Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi attend Arun Nehru’s cremation

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi attended Arun Nehru’s cremation at New delhi’s Lodhi road crematorium. Priyanka’s son lit the pyre.

Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi -- the energetic Congress leaders

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has been leading her party very effectively and under her guidance Congress-led UPA government at the centre implemented various welfare policies for the benefit of the poor in the country. Her daughter and Star Congress campaigner Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also another energetic leader who strike chords with the people very easily.

Sonia Gandhi in Karnataka slams BJP’s misrule; calls for change in the state

Chikmagalure: Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, while addressing a mammoth election rally at Chikmagalure in Karnataka as part of her campaign for the upcoming assembly polls in the state on Saturday, launched a blistering attack on the ruling BJP government for cheating the people and ignoring the development in the state.

Sonia Gandhi started her address by striking an emotional chord with the people of Chikmagalure recalling how they had extended their support to late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1978. “We cannot forget and we will not forget that the people of Chikmagalur, 35 years ago, lent a helping hand to my mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, when she needed it the most.  And I am here today to offer to you the helping hand of the Congress party now, because it is now you need it most” said Sonia Gandhi and the audience greeted it with huge applauds.

Slamming the BJP, the Congress President stressed that the present government in Karnataka betrayed the people's mandate and claimed that the people are looking for a change. “People want change and this feeling was seen in the recent local elections.. The need for change is now and you know better, why we need a change? You live here and you are suffering because of the bad governance of the BJP” said Sonia Gandhi in her first campaign rally in Karnataka, which goes to assembly polls on May 5.

"The BJP has completely betrayed the mandate of the people of Karnataka", she argued and continued “Immoral behaviour of the persons in the positions of power has crossed all limits. The law and order has collapsed. The mining mafia has destroyed the environment and has ransacked huge mineral resources, which are your property. Secular values of Karnataka society, in this region in particular, have been gravely damaged by fanatical elements only for their narrow and selfish political ends”.

Sonia Gandhi added that there was a time when industries competed with one another to invest in Karnataka but the situation now is opposite. She alleged that the industries are leaving Karnataka because of corruption, government interference and poor infrastructure. Noting that Karnataka has had a glorious past and brighter future awaiting, she said this is possible only if there is political stability. 

Taking a dig at BJP for frequently changing the Chief Ministers in the recent past, she said “For a brighter future for Karnataka, one should realise that stability is essential. We cannot afford governments, which keep on changing Chief Ministers every now and then.. A stable Government is the need of the hour in Karnataka”. 

“We (Congress party) reject any communal ideology. We reject any ideology or institution that spreads hatred and disunity” underlined the UPA Chairperson.

“Come out in large numbers on 5^th of May. Vote for Congress; caste your votes for stability; caste your votes for a future of pride of all the people of Karnataka and Chikmagalur” said Sonia Gandhi while concluding her address.

Sonia Gandhi and 15 successful years as Congress President

On 14 March, when Sonia Gandhi completes 15 uninterrupted years - a unique distinction - as the Congress president, she has a lot of things in her credit, from strengthening her party to giving a visionary guidance to the Congress-led coalition government at the Centre.   She took over as Congress President in 1998 at a time a demoralised and fragmented Congress party was going through a turbulent phase and ruling just four states of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Mizoram and Nagaland. And after taking over Sonia Gandhi restored the party's central place in the country's polity in six years.

After three continuous in 1996, 1998 and 1999, Sonia Gandhi played a pivotal role in bringing the Congress party back to power in 2004 and since then the Congress has successfully led a coalition government at the Centre and is in power in 13 states.

It was because of her persistent intervention and guidance the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre framed some land mark polices like Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, the Right to Education and the Right to Information. Women empowerment has always been her focus and she was instrumental for many polices by the Centre in that direction. The mid-day meal scheme in government schools is yet another example for her pro-poor approach. Now the government is ready with Food Security Bill, another dream project of Sonia Gandhi.  She always argued for inclusive growth and insisted for special care to youth, women, minorities, tribals and other most backward classes. There is her mark in the latest Congress-led Centre government programme, the Direct cash transfer (DBT) in which the money meant for the poor will directly reach the beneficiaries bank accounts through Aadhar card.

It is a fact that the Congress was in disarray when Sonia Gandhi took over. But after that she has been able to establish unity and authority in the party and now Congress has regained its political domination across the country.

Sonia Gandhi has also been credited for taking the Congress to the left-of-the-centre position and for crafting good and effective coalitions. Her legacy is bringing Congress back to secular position with focus on welfare and distribution that helped the party to regain its dominance in the national polity in 2004.

It is a known fact that Sonia Gandhi, after the assassination of her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, had turned down repeated requests by Congress workers, leaders and followers to  join the party, till 1997. And finally, on March 14, 1998, she was elected as the Congress President. The biggest challenge for her then was to rejuvenate the party that had crumbled and split over the years and it is history now that she could accomplish the task effectively and efficiently.

Though Congress faced electoral debacle initially, the party under the energetic leadership of Sonia Gandhi could come back with a bang in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress emerged as the single largest party and along with Left, and other like-minded parties formed the UPA government. Unperturbed by the foreign origin issue raked by her opponents, Sonia Gandhi had succeeded in demolishing BJP led NDA's "India Shining" campaigns with the "aam aadmi" slogan of the Congress.

The important milestone in her political career is her refusing the PM post. She stunned the entire world by declining to take up the top post. "Power in itself has never attracted me, nor has position been my goal," she had then said. The renunciation of power -- a move many described as one of her biggest political masterstrokes-- solidified Sonia Gandhi's position. Under her leadership, the UPA retained power in 2009 general elections with the Congress winning 206 seats, the highest by any party since 1991.

For Sonia Gandhi, the biggest challenge now, is to ensure Congress' victory in the coming assembly and Lok Sabha elections, which comes at a time when the party has been at the receiving end of several controversies. But, Congress is hopeful that with her visionary leadership and under newly appointed young Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the party will retain the power in the next general elections also.

Sonia Gandhi inaugurates South Asian Autism Network (SAAN) conference

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi inaugurated a conference of the South Asia Autism Network in New Delhi on Monday. Representatives from India, Bangladesh, Thailand and WHO, SEARO will participate in the daylong conference.

“It is simply not acceptable that we perceive people with autism as people who don’t have any understanding. We need to change. We must make the world a comfortable place for those with autism. We need to learn to respect those who may perceive and experience the world differently from us. We need to empathize with them” said Sonia Gandhi. “We need to focus on not what is different about them, unfamiliar movement, unexpected expressions, unusual silences, uncommon imagination but on the vastness of what we have in the common as equal members of one humanity” she added.

The Congress President continued “Human society has expanded the frontiers of knowledge and seen the eradication of many debilitating diseases, yet in the case of autism, despite its widespread prevalence, an understanding for its causes remains elusive”.

“ Professor Saima Wajid Hussain has just given us some figures that tell us that autism specter disorder is on the increase. We probably have over 8 million individuals with autism spectrum condition” said SoniaGandhi and added “Our ministers have just spoken to us about many initiatives and the programmes which have been started here in India, including some changes in some policies. However, I feel that the fulmination of public policies in our countries is not kept pace and not enough attention has been given to disability sector.  In the absence of adequate institutional support mechanism, the differently abled remained deprived of their rights”.

During the conference, representatives from India and Bangladesh will present the official SAAN charter for adoption by all network member States. The charter notes the commitment to the following goals: To raise public and professional awareness of ASD; to provide resources for parents and professionals; to collect public health data to understand the burden of ASD; to conduct professional training in the areas of evidence based services to meet the life cycle needs of persons with ASD. It will also encourage in ASD, promote inter-country sharing of data resources and expertise and to explore funding mechanisms to achieve the above goals and objectives.

The WHO shows an escalation in the disease burden for autism from 10 percent to 14 percent over the period 1990 to 2011. It is expected to rise to 15 percent by 2020. After the adoption of Dhaka Declaration on 25 July 2011, the South Asian Autism Network (SAAN) was born to combat the devastating autism public health crises. The intention is to identify common challenges each country is facing and form a partnership to develop solutions in a collaborating and coordinated fashion.

The intensions include establishing a regional autism awareness campaign in South East Asia, creating joint programmes for information-sharing and professional training, and defining national and regional strategies to advance autism public health research and policy development.

Sonia Gandhi pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 65th death anniversary

The Nation on Wednesday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, on his 65th death anniversary.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh paid floral tribute to Gandhi at his memorial Rajghat. Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and a host of other dignitaries also paid tribute to the apostle of peace at his memorial. A series of functions are being organized throughout the country to mark the occasion.

Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar. A lawyer by profession, Gandhi led the struggle for India''s independence from British rule by following the path of non-violence. Ironically, Gandhi was shot dead by a Hindu fanatic, Nathuram Godse, at a prayer meeting in Delhi on January 30, 1948, less than a year after India became independent.

Gandhi is venerated throughout India as the ''father of the nation''. His statues can be found across the country and nearly every town has at least one street named after him.

India observes Gandhi''s death anniversary as Martyrs'' Day in the memory of its freedom fighters.

Sonia Gandhi: Congress acted strongly to combat corruption

Congress President Sonia Gandhi while speaking at the Jaipur Chintan Shivir of the party on the last day accepted that corruption is the biggest modern Indian problem and said that Congress has come out as a strong party to combat corruption with an efficient five point agenda. This agenda, she said,  includes the introduction and passing of the ‘Lokpal Bill’, better allocation of natural resources, transparency in governance, and the Direct Cash Transfer Scheme (DBTS). The DBTS will eliminate corruption by middlemen.

"Let me reiterate that corruption at all levels is a deep-rooted malice and all sections of society are affected by it. As a party, we must lead struggle to combat its effect," added Sonia Gandhi. Referring the UPA government’s recent economic reform measures, Sonia Gandhi said that government was forced to take tough decisions due to financial crisis which were affecting the people. She was delighted that a lot of young leaders are participating in the meeting and this will help the party project young leadership. The Congress President also said that in last three days the Congress had tried to assess its own self.

Congress has tried to acknowledge its own strength so that it can come out with clear answers that why Congress is the best party. “Congress is exceptional as it has been following the footsteps of stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Bhimrao Ambedkar. Congress has produced leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajeev Gandhi who have had immense contribution towards the development of India” said Sonia Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi, who is also the UPA Chairperson also said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, several decisions have been taken to benefit the common man and cited legislations like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the Right to the Education Act and the proposed food security and land acquisition bills. "Nowadays every party makes claims of development. This is a fact that development in itself is an election issue and its entire credit goes to the Congress system of functioning," she said.

Congress president reiterated that that unlike any other party Congress came out as a party which ensured and will continue efforts in upholding a secular and peaceful nation. It will continuously fight poverty and social inequality.

Sonia Gandhi asks partymen to work with unity

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday told her leaders and cadres that unity should be their watchword as the party had floundered many an opportunity for want of discipline. Addressing the 'Chintan Shivir' in Jaipur, Sonia Gandhi cautioned party men of increased competition for Congress' political space among the people and noted that several inroads had been made in the party's traditional support bases.

Sonia Gandhi asked the party leaders to set aside personal ambitions and egos to work cohesively and ensure that the party puts up a better performance, particularly in states where it is out of power. "Why do we forget the simple truth that in the party's victory lies the victory of each and every one of us," she asked. Sonia Gandhi said there was a need to strike a fine balance when it comes to dealing with alliance partners while ensuring that the party's rejuvenation was not compromised.

Sonia Gandhi emphasises the urgent need for better connect with the new generation

Congress president Sonia Gandhi during her opening remarks at the Congress’ chintan shivir at Jaipur has said that the party’s revival would depend on mitigating the disillusionment of the growing middle classes as well as segments of the traditional vote bank.

In her inaugural address at the two-day AICC session, Sonia Gandhi emphasised the urgent need for reconnecting with the opinion-making section of the society. "India is increasingly peopled by a younger, more aspirational, more impatient and better educated generation. Across the length and breadth of our country, our people are expecting much more from their political parties. Aided by the tools of the modern world - television, social media, mobile phones and the internet - today's India is better informed and better equipped to communicate."

The Congress President added that the country's, "citizens are rightly fed up with the levels of corruption that they see in public life at high levels, but equally with the corruption they have to deal with in their daily lives. This is a phenomenon, a churning that we must understand and continue to respond to. We cannot allow our growing educated and middle-classes to be disillusioned and alienated from the political process."

The UPA government's policies also came for high praise from the Congress President who emphasized the importance of economic growth. "Economic growth over the past decade has been impressive. This has had a major impact on reducing poverty. But our fight against inequality and poverty is a continuing one. This is why it is important to sustain our poverty alleviation programmes."

Sonia Gandhi said the party will have to adequately respond to challenges posed by these movements. "We see various protest movements across the country, relating to land, forest, water and livelihood, tribal and gender issues. Our party must proactively take up these causes," she said.

The Congress President pointed out that the party had lost traction in states that it once controlled as a matter of serious concern. "This session is taking place at a time when we have been in government at the Centre for almost nine years. It is also taking place when we are not governing in a number of states and when we face serious challenges in states long considered our bastions."

"While we continue to be the nation's pre-eminent political party, we must admit that we now face increased competition and inroads have been made into our traditional support bases," said Sonia Gandhi.  The Party president sent a clear message of unity to partymen. "Is it not the case that we have squandered many opportunities that people are willing to give us simply because we have been unable to function as a disciplined and united team?" asked Sonia Gandhi.