Officials can steal a little of public money: Shivpal Yadav

New Delhi, Apr 11: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on hailed accredited social health activists, auxiliary nurse and midwives and anganwadi workers for their role in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, saying they are "true patriots" who toil to keep communities safe in the midst of this grave crisis.

In an environment where fear and misinformation pose a bigger danger than the virus itself, community workers have a key role to play in educating people about the dangers of COVID-19 and the manner in which it is transmitted, Gandhi said.

In a message for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), Auxiliary Nurse and Midwives (ANMs) and Anganwadi Workers, he said they are working with dedication and courage, putting their lives at risk, on the frontlines of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The greatest form of patriotism is to serve our country in her hour of need. Our community workers are true patriots, our unsung heroes, who toil tirelessly away from the limelight, to keep our communities safe in the midst of this grave crisis," the former Congress chief said.

"As a nation, we owe them and their families a huge debt of gratitude for the tremendous personal sacrifices each of them is making. I hope that when this crisis is over their exemplary service will serve as a catalyst for deep-rooted change in their conditions of work," he said.

Gandhi said he salutes each and every community worker for their service to the nation and prays that they and their families will remain safe during this pandemic.

Mumbai, Jan 12: Thousands of citizens on Sunday congregated in Mumbai's suburban Jogeshwari to oppose the new citizenship law, the proposed NRC and NPR.

They also condemned last Sunday's violence on the JNU campus in Delhi, where masked men ran riot and attacked students. Leftist organisations had claimed RSS-affiliated ABVP's role in the attack, a charge denied by the students' body.

Former Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) general secretary Fahad Ahmed told PTI that they assembled under the aegis of 'Hum Bharat Ke Log' in Millat Nagar area.

"Prime minister Narendra Modi should call 56 students from across the country to debate on the CAA, NRC and NPR," Ahmed said in an apparent jibe at Modi's "56 inch chest" remark, which the latter had made ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

"Why the PM is not talking to us? Why is he not communicating? Even the Britishers used to talk to Indians whom they ruled, but our PM is not talking to poor people," he alleged.

Bollywood actor Sushasht Singh also spoke on the occasion.

"We are people of this country and such acts (CAA) are tarnishing the image of our country," he said.

At the gathering, people waved banners with slogans like "I Am From Gujarat, My Documents Burned in 2002", "No CAA, Boycott NRC, Stop Dividing India, Don't Divide us", "Save Constitution", written on them.

A large number of police personnel were present at the venue.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was notified on January 10, grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities migrated to India from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh till December 31, 2014, following persecution over their faith.

Massive protests were witnessed against the CAA, mainly by the student community, since its passage by Parliament in December last year.

Opposition parties have been dubbing the CAA an "anti-Muslim" legislation, a charge being debunked by the government.

The Congress and other parties like the TMC have also opposed the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).

Union home minister Amit Shah has said that the government won't rest until persecuted refugees are granted Indian citizenship.

New Delhi, May 13: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package "will go a long way in overcoming challenges" posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Welcome the Rs. 20 lakh crore stimulus package announced by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Bhai Modi Ji to revive economy, boost efficiency of various sectors through reforms & make India self reliant and resilient. #AtmaNirbharBharatAbhiyan," the Vice President tweeted.

Calling the reforms as the "need of the hour", he further said: "Bold reforms are the need of the hour to realize the dream of #AtmanirbharBharat."

Expressing confidence in the five-pillar approach, he said that it would help promote local industries "while making India face global competition effectively".

"I am confident that a focused approach on the five pillars- Economy, Infrastructure, Technology driven System, Vibrant Demography & Demand--will promote local industries led growth while making India face global competition effectively. #AtmaNirbharBharatAbhiyan," he said.

"I am certain this timely economic package will go long way in overcoming challenges posed by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. #AtmaNirbharBharatAbhiyan #IndiaFightsCorona," he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

The Prime Minister had on Tuesday announced Rs 20 lakh crore special economic package for the country to become 'self-reliant' and deal with COVID-19.