Another Nehru-Gandhi scion enters politics; BJP calls it family rule

Agencies
January 24, 2019

New Delhi/Lucknow, Jan 24: In a strategic move to bolster its prospects in upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the opposition Congress on Wednesday appointed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as party general secretary in-charge of east Uttar Pradesh.

She is likely to address a public rally in Lucknow next month, marking the start of the Congress campaign.

The development comes after the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samajwadi Party formed an alliance in the state which returns the highest numbers of parliament seats.

“We will not play on the backfoot," Congress president Rahul Gandhi told reporters in state capital Lucknow.

Asked if Priyanka will contest the Lok Sabha polls, he said, “It’s up to Priyanka to take a decision.”

The BJP reacted quickly to the announcement and termed the formal entry of Priyanka to national politics as yet another episode of ‘dynastic politics’.

The party also said her entry highlights the failure of Rahul Gandhi.

"Aaj ek rajyabhishek hua hae (This is only part of dynastic politics and passing of the responsibility within a family)," said BJP spokesman Sambit Patra.

He said the country has embarked on the path of a 'New India' and today the 'New India' is asking the question - "How long will this continue...after Jawaharlal Nehru, there came Indira Gandhi, then Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi...after Sonia Gandhi - Rahul Gandhi and now Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and after this who else?

"This shows the fundamental difference between the BJP and the Congress. In BJP, the party is the family whereas in Congress party, 'parivar hi party hae' (the family is the defacto party)".

Talking to reporters in Lucknow, Rahul Gandhi denied the development in the Congress has come because the party was not included in the 'Mahagathbandhan' of regional parties either in Uttar Pradesh or Bihar.

He asserted that the INC will field candidate in all the 80 seats.

But UP Congress president Raj Babbar earlier in the day accused the SP and the BSP of finalising the alliance without consulting the grand old party.

“The duo underestimated the oldest political outfit of the country while announcing Mahagathbandhan," Mr Babbar asserted.

“We have recently showed our strength in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where INC contested alone and formed the government”, said Babbar. The same, he said, will happen in UP with the Congress winning maximum seats.

Meanwhile, the Congress president in Lucknow asserted that the INC will field candidate from all the 80 seats.

In another significant move, the Congress party also made Jyotiraditya Scindia general secretary in-charge for western Uttar Pradesh.

Mr Scindia will take up his new assignment, following the Lucknow rally, which sources said could be held on February 10.

In 2004, Priyanka was instrumental in introducing brother Rahul to the media in Amethi and thereafter he contested the elections for the first time in 2004 from Amethi, once represented by his father late Rajiv Gandhi.

Before that, in the Lok Sabha elections of 1999, Priyanka helped her mother Sonia Gandhi win the two crucial seats of these constituencies by campaigning on her behalf. She stayed in Amethi for two weeks. Sonia had won the constituency by a huge margin.

In 2014, while Rahul and Sonia Gandhi campaigned in the entire nation, Priyanka took charge of Amethi and Rae Bareli.

Congress workers in Lucknow, Amethi and Rae Bareli along with other parts of the state celebrated with much fanfare on the appointment of Priyanka.

They distributed sweets, bursted crackers and danced at the state Congress headquarters in Lucknow and offices in Amethi and Rae Bareli.

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said,'We welcome Priyanka Gandhi’s appointment as General Secretary. Her entry into active politics will energise cadres and be a catalyst for the rising fortunes of the Congress Party.'

Senior Congress leader Motilal Vora said,'The responsibility given to Priyanka ji is very important. This will not only have an effect on eastern Uttar Pradesh but also other regions.'

However, Mr Gandhi hinted that a “bigger” alliance can be formed in UP for the upcoming LS polls to take on the BJP if SP-BSP agree to include Congress.

“If SP and BSP want to talk to us for a bigger alliance in UP, then they are welcome, there is no problem," Mr Gandhi said adding that all, including Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, have similar mission--defeating the BJP.

“We still have door opens for larger alliance and anyone who can defeat the BJP is welcome,” Mr Gandhi said.

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News Network
June 30,2020

Srinagar, Jun 30: On the deadly attack at Karachi Stock Exchange on Monday morning, a Kashmiri social activist and journalist warned that the incident is a stark reminder to all those in Pakistan supporting Jihad and attacked Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan for ignoring development agenda in Balochistan.

Yana Mir, the editor-in-chief of The Real Kashmir News, said, "Karachi Stock Exchange attack is a reminder to all those in Pakistan supporting Jihad. Remember @imrankhan that Youth is restless and they want development agenda. These young boys of BLA are also looking for a life which is settled and peaceful. Wake up Imran Khan and you Kashmiris also. Pakistan is going to finish you. Open your eyes."
Four heavily armed terrorists attacked the busy Pakistan Stock Exchange building in Karachi with grenades today, killing four security guards and a police officer before being shot dead in an exchange of fire, authorities said.

The terrorists, who arrived in a car, stormed the Karachi Stock Exchange building by firing indiscriminately and lobbed grenades at the main gate of the multi-storey building situated in the city's high-security commercial hub.

Balochistan is a well-known region rich in natural resources but the Balochis have always been deprived of basic facilities. No hospitals are available in Balochistan. If there are some then medical facilities and equipment are not available in hospitals. The education system is pathetic and similar is the case with the infrastructure: the roads, water system, agriculture and almost all fields of life.

It is pertinent to mention that enforced disappearances and abductions by the Pakistani military establishment have also been carried out regularly and for innumerable times in Balochistan. Leaders, activists, and vocal members of various student organizations have been detained by the security forces and kept in confinement. While others have been shot dead.

This crime against humanity has been going on for so long and so systematically in Balochistan that it has come to be considered as a normal state of affairs in the province. Many social and human rights activists have flagged the issue of oppression by the Pakistani establishment before the United Nations and other international agencies.

According to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, an entity established by the Pakistani government, about 5,000 cases of enforced disappearances have been registered since 2014. Most of them are still unresolved.

Independent local and international human rights organisations put the numbers much higher. Around 20,000 have reportedly been abducted only from Balochistan, out of which more than 2,500 have turned up dead as bullet-riddled dead bodies, bearing signs of extreme torture.

Before being elected as Prime Minister, Imran Khan had admitted in multiple interviews about the involvement of Pakistan's intelligence agencies in enforced disappearances as well as extrajudicial killings and vowed to resign if he was unable to put an end to the practice, holding those involved responsible. But times have passed and only reports are available to narrate the true story.

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News Network
January 13,2020

New Delhi, Jan 13: The Delhi High Court on Monday sought response of the city police, Delhi government, WhatsApp Inc, Google Inc and Apple Inc on a plea of three JNU professors to preserve data, CCTV footage and other evidence relating to the January 5 violence on the varsity campus.

The Delhi Police informed the court that it has asked the JNU administration to preserve and hand over CCTV footage of the violence.

Justice Brijesh Sethi listed the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.

The court was told by Delhi government Standing Counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra that the police has not yet received any response from the university administration.

The counsel said police has also written to WhatsApp to preserve data of two groups "Unity Against Left" and "Friends of RSS" including messages, pictures and videos and phone numbers of members, related to JNU violence incident.

The petition was filed by JNU professors Ameet Parameswaran, Atul Sood and Shukla Vinayak Sawant seeking necessary directions to the Delhi Police Commissioner and Delhi government.

The petition also sought direction to the Delhi Police to retrieve all CCTV footage of JNU campus.

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News Network
February 6,2020

New Delhi, Feb 6: DMK Lok Sabha member M K Kanimozhi on Wednesday challenged popular actor Rajinikanth to raise his voice for Muslims, saying they have "already been affected" by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and are protesting on streets against the law.

Reacting to his statements earlier in the day in Chennai that "CAA is no threat to Muslims" and "if they face trouble I will be the first person to raise voice for them," Kanimozhi, daughter of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, told news agency that "Muslims in India have already been affected due to CAA".

"Let him (Rajinikanth) come forward and raise his voice for the affected Muslims", she said.

She said the members of the community have been protesting as the law leaves out Muslims.,

Asked whether Rajinikanth, through this pro-CAA statement, was moving closer to the BJP, the MP from Tuticorin said, "What he has said is no different from the BJP's narrative which we have been listening in parliament for the last few days".

Under CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants, and be given Indian citizenship.

Rajinikanth had asserted that the legislation did not pose any threat to Muslims. He wondered as to how Muslims, who chose to stay back in India following Partition will be sent out of the country. Besides, the central government had assured that Indian people will have no issues in view of CAA, he noted.

He charged that some political parties were instigating people against the CAA for their selfish interests.

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