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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday claimed that the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ was the only option left with the party to reach out to the masses as all other fora for expression are shut. His ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ entered Karnataka here in Chamarajanagar district from Gudalur in Tamil Nadu. “There are various institutions in democracy. There’s media and Parliament too but all these have been shut for the opposition and media doesn’t listen to us. There’s total government control. Our mics are muted in Parliament, Assemblies are not allowed to function and opposition is harassed. In this situation, the only option left with us is ‘Bharat Jodo Yata,” Gandhi said at a public meeting here. Gandhi said no force in the country can stop this yatra because this is ‘India’s March’. “This is India’s March and a march to hear India’s voice, which no one can suppress,” he added. The former Congress president said in the next 21 days during which the Yatra would cover 511 km passing through … [Read more...] about Yatra Only Way of Expression as All Other Fora Shut for Opposition: Rahul Gandhi

Hours after filing his nomination papers for the post of Congress president, senior leader Shashi Tharoor speaks to The Hindu on the reasons for contesting and the odds of his battle. He pitched it as a contest between the senior leadership that believes in status quo and the ordinary workers who want change. Why are you fighting this election? I believe that the party deserves to move forward in a positive way; we have the answers to what India needs at this time, especially for those who have been suffering in the past eight years of the BJP rule. And I think to do that, one needs to have a vision that both galvanises the workers of the party and at the same time attracts voters. More importantly, more voters than we were able to attract in the last couple of elections. You have been advocating for internal elections for long, but many feel it is deeply divisive. Within a week of the notification of this election, we saw how the Congress government in Rajasthan was … [Read more...] about Kharge represents

Since the 2018 Assembly elections, the Rajasthan Congress has been sitting on a ticking time bomb. Every politically aware person was well-informed that the grand old party would face a crisis in the state sooner than later. The Gandhi family ignored the issue. Since 2017, the party, led by Rahul Gandhi, has been making strange choices in state politics across India. There are numerous examples of states where members of the Congress won elections and joined other parties, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress has been forced into a situation from which no one anticipates a recovery. Every time it tries to make decisions regarding a course correction, certain circumstances will invariably thwart the revival plan. Seeds Of Battle Every party needs one leader. But when there are two leaders forced to make peace with each other, Rajasthan happens. The Congress fought the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections under Sachin Pilot’s leadership. Ashok Gehlot was notably … [Read more...] about OPINION | Trust, Loyalty, Lust for Power: Rajasthan an Example of How Deep-Rooted Congress Crisis Is

The decision to designate the Popular Front of India (PFI) as an “unlawful association” on September 28 is the most concrete signal yet of the government’s intent to stem the growing radicalisation of Muslim youth. The decision, around which media speculation had been swirling for weeks, was immediately preceded by pre-emptive nationwide arrests of the PFI leadership on the 22nd and 27th. The decision will now have to be referred, in terms of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, to a Tribunal consisting of a sitting High Court judge for determining whether or not there existed “sufficient cause” for declaring the organisation unlawful. The office-bearers of the PFI will be presented an opportunity by this Tribunal to present their case. A final decision about the fate of the PFI should be known within six months. Given the media coverage that has been devoted to the issue, most readers will be at least vaguely familiar with the ideology and sphere of activities of the PFI. … [Read more...] about Ban on Popular Front of India: An Important Step in Countering Rising Islamism in India

Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor apologised on Friday, after his manifesto showed a distorted map of India. After his office corrected the “mistake”, the Kerala MP said “no one does such things on purpose”. This is not the first time the senior leader has used an inaccurate representation of Indian territory. Re the troll storm on a manifesto map: No one does such things on purpose. A small team of volunteers made a mistake. We rectified it immediately &I apologise unconditionally for the error. Here’s the manifesto: https://t.co/aKPpji9Z8M https://t.co/7tnkY9kTiO — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 30, 2022 The Indian map in Tharoor’s manifesto had parts of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh omitted. But, as soon as the possible goof-up gained traction on social media and the BJP targeted him, Tharoor’s office put out a correction and used the government-approved map. The Congress leader filed his nomination earlier in the day and released the … [Read more...] about ‘No One Does Such Things on Purpose’: Tharoor Apologises for ‘Distorted’ India Map in Manifesto

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who concluded his Kerala leg of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ has said he was experiencing knee problems during the foot march, but he was distracted from the pain when members of the public approached him and discussed various issues as the journey progressed. Gandhi revealed this during his candid conversation with Congress leaders of the southern state on Wednesday in Wandoor in Malappuram district. “I am having knee problem while I am walking. When I am walking, sometimes I am getting quite bad pain. And I have noticed whenever I am finding that difficulty, somebody is coming doing something or telling me something that is removing the difficulty,” Gandhi said while sharing his yatra experiences in Kerala with the party leaders in the state. The video of the conversation was released by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee on Thursday. The Congress leader, who left Kerala after 22 days of yatra, said somebody comes and helps him in his most … [Read more...] about ‘Every Time I Have Trouble…’: Rahul Gandhi Opens Up About Knee Pain During Foot March and What Eases It

Preparations are underway to arrest Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha since he was appointed as the party’s co-incharge of political affairs in Gujarat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed on Friday. Kejriwal, however, did not specify which agency was working on the alleged plan to arrest Chadha and on what charges. Rajya Sabha MP Chadha, who is credited with playing a significant role in the AAP’s victory in the assembly elections in Punjab earlier this year, was recently appointed as co-incharge of the party’s political affairs in Gujarat where elections are due this year. “We are hearing that these people will arrest Ragav Chadha now since he has been appointed as co-incharge of Gujarat and he has started participating in poll campaigns in Gujarat,” Kejriwal, the AAP’s national convenor, said in a Tweet in Hindi. “In which case they will (arrest) and what will be the allegations, these people are working on these points at present,” he added. Kejriwal’s claim … [Read more...] about AAP Gujarat Co-incharge Raghav Chadha Likely to Be Arrested, Claims Kejriwal

The third leg of Rahul Gandhi’s 3,500-kilometre Bharat Jodo Yatra started in poll-bound Karnataka with two strong messages — one for the Congress and the other for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the well-attended gathering at Gundlupet, Gandhi said the Congress had a message for the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS): “We will expose their corruption, rising unemployment and divisive politics of hate.” Gandhi had a message for the Congress as well. He held the hands of Congress’s strong yet politically competitive leaders — Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar — while playing the drums, to send out a strong message of unity and the need to remain united. This is the second time that Gandhi is seen insisting that the two leaders show a united front as both leaders have been in the midst of an internal power struggle. Earlier, during Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday celebration, which was seen as a show of strength by the former CM and counter to the claims that he was sidelined … [Read more...] about In Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi Walks Away from Power Tussle, Drums Up Support to ‘Jodo Bharat, Congress’

In 2004, when Sonia Gandhi refused to become the PM and chose Dr Manmohan Singh for the top job, many thought her power would be eclipsed. Successive events showed that a divided Congress rallied behind her, some who were unhappy with her choice spared no opportunity to try and weaken Singh and make the point that she was the real power centre. The setting up of the National Advisory Council (NAC), ministers running to her with complaints instead of the PM only added to the impression that she had the remote control . As Sonia Gandhi prepares for the second renunciation , once again, similar thoughts are being echoed about Mallikarjun Kharge, who is clearly the chosen one. But it’s a much weakened Sonia Gandhi. ALSO READ | King Cong: Will Shashi Tharoor Fight Reluctant Rahul in Prez Polls? Or Will It Be Gehlot or Tewari? In 2004, Sonia Gandhi had a grip over the party as she ensured formation of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and got her party to power, … [Read more...] about The Cong-race is on: Has Mallikarjun Kharge’s Nomination Made Sonia Gandhi Stronger or is Rajasthan the Real Test?

Sachin Pilot will leave the Congress and is the first party president of a state who tried to topple his own government — this is what Ashok Gehlot had scribbled on a handwritten note he carried to Sonia Gandhi on Thursday. He also wrote in it that Pilot had only 18 MLAs by his side. The note was captured by a photographer of Malayala Manorama as Gehlot was entering 10 Janpath, in which he addressed Sachin Pilot as “SP”. It also had a reference to “Manesar”, where 18 MLAs of the Pilot camp had moved in 2020 after rebelling, posing a threat to the Gehlot government. The note used terms like “gunda-gardi, vindictive and arrogant” for the young leader’s supporters. The note said it would have been good for the party if the observers sent to Rajasthan had mentioned this in their report. This strong attack by Gehlot on Pilot came as the Congress said it would make a decision on the Rajasthan CM issue in a couple of days. Gehlot later said he had apologised to Sonia Gandhi for the … [Read more...] about Pilot Will Fly The Coop, Has Only 18 MLAs, And Lumpen, Arrogant Supporters: What Gehlot Wrote for Sonia