. This period, undoubtedly, is going to be very short. Sources said that it is for the discussion of the grievances Sonia Gandhi had called for a Congress Working Committee meeting on August 24. It is the leak of Sonia Gandhi’s response which has upset Gandhi family. This comes in the wake three dozen-odd leaders writing to Sonia Gandhi asking her to commence reforms in the Congress. A set of senior leaders is upset at the fact that decisions in the Congress party are being taken without consultations and Rahul Gandhi continues to run the party through the office of KC Venugopal who happens to be the General Secretary Organisation. The leaders who shot off a letter to Sonia wants the immediate election to the Congress Working Committee but with Sonia Gandhi putting her papers, it will put them on backfoot. Sonia Gandhi as the Congress President in this period had closely aligned the party with ideas of Rahul Gandhi. Whether it personal and upfront attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on political and security issues to getting KC Venugopal and Rajiv Satav a seat in Rajya Sabha, Sonia Gandhi has supported decisions of Rahul Gandhi. This is being resented by a large majority of leaders that Rahul Gandhi instead of taking everyone along has chosen a set of people to run the party without consultation. Gandhi camp, on the other hand, feel that letter is a ruse for bargaining for positions within the party. It is suspected that discussion may start from functioning from at the top but concrete compromise may each on important positions like General Secretary Organisation or head of the media department. Gandhi camp also feels that the crisis is created and not natural. The Opposite camp feels that the party is not been run properly and requires greater participation from all sides rather than being run by a few people. Though sources feel that Sonia’s gesture to put in her paper would be immediately rejected by the seniors in the group who feel that in her absence Rahul’s takeover would become imminent.

Congress leadership crisis: Split wide open

Congress's interim chief Sonia Gandhi has told her aides that she would step down from the party's top post, sources said

Sonia Gandhi may step down as interim Congress chief | Indian Political Party | WION

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said that she does not want to carry out the responsibilities of party chief anymore.

Reports citing top party sources claimed that Sonia responded to the letter written to her by over 100 party colleagues, seeking an overhaul of the Congress organization. In her response, she reportedly said they should "get together and elect a new party chief".

Sonia Gandhi was appointed for a one-year interim period in August last year. The decision on her exit from the party's topmost position would reportedly be finalised at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting scheduled tomorrow.

Earlier, ahead of the Congress Working Committee meeting on Monday, different voices have emerged within the party with one section comprising sitting MPs and former ministers demanding collective leadership, while another group has sought the return of Rahul Gandhi to the helm.

While two dozen Congress leaders including some ex-ministers have written to party president Sonia Gandhi for an overhaul of the organizational structure and changes to the leadership, some leaders close to Rahul have also written to the CWC pressing for the Gandhi scion's return as chief.

The letter by former ministers and some MPs was believed to have been written a few weeks ago and sets the stage for a stormy CWC meeting where issues flagged by dissenters are expected to be discussed and debated.

These leaders have called for bringing changes in the organization by effecting reforms through decentralisation of power and empowerment of state units besides setting up of the Central Parliamentary Board, a body that existed in the party in the 1970s but was later wound up.

The letter in question has also stressed collective decision-making with the Gandhi family as its "integral part."

They have also called for the appointment of a full-time leadership which is active and which can be easily contacted by workers and leaders.

(With inputs from PTI)

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said that she does not want to carry out the responsibilities of party chief anymore. Reports citing top party sources claimed that Sonia responded to the letter written to her by over 100 party colleagues, seeking an overhaul of the Congress organization.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said that she does not want to carry out the responsibilities of party chief anymore. Reports citing top party sources claimed that Sonia responded to the letter written to her by over 100 party colleagues, seeking an overhaul of the Congress organization. In her response, she reportedly said they should "get together and elect a new party chief". Sonia Gandhi was appointed for a one-year interim period in August last year. The decision on her exit from the party's topmost position would reportedly be finalised at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting scheduled tomorrow. Earlier, ahead of the Congress Working Committee meeting on Monday, different voices have emerged within the party with one section comprising sitting MPs and former ministers demanding collective leadership, while another group has sought the return of Rahul Gandhi to the helm. While two dozen Congress leaders including some ex-ministers have written to party president Sonia Gandhi for an overhaul of the organizational structure and changes to the leadership, some leaders close to Rahul have also written to the CWC pressing for the Gandhi scion's return as chief. The letter by former ministers and some MPs was believed to have been written a few weeks ago and sets the stage for a stormy CWC meeting where issues flagged by dissenters are expected to be discussed and debated. These leaders have called for bringing changes in the organization by effecting reforms through decentralisation of power and empowerment of state units besides setting up of the Central Parliamentary Board, a body that existed in the party in the 1970s but was later wound up. The letter in question has also stressed collective decision-making with the Gandhi family as its "integral part." They have also called for the appointment of a full-time leadership which is active and which can be easily contacted by workers and leaders. (With inputs from PTI)

Sonia Gandhi to quit Congress President post, final decision at CWC meeting tomorrow: Reports

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

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

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

Congress at crossroads again

An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation along the India-China border on Friday saw leaders of major political parties putting across their views on the sensitive issue.

The virtual meeting began with participants paying tributes to the 20 Indian soldiers killed in the violent face-off with Chinese troops in East Ladakh earlier this week.

Prime Minister Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar were seen standing in silence as a mark of respect for the fallen army men.

Singh and Jaishankar spoke on the stand-off at the meeting.

The government had invited presidents of major political parties for the meet.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have been asking the government to be transparent about the situation on the border and slammed its handling of the issue.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, to this end, asked the government whether there was any intelligence failure on the situation, and sought an assurance from the prime minister that status quo ante would be restored at the border and China will revert to its original position.

She posed a set of questions to the government, asking specifics about when Chinese troops intruded into the Indian territory in Ladakh and whether the country's external intelligence agencies did not report any unusual activity there.

"The question is, what next? What is the way forward? The entire country would like an assurance that the status quo ante would be restored and China will revert to the original position on the Line of Actual Control," she said.

Gandhi alleged that valuable time was lost between May 5 and June 6 and the government failed to use all avenues of talks to ease the situation and the result was the loss of 20 lives as well as injury to dozens of personnel.

She also asked about the current status of the Mountain Strike Corps, with two mountain infantry divisions, that was sanctioned in 2013. "Should the government not treat it with utmost priority," she asked.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, on her part, said India should not allow entry of Chinese firms in telecom, railway, and aviation sectors.

Apart from them, BJP chief J P Nadda, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, TRS leader K Chandrashekhar Rao, JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar, DMK's M K Stalin, YSR Congress Party's YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray were among those who attended the meeting.

(with inputs from PTI)

An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation along the India-China border on Friday saw leaders of major political parties putting across their views on the sensitive issue.

An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation along the India-China border on Friday saw leaders of major political parties putting across their views on the sensitive issue. The virtual meeting began with participants paying tributes to the 20 Indian soldiers killed in the violent face-off with Chinese troops in East Ladakh earlier this week. Prime Minister Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar were seen standing in silence as a mark of respect for the fallen army men. Singh and Jaishankar spoke on the stand-off at the meeting. The government had invited presidents of major political parties for the meet. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have been asking the government to be transparent about the situation on the border and slammed its handling of the issue. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, to this end, asked the government whether there was any intelligence failure on the situation, and sought an assurance from the prime minister that status quo ante would be restored at the border and China will revert to its original position. She posed a set of questions to the government, asking specifics about when Chinese troops intruded into the Indian territory in Ladakh and whether the country's external intelligence agencies did not report any unusual activity there. "The question is, what next? What is the way forward? The entire country would like an assurance that the status quo ante would be restored and China will revert to the original position on the Line of Actual Control," she said. Gandhi alleged that valuable time was lost between May 5 and June 6 and the government failed to use all avenues of talks to ease the situation and the result was the loss of 20 lives as well as injury to dozens of personnel. She also asked about the current status of the Mountain Strike Corps, with two mountain infantry divisions, that was sanctioned in 2013. "Should the government not treat it with utmost priority," she asked. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, on her part, said India should not allow entry of Chinese firms in telecom, railway, and aviation sectors. Apart from them, BJP chief J P Nadda, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, TRS leader K Chandrashekhar Rao, JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar, DMK's M K Stalin, YSR Congress Party's YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray were among those who attended the meeting. (with inputs from PTI)

All party meeting discusses border tension with China; Sonia Gandhi criticises govt

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

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

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

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

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Monday said that her party will bear the cost for rail travel of every needy migrant worker and labourer to their respective home towns during the lockdown.

She said that Congress had taken the decision as the Centre and Rail Ministry had completely ignored party's repeated requests to ensure provisions of "safe and free rail travel of migrant workers and labourers to their home-towns."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lockdown-30-till-may-17-what-is-prohibited-and-what-will-be-allowed-296478" hreflang="en">Lockdown 3.0 till May 17: What is prohibited and what will be allowed</a>

"Indian National Congress has taken a decision that every Pradesh Congress Committee shall bear the cost for the rail travel of every needy worker and migrant labourer and shall take necessary steps in this regard. This will be the Indian National Congress' humble contribution in service of our compatriots and to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with them," a statement issued by the Congress interim President read.

<img alt="congress" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="eff85e07-dff2-4517-b20f-e3d90ae0a3d8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/EXI_deiU4AAIMgW.jpg" />

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-railways-issues-guidelines-for-shramik-special-trains-296353" hreflang="en">Indian Railways issues guidelines for 'shramik special trains'</a>

She stressed upon the importance of workers terming them "ambassadors of our nation`s growth" and alleged "when the Rail Ministry has the largesse to donate Rs. 151 Crores to the PM's Corona fund, then why can`t these essential members of our nation`s fabric be given a fraction of the same courtesy, especially free rail travel, at this hour of acute distress?"

"Our workers and labourers form the backbone of our economy. Their hard work andsacrifice are the foundation of our nation," the statement read.

She equated the lockdown phase with that of post-partition and said, "Post the partition of 1947, this is the first time India witnessed a tragedy with such a massive human cost as thousands of migrant workers and labourers were forced to walk home several hundred kilometres on foot- without food, without medicines, without money, without transportation, without anything except for the desire to return to their families and loved ones."

On March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a 21-day lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The lockdown was later extended till May 3 and then for another two weeks till May 17.

In an order issued on May 1, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allowed the movement of migrant workers, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places through special trains.

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Monday said that her party will bear the cost for rail travel of every needy migrant worker and labourer to their respective home towns during the lockdown.

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on Monday said that her party will bear the cost for rail travel of every needy migrant worker and labourer to their respective home towns during the lockdown. She said that Congress had taken the decision as the Centre and Rail Ministry had completely ignored party's repeated requests to ensure provisions of "safe and free rail travel of migrant workers and labourers to their home-towns." Also read: Lockdown 3.0 till May 17: What is prohibited and what will be allowed "Indian National Congress has taken a decision that every Pradesh Congress Committee shall bear the cost for the rail travel of every needy worker and migrant labourer and shall take necessary steps in this regard. This will be the Indian National Congress' humble contribution in service of our compatriots and to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with them," a statement issued by the Congress interim President read. Also read: Indian Railways issues guidelines for 'shramik special trains' She stressed upon the importance of workers terming them "ambassadors of our nation`s growth" and alleged "when the Rail Ministry has the largesse to donate Rs. 151 Crores to the PM's Corona fund, then why can`t these essential members of our nation`s fabric be given a fraction of the same courtesy, especially free rail travel, at this hour of acute distress?" "Our workers and labourers form the backbone of our economy. Their hard work andsacrifice are the foundation of our nation," the statement read. She equated the lockdown phase with that of post-partition and said, "Post the partition of 1947, this is the first time India witnessed a tragedy with such a massive human cost as thousands of migrant workers and labourers were forced to walk home several hundred kilometres on foot- without food, without medicines, without money, without transportation, without anything except for the desire to return to their families and loved ones." On March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a 21-day lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown was later extended till May 3 and then for another two weeks till May 17. In an order issued on May 1, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allowed the movement of migrant workers, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places through special trains.

Congress to pay for rail tickets of every needy migrant worker amid lockdown: Sonia Gandhi

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a financial package for MSME sector.&nbsp;

''If ignored, MSME crisis has the potential of having a devastating and expansive ripple effect on our economy,'' the Congress president said in her letter.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Congress President Sonia Gandhi writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the grave economic crisis facing the nation. She reiterated the concerns of MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) &amp; suggested five concrete ideas for redressal: Congress. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> <a href="https://t.co/XPVTHvjDOS">pic.twitter.com/XPVTHvjDOS</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1254016024585830401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Congress party has sought Rs 1 lakh crore 'MSME Wage Protection' package, credit guarantee of an equivalent amount, along with 24X7 helpline to guide them, according to the letter.

Every single day of the lockdown comes at a cost of Rs 30,000 crore to the sector, she said and added, all MSMEs have lost sales orders, and seen a complete cessation of their work.&nbsp;

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a financial package for MSME sector. ''If ignored, MSME crisis has the potential of having a devastating and expansive ripple effect on our economy,'' the Congress president said in her letter.

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a financial package for MSME sector. ''If ignored, MSME crisis has the potential of having a devastating and expansive ripple effect on our economy,'' the Congress president said in her letter. Congress President Sonia Gandhi writes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the grave economic crisis facing the nation. She reiterated the concerns of MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) & suggested five concrete ideas for redressal: Congress. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/XPVTHvjDOS — ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2020 × Congress party has sought Rs 1 lakh crore 'MSME Wage Protection' package, credit guarantee of an equivalent amount, along with 24X7 helpline to guide them, according to the letter. Every single day of the lockdown comes at a cost of Rs 30,000 crore to the sector, she said and added, all MSMEs have lost sales orders, and seen a complete cessation of their work.

Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi, seeks financial package for MSME sector

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

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

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

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

Sonia Gandhi on Thursday accused the BJP of spreading the virus of communal prejudice and hatred in the country. She believes that&nbsp;grave damage is being done to social harmony, and her party will have to work hard to repair this damage.

Sonia Gandhi was addressing a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) -- which&nbsp;saw attendance of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and top Congress leaders through video conference. This is the second time the Congress' top decision-making body, is meeting through video-conferencing in since the lockdown was enforced to contain the coronavirus threat. 
 
"Let me also share with you something that should worry each and every one of us as Indians. When we should be tackling the coronavirus unitedly, the BJP continues to spread the virus of communal prejudice and hatred," she said.

"We have repeatedly urged PM there is no alternative to testing, tracing and quarantine. Unfortunately, testing still remains low, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chinas-faulty-test-kits-deal-a-body-blow-to-indias-fight-against-wuhan-virus-293858">testing kits</a> still in short supply," she noted.

Talking about how she has written several times to the Prime Minister, Gandhi asked the central government to increase the testing for coronavirus, and expressed concern over the rapidly increasing number of positive cases since the past three weeks. She also said she has suggested&nbsp;several measures and constructive cooperation to the central government.

"Unfortunately, they have been acted upon only partially and in a miserly way. The compassion, large-heartedness and alacrity that should be forthcoming from the central government is conspicuous by its absence," she said.

Claiming that around 12 crore people have lost jobs due to the the lockdown, she asked the government to provide food and financial security to the jobless and the the migrants who are stranded far from homes. She also urged the government to provide a relief package for the MSME sector.

"The central government does not appear to have a clear idea on how the situation will be managed after May 03. A lockdown of the present nature after that date would be even more devastating," she said.

Former prime Minister Manmohan Singh said proper cooperation between the Centre and states is necessary to fight this pandemic. However, he added that the success of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/indias-growth-will-drop-to-05-per-cent-this-year-says-imf-chief-economist-gita-gopinath-294062">the lockdown will be judged finally on India's ability to tackle COVID-19</a>.&nbsp;

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said unless the central government comes forward to financially help states, the fight against COVID-19 will get weakened. "Unless there is a big financial package for states, how will normalcy return to states post lockdown," he asked.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel added that the fight against COVID-19 cannot be won&nbsp;unless the Centre rises to the occasion and provides financial assistance to states.

Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy claimed the Union government has not given any assistance to the states. and saisd, "We are not enemies but have to act and work together."

Gandhi said trade, commerce and industry have come to a virtual halt and crores of livelihoods have been destroyed. She told her party to focus on successfully engaging with health, food security and livelihood issues.&nbsp;The fight against COVID-19 would very much depend upon the availability of resources, he noted.

Sonia Gandhi on Thursday accused the BJP of spreading the virus of communal prejudice and hatred in the country. She believes that grave damage is being done to social harmony, and her party will have to work hard to repair this damage.

Sonia Gandhi on Thursday accused the BJP of spreading the virus of communal prejudice and hatred in the country. She believes that grave damage is being done to social harmony, and her party will have to work hard to repair this damage. Sonia Gandhi was addressing a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) -- which saw attendance of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and top Congress leaders through video conference. This is the second time the Congress' top decision-making body, is meeting through video-conferencing in since the lockdown was enforced to contain the coronavirus threat. "Let me also share with you something that should worry each and every one of us as Indians. When we should be tackling the coronavirus unitedly, the BJP continues to spread the virus of communal prejudice and hatred," she said. "We have repeatedly urged PM there is no alternative to testing, tracing and quarantine. Unfortunately, testing still remains low, testing kits still in short supply," she noted. Talking about how she has written several times to the Prime Minister, Gandhi asked the central government to increase the testing for coronavirus, and expressed concern over the rapidly increasing number of positive cases since the past three weeks. She also said she has suggested several measures and constructive cooperation to the central government. "Unfortunately, they have been acted upon only partially and in a miserly way. The compassion, large-heartedness and alacrity that should be forthcoming from the central government is conspicuous by its absence," she said. Claiming that around 12 crore people have lost jobs due to the the lockdown, she asked the government to provide food and financial security to the jobless and the the migrants who are stranded far from homes. She also urged the government to provide a relief package for the MSME sector. "The central government does not appear to have a clear idea on how the situation will be managed after May 03. A lockdown of the present nature after that date would be even more devastating," she said. Former prime Minister Manmohan Singh said proper cooperation between the Centre and states is necessary to fight this pandemic. However, he added that the success of the lockdown will be judged finally on India's ability to tackle COVID-19. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said unless the central government comes forward to financially help states, the fight against COVID-19 will get weakened. "Unless there is a big financial package for states, how will normalcy return to states post lockdown," he asked. Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel added that the fight against COVID-19 cannot be won unless the Centre rises to the occasion and provides financial assistance to states. Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy claimed the Union government has not given any assistance to the states. and saisd, "We are not enemies but have to act and work together." Gandhi said trade, commerce and industry have come to a virtual halt and crores of livelihoods have been destroyed. She told her party to focus on successfully engaging with health, food security and livelihood issues. The fight against COVID-19 would very much depend upon the availability of resources, he noted.

Coronavirus: Sonia Gandhi urges government to provide relief package for MSME sector

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday sought to assure people of her party's support amid the corona-led crisis and expressed confidence that with a strong morale, the country will emerge victorious against the crisis very soon.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-pm-modi-extends-indias-lockdown-till-may-3-economic-activities-to-resume-partially-292346" hreflang="en">Live: PM extends lockdown till May 3, economic activities to resume partially</a>

In a video message released by the party, the Congress president urged countrymen to stay indoors, be safe and observe the lockdown stipulations, saying it will not be possible to win this battle without everyone's support.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/coronavirus-india-sees-1211-cases-in-24-hours-total-tally-at-10363-292368" hreflang="en">Coronavirus: India sees 1,211 cases in 24 hours; total tally at 10,363</a>

The message by the Congress president came shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to address the nation to chart out the next course of action after the 21-day lockdown, which is to end on Tuesday midnight.

Gandhi also thanked people for maintaining peace and patience while staying indoors and adhering to the lockdown stipulations.

"Today, when the country is fighting such a big battle, every Congress worker understands his responsibility and is always ready to help every warrior in this fight.

"Anyone can ask for our support at the state level or at the central control room and every Congress worker will support you," she said.

The Congress chief also sought to assure people of her party's support in fighting the anti-corona battle in these trying times.

"I assure you that whether the Congress party is in power or in opposition, we will stand by you anywhere in this battle. I am confident that, with a high morale, we will emerge from this crisis very soon. You stay at home and be safe," she said in her video message in Hindi.

"Today, your support in dealing with the crisis due to coronavirus is no less patriotism. The country is able to fight this virus only because of your help and support. I do not have words to thank you," she said.

Gandhi told countrymen that our warriors are working hard, day and night, in helping fight this battle and win over it, despite the shortage of personal protection equipment.

These warriors, she said, include doctors, health workers and NGOs.

Sanitation workers, police personnel and government officers too are working hard and round the clock to control the deadly virus, she added.

"This fight will weaken without your support, and we should not allow this to happen.

"At some place, I hear reports about ill-treatment meted out to doctors. This is wrong. Our culture and tradition does not allow this and we should support them," she said.

She also lauded the work done by some people at individual level in supporting the poor in providing them food, ration and sanitisers.

"Every Indian is unitedly fighting this battle and fulfilling his or her duty," she said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday sought to assure people of her party's support amid the corona-led crisis and expressed confidence that with a strong morale, the country will emerge victorious against the crisis very soon.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday sought to assure people of her party's support amid the corona-led crisis and expressed confidence that with a strong morale, the country will emerge victorious against the crisis very soon. Also read: Live: PM extends lockdown till May 3, economic activities to resume partially In a video message released by the party, the Congress president urged countrymen to stay indoors, be safe and observe the lockdown stipulations, saying it will not be possible to win this battle without everyone's support. Also read: Coronavirus: India sees 1,211 cases in 24 hours; total tally at 10,363 The message by the Congress president came shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to address the nation to chart out the next course of action after the 21-day lockdown, which is to end on Tuesday midnight. Gandhi also thanked people for maintaining peace and patience while staying indoors and adhering to the lockdown stipulations. "Today, when the country is fighting such a big battle, every Congress worker understands his responsibility and is always ready to help every warrior in this fight. "Anyone can ask for our support at the state level or at the central control room and every Congress worker will support you," she said. The Congress chief also sought to assure people of her party's support in fighting the anti-corona battle in these trying times. "I assure you that whether the Congress party is in power or in opposition, we will stand by you anywhere in this battle. I am confident that, with a high morale, we will emerge from this crisis very soon. You stay at home and be safe," she said in her video message in Hindi. "Today, your support in dealing with the crisis due to coronavirus is no less patriotism. The country is able to fight this virus only because of your help and support. I do not have words to thank you," she said. Gandhi told countrymen that our warriors are working hard, day and night, in helping fight this battle and win over it, despite the shortage of personal protection equipment. These warriors, she said, include doctors, health workers and NGOs. Sanitation workers, police personnel and government officers too are working hard and round the clock to control the deadly virus, she added. "This fight will weaken without your support, and we should not allow this to happen. "At some place, I hear reports about ill-treatment meted out to doctors. This is wrong. Our culture and tradition does not allow this and we should support them," she said. She also lauded the work done by some people at individual level in supporting the poor in providing them food, ration and sanitisers. "Every Indian is unitedly fighting this battle and fulfilling his or her duty," she said.

Whether in power or not, Congress will help people fight against COVID-19: Sonia Gandhi

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting five measures to save money for the fight against COVID-19, including suspension of Central Vista beautification project and complete ban on media advertisements by government for two years.

She also called for putting on hold foreign visits by the President, Vice president and Union ministers as well as chief ministers of states and bureaucrats, and slashing the government's expenditure budget, other than salaries, pensions and central sector schemes, by 30 per cent.

The suggestions came after Modi reached out to several opposition leaders, including Gandhi, on Monday and sought suggestions from them in fighting the fast-spreading coronavirus, which has claimed at least 114 lives and infected over 4,400 people in the country.

"Austerity measures which can be used to divert much-needed funds to the fight against COVID-19 are the need of the hour. In this spirit, I am writing to offer five concrete suggestions. I am certain you will find value in them," Gandhi said in her letter to the prime minister.

She assured the prime minister of unwavering support of the Congress in meeting the grave challenge of COVID- 19 facing the country.

"Impose a complete ban on media advertisements -- television, print and online -- by the Government and Public Sectors Undertakings (PSU's) for a period of two years. The only exceptions should be advisories for COVID-19 or for issues relating to public health," she said.

Gandhi said the central government currently spends Rs 1,250 crore per year on media advertisements, she said, adding that this will free up a substantial amount to alleviate the economic and social impacts of the virus outbreak.

"Suspend the Rs 20,000 crore 'Central Vista' beautification and construction project forthwith. At a time like this, such an outlay seems self-indulgent to say the least. I am certain that Parliament can function comfortably within the existing historical buildings," Gandhi told Modi.

There is no urgent or pressing requirement that cannot be postponed until this crisis is contained, she noted.

Gandhi said every Indian has made personal sacrifices to fight this disease, but "it is time that the Legislature and the Executive reciprocate this trust and good faith".

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had yesterday said, "I have welcomed the MPs' pay cut by 30 pc for a year. I also think the Rs 25,000 crore new Parliament building construction should be postponed for a year too."

The Congress president said this sum could instead be allocated towards constructing new hospital infrastructure and diagnostics along with equipping our frontline workers with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) gears and facilities.

She also called for transferring all money under the 'PM Cares' fund to the 'Prime Minister's National Relief Fund' to ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability.

These funds, plus the amount in PM-Cares can be utilised to ensure an immediate food security net for those at the very margins of society.

Gandhi said by reducing 30 per cent expenditure of the Centre, it will yield around Rs 2.5 lakh crore per year which can be allocated towards establishing an economic safety net for migrant workers, labourers, farmers, MSMEs and those in the unorganised sector.

She said an amount of Rs 393 crore was spent for just the Prime Minister and Union Cabinet members' trips in the last five years and the amount can be utilised extensively in measures to combat COVID-19.

She, however, said exceptions on foreign visits can be made in case of special exigencies in national interest to be cleared by the prime minister.

The Union cabinet on Monday decided to cut 30 per cent salary of all MPs for one year and divert MPLADS funds for two years to fund the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The President, the Vice President, governors of states have also voluntarily decided to take a pay cut as a social responsibility.&nbsp;

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting five measures to save money for the fight against COVID-19, including suspension of Central Vista beautification project and complete ban on media advertisements by government for two years.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting five measures to save money for the fight against COVID-19, including suspension of Central Vista beautification project and complete ban on media advertisements by government for two years. She also called for putting on hold foreign visits by the President, Vice president and Union ministers as well as chief ministers of states and bureaucrats, and slashing the government's expenditure budget, other than salaries, pensions and central sector schemes, by 30 per cent. The suggestions came after Modi reached out to several opposition leaders, including Gandhi, on Monday and sought suggestions from them in fighting the fast-spreading coronavirus, which has claimed at least 114 lives and infected over 4,400 people in the country. "Austerity measures which can be used to divert much-needed funds to the fight against COVID-19 are the need of the hour. In this spirit, I am writing to offer five concrete suggestions. I am certain you will find value in them," Gandhi said in her letter to the prime minister. She assured the prime minister of unwavering support of the Congress in meeting the grave challenge of COVID- 19 facing the country. "Impose a complete ban on media advertisements -- television, print and online -- by the Government and Public Sectors Undertakings (PSU's) for a period of two years. The only exceptions should be advisories for COVID-19 or for issues relating to public health," she said. Gandhi said the central government currently spends Rs 1,250 crore per year on media advertisements, she said, adding that this will free up a substantial amount to alleviate the economic and social impacts of the virus outbreak. "Suspend the Rs 20,000 crore 'Central Vista' beautification and construction project forthwith. At a time like this, such an outlay seems self-indulgent to say the least. I am certain that Parliament can function comfortably within the existing historical buildings," Gandhi told Modi. There is no urgent or pressing requirement that cannot be postponed until this crisis is contained, she noted. Gandhi said every Indian has made personal sacrifices to fight this disease, but "it is time that the Legislature and the Executive reciprocate this trust and good faith". BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had yesterday said, "I have welcomed the MPs' pay cut by 30 pc for a year. I also think the Rs 25,000 crore new Parliament building construction should be postponed for a year too." The Congress president said this sum could instead be allocated towards constructing new hospital infrastructure and diagnostics along with equipping our frontline workers with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) gears and facilities. She also called for transferring all money under the 'PM Cares' fund to the 'Prime Minister's National Relief Fund' to ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability. These funds, plus the amount in PM-Cares can be utilised to ensure an immediate food security net for those at the very margins of society. Gandhi said by reducing 30 per cent expenditure of the Centre, it will yield around Rs 2.5 lakh crore per year which can be allocated towards establishing an economic safety net for migrant workers, labourers, farmers, MSMEs and those in the unorganised sector. She said an amount of Rs 393 crore was spent for just the Prime Minister and Union Cabinet members' trips in the last five years and the amount can be utilised extensively in measures to combat COVID-19. She, however, said exceptions on foreign visits can be made in case of special exigencies in national interest to be cleared by the prime minister. The Union cabinet on Monday decided to cut 30 per cent salary of all MPs for one year and divert MPLADS funds for two years to fund the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The President, the Vice President, governors of states have also voluntarily decided to take a pay cut as a social responsibility.

Suspend Central Vista project, stop media advts to save money to fight COVID-19: Sonia Gandhi to PM Modi

In the wake of coronavirus spread, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to opposition leaders including former President Pranab Mukherjee and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday. The PM called the opposition leaders and held a discussion on coronavirus which is spreading rapidly in the country.

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He also called up leaders of various political parties like Sonia Gandhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik, K Chandrashekar Rao, MK Stalin and Parkash Singh Badal. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Coronavirus</a> <a href="https://t.co/V7hL8FIh5F">https://t.co/V7hL8FIh5F</a>
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Among others, PM Modi also spoke to leaders of various political parties, including, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav; West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee; Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik. &nbsp;The chief minister of Telangana Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana Rashtra Samithi), President of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's MK Stalin and Shiromani Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal were also among the list.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus case in India rose to 3,374 on Sunday, according to the data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Out of these cases, 3030 are active cases, 267 have been cured or discharged while 77 others have succumbed to the deadly virus.

Meanwhile, in a bid to see whether the coronavirus is getting transmitted in the hotspot areas, ICMR has set a fresh protocol for healthcare workers to start with a rapid antibody-based blood test for COVID-19.

The top medical research body has framed a newer strategy for areas reporting in clusters (containment zone), in large migration gatherings and evacuee's centres, where a large number of COVID-19 cases are arising. ICMR stated that cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) are to be monitored in health facilities.&nbsp;

Any surge in cases are to be monitored and brought to the notice of surveillance officer or chief medical officer for additional investigation.

In the wake of coronavirus spread, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to opposition leaders including former President Pranab Mukherjee and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday.

In the wake of coronavirus spread, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to opposition leaders including former President Pranab Mukherjee and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday. The PM called the opposition leaders and held a discussion on coronavirus which is spreading rapidly in the country. He also called up leaders of various political parties like Sonia Gandhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik, K Chandrashekar Rao, MK Stalin and Parkash Singh Badal. #Coronavirus https://t.co/V7hL8FIh5F — ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2020 × Among others, PM Modi also spoke to leaders of various political parties, including, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav; West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee; Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik. The chief minister of Telangana Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana Rashtra Samithi), President of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's MK Stalin and Shiromani Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal were also among the list. The total number of confirmed coronavirus case in India rose to 3,374 on Sunday, according to the data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Out of these cases, 3030 are active cases, 267 have been cured or discharged while 77 others have succumbed to the deadly virus. Meanwhile, in a bid to see whether the coronavirus is getting transmitted in the hotspot areas, ICMR has set a fresh protocol for healthcare workers to start with a rapid antibody-based blood test for COVID-19. The top medical research body has framed a newer strategy for areas reporting in clusters (containment zone), in large migration gatherings and evacuee's centres, where a large number of COVID-19 cases are arising. ICMR stated that cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) are to be monitored in health facilities. Any surge in cases are to be monitored and brought to the notice of surveillance officer or chief medical officer for additional investigation.

Prime Minister Modi dials Sonia Gandhi, former presidents and PM amid COVID-19 spread

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking advance payment of 21 days' wages to MGNREGA workers across the country to help them tide over the present crisis due to coronavirus lockdown.

In her letter to the prime minister, Gandhi said a large number of rural poor are without work and around 8 crore MGNREGA workers are devoid of an alternative source of income due to the countrywide lockdown, thus, they should be paid money in advance to tide over the current crisis.

"Given the urgency of providing income support to the rural poor, due to lost wages, the government may consider immediate advance payment of wages for 21 days to registered and active MGNREGA workers," she said.

The Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson said the advance wages may be adjusted against the work to be done by the workers, once MGNREGA sites are opened up.

"I request you to take immediate action and extend support to nearly eight crore rural workers in the country," she said.

Gandhi said since its inception, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been a critical lifeline for the rural poor, particularly during periods of chronic economic distress.

She noted that lakhs of agricultural workers have been left unemployed during the crucial harvesting season.

Devoid of an alternative source of income, she said an increasingly large number of the rural poor are expected to demand work under MGNREGA.

However, social distancing norms have rendered all works unfeasible during the lockdown, she said, adding that even when the MGNREGA works commence the workers would be paid after a month thereafter to get their wages.&nbsp;

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking advance payment of 21 days' wages to MGNREGA workers across the country to help them tide over the present crisis due to coronavirus lockdown.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking advance payment of 21 days' wages to MGNREGA workers across the country to help them tide over the present crisis due to coronavirus lockdown. In her letter to the prime minister, Gandhi said a large number of rural poor are without work and around 8 crore MGNREGA workers are devoid of an alternative source of income due to the countrywide lockdown, thus, they should be paid money in advance to tide over the current crisis. "Given the urgency of providing income support to the rural poor, due to lost wages, the government may consider immediate advance payment of wages for 21 days to registered and active MGNREGA workers," she said. The Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson said the advance wages may be adjusted against the work to be done by the workers, once MGNREGA sites are opened up. "I request you to take immediate action and extend support to nearly eight crore rural workers in the country," she said. Gandhi said since its inception, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been a critical lifeline for the rural poor, particularly during periods of chronic economic distress. She noted that lakhs of agricultural workers have been left unemployed during the crucial harvesting season. Devoid of an alternative source of income, she said an increasingly large number of the rural poor are expected to demand work under MGNREGA. However, social distancing norms have rendered all works unfeasible during the lockdown, she said, adding that even when the MGNREGA works commence the workers would be paid after a month thereafter to get their wages.

Sonia Gandhi asks PM to give 21 days' wages in advance to MGNREGA workers

Former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s resignation from the Congress Party should not be seen in isolation. It is a result of a massive power struggle within the Congress Party.&nbsp;

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is trying to make a comeback and reasserting himself in the organization. It would be foolhardy to think that Scindia left the Congress because he was denied a Rajya Sabha seat.&nbsp;

The controversy over nomination was an immediate factor for his exit but the real issue remains the tussle within the Congress Party for the top job.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Rahul Gandhi expected every senior leader whom he made the minister in UPA-2 to resign and create grounds swell for him after his resignation.&nbsp;

The expected popular upsurge never happened in the party. Those who resigned did so for personal reasons. Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned because he understood that Congress has no future in Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he was appointed General Secretary Incharge of Uttar Pradesh (west), where Congress party lost all the seats.&nbsp;

In Lok Sabha polls, Scindia also lost the party bastion of Guna in Madhya Pradesh to Bharatiya Janata Party's Krishna Pal Yadav.

Many other leaders like Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora also fell out with&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi.

A lot of second-line leaders felt that the party should organise an election for the president’s position and Congress Working Committee. They did not realise that Rahul Gandhi took it as a personal betrayal. This led to the collapse of communication between Scindia and Gandhi, which left him with no choice but to make his own way out of the party.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Despite public abdication, Rahul’s role has remained all-pervasive within the Congress as Sonia Gandhi is holding the baton for him.&nbsp;

So, Scindia’s exit is the starting point and not the endpoint of crisis within the Congress Party.&nbsp;

The biggest grouse of Jyotiraditya Scindia was that Congress could form government in Madhya Pradesh because the party did very well in Chambal division, but CM position went to Kamalnath who ganged up with former CM Digvijay Singh and former Union Minister Suresh Pachouri to sideline Scindia. The plan succeeded but it created a grouse which got bigger after Scindia lost Lok Sabha elections in 2019. 
&nbsp; 
The battle for Rajya Sabha seat was just a trigger. It was the inability of Gandhis to reconcile two factions that precipitated the crisis. It shows weakening hold of the Gandhis on the Congress and decline of family’s control on the party which Rahul Gandhi is trying to arrest. The exit of Jyotiraditya Scindia will lead to fall of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and may impact the government in Maharashtra where Congress is a junior partner. 
&nbsp; 
It is this tussle between Gandhis, old Congress families and old and new loyalists that has created the crisis. But let us not be misunderstood that Jyotiraditya Scindia is going to an alien party. One of the founding leaders of BJP in 1980 was Vijay Raje Scindia, grandmother of Jyotiraditya.&nbsp;

His father became MP on Jan Sangh ticket in 1971 and he subsequently shifted to Congress in 1977. His aunt Vasundhara Raje has been BJP Chief Minister of Rajasthan.&nbsp;

Scindia has been a primary member of the Congress party for the last 18 years and his resignation shows the ideological collapse in&nbsp;India's oldest political party. 
 
&nbsp;

Former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s resignation from the Congress Party should not be seen in isolation. It is a result of a massive power struggle within the Congress Party.

Former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s resignation from the Congress Party should not be seen in isolation. It is a result of a massive power struggle within the Congress Party. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is trying to make a comeback and reasserting himself in the organization. It would be foolhardy to think that Scindia left the Congress because he was denied a Rajya Sabha seat. The controversy over nomination was an immediate factor for his exit but the real issue remains the tussle within the Congress Party for the top job. Rahul Gandhi expected every senior leader whom he made the minister in UPA-2 to resign and create grounds swell for him after his resignation. The expected popular upsurge never happened in the party. Those who resigned did so for personal reasons. Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned because he understood that Congress has no future in Uttar Pradesh. During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he was appointed General Secretary Incharge of Uttar Pradesh (west), where Congress party lost all the seats. In Lok Sabha polls, Scindia also lost the party bastion of Guna in Madhya Pradesh to Bharatiya Janata Party's Krishna Pal Yadav. Many other leaders like Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora also fell out with Rahul Gandhi. A lot of second-line leaders felt that the party should organise an election for the president’s position and Congress Working Committee. They did not realise that Rahul Gandhi took it as a personal betrayal. This led to the collapse of communication between Scindia and Gandhi, which left him with no choice but to make his own way out of the party. Despite public abdication, Rahul’s role has remained all-pervasive within the Congress as Sonia Gandhi is holding the baton for him. So, Scindia’s exit is the starting point and not the endpoint of crisis within the Congress Party. The biggest grouse of Jyotiraditya Scindia was that Congress could form government in Madhya Pradesh because the party did very well in Chambal division, but CM position went to Kamalnath who ganged up with former CM Digvijay Singh and former Union Minister Suresh Pachouri to sideline Scindia. The plan succeeded but it created a grouse which got bigger after Scindia lost Lok Sabha elections in 2019. The battle for Rajya Sabha seat was just a trigger. It was the inability of Gandhis to reconcile two factions that precipitated the crisis. It shows weakening hold of the Gandhis on the Congress and decline of family’s control on the party which Rahul Gandhi is trying to arrest. The exit of Jyotiraditya Scindia will lead to fall of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and may impact the government in Maharashtra where Congress is a junior partner. It is this tussle between Gandhis, old Congress families and old and new loyalists that has created the crisis. But let us not be misunderstood that Jyotiraditya Scindia is going to an alien party. One of the founding leaders of BJP in 1980 was Vijay Raje Scindia, grandmother of Jyotiraditya. His father became MP on Jan Sangh ticket in 1971 and he subsequently shifted to Congress in 1977. His aunt Vasundhara Raje has been BJP Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Scindia has been a primary member of the Congress party for the last 18 years and his resignation shows the ideological collapse in India's oldest political party.

Power struggle within Congress led to Jyotiraditya Scindia’s exit

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

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

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

Congress loses Jyotiraditya Scindia, perhaps Madhya Pradesh as well

Madhya Pradesh Congress on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on former party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia for quitting the party saying that he doesn't deserve respect.

The State Congress unit accused&nbsp;him of betraying the trust of the people and placing "personal ambition" over ideology.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cong-leaders-slam-scindia-say-he-chose-personal-ambition-over-ideology-285502">Congress leaders slam Scindia, say he chose 'personal ambition' over ideology&nbsp;</a>

The party hit out at him by highlighting the key positions, including a berth in the Union council of ministers, he held during his 18 years of association with the Congress.

Congress' prominent youth leader Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the party on Tuesday and appeared set to join the BJP amid a rebellion in Madhya Pradesh by his supporters, pushing the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government to the brink of collapse.

"Under the shelter of Modi-Shah (Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah) duo?," the state Congress unit tweeted.

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सिंधिया जी की 18 साल की राजनीति में कांग्रेस ने : 
 
- 17 साल सांसद बनाया 
- 2 बार केंद्रीय मंत्री बनाया 
- मुख्य सचेतक बनाया 
- राष्ट्रीय महासचिव बनाया 
- यूपी का प्रभारी बनाया 
- कार्यसमिति सदस्य बनाया 
- चुनाव अभियान प्रमुख बनाया 
- 50+ टिकट, 9 मंत्री दिये 
 
फिर भी मोदी-शाह की शरण में ? <a href="https://t.co/bABGfFuYc5">pic.twitter.com/bABGfFuYc5</a>
— MP Congress (@INCMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCMP/status/1237550668585394177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Staying one step ahead of the state unit, the Madhya Pradesh Congress Sevadal tweeted that Scindia wasn't worthy of the respect he got from the party. The Sevadal also called him a greedy politician. 
 
<img alt="Jyotiraditya Scindia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3b90572b-c607-48b9-a29b-0a703d7dd81b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/1_7.JPG" />

&nbsp;

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असल मे दोष उसका नहीं है उसने तो अपनी पुरानी परंपरा को दोहराया है दोष तो हमारा है जो उसको इतनी इज्जत दिया वह इस लायक नहीं था।
— Madhya Pradesh Congress Sevadal (@SevadalMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/SevadalMP/status/1237367043449475072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from PTI)

Madhya Pradesh Congress on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on former party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia for quitting the party saying that he doesn't deserve respect.

Madhya Pradesh Congress on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on former party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia for quitting the party saying that he doesn't deserve respect. The State Congress unit accused him of betraying the trust of the people and placing "personal ambition" over ideology. Also read: Congress leaders slam Scindia, say he chose 'personal ambition' over ideology The party hit out at him by highlighting the key positions, including a berth in the Union council of ministers, he held during his 18 years of association with the Congress. Congress' prominent youth leader Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the party on Tuesday and appeared set to join the BJP amid a rebellion in Madhya Pradesh by his supporters, pushing the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government to the brink of collapse. "Under the shelter of Modi-Shah (Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah) duo?," the state Congress unit tweeted. सिंधिया जी की 18 साल की राजनीति में कांग्रेस ने : - 17 साल सांसद बनाया - 2 बार केंद्रीय मंत्री बनाया - मुख्य सचेतक बनाया - राष्ट्रीय महासचिव बनाया - यूपी का प्रभारी बनाया - कार्यसमिति सदस्य बनाया - चुनाव अभियान प्रमुख बनाया - 50+ टिकट, 9 मंत्री दिये फिर भी मोदी-शाह की शरण में ? pic.twitter.com/bABGfFuYc5 — MP Congress (@INCMP) March 11, 2020 × Staying one step ahead of the state unit, the Madhya Pradesh Congress Sevadal tweeted that Scindia wasn't worthy of the respect he got from the party. The Sevadal also called him a greedy politician. असल मे दोष उसका नहीं है उसने तो अपनी पुरानी परंपरा को दोहराया है दोष तो हमारा है जो उसको इतनी इज्जत दिया वह इस लायक नहीं था। — Madhya Pradesh Congress Sevadal (@SevadalMP) March 10, 2020 × (With inputs from PTI)

Congress ridicules Jyotiraditya Scindia on twitter, calls him a greedy politician

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

Jyotiraditya Scindia jumps cong ship, joins BJP

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