Do you think sudden austerity drive from Congress is just a drama?

NEW DELHI - As Congress leaders try to outdo each other in taking austerity measures, other political parties have dubbed the drive “mere tokenism” and “drama” which they say aims to divert attention from the serious problems plaguing the country.

“What is more important is real work on the ground to address the suffering of the common man. Tokenism bereft of real work on ground becomes patent hypocrisy and laughable,” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad told IANS.

“Recently prime minister (Manmohan Singh) wrote to Rural Development Minister C.P. Joshi conveying his unhappiness over his performance,” said the BJP leader. “So the performance has to go beyond tokenism.”

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP Basudeb Acharya also called it tokenism in the time of rising prices and farmer suicides.

“Farmers are still committing suicide. Prices of essential commodities are spiralling. If they have any concern, they should universalise the public distribution system and announce relief packages for farmers.

“It is merely tokenism. They have no concern for the problems of people. I demand a special parliament session to discuss the crisis country is facing,” Acharya said.

The Congress leaders’ austerity drive began with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee asking two union ministers, S.M. Krishna and Shashi Tharoor, to vacate their suites in five-star hotels.

Mukherjee had said it on the instructions of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who has asked all party MPs and legislators to contribute 20 percent of their salaries for drought relief and adopt a simple lifestyle to sympathise with the “less fortunate”.

Since then, Pranab Mukherjee and Sonia Gandhi have both flown economy class. Now Sonia Gandhi’s son and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has taken a train from Delhi to Ludhiana to cut down expenses.

However, opposition leaders are not impressed.

“It is a totally pre-planned drama. The economy cannot be revived by merely travelling in economy class once or twice. Instead, they should try to curb corruption rampant in the government,” said Samajwadi Party MP Kamal Akhtar.

“It is hypocrisy and mere tokenism. It is unfortunate the government and the party are trying to divert attention from real issues. It does not matter whether you travel by economy class, cargo or bullock cart. People want performance,” the BJP’s Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

Many commoners too hope the Congress top brass will do more.

“I know they are trying to set an example. But their efforts should go beyond such gestures. Rahul Gandhi’s train ride would not help people who are feeling the pinch of price-rise,” said software executive Krishan Kumar.

Shweta Kalra, a student, said: “These political leaders travelling economy class or by train would create more hassles for the common man. People with VIP security would definitely book rows of seats, and their security will create difficulties for people commuting with them.”

Unfazed, the Congress is pressing ahead with the austerity drive and says its leaders will set an example.

“In tough times, such measures by the Congress leadership will set an example for others and youngsters to lead a simple and austere life,” said Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed.

“If there is time… (we have) no problem travelling by train,” he added. Even Rahul’s father Rajiv Gandhi used to travel a lot by train.”

READ MORE - Do you think sudden austerity drive from Congress is just a drama?

Educate people on RTI, Rahul tells Youth Congress

Sushanta Talukdar
Guwahati: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched the aam aadmi ka sipahi programme for Assam and other north-eastern States. The programme is aimed at training members of the Youth Congress and the National Students’ Union of India on educating people about the Right To Information Act and various flagship programmes of the Congress-led UPA government.
The Amethi MP, who was on a day’s visit to Assam, urged over 6,000 Youth Congress and NSUI members, who were selected a am aadmi ka sipahi at a training programme at the Sarusajai Stadium here, to educate rural masses about the RTI Act, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and other programmes so that the empowered masses could ensure that money pumped in by the Central government to the region reached them.
Addressing a meeting at the Rajiv Bhavan (the PCC headquarters) Mr. Gandhi spoke about the efforts to democratise the Youth Congress and listed the success achieved in Punjab and Uttarakhand. Sophisticated methods like introduction of photo identity cards were used to weed out bogus members from the organisation and about 3.5 lakh members were enrolled and elections were held to elect leaders at the block, district and State levels. Similar efforts were made in Uttarakhand, which, he said, yielded good results in strengthening the organisation.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi suggested that the democratisation efforts initiated by Mr. Gandhi be adopted in Assam for strengthening the Congress in the State. But, Mr. Gandhi clarified that his jurisdiction was limited to the Youth Congress and the NSUI.
Later, Mr. Gandhi interacted with students at the Don Bosco Institute at Kharghuli here.

READ MORE - Educate people on RTI, Rahul tells Youth Congress

Rahul Gandhi emerges as lead Congress campaigner

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi may have ruled himself out as a contender for the Prime Minister's job, but he has turned into Congress's chief campaigner, taking much of the burden off his mother, party chief Sonia Gandhi.

By the time campaigning came to a close on Tuesday for the second phase of the general election, Rahul Gandhi was on the verge of a personal milestone: he had already addressed 65 poll rallies.

The youthful Congress general secretary is all set to crack a century when the remaining stretch of the electioneering is completed in the middle of May.

It is a big change since last year's assembly elections when he still came across as tentative and at the most evoked curiosity. If there are no last-minute cancellations, Rahul will have addressed 86 election meetings by April 27. Clearly, he is the lead campaigner of his party, taking much of the burden off Sonia Gandhi.

Though Sonia is travelling all over the country, Rahul's mobility is much higher.

"He plans his programme meticulously and is addressing four election meetings everyday on average," an aide said.

Since the campaign took off, Rahul has logged an estimated 50,000 poll km hopping from one part of the country to another.

When he campaigned in some of the states for the assembly elections six months ago, according to an observer, he came across as an "idealistic do-gooder".

Now being projected by his party as part of a troika along with PM Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, he is a more mature campaigner, attacking the opponents and giving short shrift to estranged allies.

Congress insiders ascribe this `coming of age' to his intense work with the youth and students as the party functionary handling the affairs of the Youth Congress and NSUI.

Over the past few months, he has conducted elections for the office-bearers of these two party wings in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Gujarat. His idea was to "reopen the door of the party to those from ordinary homes". In the process, he gained in grassroots experience.

READ MORE - Rahul Gandhi emerges as lead Congress campaigner

Dalits would vote for Congress, 10 times out of 10

Mumbai: A majority of the thousands of Dalits who gathered to pay homage on Ambedkar Jayanti at Chaityabhoomi in Shivaji Park, seemed to root for the Congress.

The young among them however, endorsed Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati.

"Congress is one party that doesn't believe in casteism and discrimination," said Anil Kale. "The Sena-BJP doesn't dare enter Chaityabhoomi and campaign. We wouldn't vote for them even in our dreams."

Shivaji Park on Tuesday was wrapped in blue as -- by late evening -- at least one lakh Dalits converged on Chaityabhoomi, with marigold garlands to offer at the Ambedkar samadhi there. The event was held on the threshold of the Lok Sabha polls, and needless to say, politics was the topic of discussion.

"We don't want to waste our votes on Mayawati. Only those capable of coming to power will get our votes, and the Congress has been the party for us," said Sudhakar Jadhav, another Dalit.

"Young Dalits are revolutionaries who believe in Mayawati. We have faith in her and consider her our saviour. But what's the use, when her party will not come to power?" said Samson Wankhede, another Ambedkar-ite.

"Other political parties do not want Dalit parties to exist independently. They aim for Dalit votes but want us to remain working class," said Pravin Yadav, a Dalit from Vikhroli. "We don't want Dalit votes to be divided. If I am allowed to vote ten times, I'll vote for the Congress," said Sunil Bhole.

READ MORE - Dalits would vote for Congress, 10 times out of 10

UPA fulfilled its promises: Rahul Gandhi

Sharing stage with Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi said that UPA government has done a lot for the benefit of the poor. He said that listening to Omar Abdullah was a nice experience for him and listed the achievements of the UPA government...

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi have promised to make J&K one of the developed states of India. He said that many schemes have been implemented and many are in pipeline.

Congress General Secretary said that UPA government launched the Employment Guarantee Scheme and millions of poor people got benefitted from it. Loan waiver for the farmers and mid-day meal for school going children were other achievements of the UPA government.

He said that the Congress Party has fulfilled its promise of working for the Poor, Dalits and Backwards of this country. He appealed voters to support Congress on the basis of its work. He accused BJP for not taking care of the Poor and downtrodden.

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I prefer to listen to people: Rahul Gandhi

RAIPUR: Replying to opposition parties that criticize him for his brief speeches, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday evening that he would rather reach out to people and understand them.

"The opposition says I don't give long speeches. That is true as I don't have the habit of delivering speeches for two-three hours. I give brief speeches because I try to understand and reach out to you people," Gandhi said at a public meeting at Rajim in the Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituency, some 45 km from Chhattisgarh capital Raipur.

Pointing at the gathering, the Congress MP said: "I need your trust. I look at the world through the eyes of the poor but the opposition does not, that is why they treat my stay at poor people's houses as drama."

Gandhi said the Congress party's biggest fight is "against the poverty".

"If India will rise, everyone will progress included the poor, Dalits and tribals. But the opposition does not talk about poor people's problems.

"They talk about terrorism though the fact is that parliament was attacked and an Indian Airlines plane was hijacked and taken to Kandahar during their (the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's) regime," Gandhi remarked in his barely 10-minute speech.

He said that during the five years of its rule, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government focused on pro-poor schemes and launched several welfare initiatives including the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

This was Gandhi's third visit of the state in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections. Chhattisgarh has 11 Lok Sabha seats and goes to polls in the first phase, April 16.

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Sikh Scribe Chucks Shoe at Chidambaram, Congress Forgives

New Delhi, April 7 : In a scene reminiscent of the attack on George W. Bush, a Sikh journalist flung his shoe at Home Minister P. Chidambaram to express disgust over the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

But unlike in Baghdad, the shoe drama at the Congress headquarters here had an amiable ending with both Chidambaram and his party forgiving the reporter, Jarnail Singh of Dainik Jagran. A sombre Singh insisted his cause was right but admitted that he should not have done what he did.

Singh’s family, relieved that he had been let off by the police without any charges slapped against him, thanked Chidambaram for forgiving him and for not filing a criminal complaint.

Congress spokesman Ashwini Kumar told reporters: “In a democracy, everybody has a right to raise issues but hurling a shoe as an expression of anger is most unfortunate. The home minister has shown magnanimity and ignored the issue. The Congress feels this issue should come to an end.”


An anguished Singh said later: “I only wanted to ask how justice can be done (to Sikhs affected by the 1984 riots) but he (Chidambaram) was not interested in answering the question. I don’t think (what I did) is right but the issue (1984 Sikh riots) is right.”


But he urged journalists not to emulate him, any time.


The journalist’s mother told reporters outside her home: “We were shocked… (What my son did) was wrong. We told him not to do it again and if you have anger, talk it out.”


Barring a few individuals and Sikh organisations, the incident was widely condemned. Even those who sympathised with Singh’s emotional response said the minister should not have been targeted.


Singh had wanted to know if the home ministry, which Chidambaram heads, had pressured the CBI into giving a clean chit to Tytler, one of the seven Congress candidates in Delhi and who has been linked to the 1984 anti-Sikh violence sparked by then prime minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination.

“Neither the home ministry nor any other ministry put any pressure on the CBI,” the minister explained. “The CBI has only given a report. It is for the court to decide whether to accept the report or not.”


Chidambaram requested Singh, described by colleagues as a god fearing and gentle person, not to argue when he persisted in asking further questions.


Singh blurted out “I protest!”, bent down and hurled one of his white sneakers at Chidambaram, missing the target by a few feet but momentarily stunning the minister. It all happened in a few seconds.


Security guards immediately led away Singh, who went out of the media briefing room quietly. He was taken to the Tughlak Road police station but was let off after Chidambaram refused to press any charges.

There has been widespread discontent among Sikhs after the CBI cleared Tytler, who has been accused of inciting mobs to attack and plunder Sikhs in 1984. Tytler claims he is innocent.


Young Sikhs Tuesday empathised with journalist Singh.

“I think it was a very bold and strong step. It not only showed the anguish and frustration of an individual but voiced the sentiments of the entire Sikh community regarding the 1984 riots,” college student Arshdeep Singh said.

Balwinder Singh, a young priest, said the patience of the Sikhs was running out.

More than 3,000 people were killed in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination. The bulk of the killings took place in New Delhi where mobs linked to the Congress ruled the streets for over three days.


No one has been sentenced to death for any of the killings.

The Bharatiya Janata Party criticised Singh’s act but it asked the Congress to withdraw Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, another party leader who too is linked to the riots, from the electoral fray.

Punjab’s ruling Akali Dal said the incident “showed our pain and suffering”. Party leader Avtar Singh Hit announced a reward of Rs.200,000 for Singh’s “courage and bravery”.

Senior editors called the shoe attack “unprofessional” and “uncalled for”. K.S. Sachidananda Murthy of the Editors Guild asked journalists not to get emotionally involved when on assignment.


Dainik Jagran said it would take disciplinary action against Singh. It said the attack was “against the tradition, ritual, culture, rules” of the organisation.

READ MORE - Sikh Scribe Chucks Shoe at Chidambaram, Congress Forgives

Congress only can provide stable govt: Sonia

Berhampur (Orissa), Apr 3 : Rejecting the proposed Third Front as "momentary", Congress president Sonia Gandhi today claimed that her party alone was capable of providing a "stable and efficient" government at the Centre.

"Creation of new groups like Third Front and so on ahead of the elections is not good for democracy. They cannot provide good governance to the people," Gandhi said, addressing an election rally here during her one-day Orissa tour.

Strongly criticising the "concept of fronts", she said these groups coming into being on daily basis would push the country towards "disaster" as they have no specific plans and programmes.

Hitting out at BJP for raking up the issue of terrorism ahead of the polls, the UPA chairperson asked saffron leaders to recall that Parliament house was attacked during NDA rule and said no one should try to "politicise" the issue.

"Who was the Home Minister and the Prime Minister when terrorists carried out frequent attacks at different parts of the country including Parliament house," she asked.

Hailing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his government's plans, she claimed that the country's oldest party had both "experience and wisdom" to take the country towards progress.

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Rahul takes on Advani in poll campaigning

Launching his poll campaign in Jharkhand and Bihar, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday hit back at BJP for attacking the UPA government on national security issue and said it was the Manmohan Singh government which "silenced" Pakistan after Mumbai terror attack.

''The constant pressure mounted by the Manmohan Singh government has silenced Pakistan,'' he said taking on BJP prime ministerial candidate L K Advani for his attack on the UPA government on the terrorism issue.

He accused BJP it of having succumbed to terror in the Kandahar plane hijack episode.

"In every election, BJP targets Congress over terrorism and corruption. The BJP-led government knelt before terrorists during the Kandahar plane hijack incident. They have no right to criticise the UPA government (on terrorism)," the Gandhi scion said.

"In Bihar, the NREGS launched for economic uplift of the poor living in far-flung areas of the country has virtually failed to take off mired as its execution is in corruption," Rahul charged.

Congress has always stood by the poor in "thick and thin but BJP never speaks for the poor and forgets them once election is over," he said in Lohardagga.

''Our attempt will be to step up developmental work and stand by the poor,'' Gandhi said.

READ MORE - Rahul takes on Advani in poll campaigning

BSP and BJP are hand-in-glove, says Congress

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Digvijay Singh Tuesday accused the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) of being hand-in-glove with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh.

“The manner in which the Mayawati government gave the BJP’s Pilibhit Lok Sabha nominee Varun Gandhi and his supporters a free hand to indulge in blatant vandalism and violence so as to create a riot-like situation in that town, clearly reflects some kind of connivance between the two parties,” Singh told reporters here.

“The action that followed subsequently by the same government against Varun was only a part of the cover-up and meant nothing as the damage was done.”

He sought to argue, “After all I have also been chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for 10 years during which I faced many such situations. Therefore, I know with experience that such situations need to be handled with a firm hand, which also required preventive arrests to be carried out; and at no stage did the Mayawati administration show any serious intention to prevent the violence.”

Accusing the BJP of “doublespeak”, Singh said: “Anyone with common sense could have easily anticipated what the BJP had up its sleeve when its leadership announced its decision to stage a court-arrest drama for Varun.”

According to him, “even BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani was not above the doublespeak habit.”

While he refused to comment on the reasons behind failure of talks between the Congress and Samajwadi Party, he made it loud and clear that the Congress would leave some seats for the Samajwadi Party.

“Just as they have spared a few seats for us, we would also reciprocate by leaving a few seats,” he said, adding that “we have already declared candidates for 56 of Uttar Pradesh’s 80 seats while some 10-15 more would follow.”

READ MORE - BSP and BJP are hand-in-glove, says Congress