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Rahul Gandhi should become leader of opposition: Digvijaya Singh

May 29, 2014

New Delhi, May 29: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh believes Rahul Gandhi should head the party in Parliament if he is to lead the Congress, a linkage that is sure to put pressure on the reluctant Gandhi scion ahead of the decision on who should be leader of opposition in Lok Sabha.

Rahul Gandhi Digvijaya Singh"If Rahul wants to lead the Congress, he must lead," Singh said, when asked if he wants the Congress vice-president to take up the leader of opposition's post.

Stressing the point, Singh said, "I strongly feel he is the leader and has to lead from the front. He should be the leader of opposition."

Singh's opinion comes at a time when Congress is in the process of clinching the decision on who should be the party's main face in the opposition benches.

Rahul was the natural choice till now given his position as heir apparent but the scale of the election defeat and criticism of his leadership has put a question mark on his abilities to steer the party in Parliament. Seeking to brush aside doubts, Singh said, "It is ultimately the leader who has to lead."

Singh's strong views contrast with the multiplicity of opinion in the Congress post-defeat. A section in the party believes Sonia Gandhi should take over the reins of leadership to restore the confidence of workers and that she should start with being leader of opposition. The possibility of an experienced MP like Kamal Nath getting the assignment is also seen as strong.

The "Rahul should lead" line is shared by the bloc closely aligned with the leader. An influential AICC general secretary said, "Rahul should take up the post. That is the natural flow of leadership." An MP, who is part of Team Rahul, told TOI that the young Gandhi should not hesitate to step up to the plate.

As the decision is taken, there are concerns about Rahul delivering as opposition leader. While the post would require a fulltime engagement and "realpolitik" like cutting deals with government and other opposition outfits, he would be the face of the opposition to take on the treasury benches to be led by a confident Narendra Modi. "Rahul vs Modi-II" is a faceoff that does not inspire confidence among the demoralized Congress cadre.

Digvijaya Singh dismissed the notion that the transition of party's leadership from Sonia to Rahul would be affected by the electoral reverses. "That is the natural process. It would take its course," he said.

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Agencies
May 3,2020

Lucknow, May 3:Holding the Tablighi Jamaat responsible for the spread of COVID-19, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that being infected with a virus is not a crime but to hide it is definitely a crime.

Speaking at a programme of a news channel, Adityanath said, "The role of Tablighi Jamaat was most condemnable. To get a disease is not a crime but to hide a disease which is infectious is definitely a crime. And this crime has been done by those associated with the Tablighi Jamaat."

"In Uttar Pradesh and other places where the spread of the coronavirus has been seen, Tablighi Jamaat is behind it. Had they not hidden the disease and went about like its carriers, then perhaps we would have controlled the coronavirus outbreak to a large extend," he said.

The chief minister said action would be taken against them for the "crime that they have committed".

A Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi in March turned out to be a major source of COVID-19 cases, with those who attended the meet returned home in different parts of the country after being infected with the deadly virus.

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Agencies
February 25,2020

New Delhi, Feb 25: Condemning the violence in Delhi, the Congress on Tuesday demanded that the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Chief Minister of Delhi come forward to ensure peace and maintain brotherhood while rising above partisan politics.

"This is Gandhi, Nehru, Patel's India, can any Indian accept this mindless violence? Congress appeals to the people of Delhi to maintain communal harmony and thwart all attempts of the forces dividing the country on the basis of religion," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters.

Unabated violence and incidents of stone-pelting and murder in the national capital have shattered the nation, he said, while referring to the riots in northeast Delhi over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act that continued for the third day, and demanded stern action against the culprits.

"Our appeal to the prime minister, the home minister and the Delhi chief minister is, can you rise to the occasion, leave aside your political partisanship and views, and become really not leaders of your parties but leaders of the society so that harmony, peace, and non-violence prevail," he said.

The Congress party will stand with the Centre and the Delhi government in every way to maintain brotherhood and harmony in the society, he said.

"Do not fail this country because you belong to different political parties," Surjewala said, adding this was a sincere appeal "on behalf of people of Delhi and the country" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"There is no place for violence in Gandhi ji's India... Today there is a need to establish peace on the ground and maintain brotherhood," he said.

Surjewala said the party also prays for the speedy recovery of DCP Amit Sharma and the hundreds of other people who have been injured in the violence.

"We also condemn the firing at three journalists Arvind Gunasekar, Saurabh Shukla and Akash and pray for their good health," he said.

"We strongly condemn these brutal riots and demand that the culprits are identified and stern action is taken against the real culprits and miscreants. The Congress mourns the death of Head Constable Ratan Lal and others in the violence," Surjewala said.

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Agencies
July 27,2020

New Delhi, Jul 27: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said he is not going to lie about Chinese transgressions in eastern Ladakh even if it costs him politically, asserting he will say the truth as far as Indian territory is concerned.

Gandhi made these remarks in a tweet, along with an over-a-minute-long video, as part of a series launched by him on the India-China face-off along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Asked in the video how he would react to people who say his questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on China weakened India, the former Congress chief said, "If you want me to lie that the Chinese have not entered this country, I am not going to lie. I will simply not do it. I do not care if my whole career goes to hell. I am not going to lie."

"This disturbs me. Frankly, it makes my blood boil. How can some other nation just come into our territory?"

"Hiding the truth is anti-national. Bringing it to people's attention is patriotic," Gandhi said.

"So frankly, I do not care if it costs me politically. I do not care if I have no political career at all after that. But I am going to say the truth as far as Indian territory is concerned," he added.

Gandhi has been repeatedly attacking the prime minister and the government over Chinese transgressions on the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

"As an Indian, my number one priority is the nation and its people," he said on Monday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hit back at Gandhi over his attack on the government on the Ladakh face-off, alleging he is seeking to politicise defence and foreign policy matters and "wash their past sins of 1962 and weaken India".

BJP president JP Nadda has also alleged that for years, a dynasty has been trying to destroy Modi, while adding that those who want to destroy the prime minister will only end up causing further damage to their own party.

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