Lockdown 3.0: Political slugfest breaks out on migrant workers' rescue

Sonia Gandhi's move forces central government to bear 85% of cost of migrant travel, states to bear 15%.

It took a nuanced decision by the Congress to make the Central government clear its position on paying for migrant workers’ train journeys back home.

Ending its ambivalence on transporting them on Shramik Special trains during the lockdown, the Union government on Monday said their travel was free and the cost for it would be shared by the Centre and the states.

This was after the government came under political pressure, with Congress President Sonia Gandhi instructing the state units of the party to bear the cost of such rail travel.

Gandhi criticised the railways’ move to donate to the PM’s corona fund, while continuing to charge the migrants.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus LIVE: Internal US report predicts 3,000 daily deaths by June

“When our government can recognise its responsibility by arranging free air travel for our citizens stranded abroad, when the Government can spend nearly Rs 100 crore on transport and food etc. for just one public programme in Gujarat, when the Rail Ministry has the largesse to donate Rs 151 crore to the PM’s Corona fund, then why can’t these essential members of our nation’s fabric be given a fraction of the same courtesy, especially free rail travel, at this hour of acute distress?” she said in her letter.

Starting May 1, labourers were being charged sleeper-class fares of superfast trains and an additional Rs 50 to send them to their destination.

On the economic front, every Indian political party is on the left

Mr Modi has proved more statist than the Gandhis. Before he took power he criticized Congress welfare programs as insulting to the poor but after coming to power he doubled down on those programmes.

Business Standard : Like many global investors I am leery of big government. But I did not come to this view on Wall Street. It came to me growing up in India, watching lives ruined by the broken state, including the public hospital that hastened the death of my grandfather by assigning an untrained night aide to attempt his emergency heart surgery.

As an idealistic 20-something in the late 1990s, my hope was that India would one day elect a free market reformer like Ronald Reagan, who would begin to shrink the dysfunctional bureaucracy and free the economy to grow faster. Looking back, I see how clueless I was.

In Delhi every politician is wedded to big government, and there is no constituency for free-market reform. I kept hoping for Reagan, and India kept electing Bernie Sanders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is no exception. Five years ago he led the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, known as B.J.P., to power on a Reaganesque promise of “minimum government,” and now he seeks a second term in the general election that ends on Thursday.

But in office, Modi has wielded the tools of state control at least as aggressively as his predecessors. In this campaign, he went toe to toe with rivals, vying to see who could offer the most generous welfare programs, and it appears to have worked. Exit polls released Sunday showed the B.J.P. and its allies with a commanding lead.

This should surprise no one. India’s political DNA is fundamentally socialist. After independence in 1947, India established a parliamentary democracy, and a deeply meddlesome government to spread the wealth to its impoverished masses.

But if Indians were ready for political freedom at such an early stage of development, I often wondered, why not economic freedom?

My hopes focused first on the Gandhis, the leading dynasty of the Congress party, now the main national rival to Mr. Modi and the B.J.P. Perhaps Congress would find its worldly reformer in Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born widow of Rajiv Gandhi, the prime minister slain in 1991. Later I saw hope in Sonia’s son Rahul, a Cambridge graduate who had worked at a London consulting company and now leads Congress’s 2019 campaign.

Rahul quick to hug PM, runs away from I-T officer: Smriti Irani slams Cong

The Congress president had challenged the IT department's authority to reopen his tax assessment related to the National Herald and the Young India transactions.

Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress over former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan's remarks that most bad loans that account for Indian banks' Non Performing Assets (NPA) originated during the United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) regime between 2006 and 2008.

Addressing a presser here, Irani said, "Rajan's statement proves that it is the Congress who is responsible for the increased NPA. Sonia Gandhi led a government that attacked the very core of the Indian banking system."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader's comments come in the wake of Rajan's written statement in response to a parliamentary panel who sought his views on the current situation of India's banking sector, especially the NPA crisis.

Rajan stated that during the period, "too many loans were made to well-connected promoters who have a history of defaulting on their loans," adding that sanctioning the loans were a "historic phenomenon of irrational exuberance."

The former RBI governor said that while private sector banks were running out of such promoters, the public sector banks continued financing them. Rajan blamed the public sector banks for lacking alertness while sanctioning the loans.

Irani also cornered Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra for their involvement in the National Herald scam.

"Their efforts were focused on looting the taxpayers' money. Rahul Gandhi's not-for-profit company, Young India, acquired a commercial company called Associated Journals Limited (AJL). Why a company that is not supposed to be involved in profit or loss making, bought a commercial company?" asked Irani.

The Income Tax (IT) department had informed the Delhi High Court that the All India Congress Committee had allegedly transferred funds to the tune of Rs 99 crore to the Associate Journal Ltd, adding that Rahul had allegedly willfully chosen not to disclose the fact that he held the director's post in the Young India.

The Congress president had challenged the IT department's authority to reopen his tax assessment related to the National Herald and the Young India transactions. On Monday, however, the pleas challenging the IT department's notice seeking tax reassessment for the financial year 2011-2012 were rejected by the court.

Irani aimed a dig at Rahul, saying, "Why is it that Rahul, who is too quick to hug the Prime Minister, would run miles away when it comes to an Income Tax officer.

Article Source BS

There is no hatred here: Rahul Gandhi tweets from Kailash Mansarovar

Gandhi is undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in accordance with a wish he expressed in April when his plane plunged hundreds of feet during the campaign for the Karnataka polls.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is on a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, put out pictures of the "tranquil and calm" waters of the lake and said there "is no hatred here".

"The waters of lake Mansarovar are so gentle, tranquil and calm. They give everything and lose nothing. Anyone can drink from them. There is no hatred here. This is why we worship these waters in India," he said on Twitter.

Gandhi posted two pictures of the lake and its surroundings.

The 48-year-old leader is undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in accordance with a wish he expressed in April when his plane plunged hundreds of feet during the campaign for the Karnataka polls.

On April 26, the plane carrying Gandhi and some others from Delhi to Hubballi airport in Karnataka developed a technical problem and tilted heavily on the left side. The plane dipped steeply with violent shuddering, but soon recovered and landed safely.

Three days later, on April 29, Gandhi announced during a rally that he wanted to undertake the pilgrimage.

ALSO READ: PM Modi used demonetisation to help crony capitalist friends: Rahul Gandhi

The arduous pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, which is considered the abode of Lord Shiva in Hindu mythology and is in the Tibetan Himalayas, is organised every year between June and September.

Gandhi left the national capital on August 31 for undertaking the Yatra.

Article Source BS

BJP and RSS trying to divide, spread hatred in India: Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi made the statement while addressing the Indian Overseas Congress on Thursday in Berlin.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has lambasted the BJP and RSS, saying they were working "to divide and spread hatred" in India.

Gandhi made the statement while addressing the Indian Overseas Congress on Thursday in Berlin, the Congress said on Friday.

His address was not aired live due to a technical glitch.

ALSO READ: Rahul Gandhi slams mob lynchings and attacks on Dalits; BJP hits back

Interacting with the Indian-origin parliamentarians, Gandhi said that "the government which is now ruling in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, want to divide and spread hatred in the country.

The Congress party will not let this happen".

Gandhi said the strength of India lies in listening to the views of every citizen, irrespective of his/her religion or caste.

Article Source BS

I am married to Congress, says Rahul Gandhi on his wedding plans

He made the comment during an interaction with editors.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday remarked that he is married to the party.

He made the comment during an interaction with editors when he was asked about his marriage plans.

Gandhi, on a two-day visit to Hyderabad, said Narendra Modi will not become Prime Minister in 2019.

He predicted that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would not even get 230 Lok Sabha seats and hence there was no question of Modi becoming Prime Minister again. The BJP tally would be cut primarily due to the alliance among non-BJP parties in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The Congress President evaded a direct reply to a question on who would be the Prime Minister in the event of Congress and other non-BJP parties getting a majority. He merely said they would work it out.

Gandhi said the party's state units were free to have alliances with like-minded parties. He was confident that the Congress would come to power in Telangana.

ALSO READ: There will be only one GST slab once Congress comes to power: Rahul Gandhi

Asked about Andhra Pradesh, where Congress drew a blank in the 2014 polls, he said the party was improving its position.

He voiced concern over growing intolerance in the country. He said that minorities were feeling insecure.

He called for addressing the problems of farmers and providing employment to the unemployed. He said Modi had failed to fulfill his promise of providing two crore jobs annually.

"China provides employment to 50,000 people in 24 hours while in India only 458 people get employment during this duration," he said.

Article Source BS

Cong must support alliance between regional parties to unseat Modi in 2019

Despite the CWC projecting Rahul as the PM candidate for the 2019 general elections, leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik and Mayawati might have to be accommodated to defeat the NDA.

Although the recently-constituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) anointed Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate in its very first meeting, senior party leaders, including Gandhi himself, have subsequently indicated that forging alliances with like-minded parties to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party from coming back to power would be the Congress’s top priority. In case of a hung Lok Sabha in 2019, the Congress has said that it is open to supporting any non-BJP/RSS backed leader for the top position.

2019’s general elections are still a few months away. More immediately knocking on the Congress party’s doors are the crucial assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, scheduled later this year. Only when it is able to wrest at least two of these states from the BJP, can it think of emerging as the pivot around a larger coalition to take on the formidable Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Despite giving consistent signals that the party may be on an upward swing, it cannot be debated that the grand old party is currently facing one of its worst crises and is short of both funds and a determined workforce. Naturally, the Congress is hedging bets on its performance in the upcoming assembly elections to pull its weight as a national party with other anti-BJP political players. At the same time, it will have to work around the priorities of regional parties, which may be unwilling to let the Congress play big brother, irrespective of its showing in the assembly elections.

Given the current political landscape, the Congress is deeply aware of its strengths and limitations. In any scenario, forging alliances with non-BJP parties will be crucial for the depleted Congress to make a mark in the general elections.

That is why the ‘P. Chidambaram formula’, or what the former Union finance minister proposed in the CWC meeting, is being discussed in political circles. In his presentation at the CWC meeting, Chidambaram proposed that the Congress should work to secure anywhere between 140 and 150 seats in the 12 states where it is directly up against the BJP. In the remaining states, it should form pre- or post-poll alliances with regional parties to garner another 150 seats, which should be enough to form the government in 2019.

However, the problem with such a formula is that it is easier said than done. The former minister’s calculations can be contrasted with the fact that the Congress’s average seat tally was only a little more than 130 from 1996 to 2004, when the party was in a much better shape. While in 2009 it increased its tally largely due to its improved performance in Andhra Pradesh, it has since then been reduced to only 48 in the Lok Sabha.

Read More

Congress state units disagree with central leadership over alliances

The trend signals how the party could be going back to the era where its regional satraps used to be influential and could stand up to even such leaders as Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel.

Several of the Congress party state units are currently at odds with the central leadership over the question of striking alliances and seat adjustments.

The trend signals how the party could be going back to the era where its regional satraps used to be influential and could stand up to even such leaders as Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. However, this had changed after Indira Gandhi came to lead the Congress and systematically replaced strong leaders in the state with darbaris and sycophants.

West Bengal

In West Bengal, the Congress state unit is split in two over whether it should align with the Trinamool Congress or not. A section of the party's leadership wants to have a seat adjustment with the Trinamool Congress.

However, senior state unit leaders like Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury oppose aligning with the Trinamool. Chowdhury also has the support of the rank and file, which has suffered the brunt of the alleged violence by Trinamool cadres on Congress workers in villages and towns.

Cadres of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Bharatiya Janata Party have also been the target of Trinamool's purported political violence. The Congress workers on the ground want their party to align with the CPI (M) to fight Trinamool unitedly. They argue the cadres of the two parties, the Congress and CPI (M), are already fighting Trinamool's alleged political violence unitedly on the ground.

A three-cornered fight in West Bengal would also better serve the national objectives of the central leadership of the Congress. It would prevent the BJP, which is on the surge, to capture the opposition space in the state. This will help a split in anti-incumbency votes and ensure BJP wins lesser number of seats than it would in a bipolar contest.

The state unit of the Congress met party chief Rahul Gandhi last week. Gandhi met each of them individually to understand the situation.

Story By BS

Read More

BJP targets Chidambaram over 'undeclared' assets; Congress hits back

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman drew parallels between Chidambaram and former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif who has been barred from holding public office for life for not disclosing assets abroad.

The BJP on Sunday targeted former Union Finance Minister  P. Chidambaram and his family's "undeclared assets in foreign countries," after which the Congress hit back by saying that the BJP had no moral right to ask questions and should instead give answers on various issues.
The opposition party termed the Income Tax (I-T) Department "another caged bird" that does the government's bidding.
Addressing a press conference here, Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman drew parallels between Chidambaram's case and that of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who has been barred from holding public office for life by that country's Supreme Court for not disclosing assets abroad.
Terming it as the "Nawaz Sharif moment of the Congress," she said: "In this (Chidambaram's) case, the parallels are hard to miss. Therefore, I am wondering if the Congress President - who himself is also out on bail in a financial matter - will comment and tell people if he is going to investigate one of his senior leaders (Chidambaram) for not disclosing assets held abroad."
Her comment came after the Income Tax department informed a special court in Chennai that Chidambaram's wife Nalini, son Karti and daughter-in-law Srinidhi didn't disclose their foreign assets and investments while filing their income tax returns.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah, too, attacked Chidambaram and the Congress leadership.
In a tweet, Shah said that under the law dealing in black money, four charge sheets had been filed against Chidambaram and his family for "possessing and operating several illegal assets and accounts in foreign countries".
"The Income Tax Department estimates illegal assets held by UPA's then Finance Minister to be to the tune of $3 billion! This explains why despite the Supreme Court's orders, Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram dragged their feet on the formation of SIT. How could they indict their own selves?" Shah tweeted.
He said that the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to track and curb black money was one of the first decisions taken by the Narendra Modi government.

Read More

Karnataka election: Campaigning ends today; voter ID row continues; updates

With Karnataka Assembly election 2018 now on their heads, the BJP and Congress have just one more day to convince and woo voters. Catch all the updates around the Karnataka election here.

With the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 just two days away, the BJP and Congress' high-voltage campaigning will come to an end on Thursday at 5 pm. Eyeing to sweep the crucial polls, the political parties will hold multiple rallies today in their last attempt to woo the voter. For the BJP, party president Amit Shah and the party's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa will be campaigning in the state today, while Congress President Rahul Gandhi and incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will campaign for their party on the final day.
Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Gandhi, the Karnataka election campaign has also seen political heavyweights Sonia Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaign for their respective parties.
The last day of campaigning for the Karnataka polls comes after Prime Minister Modi and Congress chief Gandhi were face-to-face in the state on the second last day for the campaigning. Working seriously on his 'Congress Mukt Bharat' mission, Modi used all of his oratory skills to lambast the Congress in his four election rallies on Wednesday. On the other hand, Gandhi said in his Basavanagudi rally that the people of Karnataka would reject Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. The Congress president also attacked the Prime Minister for being silent on the issue of alleged Dalit atrocities.
The election in Karnataka will be held on May 12 in 223 constituencies, out of the 224 constituencies of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, while the counting of votes and announcement of result will take place on May 15. The election for one constituency has been postponed following the death of B N Vijay Kumar, the Jayanagar BJP candidate.

Here are the top developments regarding the May 12 Karnataka Assembly election 2018:

1)Last day of Karnataka polls campaigning today: The high-voltage campaigning for the crucial Karnataka Assembly polls will come to an end on Thursday at 5 pm. The campaign has seen Modi, Shah, Adityanath, Yeddyurappa and other BJP leaders square off against Congress chief Gandhi, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and Siddaramaiah, with both parties going hammer and tongs at each other over who has neglected farmers more and who has more corrupt candidates in the fray, among other topics of contention.

2) Amit Shah, Yeddyurappa roadshow today in Siddaramaiah's constituency: From the BJP, Amit Shah and Yeddyurappa on Thursday will participate in a roadshow in chief minister Siddaramaiah's Badami constituency. The roadshow will commence at 11.30 am from Basaveshwara circle to Ambedkar circle.

3) Amit Shah press conference today: Later in the day, Amit Shah will address a press conference at 4 pm in Bengaluru.

4) Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramiah addressing media today: Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by Siddaramiah, PCC President G Parmeshwara, Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal, Campaign Committee Chairman D K Shivakumar, and other senior leaders, will address a press conference today at 10 am at The Lalit Ashok Hotel, in Bengaluru.

5)'Prime Minister vs aspiring prime minister': Modi and Gandhi on Wednesday were face-to-face in Karnataka on the second last day for the campaigning, in what one news agency described as the Prime Minister and aspiring prime minister squaring off.

Read More