Rahul Gandhi's elevation signals positive change in the Congress

Rahul Gandhi's elevation as Congress Vice President was one of the important outcome of the three-day Congress Chintan Shivir that concluded in Jaipur on Sunday which signals a generational change and a host of reforms in the party at a time when Lok Sabha polls were fast approaching.

The two-day AICC session also saw the young leader also made a emotional and powerful speech on the last day of the conclave.  "Congress calls on all secular and progressive forces of the country to unite in this ideological battle against those, who polarize and divide society," said Sonia Gandhi signaling that the party heading the UPA experiment for last nine years is preparing for polls.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi gave a clear message at the Chintan Shivir that the party has to strike a balance between respecting alliances where it has tied up with other parties and ensuring that the party's rejuvenation is not compromised.

The conclave provided an opportunity to the Congress to finalise its prescription for the next Lok Sabha polls with the party signaling a shift in its priorities by laying greater emphasis on the urban middle classes and youths in view of the changing demographic profile of the country and shrinking rural space.

Rahul Gandhi: I will fight for Congress and people of India with whatever I have

Rahul Gandhi, the newly-appointed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday made an emotional speech at the Congress Chintan Shivir in Jaipur and reiterated his love for his party and the people of the country. While delivering his maiden speech after taking over as the Congress vice president, on the last day of the conclave, , Rahul thanked the party members for appointing him as the party's vice president and said, "I will fight for Congress and people of India with whatever I have."

Rahul Gandhi also cited his grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi's assassination and said that India needs hope of a systemic change to move the country ahead. "All the development in India has been possible because of Congress and the governments led by it," claimed the Congress leader.

Terming his elevation in the party as "a huge honour", Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress works for every single citizen of this country and praised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA's flagship schemes like Food bill, NREGA, Direct Transfer Benefit Scheme. "Food bill will ensure that no child in the country will go to sleep hungry," said Rahul Gandhi.

"Last night, everyone congratulated me. But my mother came to my room and she sat and cried. Because she understands that the power that so many see is poison. She can see it because she is not attached to it (power)," revealed Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi: My mother understands power is poison

In a highly emotional speech after taking over the new post as Congress Vice President, Rahul Gandhi said while delivering his address at Congress’ chintan shivir in Jaipur that his mother – Congress President Sonia Gandhi-  understands that power is poison.

Striking a personal note, the young Congress leader in his maiden address as party Vice President, recalled the moments when his mother and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi walked into his room last night. "Last night each one of you congratulated me. My mother came to my room and she sat with me and she cried... because she understands that power so many people seek is actually a poison," said Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress leader also recalled the time his grandmother and the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984 by security guards with whom he used to play badminton as "friends" and how his father Rajiv Gandhi, who was himself "broken inside", showed a "glimmer of hope" to the people. The young leader received a standing ovation by the audience which included Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when he said "We should not chase power, only use it to empower others."

Rahul Gandhi said his mother could see that power is poison "because she is not attached to it. “The only antidote to this poison for all of us to see what it really is and not become attached to it. We should not chase power for the attributes of power. We should only use it to empower the voices," added the Congress MP.

Rahul Gandhi recalled that as a little boy, "he loved to play badminton. I loved it because it gave me balance in this complicated world. I was taught how to play in my grandmother's house by two police men who protected my grandmother as my friends. Then one day they killed my grandmother and took away the balance from my life. I felt like I had not felt before." He recalled how he knew his father was "broken inside" and "terrified of what lay in front of him". "My father was in Bengal and he came back.... It was the first time in my life that I saw my father crying. He was the bravest person I knew and yet I saw him cry. I could see...I was small, but I could see my father was broken. They had taken away his mother and he was broken. In those days our country was not what it is today. In the eyes of the world we had nothing, we were worthless.... Nobody thought about us. That same evening I saw my father addressing the nation on TV. I know like me he was broken inside. I know like me he was terrified of what lay in front of him. As we spoke in that dark night, I felt a small glimmer of hope. It was like small ray of light in the dark sky and I still remember what it felt. The next day I realised that many people had seen it as well," said Rahul Gandhi.

Amid repeated applause from the gathering during his 45-minute speech, he said "as I look back... I have a political career of eight years and 42 years old...I could see that it was that small ray of hope in the darkness that helped changed India into what it is today." Rahul Gandhi said without hope nothing can be achieved. "We can have plans, we can have ideas but unless you have hope, you cannot change," he said and added “ He said the Congress is the symbol of hope”. "Congress party is now my life, people of India are my life. I will fight for people of India and for this party. I will fight with everything that I have."

Rahul Gandhi's first interaction with media after taking over as Congress Vice President

Newly appointed Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had a brief interaction with the media persons when he visited AICC office for the first time after taking over the new assignment. "Congress is the big instrument that can bring in changes. Congress party is a big instrument that brings in more youngsters. And it is the big and strong instrument than can transform the country" said Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi visits AICC office for the first time after taking over as Congress Vice President

Congress leaders greeted newly appointed Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on his first visit to AICC office after taking over as the new assignment in the party. The leaders greeted the young leader with followers and by shaking hands. Rahul Gandhi was appointed as Congress Vice President in the recently held Congress' Chintan Shivir at Jaipur

Rahul Gandhi: We do not act in hatred or out of envy

During the visit to his parliamentary constituency, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi met Congress workers, women in the Self Help Group exorted them to associate more people with the movement. He also faced questions on the recent killing of two Indian soldiers at the borders by the Pakistan army. Many people demanded action against Pakistan for the brutal killings.

Rahul Gandhi listened to them patiently and assured them of appropriate action. The Congress leader then attended a meeting with officials of Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) for nearly an hour in Amethi and next attended a meeting of the Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojna (RGMVP), RGCT’s flagship programme, in Jawahar Navodaya Vidalaya in Amethi’s Gauriganj area, where nearly 2,000 women participated.

Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of brutal killings of the jawans in the meet and asked the women for their opinion. “Some women said since Pakistan took two, now we should take 12,” a source said. Rahul told them that efforts were on to resolve the issue peacefully. “We do not act in hatred or out of envy,” Rahul replied.

Sonia Gandhi :We as the Congress Party must work united, to come up to the people’s expectations

  “The time has come to work together, as the people of our country have great expectations from our Congress party. And, only by fulfilling the aspirations of  people, we will definitely get the mandate again in the coming Lok Sabha  elections, just a little more than a year away from now,” declared Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

She in her concluding address on the concluding day of on-going Chintan Shivir  (brainstorming session) here on Sunday, urged the party workers to gear-up for effective organizational thrusts at all levels, in a meaningful manner.

“ Its time to look within, as the party. What makes us different and unique compared to other political out-fits in the country, must be outlined very clearly. We must answer effectively to questions as why people should vote for the Congress,” categorically stated Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Congress-led UPA has completed eight and half years at the Centre. It has been a long journey. “We have come up a long way and we must apprise the people with our achievements. Be it about projects under UPA flagship or about various legislations like Right to Information Act ( RTI) and many others, we must project these to the people in general. We have to tell that we as a party have been deeply concerned for the social justice and economic parity among all sections of the society,” she stressed.

Notably, at the very outset of her address at about 10.30 am on Sunday here, Congress President Sonia Gandhi deliberated upon about the unfortunate incident of Delhi gang-rape on December 16 last year. She strongly forwarded that death of  the gang-rape victim in the nation’s capital would not go in vain.

“She ( gang rape victim) was brave and she symbolized the spirit of new India. I will personally see that every single woman and single girl in the country are safe and secure,”  strongly advocated Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

She also talked about reservation for women in the Parliament and she said that it was the vision of late Rajiv Gandhi who forwarded for women’s reservation in the Panchayati Raj system.

Talking about the issue of development as being a poll plank by many political parties, she said that as a party, the Congress is committed for overall development with social justice and economic parity for all.

She urged the party workers to expose all those (other political parties) which claim the UPA flagship projects as their own. Congress President Sonia Gandhi said, “We have not discriminated against any state and have given financial assistance, as required. But, many states claim the Central projects as their own, which we must expose.”

“Congress-led UPA at the Centre is doing all it can, for the overall development of the nation. We as the party must also get into effective mechanism to let people know what all we have done so far and what all we are doing for the country,” she said.

Talking about global economic slowdown and its effect on the Indian economy, Congress President said that some hard decisions have been taken to keep away the likely damages on our economy. “We as the Congress Party must make people aware about these facts and the necessity of the decisions, taken in the interest of the nation,” she focused. She also talked about international relations and said that on accepted civilised structures, the country would go for it with any other country. 

  

In a statement declared from the dais of the Chintan Shivir, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that the Congress party has been led by great people like Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shashtri, Indira Gandhi., Maulana Azad, Dr B R Ambedkar, Rajiv Gandhi  and many others, to make India a modern country as it is today.

“We as the Congress Party have been fortunate to have been led by great visionaries and now, with their ideals, we must surge ahead to come up to the expectations of the people of this country,” announced Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi at AICC session: Tackling corruption, safety of women should be the priorities

“I will continue to press for women reservation Bill; Delhi Gang-rape victim’s death will not go in vain”

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today addressed a meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in Jaipur on the last day of the Chintan Shivir that began on Friday. “I am delighted by the active participation of our young leaders at the Shivir. The Chintan Shivir allowed us to introspect on key national and international issues” said the Congress President.

Referring her concern over corruption which according to her is deep rooted in the entire system, Sonia Gandhi said “Let me reiterate corruption at all levels is a deep rooted malice and all sections of society are affected by it. As a party we must lead struggle to combat its effect. At the last AICC session, corruption was major issue. I laid out a five-point action plan then and the government has worked on it.”  “We have introduced the Lokpal bill in Parliament. We have introduced new path-breaking legislation for addressing public grievances and to protect whistleblowers” added the Congress President.

Touching upon the game changing policy of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Sonia Gandhi said “We also launched the historic 'Aap Ka Paisa Aap Ke Haath' scheme, which will stop corruption by middlemen”.

Sonia Gandhi also talked about the recent gang rape incident in Delhi that invited wide protests across the country. “The barbaric gang-rape of a young woman in Delhi has shaken the country. She embodied the spirit of an aspirational India. We will ensure her death will not go in vain” said the Congress President.

“Gender issues were discussed at the Chintan Shivir. The Congress has been at the forefront in the struggle to empower women, and it will continue to do so. Every woman has the fundamental right to feel safe and secure. Public figures made unacceptable remarks against women. We cannot tolerate mindsets that lead to crimes against women and children” she underlined.

Sonia Gandhi then declared “I assure you I will continue to press for a law for 30 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and assemblies”.

Exhorting the leaders to go to the people and explain the Congress’s achievements, the party leader continued “Today is also the time for the party to introspect and see how we are better than our opponents. We need to clearly explain to the people why we are a better political choice. We have the support of all sections of the society. The Congress is especially concerned about the welfare of the backward sections, women and farmers”.

She also sent out a warning; “We will fight forces that threaten the unity and integrity of the country”.

Listing out UCongress-led UPA Govt’s achievements, the chairperson of the claition said “Congress has worked to free the country from poverty. Our UPA government has worked very effectively under the leadership of Manmohan Singh”.

While defending the Centre’s economic reform measures, she added “Global recession is having an effect on India and has forced the government to take some hard decisions, which have hit the people” and told the Congress leaders, “We should explain to the people the reasons for these hard economic decisions”.

Admitting that the people have losing faith in politicians, Sonia Gandhi reminded “People are losing faith in politicians. We have to understand why this is happening”.

The Congress president also spoke about the need for electoral reforms and said that the Election Commission (EC) must introduce the necessary changes. Sonia Gandhi also asked the party members to work with unity and discipline saying that their victory was in the victory of the party.

“There are only 15 months left to the Lok Sabha elections. If we work well, there is no doubt we will be re-elected again. This is the time to work hard. As the country's main political party, the people's expectations from us is higher. We cannot let down the people who have put their faith in us” she said while concluding her address.