Rahul says Sonia cried when she couldn’t vote for food security Bill

October 18, 2013

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Bhopal, Oct 18: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi told an emotional tale involving his mother Sonia to strike a chord with people at a poll rally in the tribal-dominated Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh Thursday.

He said there was nothing more important for him than ensuring respect to women and went on to suggest that women were not being respected in the state.

"Izzat kya hoti hai ye meri ma ki kahani se samjho," Rahul said, and recalled how Sonia was in tears after she could not cast her vote during the crucial debate on Food Security Bill in Parliament.

"I knew my mother was not well and was looking at her every five-ten minutes. When she left with (Union Minister) Shailajaji, I thought it was an awkward time to leave. I was scared and followed her. She refused to see the doctor and said do whatever you want, I will not leave before pressing the button because I have been fighting for the Bill for years. I was getting angry because she did not yield despite being ill. While being taken to hospital she was not able to breathe... she was in tears. This is izzat, not rajniti," he said, as he told an "andar ki baat".

Insisting that he wants to start a new kind of politics, the Congress vice-president ranked respect above development. "Whoever becomes the chief minister, I guarantee the tribal, tribal women, poor and the youth will get respect in Madhya Pradesh. If someone does not show respect, we will see," he said.

Quoting a Unicef report, he claimed hunger in Madhya Pradesh was on a par with hunger in Africa. "They don't understand that one can't talk of development when the stomach is empty."

Rahul accused the BJP of trying to stall the passage of the "historic" Food Security Bill in Parliament.

"For the first time, no one — dalits, tribals, members of any caste or religion — will sleep hungry in the country," he said, adding, "We understand your hunger, your struggle.''

Rahul alleged that MP had come to a standstill and promised the Congress will bring young people to the forefront and respect the poor by ensuring food to them.

He said the representation of tribals in Parliament and Assemblies was inadequate. "Unless this is changed, your voice will not reach there."

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News Network
May 10,2024

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New Delhi: In a big blow to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a Delhi court has ordered the framing of charges against the former Wrestling Federation of India chief in the sexual harassment allegations levelled by women wrestlers. The court has said there is sufficient evidence on record to do so, and the trial against him can now begin. 

Friday's order by the Rouse Avenue court comes days after the BJP decided not to repeat Mr Singh, who is the party MP from Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj, as the candidate from the constituency and decided to field his son Karan Bhushan Singh instead. 

The court has ordered the framing of charges under Indian Penal Code sections Ordered to frame charges against Brij Bhushan under sections 354 (outraging a woman's modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment) and 506 (criminal intimidation). The Delhi Police had filed a chargesheet against under these sections and one additional section - 354D (stalking) - on June 15 last year. 

Charges should also be framed against the former assistant secretary of the Federation, Vinod Tomar, under Section 506, the court said. 

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot said the charges will be framed against Mr Singh for sexually harassing five wrestlers and that he stands discharged in the allegations levelled by the sixth.

The six-time MP has been at the centre of a huge political storm since last year, when sexual harassment charges were levelled against him and protesters had hit the streets led by Olympic medallists Sakshee Malikkh and Bajrang Punia, as well as Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medallist Vinesh Phogat.

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News Network
May 8,2024

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Congress leader Sam Pitroda has stepped down from the post of Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress and his resignation was accepted by the party. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to X and announced that Sam Pitroda had decided to resign from the key post "of his own accord".

Pitroda had been under fire over his controversial remark that Indians in the East resemble the Chinese while those in the South look like Africans.

"We could hold together a country as diverse as India -- where people on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africans. It doesn't matter. We are all brothers and sisters," Pitroda said during an interview with The Statesman.

The Congress immediately distanced itself from Pitroda's remarks, terming them "unacceptable".

"The analogies drawn by Mr Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India's diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies," Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

The BJP also hit out at the Congress over Pitroda's remarks and termed them "racist and divisive".

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News Network
April 29,2024

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In yet another setback to the Congress party amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, its candidate from Indore Akshay Kanti Bam withdrew his nomination on Monday, April 29, days before voting.

Interestingly, he had reached the Collector's office with BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola to withdraw his nomination. He also reportedly joined BJP. 

Senior BJP leader and state cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya in a post on X said Bam was welcome to join the BJP.

"Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Indore Akshay Kanti Bam is welcome in the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party national president J P Nadda, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and state president VD Sharma," he said in the post.

The Congress had fielded Bam against sitting BJP MP Shankar Lalwani from the Indore Lok Sabha seat, where polling will be held on May 13.

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