Cong unlikely to replace Assam CM

July 28, 2012

unlikeNew Delhi, July 28: Party leaders slam Gogoi for failing to visit Kokrajhar soon after violence broke out

Although embarassed by mishandling of violence by the Assam government, the Congress high command is unlikely to replace Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

While the outcry against Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is growing both within and outside the Congress, the party is unlikely to take action against its leader, who was instrumental in bringing the party to power for the third straight time only last year. Even Gogoi may not have thought that just over a year after his dream victory there would be call for his head.

No one has publicly demanded his resignation so far within the party. While the Congress core committee, headed by party president Sonia Gandhi last week took stock of the Bodo-Muslim clashes, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh publicly asked him to “take stern action” to deal with the situation.

That the prime minister had to instruct the chief minister to take action indicates the extent of inaction by the state government. On Thursday, a group of Muslim MPs, including those from the Congress, met home minister P Chidambaram. “We have lost confidence in the state government’s ability to control violence and demanded central intervention,” Congress MP K Rahman Khan said after meeting.

Gogoi’s failure to visit the area immediately after the violence broke out has been criticised by many within the Congress. His detractors may take advantage of the Centre’s remarks to demand his ouster. However, Gogoi has his supporters in the party too. Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, party general secretary in-charge of Assam, is one of them.

Expressing full faith in Gogoi, Singh said on Thursday that “He (Gogoi) is an experienced man and extremely sensitive person” and that he can handle the issue.

Singh also rejected any parallel between the ethnic violence in Kokrajhar and neighbouring districts of Assam and the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat alleging that Chief Minister Narendra Modi had given a free hand to the administration to allow communal riots.

“Communal riots took place in Gujarat under the nose of the Chief Minister in cities like Ahmedabad. In Assam, it was in rural areas where the administration had difficulty in reaching due to the rains this time,” Singh said.

Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi, when asked about Gogoi blaming the Centre for delay sending the Army to control ethnic clashes, said: “The Central government extends full support in such situations and the Prime Minister is going to visit the state on Saturday to take stock of the situation and every possible help will be given.”

No food, water in refugee camps

People rendered homeless by the violence have complained about the lack of sufficient food, drinking water and medicines in relief camps, a charge which the authorities denied quickly, reports PTI from Dhubri and Kokrajhar.

A two-year-old child and a 60-year-old man died in two relief camps in Bilasipara in Dhubri district, but the cause of death was yet to be ascertained, official sources said.

“The condition in most relief camps is pathetic with food and drinking water in short supply. We fear there will be more deaths in the days to come due to disease,” Bilasipara resident Monowar Hussain said.

Of the 3 lakh people who have fled their homes, 1,53,000 refugees have been housed in 118 camps in Dhubri district alone, with the allegation against the district administration being that insufficient quantity of food was provided.

Abdul Rashid from Dhubri alleged that there was shortage of medicines and there were very few doctors which was causing problems for those who were falling ill in camps.

Dhubri Deputy Commissioner Kumud Kalita denied the allegations and said that sufficient food was being provided.

“There is no shortage of medicine either,” he added.

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Agencies
May 30,2020

New Delhi, May 30: The Congress on Friday described the first year of the Modi government as a "year of disappointment, disastrous management and diabolical pain".

Congress leader K C Venugopal said the six years of the Modi dispensation have seen fraying of bonds of empathy, fraternity and brotherhood with increase in acts of communal and sectarian violence.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that at the end of six years, it appears the Modi government is at war with its people and is inflicting wounds on them, instead of healing them.

"It is inflicting wounds on Mother India," he said.

"This government is trying to fill coffers of the select rich and is inflicting pain on the poor," Surjewala said.

On the BJP's charge of the Congress playing politics over the COVID-19 crisis, Venugopal said the opposition party did not indulge in any politics and gave suggestions instead.

"Being a responsible opposition, it is our duty to raise the problems faced by the common people. As opposition, we highlighted the failures of the government," he said.

Venugopal said the government "is totally insensitive" to the plight of migrant labourers and farmers.

Surjewala also demanded that a virtual session of Parliament be convened immediately to discuss pressing issues and the due process be set in motion for holding of meetings of various parliamentary committees.

Modi and his cabinet had taken oath on this day last year for a second term in office.

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Agencies
March 10,2020

Bhopal, Mar 10: The number of MLAs who have resigned from the Congress in Madhya Pradesh climbed to 20 on Tuesday afternoon with another legislator quitting the ruling party, sources said.

While 19 MLAs, most of them believed to be loyal to expelled party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, have sent their resignation letters via e-mail to Raj Bhavan, Bisahulal Singh submitted his resignation letter as an MLA to the Assembly speaker.

"We have received resignations of 19 MLAs through e-mails with attachments," a Raj Bhawan official told PTI.

Sources in Congress produced a copy of Bisahulal Singh's resignation letter which he submitted to the speaker.

Former chief minister and senior BJP leader later announced that Singh (65) has joined the BJP.

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Agencies
July 1,2020

Sopore, Jammu And Kashmir: A three-year-old boy survived as his grandfather was killed in a terror attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore town this morning. A CRPF jawan was also killed in the line of duty as terrorists opened fire on a patrol team.

In heart-wrenching images, the child is seen sitting on the blood-splattered body of his grandfather, a civilian caught in the crossfire. The boy was numb with fear when he was picked up by policemen, according to the police.

The Kashmir police also tweeted a photo of the child being carried to safety by a policeman.

"Jammu and Kashmir police rescued a three-year-old boy from getting hit by bullets during the terrorist attack in Sopore," said the tweet by the Kashmir Zone Police.

The child was travelling in a Maruti car with his grandfather from Srinagar to Handwara when it was hit by a spray of bullets in Sopore town, which is in Baramulla district about 50 km from Srinagar.

The police said terrorists hiding in a mosque fired indiscriminately at the patrol team as it was getting off a bus. The CRPF troops retaliated but the terrorists managed to escape.

According to the CRPF, the grandfather stopped the car and got out to run to a safe spot but was shot dead in the firing by terrorists. The boy was later rescued by a policeman standing nearby.

Last week, a six-year-old boy was killed during a terror attack on the CRPF in Anantnag.

Little Nihaan Bhat was sleeping in a parked car when he was hit by a bullet. Police say the terrorist was on a bike and opened fire from a pistol on a CRPF patrol. One jawan was killed. The child's killing drew widespread anger and condemnation.

The terrorist believed to be involved in the Anantnag attack escaped yesterday after an encounter with security forces. Police said two other terrorists who were hiding with him at a village were killed.

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