Tag: Rahul Gandhi

At Tamil Nadu Rally, Rahul Calls PM Modi ‘Formidable Enemy,’ Slams CM Palaniswami for ‘Surrender’

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘formidable enemy’ who ‘crushed’ his opponents and vowed to send him to political oblivion by following the path of love and non-violence. Accusing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami of ‘bowing’ and ‘surrendering’ to the Prime Minister, Gandhi, addressing public meetings and road shows said the CM does not work for Modi but the people of the state.

“I don’t care if the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has a history of corruption. I want to know why he does not stand up to Narendra Modi,” he said. Rahul Gandhi is touring southern Tamil Nadu for the second day today as part of his second leg of campaign for the April 6 Assembly polls. Congress is an ally of the main opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu and BJP is a partner of the ruling AIADMK.

During an interaction with professors at the St Xavier College here, Gandhi said he counted on people’s support to defeat the BJP. When a participant wanted to know if Gandhi felt it was possible to nudge the Modi government to implement his ‘good ideas’ rather than waiting to assume power which seemed ‘Utopian’, he said it could be done with the ‘powerful’ and ‘valuable’ support of the people.

It was important to dream big, though some of it may not come true, he said in an obvious reference to snatching the reins of power from the BJP at the Centre. Continuing, he said, “yes we are fighting a formidable enemy (Modi). We are fighting an enemy that is dominating the money in this country. We are fighting an enemy that is crushing its opponents. But we have done this before. We have defeated a much bigger enemy (British) than this new enemy that has come.” Recalling the country’s independence movement, he said the Britishers were much more powerful than Modi would ever be.

“Who is Narendra Modi in comparison to the British empire? Nobody.. People of this country sent the British empire back and in the same way we will send Narendra Modi back to Nagpur (RSS headquarters in Maharashtra),” he said. Apparently, he meant that Modi would go into political oblivion after defeat by the Congress with people’s support.

Gandhi said this would be achieved without any hatred, anger or violence towards PM Modi or his party even if they may ‘abuse’ or unleash ‘violence’ against them. Former Chief Minister and Congress stalwart K Kamaraj implemented the mid-day meal scheme for school children after listening to the voice of the people and later that plan was replicated by the rest of the nation, the Lok Sabha MP said.

Though economists initially dubbed it a bad idea, later they changed their stand and welcomed it as a good initiative. “That is the type of leadership we want (in Tamil Nadu).

A leader who listens to and believes in the wisdom of the people.” A most important trait for such a leader should be a commitment to defend Tamil language, culture and tradition, the Congress leader said. “We do not want somebody who sells out the people of TN.

That is the main issue in the election.” If Palaniswami wanted people’s votes, he should stop bowing and surrendering in front of Modi and rather surrender himself to the people and he should only then solicit the support of the general public, he said. The Congress leader said he looked forward to a state government that worked for the poorest people and realised Tamil Nadu’s full potential and yet again be a model for the rest of the nation.

Alleging Modi remote-controlled Palaniswami, the Congress MP said the Prime Minister does not understand that he cannot control Tamil Nadu through the Chief Minister. Only the people determined their future, he said. “When PM says that one history, one culture, and one language should dominate this country, he insults every single Tamil person.” India is home to several religions, languages and cultures and Modi should respect diverse cultures and faiths.

Palaniswami should not accept Modi’s views on Tamil Nadu,’ he said apparently reiterating his accusation that the Prime Minister slighted Tamil and its culture. Interacting with salt pan workers, he alleged that disparity in wealth distribution has become much stronger during the BJP rule at the Centre.



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‘Do You Want Such a Leader?’ Amid Fisheries Ministry Row, Amit Shah Questions Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Leave’

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday took on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his remark last week on the need for a separate ministry for fishermen.

Mocking the Congress leader for not knowing that a fisheries department came into existence two years ago, Shah, who is in Puducherry’s Karaikal to campaign for the BJP ahead of the assembly elections, said, “A few days ago, Rahul Gandhi had asked why there is no fisheries department. I want to know from people whether they want a leader who doesn’t know that Department of Fisheries has been in existence for two years (since 2019).”

Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already created a separate ministry for fishermen. “Rahul bhaiya (brother)… you were on leave when it happened, so you are not aware,” he said, taking a dig at the Congress leader’s international trips that are often criticised by the BJP.

Gandhi while speaking in Solai Nagar area of Puducherry on Wednesday said that fishermen are the “farmers of the sea” and questioned “why is it that the farmers of the sea don’t have a ministry in Delhi?” His comments drew ridicule as India has a Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Slamming the Central government over the farm bills, Gandhi said, “Government passed three bills against farmers, the backbone of a nation. You must be wondering why am I talking about farmers at meeting of fishermen. I consider you to be farmers of the sea. If farmers of the land can have their ministry in Delhi, then why is it that the farmers of the sea don’t have a ministry in Delhi?”

He further added, “Next time I come here I want to go with you in the fishing boat to see what you experience so that when I go back to Delhi, I can truly understand what farmers of Puducherry feel.”

Gandhi’s comparison soon drew flak from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Union ministers, who took to Twitter to mock the Congress leader over his oblivious statement regarding the ministry of fisheries.

On Thursday, PM Modi had also expressed ‘shock’ over Gandhi’s statement that there was no ‘dedicated’ fisheries ministry at the Centre, adding the NDA government had set it up in 2019 and that its budgetary allocation has substantially gone up ever since.



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G-23 Mulls Propping Up ‘Rebel’ Pick Against Rahul Gandhi in Presidential Poll as Cong Stares at ‘Inevitable’ Split

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It’s not the first time that Ghulam Nabi Azad wore a saffron turban while in Jammu. As chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, he wore it each time he visited the Hindu-dominated Jammu. But on Saturday, when not just Azad but seven others wore it and spoke about the state of Congress, it made a powerful statement; especially as saffron is associated with the BJP too.

Not that the G-23, or G-8 as they were that day, are even thinking of crossing over to the BJP. They made it clear that they were with the Congress but the present state of the party was unacceptable to them.

Congress officially reacted to the meeting in Jammu by appealing to G-23 that they were senior members of the party and should instead campaign in poll-bound states. But a G-23 member told News18.com: “Have we even been involved in the poll strategy? Have they asked us to campaign? We have been left out.”

So what’s next? Jammu was clearly not the last stop. Similar meetings are planned in other states as well. Next could be Himachal Pradesh, where interestingly Anand Sharma comes from.

Sharma has his grudges. The man, who has been a staunch Gandhi family loyalist and who was at one time the eyes and ears of the Gandhis, is now out in the cold. His immediate grudge is that while he has a year to go in Rajya Sabha, he was overlooked for the post of leader of opposition which went to Rahul Gandhi loyalist Mallikarjun Kharge. A source close to Sharma said: “It will be unacceptable to him to listen to orders from Kharge.” Sharma is deputy leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha.

After Himachal Pradesh, other states which will have similar meetings are Haryana, Punjab, UP and Delhi. But it doesn’t just stop here. The members of G-23 are mulling the possibility of putting up a candidate for June’s Congress presidential polls. If Rahul Gandhi is a candidate, it’s clear that he will face no problem but a “rebel” standing up against him will just rake up dirt.

The G-23 have been careful to camouflage their dissent by pitching for a strong Congress. In Jammu, that’s what most leaders said. The letter they wrote in August to Sonia Gandhi made the point that it was a party which was leaderless and rudderless. Even now, they ask who is making decisions for the party in the absence of a full-time president as Sonia Gandhi is no longer involved in day-to-day affairs. The dig is clearly at Rahul Gandhi. And this is where G-23 are being attacked by the present Congress leaders who say “they are ungrateful and are now hurting the party in the midst of polls”.

Congress was restrained in its response to the Jammu meeting. It is unlikely to take any action against the dissidents as it would invite distraction from the polls. While the rebels aren’t talking of splitting from the party, they know it’s inevitable. The split in the Congress is very much on the cards and this could be timed with Rahul Gandhi taking over the reins of the party formally. The ball has just got rolling.



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