Rahul Gandhi to visit Himachal Pradesh next week

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi will be on a two-day visit to Himachal Pradesh starting from June 27 during which he is scheduled to hold meetings with Congress leaders and workers.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Himachal Pradesh for two days from June 27 during which he would hold meetings with Congress leaders and workers at Kullu and Shimla.
The visit of Rahul Gandhi ahead of assembly elections is being seen as a step to boost the Congress workers in the state and also to bridge the divide among top leaders. Factionalism within Congress is posing question mark over party’s sincere attempts to reclaim the power in the coming elections.
Rahul Gandhi will reach Kullu on June 27 and hold discussions with Congress workers and then he will visit Shimla on June 28 to participate in another meeting of the party workers.

Sonia Gandhi: Integrity and independence of Parliament must be preserved and protected

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi while taking part in the discussion organized on the occasion to commemorate the 60th anniversary of India's first Parliamentary session, paid homage to the great national leaders and also said that an anniversary is also a moment of reflection.

“The journey of our great Parliament has not always been smooth or without challenge. Nor did we expect it to be. An anniversary is also a moment for reflection, to consider our role and place in the rich fabric of our nation’s life and history”, reminded the Congress Member of Parliament.

Addressing the staff in the Parliament, Sonia Gandhi added “We also gratefully acknowledge the contribution of thousands of hard working staff in Parliament who have toiled tirelessly to keep the wheels of this great institution moving efficiently”.

Sonia Gandhi also remembered the martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the Parliament attack. The UPA Chairperson said “We pay humble tribute today to the memory of those courageous heroes who laid down their lives in 2001 when Parliament came under attack by forces that seek to undermine our Constitutional democracy”.

Sonia Gandhi highlighted that the integrity and independence of Parliament must be preserved and protected at all cost, with no room for compromise. “Our conduct must rise to the highest ethical standards that were followed and demanded by the founding fathers of our nation” added the Congress President.

Sonia Gandhi further said “Three simple words spoken by Jawaharlal Nehru encapsulate the mighty mission of this great republic –"Swaraj for all". Let us, each of us, gear ourselves up for the tasks ahead, renew and redouble our commitment and our pledge to fulfill our historic duty”.

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Rahul Gandhi on Pranab: We learn a lot from him always

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday wished Pranab Mukherjee for his Presidential candidature and said he is very happy for the senior leader. "Our ties are very old. We learn from him a lot always," said Rahul Gandhi. "I am very happy that he would be the President of India," said the Congress General Secretary.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC), highest decision making body of the party, on Monday convened a special meeting to bid a formal farewell to Pranab Mukherjee.
After the meeting, Mukherjee told reporters: "Today my long association with the Congress Working Committee since 1978 came to an end. I met the Prime Minister. Tomorrow I will be putting in my paper as finance minister."
The meeting took place at 10 Janpath, the residence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.

Sonia Gandhi wishes Rajesh Khanna a speedy recovery

Congress President and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi have called to check yesteryear Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna's health and have expressed her desire to visit him. Sonia Gandhi wished Rajesh Khanna, who is fondly called Kaka by his fans, speedy recovery.

The veteran actor, considered Bollywood's first superstar, has been ailing for some time now. His son-in-law and the current Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar on Thursday said the Khanna is hale and hearty.

"He is absolutely fine, healthy and hearty. It was all rumours that he is unwell. On the contrary, he is more than fine. The information that you people have got is absolutely wrong," Akshay told reporters outside Khanna's residence.

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Rajesh Khanna has acted in over 150 films. Khanna ruled the industry in the 1960s and 1970s with films like Aaradhana, Anand and Bawarchi.

Rahul Gandhi at IIIT Amethi: IT has a role to play to ensure connectivity

Congress General Secretary and MP from Amethi Rahul Gandhi while speaking at the occasion of the convocation ceremony at IIIT Amethi and said that it should be our mission to ensure connectivity among the people of our country.
Rahul Gandhi said “So what is your role as IT practitioners? I asked many of your friends and most of them told that they would like to do jobs. What you do not realize is that while you are doing jobs, you are building the bridge that is going to connect these two Indias. Some of you would be more interested in your jobs and may not be much interested about what is happening in the country. But while you are doing your job, while developing software or any other IT products, while working on computers, without knowing it, you are building that bridge. There may be people who are taking special interest in the national affairs. And they may be doing works in that regard apart from their job. Anyhow, you have already started the process of connecting our nation and I want to thank you for that,” commented Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi at IIIT Amethi: Question yourself to gather more knowledge

Congress General Secretary and MP from Amethi Rahul Gandhi spoke at the occasion of the convocation ceremony at IIIT Amethi and said that one should question yourself to gather more knowledge.
“I had mentioned that there was a time I was sitting where you are sitting now. When I was sitting there I thought that I have the answers for all the questions. But later I knew that that is not the fact. I am very passionate about my ideas. Even today I am very passionate. Now I realise that the most important thing one should do is to question one’s ideas. I found it in my life that when I am most certain about something, when I am hundred percent sure that this is the way to do it, very soon I find that I was wrong and there is actually another way to do it and a better way”.

Rahul Gandhi at IIIT Amethi: Knowledge is created by the destruction of knowledge

“Knowledge is created by the destruction of knowledge” said Rahul Gandhi while speaking at a convocation ceremony at IIIT Amethi. “In order to question one self, one has to listen to him first because once you do not listen to others, you cannot question yourself”.
“There were a lot of things in my mind which I thought were correct were destroyed now and I no more believe in those. Those were replaced by new ideas and I am absolutely certain that some of the ideas which I had today may get destroyed tomorrow. And that is a good thing because none of us are god. We do not have eternal knowledge or eternal understanding. Life is moving forward and constantly questioning your ideas and thoughts.” added the Congress leader.

Rahul Gandhi at IIIT Amethi: Knowledge is created by the destruction of knowledge

“Knowledge is created by the destruction of knowledge” said Rahul Gandhi while speaking at a convocation ceremony at IIIT Amethi. “In order to question one self, one has to listen to him first because once you do not listen to others, you cannot question yourself”.
“There were a lot of things in my mind which I thought were correct were destroyed now and I no more believe in those. Those were replaced by new ideas and I am absolutely certain that some of the ideas which I had today may get destroyed tomorrow. And that is a good thing because none of us are god. We do not have eternal knowledge or eternal understanding. Life is moving forward and constantly questioning your ideas and thoughts.” added the Congress leader.

Rahul Gandhi leads from the front

At present the Congress led UPA Government is under a lot of pressure and is under severe attack from various corners on account of the corruption, price rise and sky-touching inflation. There are also complaints that the Centre is not able to give adequate propaganda for their good schemes and policies like MGNREGA, RTI and RTE. But here is a Congress leader who has been consistently highlighting various Central Government schemes for the welfare of the people, wherever he goes. And that young matured leader is the Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Our country is fortunate enough to have a number of leaders. But at present there is a general feeling among the people that the current political leaders are moving away from public and have been indulging more in blame games. Here we can find the difference. The new youth icon of India Rahul Gandhi has been in politics for the past seven years and by this time he has proved himself as a different leader who works with a clear vision and agenda. He always tried to intervene in the matters related to the public interest. His efforts to connect with the grass root and his vision for development should be appreciated as the current leaders are accused of moving away from the people.

There is a saying that a leader is the one who guides others towards a common goal, showing the way by example, and creating an environment in which the society as a whole feel actively involved in the process of development. A leader is not the boss of the team but, instead, the person who is committed to carry out the mission. If we analyse properly we can see these qualities in this young Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi and the party can have a good future under his intelligent leadership.

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Rahul Gandhi at IIIT Amethi: Knowledge resides closest to the problem

Congress General Secretary and MP from Amethi Rahul Gandhi spoke at the occasion of the convocation ceremony at IIT Amethi and said that the knowledge resides closest to where the problem is.
“So my humble request to you students is that when you are absolutely sure about something, you please question yourself because you may be probably wrong. The other thing I want to tell you about the nature of knowledge. In India this is the big problem” said Rahul Gandhi.
“I could fortunately travel many places across the country and meet a lot of people. So I see multiple perspectives. I could very early found, before talking to poor persons, farmers, other sections, engineers, doctors, that every one’s point of view is important” added the Congress leader.
“You may be good at IT but if you go to a farmer he can tell you much about farming. Knowledge resides closest to where the problem is. So if you are a farmer, you will be having the better knowledge about the farmers. Same is the case with IT. Generally what could see is that the more you are closer towards the problem, you will have better knowledge about that problem” said Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi turns 42

Rahul Gandhi, the Congress General Secretary and son of the creator of modern India – the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, turned 42 on Tuesday, 19 June. His supporters gathered outside 24 Akbar Road to wish him.

Rahul Gandhi was born on June 19, 1970 in Delhi as the first of the two children of Rajiv Gandhi and Congress President Sonia Gandhi. He studied at St.Columba’s School in Delhi and later at Doon School in Dehradun. Rahul Gandhi took admission for graduation in St.Stephen’s College, Delhi in 1989 but later joined Harvard University after completing the first year. He finished his B.A in 1994 and in 1995 he secured M.Phil from Cambridge University.

In March 2004, Rahul made his entry into politics by contesting the May 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, his father Rajiv Gandhi’s constituency, in Uttar Pradesh. The seat had been held by his mother Sonia Gandhi until she shifted to the neighbouring seat of Rae Bareilly. In his first interview Rahul Gandhi proved himself as a true lover of the nation and had condemned the divisive ideologies and had said that he would try to remove discrimination in the name of caste and religion. Rahul Gandhi won from Amethi with a landslide majority with a margin of over one lakh votes beating the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP).

Rahul Gandhi was later appointed a General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee on 24 September 2007. He also was also given charge of the Indian Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi retained his Amethi constituency by defeating his nearest rival by a margin of more than three lakh votes. Under his leadership, Congress could revive itself in Uttar Pradesh by winning 21 out of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats and Rahul was credited for this victory of Congress.

Though Rahul Gandhi’s entry in politics generated surprise among political commentators, the presence of this young visionary leader gave a boost to Congress party's political fortunes specially among India's youthful population.

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Rahul Gandhi at IIIT Amethi: To gather knowledge, go towards the problem

Congress General Secretary and MP from Amethi Rahul Gandhi spoke at the occasion of the convocation ceremony at IIT Amethi and said that to gather more knowledge one should move more close towards the problem.
Rahul Gandhi said “So the first thing I told you was to question yourself. And the second thing is that to gather knowledge, go towards the problem. That is what I did experience. When I go to a poor person’s house and asks about the things he does, I get the knowledge. So I realize that he knows better than me about his nature of job. So it is very important to respect the person’s views who is much closer to the problem”.
“In order to respect the person’s views who is much closer to the problem, you will have to give equal status to that person. There is a feeling among the politicians in India that they are the most knowledgeable persons. Understanding the knowledge is built on the destruction of the knowledge. In our ancient scripts there is a trinity- creator, preserver and destroyer. There is a reason behind it. You cannot have creation without destruction. You cannot have destruction without creation. And you cannot have either of these two without preservation” added the young Congress MP.
“And that is the same with knowledge. To get the current knowledge you will have to destroy the existing knowledge. To destroy the existing knowledge you will have to question yourself. You will have to learn to question yourself and question the persons around you. The more you do that the more knowledgeable you will become” concluded Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi: Congress will work for empowerment and betterment of the people

Launching a blistering attack on non-Congress in Uttar Pradesh for depriving the people of the benefits and amenities of development in the state, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi had said that Congress (I) has been working hard for empowerment of the people. Development of the country is possible only when the people are empowered and able to unleash their creative potential; this is what Congress (I) has been doing about, said Rahul Gandhi while addressing public meetings in the recently held assembly polls in the state. Highlighting Congress’s achievements, the Congress General Secretary said, “Congress always did what it promised – take the Right to Information, Right to Education and now the Right to Food, which we are shortly going to implement to ensure that no one remains hungry in this country.” Criticising BJP for its policy of double speak of saying one thing but doing just the opposite, Rahul Gandhi reminded that how NDA government mislead the country by giving the “India Shining” slogan in 2004 general elections. Referring to Mulayam Singh Yadav’s slogan of umeed-ki-Cycle, he said while Mulayam has been riding the cycle, he punctured the hopes of the people. Mayawati offered corruption-free government in 2007 but after coming into power she has been running the most corrupt government in the country. Requesting the people this time to give chance to Congress (I) to form government, Rahul Gandhi promised that his party would continue to work for empowerment and betterment of the people by bring more and more pro-people measures.

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Mayawati made money, poor got nothing: Rahul Gandhi

Slamming Mayawati for simply doling out money to the poor, Congress (I) General Secretary Rahul Gandhi said that the poor rather need capacity building programs so that they can stand up on their own feet. Simply giving out money to poor does not help them. Rather it creates dependency factor among the poor. Congress (I) approach for development of Bundelkhand is focused on capacity building programs instead of distributing money to the poor for vote bank politics, said Rahul Gandhi while campaigning for the recently held UP Assembly elections. “I have been personally visiting drought hit Bundelkhand region and interacting with people there. Keeping in view the poverty, hunger and unemployment we got a special package of Rs 8,000 crore sanctioned from the central government for integrated development of the region,” Rahul Gandhi added. But due to corruption in Mayawati’s government benefits of development schemes have not reached the poor, Rahul Gandhi said further. For instance, while deep bore-wells have been dug there is no water in them. Similarly plantation was undertaken but plants did not survive, he said. Rahul Gandhi highlighted that for equitable development of this region, Congress (I) manifesto has promised another package for Bundelkhand.

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Rahul Gandhi to visit Karnataka to revive Congress

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi will be undertaking a two-day visit to Karnataka from June 2 in a bid to revive Congress and to formulate the Congress’s strategy for the 2013 assembly polls in the state.
He will attend the Youth Congress national executive committee meeting in Hubli on June 2. After the meeting, Rahul Gandhi will participate in an interaction session in which he would meet senior citizens, intellectuals, retired officers and Jnanapeeth awardees, and seek their suggestions to make the administration more responsive.
On the second day of his tour, the Congress leader is scheduled to visit Davanagere where he will interact with all elected members of Congress, including members of municipalities and other local bodies. Rahul Gandhi also will address a gathering of about 5,000 elected representatives. The Congress General Secretary will hold discussion with senior leaders and executive committee members of KPCC.
After lunch, Rahul Gandhi will hold an interaction session with students. The state Congress sources say that Rahul Gandhi’s visit will boost the morale of the young in order to build the nation on the lines of secular and progressive line.

BSP ministers had fun, poor suffered: Rahul Gandhi

Accusing Mayawati of running the most corrupt and atrocious government, Congress (I) General Secretary Rahul Gandhi had said that her ministers had fun time while the poor suffered deprivation of all sorts. These ministers misused their official positions, grabbed government lands and made money by any fowl way, Rahul Gandhi had alleged while addressing a public meeting in Jewar, Noida recently as part of his Congress campaign.

The Congress leader had sufficient reasons to level such allegations. In a latest case UP Lokayukta has recommended CBI and Enforcement Directorate probe against BSP’s minister Naseemuddin Siddique. The minister has been found possessing assets disproportionate to his income. The assets were acquired after Siddique become minister. In the past Lokayukta had indicted a number of BSP ministers on corruption charges and Mayawati had to remove them. Numbers of other BSP ministers and legislators have been convicted by courts for criminal charges like rape, murder and extortions. These ministers fleeced the people and had fun while the poor suffered miseries of hunger and poverty in silence.

While saying that that the only way to come out of this sordid situation was to enable Congress to form a government in the state, Rahul Gandhi urged the people to vote for Congress (I). The young Congress General Secretary also promised that his party would provide responsible government which would work for the welfare of the people in Uttar Pradesh.

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UPA-2 anniversary: Sonia Gandhi says the achievement of UPA is unique

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi while speaking to allies at a dinner to mark the completion of three years of UPA-II on Tuesday acknowledged that the UPA can secure another mandate only on the basis of the works done by it and not promises.

"I know these are difficult times but this is no reason to feel depressed. We faced a lot of challenges in the last year inside and outside the Parliament,” said Sonia Gandhi added.

Sonia Gandhi continued, “The achievement of UPA 2 is unique. MNREGA became more effective in UPA 2 while there was expansion of health insurance. It also helped the people in the unorganised sectors. The farming sector also became much more organized. Loans to farmers have been increased,” the UPA chairperson said.

“We are determined to remove the difficulties of women and the economically weaker section. We are united to progress economically,” Sonia Gandhi said.