Rahul Gandhi addresses Lok Sabha, urges all parties to pass Lokpal Bill

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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi while taking part in the debate on Lokpal Bill asked why the ongoing Parliament's Winter Session could not be extended to ensure that the pending anti-corruption bills also could be passed. “Prevention of Corruption Bill, 2013 Amendment, The right to Citizens to time bound delivery of goods and services and redressal of grievance Bill, 2011, Public procurement Bill 2012, Bill to address foreign bribery as required under Article 16, Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill 2010, The whistle blowers protection Bill, 2011; these are those Bills which we can pass. If necessary Madam Speaker, can we not extend the session of Parliament to complete the passage of these bills and provide this country with a frame work to fight corruption” urged the Congress Member of Parliament from Amethi.

Rahul Gandhi stresses for Dalit empowerment

New Delhi: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, while speaking at the ' National Dialogue on Social Disparity ' organised by the National Commission for Women Scheduled Castes at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on Tuesday emphasized that there is a need to encourage the weaker sections and Dalits. He asserted that there was a need to lift the weaker sections of the people from the grass root up the hierarchy. "I want Dalits to once again feel that they are the backbone of Congress Party," said Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress President said further "We need to provide weaker sections and Dalits with better educational opportunities and there is also a need to change the education system". Rahul Gandhi said he had been able to make the assessment after visiting the states in the country and witnessing the elections during the last eight to nine years he has been in the politics of the country.

"When we have the elections for the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha, how many people take decisions? How many people decide as to who will contest the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls, who will become the Prime Minister? " asked Rahul Gandhi and also pointed out that only 500 people take a final call on who would be the candidates for the polls and who would be the person leading the country.
In the Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi said, around a hundred people were involved in taking a final call on the selection of candidates to contest the elections and around 70 to 80 people were involved in taking a final decision in the BJP. In the Samajwadi Party, the decision was taken by three persons, and the BJD two people. In the BSP, the privilege of taking the decision was that of only one person. In the ultimate analysis, only 500 people took the decision.

"I want to tell you that till the time these 500 people continue to take decisions about the country's politics, the voices of the Dalits will not reach the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha," he added. Rahul Gandhi further recalled that it was his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who helped spread telecommunications across the country by installing a PCO in every village. "Earlier, only the MPs and MLAs had the right to communications. And that is exactly what is happening in the country's political system at present," said the Congress Vice President.

Sonia Gandhi lays foundation stone for Rs 2398 cr drinking water project at Nagaur (Rajasthan)

Congress President and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone for a Rs 2,938-crore drinking water supply project at Jayal in Nagaur district of Rajasthan on Thursday. This drinking water project would benefit more than 23 lakh people from nine towns and about 900 villages of Nagaur district. The project, being supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will be completed in four years.

Praising the Ashok Gehlot Government in the state Sonia Gandhi said “In the journey of development, the Congress-led Rajasthan Government has achieved another mile stone by launching this project”.

Referring to the acute water shortage in the state, the Congress President said “I am aware that scarcity of water affects my sisters more than anyone else and they are forced to travel miles to fetch water.  They spend half of their life time doing this. I also know that there was a time when people were reluctant to marry from those regions in this state where there is scarcity of drinking water. But today, the situation has changed positively and there will be more improvements in the future”.

Sonia Gandhilisted out various development initiatives of the Congress led UPA Government at the Centre. Pointing out some of the land mark bills pending, the UPA Chairperson said, “We (UPA) want that no one sleeps hungry. For that we wanted to bring Food Security bill. To make sure that the people and poor farmers get adequate price for their lands, we are now ready with the Land Acquisition Bill”.

Striking a chord with the people Sonia Gandhi said while concluding her speech, “I am confident that that day is not very far when the entire state of Rajasthan will be completely free from the menace of water scarcity”. She also urged the state government to ensure the timely completion of the proposed project.

In the last August, Sonia Gandhi had inaugurated another drinking water project in Barmer district.

Sonia Gandhi in Rajasthan launches power projects in Suratgarh

Congress President and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone of two units of 660 MW each at the super thermal power plant at Suratgarh in Rajasthan.  While addressing the gathering Sonia Gandhi slammed the opposition for blocking the welfare measures by the Congress-led Government at the Centre and assured that Congress is determined to carry on with its pro-poor measures.

She also praised the Rajasthan Government in the state for its various development measures aimed at the benefiting the common man. “I am very happy for the fact that the Congress government in the state under the leadership of Sh. Ashok Gehlot has done remarkably well to improve the power situation in the state. As a result Rajasthan today produces more than 12000 MW electricity” she said.

The UPAChairperson also highlighted various development measures taken by the Congress-led central Government and also slammed the opposition for creating obstacles on Centre’s welfare schemes. “I want to warn you that, there are some political parties in our country, who indulge in activities which disturb the stability. Whenever there is a threat for stability that will affect development works negatively and will increase the hardship of the poor.  We must be careful that these parties could do anything to grab power and are not bothered about the difficulties of the people” said Sonia Gandhi.

“Rajasthan has always shown the entire country the way to live with pride and self respect. We must continue this tradition and must work together for further progress. We will surge ahead by continuing our sincere, committed and hard work and will together defeat the anti-development forces who try to create hurdles in the path of progress” said Sonia Gandhi concluding her address.

The seventh and eighth units of super critical thermal power station at Suratgarh will be ready by 2016-17. They have been built at a cost of Rs 7920 crore. The two units coming up at Suratgarh would generate 1320 MW.

Sonia Gandhi was accompanied by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Energy Minister Jitendra Singh. The Congress President is also scheduled to inaugurate a Rs 2,938-crore drinking water supply project at Jayal in Nagaur district.

Sonia Gandhi had inaugurated another drinking water project in Barmer district last August.

Rahul Gandhi to visit Amethi on 13 june to interact with Congress workers

Lucknow : Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will visit his parliamentary constituency Amethi in Uttar Pradesh to interact with party workers June 13, party leaders said .

The Congress vice president will interact with party workers and district leaders in Shukul Bazaar, the party leader said.

Mr Gandhi's agenda include a follow up on power supply in his constituency, and hear out difficulties faced by the people in getting employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act scheme and purchasing wheat. Gandhi had held discussions on these issues during his last visit about three months ago.

A leader of the Congress party's state unit said Mr Gandhi would fly to Lucknow from Delhi and then drive all the way from Amausi airport to Amethi in Sultanpur district, about 140 km from the state capital Lucknow. 

Karnataka: Sonia Gandhi’s matured leadership reflects in the big win for Congress

New Delhi:  The massive victory for the Congress clearly demonstrated the perfect leadership acumen of Congress President Sonia Gandhi supplemented by party VicePresident Rahul Gandhi. They had extensively campaigned for the state assembly polls and the results show that the Congress could win most of the seats where these two leaders had campaigned.

After the landslide victory in Karnataka, the Congress correctly questioned the Gujarat chief minister's popularity outside his state and hailed the role of Rahul Gandhi as a mass leader.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh also hailed Rahul Gandhi for playing a leading role in the campaign in Karnataka. "It is a clear result against the ideology of the BJP, which has been ruling in the state of Karnataka," he said.  Responding to a query about the Lok Sabha elections, the PM said, "People of the country know what is what and they will reject the BJP ideology as the result in Karnataka shows." "I am very happy with the victory in Karnataka. It was a joint effort," said Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Making a departure from the common refrain about assembly elections being fought on local issues, senior Congress leaders also questioned Modi's popularity outside his domain. "No one knows Modi outside Gujarat. It has been proved again by Karnataka," said Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh. And Union minister Kapil Sibal termed Modi a "big zero", saying that he had no impact on voters in Karnataka.

Rahul Gandhi's contributions, on the other hand, came in for praise. Rahul Gandhi had put in enormous hard work in the state and he also had interacted with various sections of the people. As senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes noted, "Rahulji has been working in Karnataka for over five years." "Wherever he (Rahul) went in Karnakata, the Congress won most of those seats," says another Congress leader.

The Congress did perform well in many places where Rahul Gandhi had campaigned. For instance, it swept the BJP bastion of Bagalkot. In another BJP bastion, Belgaum, the Congress performed well. The Congress made improvements or at least retained its tally from the last election in other districts visited by Rahul Gandhi—Mandya, Tumkur, Hassan.

Modi, on the other hand, had a hugely successful meeting in Bangalore in terms of turnout, but the BJP's tally in the capital city, which has 28 assembly constituencies, came down from 17 in 2008 to 12 in 2013. The Congress swept the BJP stronghold of Mangalore where the Gujarat chief minister had sought to stoke Hindutva sentiment by talking about cow slaughter. Modi and Rahul Gandhi had addressed public meetings in Belgaum, too, but there also Congress crushed the BJP.

Similarly Sonia Gandhi also silently, but, in a matured way supervised the election process in the state and Congress could earn good results where she had campaigned. With her effective interventions, with the help of senior Congress leaders, Congress could overcome the rebel threats also in many parts of Karnataka.

This victory, will undoubtedly, act as a morale booster for the Congress and it will now look for similar results in the next General elections also. With the matured leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Congress hopes for yet another term for Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.

Rahul Gandhi visits Madhya Pradesh

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is on a two-day visit to Madhya Pradesh. He reached the state on Wednesday and interacted with party workers. Rahul Gandhi urged the partymen to work as a unit.

Gender justice, women empowerment is high on the agenda for Rahul Gandhi

For newly appointed Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, gender justice and women empowerment are high on the agenda. Taking cognsiance of reports of the alleged rape of 11 minor tribal girls in Chattisgarh within a government run residential school, Rahul Gandhi has urged the Youth Congress and NSUI members in the state to take up the issue and compel the BJP state government to take action.

Rahul Gandhi had also recently visited the family of the Delhi gang rape victim alongwith Congress President Sonia Gandhi, soon after the Centre issued an ordinance on sexual assault paving the way for death penalty for rape in certain cases.    

Congress MP and former Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury is also in Chattisgarh to protest against the BJP led state government’s inaction in ensuring justice to the rape victims who are minors. Chowdhury said, “The incidents took place in August last year but have come to light only now. The state government is not allowing a free and fair enquiry, they are more interested in sweeping things under the carpet.” Chowdhury emphasizes that the victims in this case were minor tribal girls between the ages of five and 12 and were under the care of their warden and school staff, who turned out to be their aggressors.

The Congress-led Centre had in the wake of the horrific Delhi gang rape incident in December, committed to bringing in stronger laws to tackle crimes against women. When the elder brother of the Delhi gang rape victim urged that one of the accused who is a juvenile should not be allowed to get away with a light sentence on the plea that he is a juvenile, Rahul Gandhi reportedly assuaged his concerns but added that “the law had to take its course.” He also informed them about the steps being taken by the government such as the Ordinance on sexual assault to ensure better safety and security for women.

Sonia Gandhi, who is also the UPA Chairperson, had met the family earlier, and was reportedly keen to stay in touch with them and assure them that "their daughter’s life had not gone in vain."