Unemployment, inflation, earnings of ‘friends’ increased under govt: Rahul Gandhi – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked the government, alleging that under it unemployment, price rise, poverty and income of its “friends” have increased.
“What did this government increase? Unemployment, inflation and poverty. And, only the earnings of friends,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

He cited a media report that claimed 9.9 crore people were part of the middle class before the Covid-19 outbreak and they were reduced to 6.6 crore after it.
Coronavirus: Live updates

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Two UDF Legislators Resign Days After ‘Kerala Congress’ Merger

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Two days after the Kerala Congress (M) faction led by senior leader PJ Joseph and former Union Minister PC Thomas’ Kerala Congress decided to merge into a single entity ‘Kerala Congress’, the former and his colleague Mons Joseph, both sitting UDF legislators, on Friday resigned ahead of the forthcoming polls.

The resignation comes at a time when both of them agreed to contest the April 6 Assembly elections. Besides, the legal advice that they had received was that in order to avoid any future complications, it would be better if they quit and submit their nominations.

However, Joseph told the media that their decision to resign was done to ensure more transparency.

It was on Wednesday when Thomas who was willing to return to the Congress-led UDF through the party spearheaded by Joseph, decided that it was mutually beneficial for both of them to come under the name of the Kerala Congress party, which was formed by his father PT Chacko in the mid 60s.

Thomas’ party — Kerala Congress — last month had returned to be a part of the BJP-led NDA and was also seen among the leaders ahead of the state-wide yatra helmed by state BJP chief K Surendran.

But, Thomas had rather decided to opt out of the NDA.

The reason behind Joseph’s decision to take Thomas along with him was because despite repeated legal efforts to get the ‘two leaves’ symbol, which has been allotted to the faction of the Kerala Congress (M) led by Jose K. Mani, whose party is now an ally of the CPI-M led Left Democratic Front, Joseph was left stranded, after various courts ruled in favour of Jose K. Mani, who was given the ‘two leaves’ symbol.

Thomas represented the Muvattupuzha Lok Sabha constituency between 1989 and 2009.

In 2003, he became Union Minister of State for Law in the Vajpayee cabinet and in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls he won as an NDA candidate from his home turf.

But after 2009, he has been moving from one political front to the other, and finally he is all set to return to his original fold and thereby he will now be a UDF leader.

Now, the question remains whether the two leaders will get a proper symbol for them to contest for the polls, who were allotted 10 seats by the Congress-led UDF.

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Congress will not implement CAA in Assam, says Rahul Gandhi | India News – Times of India

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LAHOWAL: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Friday assured that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will not be implemented in Assam if the party is voted to power in the state in the coming Assembly poll.
It will be ensured in the state assembly that the CAA is not implemented in Assam, Gandhi told students of Lahowal College in Dibrugarh district.
“In the other states, we will stop it (CAA implementation) after we (Congress) come to power at the national level,” he said.
Asked to comment on whether BJP is mixing religion and politics, he said that the saffron party does not use religion but hatred to create divisions among different sections of the society.
“No religion has asked to use hatred. Where is it written in Hinduism that there should be ‘nafrat’ (hatred)? It is BJP that spreads hatred to divide society and wherever they do it Congress goes there to promote love, brotherhood and harmony,” he said.
In an apparent reference to the RSS, the senior Congress leader said that there is a force in Nagpur that is trying to control the entire country. But the youth of today should resist it with love and confidence as they are the future of democracy.
Twenty years ago Assam was hit by violence but after Congress came to power it ensured peace and development.
“BJP ka kaam hain todna, hamaara kaam hain jodna (BJP’s work is to divide but our job is to unite people), he said.
Gandhi said there is a direct relation between hatred and unemployment. “If hatred increases, unemployment will increase and vice versa. Can two sections of the society fighting against each other do business together? For business and employment oppurtunities to thrive, there should be harmony and brotherhood”.
He also accused the saffron party of selling off Assam’s resources to outsiders like the tea companies in the state, the Guwahati airport to the Adanis and the tea companies.
The senior Congress leader said that at present the country has a ‘Hum do, Hamare do ka Sarkar’ (a government of two with two others)- one in Parliament (apparently Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah) and two outside (Adani and Ambani likely).
“Assam’s resources and wealth must go into the pockets of the Assamese. The state must be managed in the interest of the people here”, the Congress leader said.
The erstwhile Congress government, he said, had laid the foundation for the country’s future growth, employment and development by initiating several schemes, including MGNREGA and Food Security.
“Can you name the schemes started by BJP? We had promised in Chattisgarh to waive off farm loans and we did it. We have a record of not making promises in the air. We give guarantees”, he asserted.
In Assam Congress has given ‘5 guarantees’. They are five lakh government jobs to youths in five years, upto 200 units of free electricity per household, Rs 365 daily wage to tea workers and Rs 2000 per month to housewives besides the assurance not to implement the CAA in the state, he said.
Asked by students about rising unemployment and Congress’ plans to tackle it, Gandhi said that the priority of the party if voted to power will be to first fill up vacant posts and focus on sectors like health and education for creating new jobs.
When a student questioned him about privatisation of education, Gandhi said that it is a “big problem” created by BJP. “Education should not be commercialised as it is a fundamental right. We are against the commercialisation of education”.
He said, “There are certain places for privatisation, but not in education and health where public sector has a role. We are fighting against BJP on this”, he said.
The biggest sale is taking place in the agricultural sector and its privatisation is being done through the three farm laws, he claimed.
To another question on why protesting students are being sent to jail, Gandhi said “The rulers are scared of the confidence of the youth. They are scared that if more become confident they cannot control. So the youth are sent to jail”.
When another student pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not visit Assam during floods but only during elections, the Congress leader quipped, “What can you give him during floods? So why will he visit you? But now you can give him votes, so he is visiting you.
“You can ensure that he does not come at all and stays at home by your vote. You have to save India’s democracy as you are the future of democracy. More youths should enter politics and actively participate in fighting against the wrongs”, he added.
Gandhi is on a two-day visit to the poll-bound north eastern state from Friday. He will campaign in upper Assam and will release the party’s manifesto in Guwahati on Saturday, Congress sources said.

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Rahul Gandhi in Assam Warns Against ‘Nagpur Controlling India’

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Rahul Gandhi addresses the public during his two-day visit in Assam. (ANI)

Rahul Gandhi, who is in Assam on a two-day visit, is scheduled to release the party’s manifesto in the poll-bound state on Saturday.

  • News18.com Lahowal
  • Last Updated:March 19, 2021, 17:07 IST
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Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday asserted that his party, if voted to power in Assam, will ensure that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is not implemented in the state. Affirming that no religion teaches enmity, Gandhi, during his interaction with college students here in Dibrugarh district, said the saffron party was “selling hatred to create divisions among people”.

“It is the BJP that uses hatred to divide society. No matter where they go to spread hatred, the Congress will ensure it promotes there love and harmony,” he said.

In an apparent reference to the RSS – the BJP’s ideological fountainhead — the Congress leader said there is “one force in Nagpur that is trying to control the entire country” but the youths must resist this attempt with love and confidence as they happen to be the future of the country.

“Congress guarantees to Assam: we will give 200 units of free electricity to every family. We will give every housewife Rs 2,000 per month,” he added.

Gandhi, who is in Assam on a two-day visit, is scheduled to release the party’s manifesto in the poll-bound state on Saturday.

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Unplanned lockdown disaster continues to haunt country: Rahul Gandhi | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that lakhs of families have suffered pain due to the government‘s “incompetence and myopia” as the unplanned lockdown continues to haunt the country.
The government had imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 24 last year to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Gandhi has been attacking the government for the lockdown, saying the poor and migrants have suffered due to it.
“The unplanned lockdown disaster continues to haunt the country,” he said on Twitter.
“Condolences to the lakhs of families being punished with indescribable pain for GOI’s incompetence and myopia,” he added.
Gandhi also cited a media report quoting a UNICEF study that due to COVID-19, India is likely to see the highest rise in child mortality and maternal deaths among the six most populous South Asian countries.

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‘Duty of women to save cultural heritage’: Uttarakhand CM’s wife defends ‘ripped jeans’ remark

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Amid uproar over Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat’s ripped jeans remark, his wife defended his statement today, saying his words were not being presented in full context.

In a statement through a video, Rashmi Tyagi said that the entire context in which he made the comment is not being described.

“He (Tirath Singh Rawat) said that women’s participation is unprecedented in building the society and the country. It is the responsibility of the women of our country to save our cultural heritage, save our identity, save our costumes,” Rashmi said.

At an event on Tuesday, Rawat criticised women for wearing ripped jeans and wondered what values they will impart to their children, triggering a protest from opposition parties.

The Uttarakhand chief minister said due to a lack of values, youngsters these days follow strange fashion trends and consider themselves to be big shots after wearing jeans ripped at the knees, while women also follow such trends.

He said youngsters go to the market to buy ripped jeans and if they do not find one, they cut their jeans using scissors.

Rawat went on to describe the attire of a woman, who once sat next to him on a flight.

He said the woman was wearing boots, jeans ripped at the knees and several bangles in her hands with two children travelling with her. “She runs an NGO, goes out in the society and has two children, but she wears jeans ripped at the knees. What values will she impart?” he asked.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said he was “shocked” by Rawat’s statement.

In a statement, Uttarakhand Congress chief Pritam Singh termed the remarks “shameful” and demanded that Rawat’s apology to women.

State Congress spokesperson Garima Dasauni added that it doesn’t behove a chief minister to make a derogatory remark about someone’s sartorial choices and said such comments can hurt public sentiment.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) slammed Rawat over his “distasteful” remarks.

Rawat found support in his party colleague, Surendra Singh, MLA from Bairia in Uttar Pradesh. Men and women, he said, need to wear “decent clothes” and women, especially daughters, are the family’s “prestige” and must behave in a dignified manner.

In a reply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tweet congratulating Rawat on his oath ceremony as Uttarakhand CM, RJD leader Rabri Devi blasted the ruling party for trying to define identity and culture through one’s clothes.

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345 Nominees in Fray for 39 Constituencies in Phase 2

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A total of 345 contestants, including four ministers and the deputy speaker, are in the fray for 39 constituencies going to polls in the second of the three-phased Assam Assembly elections on April 1. Altogether 649 nominations have been filed, out of which 30 of them were rejected and 33 withdrawn on the last date of withdrawal on Wednesday for the second phase, the state’s Chief Electoral Officer said.

Some candidates have submitted multiple nomination papers for the same constituency. Prominent candidates from the BJP include ministers Parimal Suklabaidya (Dholai), Bhabesh Kalita (Rangia), Pijush Hazarika (Jagiroad) and Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar (Sonai).

Former Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul, who resigned from the BJP after he was denied ticket, is contesting as an Independent from Silchar. The BJP earlier in the day expelled Paul and 14 other leaders from the party for six years with immediate effect for ”anti-party activities”.

Meanwhile, for the first phase of elections on March 27, there are 267 contestants in 47 constituencies, including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (Majuli). Elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6.

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Morning Digest: Roads to be freed of toll booths in a year, says Nitin Gadkari; EU drug regulator backs AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 after safety investigation, and more

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India will implement a GPS-based toll collection system and do away with all toll booths within a year, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. He also shared details of the vehicle scrapping policy, first announced in the Union Budget for 2021-22, according to which the automobile industry in India will see a jump in turnover to ₹10 lakh crore from ₹4.5 lakh crore.

Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde agreed with advocate Prashant Bhushan on Thursday to urgently hear a plea by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms to stay the sale of a new set of electoral bonds on April 1, before Assembly elections in crucial States such as West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

Top U.S. and Chinese officials offered sharply different views of the world on March 18 as the two sides met face-to-face for the first time since President Joe Biden took office. In unusually pointed remarks for a staid diplomatic meeting, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi took aim at each other’s policies at the start of two days of talks in Alaska.

The EU’s drug watchdog said on March 18 it is still convinced the benefits of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risks following an investigation into reports of blood disorders that prompted more than a dozen nations to suspend its use.

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Insurance Amendment Bill 2021 that increases the maximum foreign investment allowed in an insurance company from 49% to 74%, amid criticism from the Opposition parties on the clause enabling “control and ownership” by foreign investors.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday forbade judges from making gender stereotypical comments like “’good women are sexually chaste”, women who drink and smoke ‘ask’ for sexual advances or presume that a sexually active woman consented to rape while hearing cases of sexual offence.

Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Thursday that climate activist Disha Ravi’s arrest was based on law and order and it is under judicial process. He added that the House should consider “should some people abuse social media internationally to defame India to promote secessionism.”

Former Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian resigned from Ashoka University on Thursday, days after noted columnist and political commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s exit. In his resignation letter, Dr. Subramanian, said he had been “devastated” by “the circumstances involving the ‘resignation’ of Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta” two days earlier.

In a major embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two candidates announced by the party on Thursday for the Assembly polls from Kolkata have refused to contest on the party’s ticket.

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed suo motu proceedings before the Delhi High Court on the administration of COVID-19 vaccine and transferred the case to itself. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde said a similar case concerning the vaccination drive was already pending in the Supreme Court, and the case from the Delhi High Court could be heard along with it.

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to urgently hear a plea to release and protect over 150 Rohingya refugees reportedly “detained” in Jammu. Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde agreed to hear the application filed by a member of the Rohingya community, Mohammad Salimullah, represented by advocates Prashant Bhushan and Cheryl d’Souza, on April 25 (Thursday). Mr. Bhushan made an oral mention before the CJI for an early hearing.

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the supplementary demand for grants (second batch for 2020-21) but not before significant concerns raised by Opposition leaders on the government’s disinvestment and asset monetisation plans, and rising fuel prices.

If Ishan Kishan was unfortunate to be ruled out of the fourth T20I due to a groin strain, lady luck smiled on his replacement Suryakumar Yadav. The Mumbai cricketer, dropped for the previous outing after not having faced a ball on his debut in the second T20I, grabbed his chance and made it count.

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Rahul Gandhi in Assam Today, To Hold Public Meeting

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(Image: Twitter/Congress)

Assembly Elections 2021 News LIVE Updates: In Bengal, TMC’s Sisir Adhikari may join the BJP.

  • Last Updated:March 19, 2021, 07:44 IST
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Assembly Elections 2021 News LIVE Updates: As the elections in the five states of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry get closer and parties have announced most of their candidates list, it is becoming clear what the battle will look like in each state.

On Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be in Assam to campaign. He will interact with college students at Lahowal, Dibrugarh. He will then meet tea garden workers in Dinjoy Tea Estate in Chabua and have a public meeting in Tinsukia.

Meanwhile in Bengal, more TMC leaders are jumping parties. Sisir Adhikari is also likely to join the BJP.

This comes even as TMC leaders including two TMC MLAs, one former MP, a former TMC minister and a CPI MLA who joined BJP recently could not find their names in the list of candidates for the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth phases of West Bengal Assembly elections.

BJP General Secretary Arun Singh said, “BJP’s central election committee (CEC) has approved the names of candidates on 148 seats for West Bengal Assembly elections.”

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Will Navjot Singh Sidhu Make A Comeback in Punjab Cabinet? Official Word Awaits

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File photos of Navjot Singh Sidhu

The cricketer-turned-politician, Sidhu, who had resigned from the Punjab cabinet in 2019 after being removed from a key portfolio, had met Amarinder Singh at latter’s farmhouse in Mohali.

  • News18 Chandigarh
  • Last Updated:March 18, 2021, 19:04 IST
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Even after Wednesday’s crucial tea meeting that went on for nearly 50 minutes between Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and his bête noire Navjot Singh Sidhu, the talks regarding possibility of latter’s reinduction into the state cabinet continue to remain uncertain.

The cricketer-turned-politician, Sidhu, who had resigned from the Punjab cabinet in 2019 after being removed from a key portfolio, had met Amarinder Singh at latter’s farmhouse in Mohali.

“It was a good meeting. We have a cordial relation and I am waiting for him to reply. I am sure he will decide on what is in favour of the party and the state,” said Amarinder Singh on being asked about the meeting. He added that he had known Sidhu for decades now and he will do what is good for the party and the state.

“As far as the Congress is concerned, the party wants him back fast and play an active role for the benefit of the party and the state,” the Chief Minister said.

Though he refused to dwell further on the matter but his statement clearly indicated that an offer for rejoining the cabinet had been offered to Sidhu and now it was on him to respond. According to sources aware of development, the delay from Sidhu could be on account of his expectation to get a better deal than just a cabinet berth. “If he was to take the same role why did he leave it in the first place only. He would not have resigned only if getting a cabinet berth was the only interest,” said a Congress leader.

Sidhu, on his part continued to remain incommunicado to the media, though he continued to send out cryptic tweets.

Meanwhile, speaking about other dissenters in Congress like Rajya Sabha members Partap Sigh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo, the Chief Minister said for the benefit of the party they should leave their personal interests and work in favour of the party and state.



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