Rahul and Sonia not always on the same page, Digvijaya Singh says

February 26, 2015

New Delhi, Feb 26: In the wake of Rahul going on leave this week, AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh attested to the theory that he was angry with the old guard resisting his ideas, specially his attempt at democratization of the party.

Rahul Sonia"Some people believe they will lose the clout they enjoy today if party workers are empowered in local bodies, PCCs and elections (within) are held democratically. Leaders who are powerful in Delhi but not at the local level feel threatened," Singh said.

Singh added that Sonia and Rahul shared an excellent bonding but acknowledged that they were not always on the same page because of a generational difference, adding that seniors had managed to influence Sonia against the son.

"Sonia is very democratic. She holds consultations with senior leaders. And they then have an opportunity to influence her," he said.

The argument for doing away with dual power centres echoed what has been spoken of in hushed tones since the days of the UPA-2 against the diarchy, though the reference then was about the split in political and government powers between Sonia and then PM Manmohan Singh that had hobbled the government.

Singh backed the party vice-president, saying there was more "disillusionment with Rahul within the party in Delhi than in other parts of the country".

Singh reiterated that he found the timing of Rahul's leave for introspection not right but supported his idea of taking a break to think through past events and future strategy.

Another senior leader from MP, Kamal Nath has demanded that Rahul Gandhi be given the full command of the party. He has argued that Sonia Gandhi's continuing presence had resulted in dual centres of power, which was a source of confusion.

The expressions in favour of Rahul from senior leaders from Madhya Pradesh are likely to influence the narrative within amid the murmurs over the Gandhi scion's sudden leave.

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News Network
January 10,2020

New Delhi, Jan 10: One woman reported a rape every 15 minutes on average in India in 2018, according to government data released on Thursday, underlining its dismal reputation as one of the worst places in the world to be female.

The highly publicised gang rape and murder of a woman in a bus in New Delhi in 2012 brought tens of thousands onto the streets across India and spurred demands for action from film stars and politicians, leading to harsher punishments and new fast-track courts. But the violence has continued unabated.

Women reported almost 34,000 rapes in 2018, barely changed from the year before. Just over 85% led to charges, and 27% to convictions, according to the annual crime report released by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Women's rights groups say crimes against women are often taken less seriously, and investigated by police lacking insensitivity.

"The country is still run by men, one (female prime minister) Indira Gandhi is not going to change things. Most judges are still men," said Lalitha Kumaramangalam, former chief of the National Commission for Women.

"There are very few forensic labs in the country, and fast-track courts have very few judges," said Kumaramangalam, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The rape of a teenager in 2017 by former BJP state legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar gained national attention when the accuser tried to kill herself the following year, accusing the police of inaction.

Five months before Sengar was convicted last December, the accuser's family had to be provided with security after a truck crashed into the car she was in, injuring her and killing two of her relatives.

A 2015 study by the Centre for Law & Policy Research in Bengaluru found that fast-track courts were indeed quicker, but did not handle a high volume of cases.

And a study in 2016 by Partners for Law in Development in New Delhi found that they still took an average of 8.5 months per case - more than four times the recommended period.

The government statistics understate the number of rapes as it is still considered a taboo to report rape in some parts of India and because rapes that end in the murder are counted purely as murders.

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News Network
March 28,2020

New Delhi, Mar 28: The total number of coronavirus positive cases in the country has risen to 918 that include foreign nationals, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday.

The ministry said: "The total positive cases of coronavirus are 918. The active COVID-19 cases are 819. Cured and discharged are 79. While 19 deaths have occurred so far. One person with COVID-19 migrated. As many as 15,24,266 passengers were screened at airports."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.

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News Network
July 1,2020

Jul 1: Gold prices in India hit an all-time high on Wednesday, tracking a global rally, as surging coronavirus cases in many countries raised the metal's safe-haven appeal.

Local gold futures hit an all-time high of Rs 48,871 ($646.66) per 10 grams in early trade, taking their gains to 25% in 2020 so far. The contract had gained nearly 25% in 2019.

However, this dampened the retail demand for gold in India, the world's second-largest consumer of the precious metal.

"Retail demand is negligible. Buyers are postponing purchases anticipating a correction in prices," said a Mumbai-based bank dealer with a bullion importing bank.

In thin trade, dealers were offering a discount of up to $22 an ounce over official domestic prices on Wednesday afternoon, up from the last week's $18. The domestic price includes a 12.5% import tax and 3% sales tax.

The country's gold imports in May plunged 99% from a year earlier as international air travel was banned and jewellery shops were closed amid a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.

In overseas market, spot gold firmed near an eight-year peak on Wednesday, as a spike in coronavirus cases in the United and States and many other countries has cast a shadow on hopes for a quicker global economic recovery, driving inflows into safe-haven assets.

According to a latest Reuters tally, the coronavirus has infected more than 10.48 million people worldwide so far.

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