Page 35 - Rahul Gandhi

Fadnavis slams Rahul on Savarkar remark; asks whether Uddhav backs it

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on freedom fighter V D Savarkar and asked whether Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray supports such a statement. Talking to reporters, Fadnavis said Rahul Gandhi didn't know the history of India and the Congress. In a media interaction on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi said Savarkar used to get a stipend from the British and these are historical facts. Rahul Gandhi has again insulted Swatyantraveer Savarkarhe has been constantly saying that he was an agent and took the money. I condemn his statement," Fadnavis said. He said the Congress has often insulted Savarkar because he had the backing of a large number of people. "After Independence, Congress has purposely insulted Savarkar several times, the BJP leader alleged. Latching on to Rahul's remarks, Fadnavis asked whether Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray would condemn his statement. The Congress and the Shiv Sena are partner

Bharat Jodo Yatra objective is to bring India together, not polls: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the objective of the Bharat Jodo Yatra was not 2024 general elections but to unite the people of the country, as he alleged that the BJP-RSS were spreading "violence and hatred". Addressing a press conference here during the yatra, he said thousands of crores of media money has been spent in trying to project him in a way which is just "untruthful and wrong", and the people who care to look carefully will see what his truth is. Gandhi also said he believes in 'tapasya' and wanted an element of suffering in his communication to people and, therefore, he decided to undertake the 3,500 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir on-foot journey. He said the yatra's objective was to bring India together and not the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "The objective as I have stated is to bring India together. Objective from my perspective is not the 2024 elections, I am seeing that India is being divided, violence is being spread in our society and this is damag

Contesting Congress prez poll as no Gandhi member running for post: Kharge

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday expressed regret that none from the Gandhi family was running for the party chief's post and said he took the plunge on advice of all in the party. As part of his campaign for the AICC presidential post, Kharge visited the headquarters of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee in Vijayawada. Kharge said he played a long innings in Karnataka politics and contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 on the advice of current party president Sonia Gandhi. "Election for the Congress president's post became inevitable as Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka refused to take it up. So I have jumped into the fray for the president's post on the advice of all in the party," Kharge told reporters after addressing the AP Congress leaders. "I served as Union Labour and Social Justice minister," he said and also mentioned his tenure as Congress party leader in Lok Sabha. Kharge said he would implement the Udaipur Declaration of offering 50 per cent of p

I believe in tapasya; want to share people's suffering while walking: Rahul

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he believes in "tapasya" and wants to talk to people on the ground and share their suffering while walking in the Bharat Jodo Yatra. At the end of the 31-day period of the yatra that started from Kanyakumari on September 7, he said it has been a wonderful and learning experience so far. "I believe in tapasya, have always been. That is my nature and that has been my family's nature. I wanted an element of suffering for myself. I didn't want the communication with people to be easy. So I thought what would be something that would make me suffer, so that while I talk to my people I can share in their suffering," he said. "I find that a little bit and that was the idea. I find that to be a very powerful experience. When you are walking on the road and you are speaking to your people after having suffered a little bit the communication is better," Gandhi said while sharing his experience so far during the yatra. He said after 31 da

Both poll contenders people of stature, neither can be controlled: Rahul

As Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor fight it out for the Congress chief's post, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday described both as people of stature and understanding, and asserted that it was insulting to suggest that either of them can be remote-controlled by the Gandhi family as party president. Addressing a press conference here during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he said lakhs of people have joined the yatra as they are tired of the type of politics being done under the BJP and the prevailing unemployment, price rise and economic inequality. A day after Gautam Adani pledged huge investments in Rajasthan, Gandhi, who has often accused the Modi government of favouring the industrialist, said the Congress government in the state has not given any preferential treatment to the businessman, and asserted that he is not against corporates but monopolies. Asked about criticism from certain quarters that the next Congress president could be remote-controlled by the Gandhi family, the former part

Thousands of crores spent on media to shape me wrong: Rahul Gandhi

While leading 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday stated that thousands of crores have been spent to shape him untruthful.

Calling Kharge or Tharoor remote control is insulting, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has countered BJP on party presidential polls and said that both the contestants have statures of their own

Congress poll: Rahul to vote at Bharat Jodo Yatra campsite in Karnataka

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and 40 other leaders will vote in the party president's election at a Bharat Jodo Yatra campsite in Karnataka's Bellary on October 17. The day will be a rest day for the Bharat Jodo Yatra to enable those taking part in it to cast their vote in the election. AICC general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said the central election authority has decided to set up a polling booth at the camp site in Bellary where all delegates will cast their ballot. The PCC delegates of Karnataka will cast their vote in Bengaluru on October 17, he said. The yatra will move to Andhra Pradesh for three days on October 18 and cover a distance of 95 kilometres in the state. It will then return to Karnataka's Raichur. Thereafter, the yatra will move to Telangana, Ramesh said. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day. Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor are the two contenders vyin

Rajasthan govt hasn't given any preferential treatment to Adani: Rahul

A day after Gautam Adani pledged huge investments in Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the Congress government in the state has not given any preferential treatment to the industrialist and asserted that he is not against corporates but monopolies. Addressing a press conference here, Gandhi also said that if the Rajasthan government gives business to Adani wrongly, he will oppose that too. BJP on Friday mocked the Congress after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot lavished praise on Adani, the industrialist Gandhi often picks to allege that Prime Minister Narendra Modi helps only big businessmen. Asked about Adani's presence at a Rajasthan government event and the industrialist pledging investments in the state, the former Congress chief said, "Mr Adani has committed Rs 60,000 crore to Rajasthan. No chief minister can refuse such an offer. In fact, it would not be correct for a chief minister to refuse such an offer." "My contention is in the use of political power to help

LIVE news: Calling Kharge or Tharoor remote control insulting, says Rahul

Live news updates: She will also attend a civic reception to be hosted in her honour at Punjab Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh

Issues like inflation, unemployment should be core to politics: Congress

Congress says that inflation and unemployment should be core to politics and people's issues should be the main topic of public discourse

No intention of making Hindi alone national language, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said there was no intention of making Hindi alone the national language and threaten the identity of regional languages like Kannada. Senior leader of the party and former Minister Priyank Kharge, who is also Congress's State media cell in-charge, was briefing reporters about Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra and the interaction with representatives of many educational institutions and teachers. "There was a discussion with Rahul Gandhi about the identity of Kannada. Then, he said everyone's mother tongue is important. We respect all languages. Everyone has a right in the Constitution," Kharge said. He said, "Therefore, he (Rahul Gandhi) clearly stated that there was no intention of making Hindi alone the national language and threatening the identity of your language (Kannada)." Kharge said those who participated in the interactions confirmed that they were not related to the Congress party, but were participating in the yatra to save the ..

'Real' Rahul Gandhi emerging out of Bharat Jodo Yatra: Jairam Ramesh

The "real" Rahul Gandhi is emerging out of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which completed a month on Friday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said. In an interview to PTI during the yatra in Mandya district, Ramesh described the foot march as the longest-ever undertaken by anyone and said it will help the Congress strengthen itself psychologically. He also described the Congress president's election as a "side show" and the yatra as the main show. "It's a transformation of the Congress party and it shows the real Rahul Gandhi coming out. I would not say it is the new Rahul Gandhi but the real Rahul Gandhi that is being seen," Ramesh said. He said Gandhi's interactions with civil society, party workers and his super fitness are what comprises the "real Mr Rahul Gandhi". "The biggest achievement is psychological. It's all in the mind. I think what the yatra has done is to show to the Congress party that we can do it. "We are on the roads, on the streets, we are fighting the BJP. We

BJP UP chief takes jibe at Rahul, tells him to start 'Congress Jodo Yatra'

Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, president of the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit, on Friday advised Rahul Gandhi to undertake a 'Congress Jodo Yatra'. Speaking to reporters here, Chaudhary said Gandhi should have started his Bharat Jodo Yatra from Peshawar, Karachi or Islamabad (in Pakistan). "...it was during the Congress government that Partition of the country took place. After that, there has been no division," he said. The Congress' 3,570-km long Bharat Jodo Yatra began from Kanyakumari on September 8. With the Yatra, the Congress said it wanted to combat the alleged divisive politics of the BJP-led central government. Intensifying his attack on the Congress leader, Chaudhary said, "After the commencement of Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi should start a Congress Jodo Yatra seeing the self-contradiction in the Congress in Rajasthan and other states." On the question of a possible tie-up with Om Prakash Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, Chaudhary said the BJP's central leadershi

Rahul Gandhi asks Karnataka govt to increase reservation for SCs, STs

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday asked the BJP government in Karnataka to convene an assembly session and implement the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission report to increase reservation for Scheduled Castes and Tribes (SCs and STs) in the state. Addressing a public gathering at Brahmha Devarahalli village in this district during the Karnataka leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra, he alleged that the Centre's now-repealed three farm laws are still there in Karnataka and they are designed to create thousands of widows in the state. He also said that there are "two Indias" being created by the ruling BJP where farmers are being forced to take loan at 24 per cent interest and rich industrialists are getting it at only six per cent. "The ST reservation should be increased from three per cent to seven per cent and the SC reservation should be increased from 15 to 17 per cent. "The BJP government has not acted on the (Justice Das Commission) report for over two years. They should call an assemb

Sonia Gandhi joins Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Karnataka's Mandya

Congress interim president on Thursday morning joined the party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Mandya in Karnataka

Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra will have no impact: Karnataka CM Bommai

The Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', which is currently passing through the poll bound Karnataka, with the participation from the party's top leadership- Sonai, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, "will have no impact", state's Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday. He rejected the claims that the ruling BJP was planning for rallies and state-wide tours of its leaders to counter the Congress' yatra, stating that they were planned much earlier. "Naturally all party leaders will work for their own party, she (Sonia Gandhi) has walked for half-a-kilometer and gone, it's okay. As far as we are concerned, we have nothing to do with it and it doesn't make any impact," Bommai said in response to a question on the impact of Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi's marching in the state as part of the yatra. To a question on the ruling BJP planning rallies and state wide travel of its leaders, to counter Congress' yatra, he said these were all planned much earlier. "As I had said earlier there will be

Bharat Jodo: Chasing the yatra magic

Political yatras are not an end in themselves. Rahul Gandhi will need a clear purpose if his yatra is to be judged successful

Rahul was asked to request me to withdraw from Cong prez poll: Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was asked by some party leaders to seek withdrawal of Shashi Tharoor's candidature, the Thiruvananthapuram MP, who has made an aggressive bid to its top post, claimed here on Tuesday. Tharoor, who is in Kerala as part of the poll campaign, told reporters here that Gandhi said he will not ask the former to withdraw as a contest would benefit the grand old party. "He reminded me that he has been saying so for the past 10 years that there should be a contest for the party chief's post. "He also told me that some persons have asked him to request me to withdraw my candidature. He told me he will not do so. He said I should not withdraw and that I should contest in the election," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said. Earlier in the day, he said that he never expected big leaders to support him and does not expect it even now, but at the same time he needs everyone's backing. The statement came in the wake of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) preside

Democracy at work: How various national parties elect their leaders

While the leaders of bigger national parties like BJP and INC have limitation to their powers, smaller parties tend to give wholesome control to their leaders