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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
June 2,2020

Lucknow, Jun 2: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday said protests in the US after the death of George Floyd, an African-American man, is a clear message to the world that a common man's life has value.

She said this is also guaranteed by the India Constitution, but the governments don't follow it, resulting in the current plight of migrants workers.

Floyd, a 46-year-old restaurant worker from Houston, died in Minneapolis on Monday after a white police officer pinned him to the ground. Video footage showed the officer kneeling on Floyd's neck as he gasped for breath, sparking widespread protests across the US.

"Floyd's killing by police and the 'Black lives matter' agitation in the US have given a clear message to the world that a common man's life has value and it should not be taken for granted," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

"India's constitution guarantees independence, security, self-respect and pride and governments should give special attention to it. If it was followed, crores of migrants labourers would not have to witness such bad days," she added.

She also demanded better coordination between states to check the spread of coronavirus and said Centre should intervene.

"While coronavirus patients are rising, there is lack of coordination between states and with the Centre, and allegation and counter-allegations are going on and sealing of state borders is unjustified and it is weakening the fight against the virus.  The Centre should intervene," she said in a separate tweet.

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News Network
April 6,2020

New Delhi, April 6: India recorded the highest number of 704 positive cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday.

With these new cases, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in India have now climbed to 4,281.

Total deaths stand at 111 including 28 new deaths. So far, 318 COVID-19 patients have been cured across the country.

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News Network
May 24,2020

New Delhi, May 24: Overwhelmed by the donations that poured in from the society for his help, Phool Mia, the fruit seller in north Delhi's Jagatpuri area whose mangoes were looted by the ordinary people, said that those who helped him have made his "Eid" and have shown that "humanity is still alive".

Video footage that went viral on social media, shows that scores of passers-by looted the unattended crates of mangoes of a fruit seller after a fight broke out in the neighbourhood. The incident took place on Wednesday.

"My stock of mangoes worth Rs 30,000 was kept there. Some persons were fighting with each other fearing which I left the place to avoid any sort of altercation. When I returned, I saw that they were looting the mangoes kept there. There were 50-100 people who were involved in this act," Phool Mia, narrated the ordeal.

"A video got viral about the incident after which people donated to me on a portal. They empathised with me when I was ruined. I thank the media and all those people who have donated from the bottom of my heart as they made my Eid. Now, I would be able to celebrate Eid with my children. This shows humanity is still alive," he added.

However, four people have been arrested on the basis of video footage, Delhi Police said.

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