Dear FM, don't be scared of my questions, youth want jobs: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday targeted the government over the issue of unemployment, saying it has "failed miserably" to generate jobs for the youth of the country.

He said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should not be afraid of answering questions raised by him on behalf of the youth, to whom the government is answerable.

"Finance Minister, don't be scared of my questions. I am asking these questions on behalf of the youth of the country, to answer whom is your responsibility," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

"The youth of the country want employment and your government has failed miserably to provide them the same," he said.

The Congress leader used the hashtag "JawaabDoMantriJi" to put across his point.

Rahul condemns mob attack on Nankana Sahib, says bigotry knows no borders

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday condemned the mob attack on Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan, saying bigotry is a dangerous, age old poison that knows no borders.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi termed Friday attack reprehensible, and said the only known antidote to bigotry is love, mutual respect and understanding.

"The attack on Nankana Sahab is reprehensible & must be condemned unequivocally.

Bigotry is a dangerous, age old poison that knows no borders. Love + Mutual Respect + Understanding is its only known antidote," he said in a tweet.

A violent mob attacked the Nanakana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan Friday and pelted it with stones.

Nankana Sahib is the birth place of first Sikhguru Guru Nanak Dev.

Rahul Gandhi

✔

@RahulGandhi

The attack on Nankana Sahab is reprehensible & must be condemned unequivocally . 

Bigotry is a dangerous, age old poison that knows no borders. 

Love + Mutual Respect + Understanding is its only known antidote.

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EC seeks report from Jharkhand poll authorities over Rahul's rape remark

The Election Commission has sought a factual report from poll authorities in Jharkhand over the "Rape in India" remark of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made at a rally in the poll-bound state last week.

The decision to seek a report came after BJP leaders approached the poll panel against Gandhi for using rape as a tool to target political rivals.

The BJP had demanded action against him.

Official sources in the EC said further action would be contemplated after getting the report.

Addressing an election rally in Godda, Gandhi had taken a jibe at the Modi government over rising cases of crimes against women.

BJP protests in Lok Sabha, demands apology over Rahul Gandhi's rape remark

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks on rape were at the centre of furious protests in the Lok Sabha on the last day of the winter session on Friday with leaders of the ruling BJP protesting and demanding an apology from him.

Gandhi said in Jharkhand on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' initiative is like 'rape in India', an apparent reference to rising incidents of rape in the country.

As Speaker Om Birla, who adjourned the house sine die, was reading out his remarks on the various issues taken up during the session, Treasury benches demanded an apology from Gandhi for his rape remarks.

Opposition members were also heard shouting slogans such as "We Want Justice" and insisting that Gandhi be given a chance to respond.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gandhi were present in the House.

Earlier in the morning, as the ruckus continued for around half-an-hour, the speaker adjourned the proceedings till noon and was unable to take up Question Hour.

Soon after the House paid tributes to those who lost their lives in the 2001 Parliament attack, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said several BJP members had given notices of adjournment against Gandhi's remarks and should be allowed to speak.

Tearing into Gandhi, Union minister Smriti Irani said he has insulted the women and people of India and claimed his remarks are like inviting people to rape women.

Demanding an apology from Gandhi, the minister said the remarks amount to political mockery and he should be punished.

Her party colleague Locket Chatterjee said Gandhi had insulted women by making remarks that 'Make in India' had become "rape in India".

She said all men were not rapists.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Meghwal also said Gandhi should apologise and recalled an earlier instance of Sadhvi Niranjana Jyoti saying sorry for remarks made outside the House.

Joshi also asked DMK member Kanimozhi and NCP leader Supriya Sule to express their opinion on Gandhi's remarks, which are an insult to women.

More than 30 members from the BJP, including Sadhvi Pragya, were seen standing in the aisle and shouting slogans.

Congress members, too, were in the aisle.

Family members of formers PMs will not be guarded by SPG commandos: Reports

The family members of former prime ministers will not be guarded by the elite Special Protection Group commandos, as per the amendments approved by the Union cabinet to the SPG Act, official sources said.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal told the Lok Sabha on Friday that the SPG Act (Amendment) Bill had been listed in the government's business for next week.

This comes days after the government withdrew the SPG protection given to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, after almost three decades.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said she respected her brother Rahul Gandhi decision to step down as the party president and lauded his "courage" to do so.

Gandhi had posted his resignation letter on microblogging site Twitter on Wednesday.

Priyanka retweeted her brother's letter with a message.

"Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi. Deepest respect for your decision," she said.

 

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

✔

@priyankagandhi

 Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi. Deepest respect for your decision. https://twitter.com/rahulgandhi/status/1146359704815194112 …

Rahul Gandhi

✔

@RahulGandhi

It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. 

I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love.

Jai Hind 🇮🇳

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In the four-page open letter, Gandhi had urged the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to entrust a group of people with the task of finding a new president as it would not be proper for him to do so.

The 49-year-old also stressed on the need for the Congress to "radically transform itself".

Rahul Gandhi won in Wayanad due to 40% Muslim population, says Owaisi

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi has claimed that Congress President Rahul Gandhi won in Wayanad due to 40 per cent population being Muslims.

The Hyderabad MP said that he is still hopeful of getting Muslim's place in the country as the community does not want to survive on anyone's alms.

"On 15 August 1947, our elders thought that this will be a new India. That India will be of Azad, Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar and of crores of their followers. I am still hopeful of getting our place in the country. We don't want alms, we don't want to survive on your alms," Owaisi said while addressing a public gathering here on Sunday.

"You don't want to leave Congress and other secular parties. But remember they don't have strength, thinking, they don't work hard...Where did BJP lose? In Punjab. Who's there? Sikhs. Why did BJP lose anywhere else in India? Due to regional parties there and not Congress. The Congress leader himself lost in Amethi and received victory in Wayanad. Isn't the 40 per cent population of Wayanad Muslim?" he added.

Gandhi, who netted 7,05,034 votes in Wayanad, won by 4,31,063 votes against his nearest rival PP Suneer of Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the constituency.

Union Minister Smriti Irani wrested Gandhi's family bastion of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. In Kerala, Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) bagged 19 out of the 20 seats.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi likely to resign at CWC meeting tomorrow

After a humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, top Congress leaders will deliberate on party losses at a meeting of the working committee slated on Saturday where party chief Rahul Gandhi is likely to offer his resignation.

According to sources, the party has convened a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, the highest decision making body of the party at 11 AM tomorrow.

Rahul Gandhi is likely to offer his resignation at the meet, party sources said.

The top Congress leadership will deliberate on the reasons of the humiliating loss in Lok Sabha elections and assess them. The party suffered a loss for the second time in a row at the hands of the Narendra Modi led BJP.

The party bagged only 52 seats in this election.

Top party leaders, including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, are expected to attend the meeting.

There have already been voices within to introspect on why the party failed to reach out to the people.

Rahul Gandhi meets Alwar gang-rape survivor, says 'justice will be done

After meeting Alwar gang-rape survivor and her family, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday affirmed that the matter is not a political issue for him and assured that justice will be ensured to those who suffered.

"Soon after I heard about the incident (Alwar gang rape) I spoke to Ashok Gehlot Ji. This is not a political issue for me. I met the victim's family and they have sought justice which will be done. Action will be taken against culprits," Gandhi told media after meeting the survivor and her family in Alwar along with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot.

The woman was allegedly gang-raped by five men while her husband was beaten up in Thanagaji area of Alwar district in Rajasthan on April 26. A video shot by an alleged accused was reportedly circulated on social media.

According to the police, the victim and her husband were going from village Lalwadi to Taalvraksh on a bike, when at about five men aged between 20-25 years, stopped them and took the couple to deserted sand dunes. The husband was allegedly assaulted and tied up while the woman was gang-raped. The culprits, reportedly, also threatened the couple not to report the matter to the police or they will make the video, public.

The accused also demanded money from the couple which was given to them but later when they again demanded money, the couple reported the matter to the police on May 2.

So far, the police have arrested all six accused in the case. Moreover, Gehlot asked state DGP Kapil Garg to monitor the ongoing probe into the heinous crime.

A political slugfest erupted over the case, with BJP leaders blaming the Congress-led government in the state for alleged failure of law and order. It also demanded Gehlot's resignation while accusing him of deliberately taking no action for electoral gains.

Rahul tenders unconditional apology for attributing 'chowkidar' quote to SC

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday tendered an unconditional apology in the Supreme Court for wrongfully attributing to the apex court the 'chowkidar chor hai' remark in the Rafale verdict.

He also sought closure of the criminal contempt proceedings against him on a petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi.

In a fresh three-page affidavit, Gandhi said he holds the apex court in the "highest esteem and respect" and that he has never sought to do anything which interferes with the process of administration of justice.

"The deponent (Rahul Gandhi) unconditionally apologises for the wrongful attributions to this court. The deponent further states that any such attributions were entirely unintentional, non-wilful and inadvertent," Gandhi said in his affidavit.

"The deponent most respectfully prays that this court may be graciously pleased to accept the instant affidavit and close the present contempt proceedings," the affidavit stated.

Gandhi also said the affidavit is made "bonafide and in the interest of justice, and nothing material has been concealed therefrom" "At the outset the deponent herein most respectfully submits that he holds this court in the highest esteem, and respect. The deponent has never sought or intended to, directly or indirectly, commit any act that it interferes with the process of administration of justice," the Congress chief said in his affidavit.

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who filed the contempt petition against Gandhi, had alleged that he has attributed his personal remarks to the top court and tried to create prejudice.

Rahul tenders unconditional apology for attributing 'chowkidar' quote to SC

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday tendered an unconditional apology in the Supreme Court for wrongfully attributing to the apex court the 'chowkidar chor hai' remark in the Rafale verdict.

He also sought closure of the criminal contempt proceedings against him on a petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi.

In a fresh three-page affidavit, Gandhi said he holds the apex court in the "highest esteem and respect" and that he has never sought to do anything which interferes with the process of administration of justice.

"The deponent (Rahul Gandhi) unconditionally apologises for the wrongful attributions to this court. The deponent further states that any such attributions were entirely unintentional, non-wilful and inadvertent," Gandhi said in his affidavit.

"The deponent most respectfully prays that this court may be graciously pleased to accept the instant affidavit and close the present contempt proceedings," the affidavit stated.

Gandhi also said the affidavit is made "bonafide and in the interest of justice, and nothing material has been concealed therefrom" "At the outset the deponent herein most respectfully submits that he holds this court in the highest esteem, and respect. The deponent has never sought or intended to, directly or indirectly, commit any act that it interferes with the process of administration of justice," the Congress chief said in his affidavit.

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who filed the contempt petition against Gandhi, had alleged that he has attributed his personal remarks to the top court and tried to create prejudice.

Rafale case: Rahul replies to SC's contempt notice over 'chowkidar' remark

Congress President Rahul Gandhi Monday filed a fresh affidavit in the Supreme Court after a notice was issued to him on a contempt case for his remarks on the Rafale case verdict and again expressed regret for attributing the "chowkidar chor hai" remarks to the apex court.

The Congress President also sought dismissal of the contempt petition filed by BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi, saying it was an abuse of the process of the court.

In his counter affidavit, Gandhi expressed regret for the "chowkidar chor hai" remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi while referring to the Rafale judgment.

"It is also clear that no court would ever do that and hence the unfortunate references (for which I express regret) to the court order and to the political slogan in juxtaposition the same breath in the heat of political campaigning was ought not to be construed as suggesting that the court had given any finding or conclusion on that issue," he said in his affidavit.

The apex court had on April 23 issued notice to Gandhi on a criminal contempt petition filed against him by Lekhi for his remarks.

In his affidavit, Gandhi said he did not have the slightest or remotest intention to bring the court into political arena, or bring it into disrepute by attributing something which the court had not said.

"At the outset, it is clarified that the answering respondent (Gandhi) did not have the slightest or remotest intention, desire or even thought process to bring the court into the political arena, or bring it into disrepute or attribute to it deliberately or wilfully that which the court has not said or meant," he said

Gandhi said, "Several limbs of the government and of the ruling party" have repeatedly stated that the December 14 last year's order of the apex court constitute a clean chit to the government.

"The answering respondent (Gandhi) would also submit that his statement on April 10, 2019, had also been made in that context, purely politically, to counter the aforesaid misinformation campaign being led by senior functionaries of the BJP as well as the government that the judgement of this court dated December 14, 2018, was a clean chit to the government regarding all the aspect of the Rafale deal," he said.

"It is also noteworthy that the Rafale issue which had been and continues to be one of the most prominent political and social issues in this country for many months and despite the matter being sub judice it has been the subject of incessant discussion in civil society and the media," he said.

The counsel appearing for Gandhi mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and said they be allowed to file a reply on the contempt notice.

The bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, allowed advocate Sunil Fernandes, who was appearing for Gandhi, to file the counter affidavit.

The apex court had earlier said it will hear the criminal contempt petition on April 30.

Rahul Gandhi's plane faces technical snag; DGCA begins probe

Aviation regulator DGCA has initiated a probe into the incident of the plane carrying Congress President Rahul Gandhi suffering engine trouble, a senior official said.

The plane on way to Patna was forced to return to Delhi on Friday after experiencing "engine trouble".

The senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said the Hawker 850 XP aircraft VT-KNB returned back to Delhi after take-off due to a technical snag.

"DGCA has initiated investigation as per the laid down procedure," he told PTI.

The aircraft landed safely in Delhi at 1020 hours. There were ten person on board including two crew members, the official said.

On Twitter, Gandhi posted a video of the flight which shows him, the pilot and the co-pilot in the plane.

"Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi," he tweeted.

Rahul Gandhi expresses regret over attributing Rafale jibe to Supreme Court

Congress president Rahul Gandhi filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, expressing regret over his remarks related to its Rafale verdict which the apex court had said was "incorrectly attributed" to it.

The apex court on April 15 had directed Gandhi to give his explanation by April 22.

In the affidavit, Gandhi said he had made the statements in the heat of political campaigning which have been misused by his opponents.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had made it clear that Gandhi's remarks, made in the media, on the Rafale verdict were incorrectly attributed to the apex court.

The top court had sought Gandhi's explanation on a petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who has sought criminal contempt against the Congress president.

The apex court is scheduled to hear the matter on Tuesday.

Rahul Gandhi declares assets worth Rs 15.88 crore, up 68% since 2014

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has assets worth over Rs 15.88 crore, according to an affidavit filed by 

him on Thursday in his nomination papers for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.

Gandhi had declared assets worth Rs 9.4 crore in the 2014 elections. His latest affidavit said he does not own a car and has a total liability of Rs 72 lakh as loans from banks and other financial institutions.

Gandhi has declared movable assets worth Rs 5,80,58,799 and immovable assets worth Rs 10,08,18,284, with his total assets being worth Rs 15,88,77,083.

Gandhi, who is also contesting from Amethi seat, has declared in his affidavit that there were five cases pending against him.

Two of the cases against him are registered in Maharashtra and one each in Jharkhand, Assam and New Delhi, according to the affidavit.

While the Congress chief has Rs 40,000 as cash-in-hand, he has Rs 17.93 lakh as deposits in various banks. Gandhi also has investments worth Rs 5.19 crore in bonds, debentures and shares in various companies in mutual funds. The assets also include 333.3 grams of gold.

He continues to own a share in the inherited farm in Sultanpur Village in Delhi. The affidavit also shows that Gandhi owns two office spaces in Gurugram.

The affidavit shows that the total income for the year 2017-18 was Rs 1,11,85,570.

Gandhi has declared that his source of income was MP's salary, Royalty income, rental income, interest from bonds, dividends and capital gain from mutual funds.

The Congress chief has said that his education qualification was M.Phil (Development Studies) from Trinity college, University of Cambridge in 1995.

The affidavit shows that Gandhi does not own a car and as an SPG protectee he is required to travel in an SPG vehicle for security reasons.

Rahul Gandhi promises Rs 72000/year to 20% poor; BJP laughs it off

In a big bang election promise, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday announced that 20 per cent families belonging to the poorest category will be given Rs 72,000 each annually as minimum income if his party comes to power.

Making the announcement at a press conference here, Gandhi said 50 million families and 250 million will directly benefit from the scheme.

"Final assault on poverty has begun. We will wipe out poverty from the country," he said Gandhi said the Congress has studied the fiscal implications of the scheme and consulted renowned economists and experts before finalising the scheme.

"It is an extremely powerful, ground-breaking and well-thought through idea. We have consulted many economists on the scheme," he said. "People have suffered in the last five years and we are going to give justice to them," he added.

A Congress official said any family earning less than Rs 12,000 a month would receive Rs 6,000 every month.

Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed the plan as an enticement on which Congress cannot deliver. BJP's national general secretary Ram Madhav said, "If you are sure about your defeat, you can promise moon. Who takes it seriously? Already under different schemes poor families get much more support. Is it in addition to those schemes or they all will be subsumed in it?"

The number of Indians below the poverty line had fallen to about 65 million, or 5 percent of the population, from 22 percent in 2011, the BJP said on social network Twitter after Gandhi's news conference.

The BJP pledged direct cash support of Rs 6,000 a year for 120 million poor farmers and cut taxes for the middle class last month. It has also rolled out cheap health insurance for the poor.

One analyst said the scheme needed to be designed carefully.

"Large cash-transfer schemes have an important role to play in boosting incomes," said A. Prasanna, head of fixed income research at ICICI Securities in Mumbai.

"However, such schemes will be sustainable in the long run only if they are carefully designed and existing subsidies on food, fuel are subsumed into them."