Page 39 - Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi visits Sivagiri Mutt ahead of Yatra's fourth day in Kerala

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday visited Sivagiri mutt here to pay respects to renowned social reformer Sree Narayana Guru before commencing the fourth day of the Kerala leg of the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra. At Sivagiri Mutt, Gandhi met the swamis there and offered prayers to the saint reformer. The yatra, which began after 7.30 am from Navaikulam junction here, continued to witness an encouraging turn out and will enter the Kollam district of the state during the day after spending the last three days in Thiruvananthapuram district. On Tuesday, after that day's yatra ended at Kallambalam junction here, Gandhi had questioned how a party which calls itself a representative of Hindus was allegedly spreading 'ashanti' in the country when the first words taught in Hinduism is 'om shanti'. "Wherever they are going they are destroying harmony, they are attacking people, they are dividing people, abusing them," he had said. The third day of the Kerala leg of the yatra had gone a

Congress' Rahul Gandhi talks of nextgen MGNREGA during Bharat Jodo Yatra

As the country gets more urbanised there is a need to evolve a modern social welfare scheme, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said here on Tuesday. Gandhi, while interacting with MGNREGA workers during the break between the two phases of the day's Bharat Jodo Yatra, said a large part of the population now live in urban areas and therefore, we need to think "what is the urban MGNREGA idea". "As India gets more urbanised, what's the next step for MGNREGA? There is a need to evolve a modern social welfare scheme. Met with MGNREGA workers and listened to their issues. These are the conversations that will lead to a new inclusive vision for India," he tweeted after the interaction. Sharing a video-clip of the discussion he held with the MGNREGA workers, Gandhi said the idea of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was to create a minimum wage in the country below which nobody had to work. "Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay) was the idea that we will create a minimum income

Roads in Kerala badly designed, cause of many accidents, says Rahul Gandhi

The roads in Kerala are badly designed which is why there are numerous vehicular accidents and resultant deaths in the State, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday. Gandhi said that while he was not blaming the LDF or Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the bad designs of the roads, the State government needs to make some rules on the design. "I have a complaint. Of course, not with you (people)," is how he raised the issue of bad road designs. "I am not blaming the LDF or the Chief Minister, because some of these roads have been built by them and others by the UDF. But, when I walk on the roads, I find one half slopes one way and the other another way. Sometimes they are sharply curved," Gandhi said and added that he was not saying it in a critical way, but from his experience walking on the roads and watching the ambulances. He said lots of people are getting hurt or killed as result of the problem. Gandhi, also the MP of Wayanad, was addressing a gathering at ...

Feet blisters will not stop us, we will unite India, says Rahul Gandhi

Amid intermittent rains and swelling public turnout, Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the third day in Kerala on Tuesday, with the Congress leader and scores of supporters marching along the streets without umbrella when it rained. Gandhi, who has embarked on the 3,500 km Kanyakumari-Kashmir footmarch, said though the participants suffered from blisters on their feet, the campaign would go on. Scores of people lined up on the roadsides despite rains in the city, to greet Gandhi and the other padayatris. The Congress leaders, including Gandhi, walked along the streets without umbrella when it was raining. In a Facebook post, Gandhi said, "even though the feet have blisters, We are out to unite the country, We are not going to stop. #BharatJodoYatra," and uploaded a related video clip. The third day of the yatra, which commenced around 7.15 am from Kaniyapuram near Kazhakootam, saw an encouraging turnout of people like the previous two days of the Kerala leg of the foot ma

Second day of Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kerala attracts huge turnout

The second day of the Kerala leg of Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra also witnessed a huge turnout as party leader Rahul Gandhi commenced his walk from Vellayani junction here Monday morning. Besides those turning up to join the yatra, hundreds lined up on both sides of the road to witness the padayatra' led by Gandhi, who is also the MP from Wayanad in the state. On Sunday, when the day's yatra ended at Nemom here, he had said that Kerala respects everyone and does not allow itself to be divided or hatred to spread, and that the Bharat Jodo Yatra, in a sense, was an extension of these ideas. "Standing together, working together in harmony is natural and normal for the people of Kerala and you have shown this to the rest of the country. "Kerala respects everyone in Kerala. It does not allow itself to be divided nor does it allow hatred to spread in the state. So in a sense, Bharat Jodo Yatra is just an extension of the ideas that prevail in Kerala," he had said. The first day of Congre

Rahul Gandhi's political pilgrimage: Loaded with too many expectations

For the Congress to be credible as an Opposition party, it needs to rebuild a grassroots organisation, restore cadre's confidence in the leadership and convince people that it has a political future

Cong's padyatra is 'Gandhi Family Bachao Yatra,' says Assam BJP MLA Kalita

Assam BJP MLA Diganta Kalita took a swipe at Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying that the Yatra is actually Gandhi Family Bachao Yatra

Bharat Jodo Yatra is extension of ideas prevailing in Kerala: Rahul Gandhi

Kerala respects everyone in the State and does not allow itself to be divided or hatred to spread here and therefore, the Bharat Jodo Yatra is an extension of these ideas, said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday at the culmination of the fifth day of the yatra here. Addressing thousands who had joined the yatra during the course of the day, Gandhi said, "Standing together, working together in harmony is natural and normal for the people of Kerala and you have shown this to the rest of the country." He further said the reason the State has a good education system and the "most compassionate nurses" is because "Kerala respects everyone in Kerala". "It does not allow itself to be divided nor does it allow hatred to spread in the State. So in a sense, Bharat Jodo Yatra is just an extension of the ideas that prevail in Kerala," he added. He also said the message Congress was trying to spread through the yatra was "not a new message". "It is quite an old message which is in the DNA

Rahul signs off yatra in TN, talks to the unemployed, sips tea with workers

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi signed off his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Tamil Nadu on Saturday by saying unemployment among the youths is high and that the differently abled should be provided equal opportunities. He interacted with a group of disabled rights activists in the district en route to Kaliakkavialai bordering Kerala. Gandhi met Tamil Nadu's first woman bus driver Vasanthakumari and briefly interacted with sanitary workers at Marthandam and also a group of local unemployed youth who accompanied him during the fourth day of the yatra in the district. Also, he stopped to sip tea and have biscuits while interacting with party workers. Following his interaction with differently abled rights activists, he said in a tweet: "Equal opportunity is true inclusion, anything less than that is unacceptable." About 42 per cent of the youth are unemployed, he said. "As we bid adieu to the land of Thiruvalluvar and Kamaraj, I thank the people of Tamil Nadu for the immense love and support t

Congress to issue delegates' list on Sep 20 for president post contenders

Anyone wanting to file nomination for the post of Congress president will be able see the list of all 9,000 delegates from the office of central election authority at the AICC office from September 20, Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry has said. Addressing the concerns of five MPs, including Shashi Tharoor, Karti Chidambaram, and Manish Tewari, over the electoral rolls and the "transparency, fairness" in the election process, Mistry said those seeking to contest the poll can check the names of 10 delegates from the list. Once the nomination is signed and handed over to the Chief Returning Officer, they will get the entire list of the delegates, he said in a letter to the MPs. "If anyone desires to get nominations from ten supporters from different states, the list of all 9000+ delegates will be available in my office at AICC, Delhi from 20th September (11 AM to 6 PM), before they file their nomination on 24th September," Mistry said in his letter to Tharoor and others. "They can co

Cong can only practice vote bank, appeasement politics: Shah slams Rahul

Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday targeted Rahul Gandhi over the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', saying the Congress leader had once said India is not a nation and is now out to "unite" the country wearing a "foreign-make" T-shirt. Addressing the Rajasthan BJP's booth functionaries, he also hit out at the state government over the murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal by Muslim extremists and the Karauli violence and alleged the Congress can only practice politics of vote bank and appeasement. Taking aim at Gandhi, he said, "I want to remind Rahul baba and other Congress members about his speech given in Parliament. Rahul baba had said India is not a nation. Rahul baba, in which book have you read this? This is the nation for which lakhs and lakhs of people have sacrificed their lives." "The one who said India is not a nation is now on a yatra to unite India wearing foreign T-shirt," he said, referring to the the BJP's swipe at the Congress leader for wearing a Burberry T-shirt reportedly ..

Smriti Irani hits out at Rahul Gandhi over 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Karnataka

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' questioning him on who has harmed the unity of India that required the opposition party to take out such a campaign. Making an indirect reference to Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar, Irani also took a dig at Gandhi for being in the company of people who allegedly chanted "anti-India" slogans. "Rahul Gandhi is on the way to unite India but he should answer first who dared to break India. You make a person a member of your party who had shouted the slogan 'Bharat Tere Tukde Honge, Insha Allah'," Irani said at Doddaballapura in Bengaluru. She was addressing the gathering at the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'Jana Spandana' programme celebrating the ruling party's three years in office in Karnataka. Irani expressed her shock over Gandhi's remark in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu that the fight is now against the structure of Indian state and the opposition. "With all seriousness, I am

Cong says BJP spreading mischief over Rahul's talks with Christian priest

The Congress on Saturday accused the BJP of spreading mischief and alleging that the ruling party has turned more desperate ever since the successful launch of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'. The Congress was objecting to a tweet put out by BJP leaders about Rahul Gandhi's conversation with a Christian priest about Jesus being God. AICC general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh said BJP's "hate factory" is sharing tweets about Gandhi which has no relation to the audio. "An atrocious tweet from the BJP hate factory is doing the rounds. It bears no relation whatsoever to what is recorded in the audio. This is typical BJP mischief that has become more desperate after the successful launch of BharatJodoYatra which is evoking such a huge response," Ramesh tweeted. "People who were responsible for the killing of Mahatma Gandhi and the murders of people like Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh are raising questions! What a morbid joke! Such attempts to damage t

BJP still entrapped in 'khaki shorts': Baghel on Rahul Gandhi's T-shirt row

Hitting back at BJP over its 'T-shirt' jibe at Rahul Gandhi, Chhattisgarh CM said Congress is engaged in uniting the country while the ruling party is still entrapped in T-shirts and khaki shorts.

Facilities at campsites, containers 'basic'; BJP defaming yatra: Congress

Sixty truck-mounted containers with colour-coded occupant capacity, a 10-seater conference facility, mobile toilets and a dining area are some of the features of a "Bharat Jodo Yatra" campsite that moves daily to a new location. Rahul Gandhi is staying in a one-bed container that has a small sofa, an air conditioner, a small refrigerator and an attached toilet. A pictorial representation of one of Mahatma Gandhi's marches with his quote, "Be the change that you wish to see in the world", is also put up in the former Congress chief's container. The containers are colour-coded according to their occupant capacity. Those marked yellow are single-bed containers. The containers marked with blue have two beds each, with a washroom. The red and orange zone containers house bunk beds and a train compartment like feel. There is also a pink zone for women yatris, with attached bathrooms. General camp guidelines put up in various containers state that consumption of liquor, tobacco and smok

Anurag Thakur grills Cong over Bharat Jodo Yatra, says India already united

Taking a pot shot at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, Anurag Thakur said that India is already united under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi

Bharat Jodo Yatra will help in forging opposition unity: Rahul Gandhi

The Bharat Jodo Yatra will help in forging Opposition unity even though that is a separate exercise, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday. Speaking to the media during the yatra which started from Kanyakumari on Thursday, he said the idea of this march is to connect with the people, listen to them, understand what they are facing and also communicate to them a few things. Gandhi said the aim is to communicate that India has changed and the "institutional framework of India has been captured". "There is an attempt to place one vision on top of this country which has multiple visions. One vision is being enforced," he said, adding the yatra is a step to communicate that to the people. "The yatra will of course help in bringing together the Opposition but that is a separate exercise," the former Congress chief said when asked about what is being done for Opposition unity. Rahul Gandhi, along with several of his party colleagues, embarked on the 3,570-km 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' fro

Bharat Jodo Yatra aims to undo damage done by BJP-RSS, says Rahul Gandhi

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit back at the BJP over its 'Parivar Bachao' remark, saying the Bharat Jodo Yatra is being undertaken to undo the damage done by the BJP-RSS in the country. Speaking to the media during the yatra which started from Kanyakumari on Thursday, Gandhi accused the BJP of taking control of institutions of the country and pressurising those who are against them. "Everybody has an opinion, BJP has one, RSS has its opinion. They are free to have these. For us, the Congress, this is a journey and an attempt at understanding what is going on in India and an attempt at undoing the damage that has been done by BJP and RSS," he said. Gandhi alleged that the BJP has appointed its own people to the institutions of the country. "They pressurise those who are against them. We are used to fighting political parties. Now the fight is not between parties. It is now between the structure of Indian state and the opposition. It is not an easy fight, and a l

Pak floods terrible tragedy; sympathies to affected people: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed sympathies to all the people affected by the floods in Pakistan and condoled the loss of lives in the tragedy. The devastating floods in Pakistan have killed 1,391 people since mid-June. The floods in Pakistan, which began in mid-June, have also injured 12,722 people, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. "The floods in Pakistan are a terrible tragedy. My heartfelt sympathies to all the people affected and deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones," Gandhi said in a tweet. The former Congress chief is on a "Bharat Jodo Yatra" from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

Campsites have 'basic' facilities, BJP trying to 'defame' Yatra: Congress

The Congress on Friday said its 'Bharat Yatris' were staying in containers which have very "basic and minimal" facilities, and claimed that the BJP was trying to "defame" its 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' as it was rattled by it. The Opposition party alleged that the BJP IT cell was spreading falsehoods about the facilities at its Yatra campsites and in containers. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also took a dig at the BJP, saying this is not like the 1990 "Rath Yatra" a Toyota Yatra or an Innova Yatra ours is a Padyatra. The attack by the Opposition party came after it gave access to the media to its campsite in Nagercoil where the 60 containers were parked. About 230 people, including 119 Bharat Yatris who will walk the full 3,570 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir will spend their nights in 60 containers mounted on trucks that will be moved daily from one place to another. Rahul Gandhi is staying in a one-bed container that has a small sofa, an air conditioner, a small refrigerato