Can Rahul Gandhi become the next Prime Minister of India?

Can Rahul Gandhi become the Indian PM in Future?


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I will suggest that all of you should stay on topic here. Bringing irrelevant personalities here will derail the thread. Thanks.
 
It appears you are unhappy with Congress's every leftist action and want them to become the B team of BJP. India already had many right wing parties so someone needs to be the voice of reason.

Leftist is equal to voice of reason?

The Nehru Family congress is a anti hindu party.
 
Of course, it is political. Congress not doing anything was also for political reasons, I don't deny it.

Both these parties are exploiting their religious bases for politics, the only difference is the BJP acted illegally, tearing down the the Babri Masjid in 1992 via a hindutva mob and promising to build a temple there.

Did Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel act illegally when they removed the mosque in Somnath and built a temple there?

Its shocking that the people who believed and supported the right of Muslims to have a separate homeland in 1947 think that Hindus taking back some of their temples at their holiest sites is not correct.
 

'Why 4 Highest Gurus of Sanatan Hindu Dharma Won't Participate in Ram Temple Pranpratistha,' Explains Pro-Hindutva Portal​


New Delhi: The top spiritual leaders in Sanatan Hindu Dharma, Jagatguru Shankaracharyas, won’t be part of the ceremony to inaugurate the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, The Struggle for Hindu Existence reported on January 7. It is an avowedly pro-Hindutva portal dedicated, it says, to protect and struggle for Hindus globally.

The involvement of PM Narendra Modi as the “chief host” in the programme “has stirred concerns” among senior seers over the proposed consecration ceremony scheduled for January 22 in Ayodhya.

“They feel that this places him at the forefront of the event, potentially undermining the traditional rituals dictated by the Sanatan Shastras. Despite the general excitement for the Ram Temple Consecration, the absence of Shankaracharyas is a point of contention among devout Hindus,” reports the portal.

‘A tomb’


Shankaracharya Swami Shri Nischalananda Saraswati of Purvaamnaya Govardhanmath Puri peeth has declined participation in the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha programme, as he says “the government’s endeavour is not centred around constructing a “sacred temple” but, in his words, “a tomb.” This characterisation suggests a perception that the project lacks the sanctity and reverence inherent in “traditional temple construction.” His decision not to attend is grounded in the principle of choosing not to be part of a place where due respect is perceived to be lacking.

The decision not to attend the event is rooted in a commitment to maintaining the dignity and glory associated with their position. The reluctance to participate is not a rejection of reverence for Shri Ram, but rather a principled stand against what is perceived as the opportunistic and manipulative politics of certain leaders. This stance emphasises the independence and moral integrity of the spiritual leadership, free from what is considered as the influence of “crooked” political figures.

‘Still under construction’

Shankaracharya Swami Shri Bharati Teerth Ji of Sringeri Sharda Peeth has reportedly declined the invitation to despite expressing joy about the construction of the Ram temple. His reservations stem from the fact that the temple is still under construction. He deems it inappropriate to consecrate the divine in a structure that is not yet complete, citing concerns about “the righteousness of such an act.”

He has flagged his concern on the simultaneous construction of what is purported to be Asia’s largest mosque in Ayodhya. This, for him, “marks an unfortunate turn of events.” The dissatisfaction is further accentuated by a sense of neglect, as he claims that he, along with other revered figures, had presented evidence in court regarding the Ram Mandir. However, according to his statement, the Ram Mandir Trust has not sought advice from them or their representatives, suggesting a lack of consultation with key spiritual leaders.

As per the portal, the Shankaracharya has accused the Modi government of having a duplicitous character. He contends that the government, despite executing the construction of the Ram temple, is perceived “as exploiting Hindu sentiments for political gains.” This assertion reflects a broader scepticism about the government’s intentions and commitment to the holistic well-being of the religious community.

A suitable time

Shankaracharya Shri Swami Sadanand Saraswati of Paschimannaya Dwarka Shardapeeth has chosen not to participate in the Ram Mandir Mahotsav, citing concerns around the timing of the consecration, stating that in the inauspicious month of Paush, according to scriptures, the initiation of life consecration in deities is deemed inappropriate. He proposes that a more suitable time would be Ram Navami, the auspicious birth day of Lord Rama. A central point of contention is the perceived “politicisation of the event.” Swami Sadanand Saraswati suggests that politics is the primary reason for the consecration happening at this moment.

He anticipates that the election code of conduct will be in force during Ram Navami, making it less advantageous for BJP leaders to exploit the consecration for political gain. This perspective introduces a political dimension to the decision-making process around the temple consecration. Additionally, Swami Sadanand Saraswati questions the rationale behind consecrating the temple before its completion.
Drawing an analogy, he notes that traditionally, one does not enter a house until it is fully formed.

‘Anti-dharamashashtra

Shankaracharya Swami Shri Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati of Uttaramnaya Jyotirmath has decided not to attend the Ayodhya event on January 22, citing specific concerns, which The Wire reported on January 9. The report cited him as saying, “Hum anti-Modi nahi hain, lekin hum anti-dharamashashtra bhi nahi hona chahte (We are not anti-Modi, but we do not want to be anti-dharamashashtra either),”

This portal says that his assertion is that “the Vedas, foundational texts in Hinduism, contain a distinctive provision for the role of priesthood, reserving it for Brahmins. According to Vedic traditions, the priesthood is considered exclusive to the Brahmin caste. Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati emphasises the significance of adhering to these established practices outlined in the Vedas.”

He has criticised the appointment of a Shudra as a temple priest, viewing it as a departure from the religious principles outlined in the Vedas.

The portal writes that it “is also unfortunate that once Narendra Modi was seen at the feet of Shankaracharyas to get blessings for his political prosperity, who is ‘now playing an adharmik role to undermine the Sanatan values and dignities’”. It says that “the non-participation of Highest Dharma gurus of Hindu Dharma in the most awaited Ram temple consecration is really unfortunate. It is not only a religious setback but also carries broader social and political implications.”

Sringeri Sankaracharya Sri Bharati Teerth Mahaswamy Ji has conveyed his blessings that every Astika must take part in the most sacred and rare Prana-pratistha in Ayodhya on January 22 to get unbounded grace of Bhagavan Sri Rama. But, says the portal, “it is still not clear from the message whether Sringeri Shankaracharya will participate in the Prana-pratistha in Ayodhya or not.”

 
So these 4 Shankracharyas are also anti Hindu I guess!
 
I can see why my ammayi Sonya would not want to come for the Ram Temple inauguration and I can empathise. Per the abhrahamic faiths idol worshipping is bad.

Ammayi Sonya is so perfect to be the leader of Indian Congress party not only does she not have an Indian passport but also an Italian.
 
Suddenly the communist WIRE is expert on Sanatan and have started respecting the Shankaracharyas. And poster tries to pass off the The Wire as pro hindutva. Lol.

First of all they mention the 4 Shankaracharyas.

When the status of Avimukhteswaranand is disputed.

Both the Shankaracharyas of Dwarka and Kanchi have released official statements that they support the Ram temple pran pratistha.

Only the Shankaracharya of Puri has reservations.
 

Rahul Gandhi to meet ethnic communities of north Bengal during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatr​


Although large parts of north Bengal were once in the control of Congress before the Left and TMC took over, the BJP has made substantial inroads in the recent years

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wants to meet ethnic communities and tea garden workers of north Bengal during his upcoming ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ to understand local issues in the run up to the 2024 general elections, the party’s state leaders said on Thursday.

Rahul Gandhi with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at the party HQ in New Delhi.

The campaign is likely to touch West Bengal at the end of January.

Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here
Although large parts of north Bengal were once in the control of Congress before the Left and Trinamool Congress (TMC) took over, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made substantial inroads in the recent years.

BJP bagged 29 out of the 54 assembly seats in the eight north Bengal districts in 2021, although TMC won 215 of the state’s 294 seats against 75 wrested by the BJP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP bagged 18 of the state’s 42 seats, a record for them. In north Bengal, the saffron camp secured seven of the eight seats.

Gandhi’s Manipur-to-Mumbai campaign, in which I.N.D.I.A coalition leaders are also invited to participate, will help the Congress central leadership evaluate the party’s position in several West Bengal districts before taking a call on how to carry out seat-sharing talks with the TMC for the Lok Sabha polls.

Source : The Hindustan Times
 
To be honest, India needs some change but it's not going to come from the Congress or Rahul Gandhi. As a party, they have no connection with the public or strategy (beyond opposition to Modi) at the national level.

Modi has been reasonably competent in an economic and foreign policy sense (except for the odd demonetisation or obsession with assasinating irrelevant Sikh expats). He has however been pretty bad for India in a social sense

- Deepening wedges between the majority and minorities that will have long term implications

- Reducing media freedoms and free speech

All in all, I think he's just one more of a bunch of authoritarian figures who've emerged in world politics over the last 10 years - Trump, Bolsonaro, Xinping etc. and it will take a change in the national mood and/or a charismatic opposition leader to unseat him. Certainly not the likes of Rahul Gandhi.
Reducing media freedom is quite irrelevant. Most people consume news thru websites and social media, next is perhaps tv. And all 3 of these channels have dedicated websites/agencies whose only identity is that they criticize modi 24 hours a day. I ain't denying that a large section of tv media is strongly biased towards him but that's how media has always been. Media was never neutral, since the advent of cable tv and news channels when journalists became celebrities , they have always been biased. For first 15 years towards congress and now towards bjp.
 
To be honest, India needs some change but it's not going to come from the Congress or Rahul Gandhi. As a party, they have no connection with the public or strategy (beyond opposition to Modi) at the national level.

Modi has been reasonably competent in an economic and foreign policy sense (except for the odd demonetisation or obsession with assasinating irrelevant Sikh expats). He has however been pretty bad for India in a social sense

- Deepening wedges between the majority and minorities that will have long term implications

- Reducing media freedoms and free speech

All in all, I think he's just one more of a bunch of authoritarian figures who've emerged in world politics over the last 10 years - Trump, Bolsonaro, Xinping etc. and it will take a change in the national mood and/or a charismatic opposition leader to unseat him. Certainly not the likes of Rahul Gandhi.

Unless it was expected that Hindus only carry the burden of secularism while politicians continue to mollycoddle one community at the expense of Hindus, Modi cannot be blamed for any deepening of wedges. The fact that the moment a politician was ready to address the concerns of the Hindu community, Hindus started voting for him enmasse shows you how the Hindus have been treated in India.

2. Free speech in India isn't unlimited. It has restrictions placed on it as per the 1st constitutional amendment.

" Nothing in sub clause (a) of clause ( 1 ) shall affect the operation of any existing law, or prevent the State from making any law, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub clause in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence."

These are some of the restrictions on freedom of speech.


3. Why do you think Media freedom is being restricted?

4. Modi is a elected leader. The day he tries to take away the freedom of the people like a Xi Jinping, people will throw him out. Ask Indira Gandhi.

Unlike some of our neighbours where democracy can be subverted, Indians will not give into authoritarian regime.
 
So only singing peans of this bigotry filled regime is quoteworthy, not otherwise!

Feku bhakts never fail to disappoint!
 
Everyone knows this time is chosen solely with elections in mind.

Why pretend otherwise? Would that diminish your feku bhakti a bit?
 
Have seen that most of the criticism here around RG is not aimed at flawed policies of Congress in economic, foreign policy domain, health sector or social domain etc. But it is based on Congress unwillingness to be in the right wing political spectrum and their distance from steps like opening of temples at formerly Muslim sites.

This shows that the Congress is losing in recent years not owing to their poor performance but being less appeasing to Hindu Majority.
 
So these 4 Shankracharyas are also anti Hindu I guess!
Somebody should tell these Shankaracharyas that they do not own Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma. Many Hindus do not even accept Vedas as the holiest texts of Hinduism. They outright reject Vedas. Especially Shivite sects.

Brahminism will lead to the downfall of Hinduism. They are a tiny minority. The rights must be equally distributed and Shudras are the flagbearers of Hinduism and rightfully should be.

If Shankaracharyas do not want to attend the inauguration, they can choose to. Its a free country. No one will miss them.
 

Rahul Gandhi to meet ethnic communities of north Bengal during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatr​


Although large parts of north Bengal were once in the control of Congress before the Left and TMC took over, the BJP has made substantial inroads in the recent years

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wants to meet ethnic communities and tea garden workers of north Bengal during his upcoming ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ to understand local issues in the run up to the 2024 general elections, the party’s state leaders said on Thursday.

Rahul Gandhi with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at the party HQ in New Delhi.

The campaign is likely to touch West Bengal at the end of January.

Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here
Although large parts of north Bengal were once in the control of Congress before the Left and Trinamool Congress (TMC) took over, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made substantial inroads in the recent years.

BJP bagged 29 out of the 54 assembly seats in the eight north Bengal districts in 2021, although TMC won 215 of the state’s 294 seats against 75 wrested by the BJP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP bagged 18 of the state’s 42 seats, a record for them. In north Bengal, the saffron camp secured seven of the eight seats.

Gandhi’s Manipur-to-Mumbai campaign, in which I.N.D.I.A coalition leaders are also invited to participate, will help the Congress central leadership evaluate the party’s position in several West Bengal districts before taking a call on how to carry out seat-sharing talks with the TMC for the Lok Sabha polls.

Source : The Hindustan Times
Pointless from Rahul and Congress. These yatras are not going to fetch them many votes during Lok Sabha elections.
 
Somebody should tell these Shankaracharyas that they do not own Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma. Many Hindus do not even accept Vedas as the holiest texts of Hinduism. They outright reject Vedas. Especially Shivite sects.

Brahminism will lead to the downfall of Hinduism. They are a tiny minority. The rights must be equally distributed and Shudras are the flagbearers of Hinduism and rightfully should be.

If Shankaracharyas do not want to attend the inauguration, they can choose to. Its a free country. No one will miss them.
Point taken. However, it appears that sanghis are missing Congress leaders dearly which explains whole gamut of them attacking Congress leaders for not attending this political event.
 

Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra against BJP government's 10 years of 'anyay kaal': Congress​


Asserting that the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is an ideological yatra and not an electoral one, the Congress on Saturday said it was being taken out against the "anyay kaal" of 10 years of the Narendra Modi government.

The yatra will begin from Thoubal district near here and is being seen as the Congress' bid to set the narrative in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls and put the spotlight on issues such as unemployment, price rise and social justice.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the biggest challenge before the country is that it is facing an ideology which believes in polarisation, economic inequalities and political authoritarianism.

"The prime minister shows golden dreams of 'amrit kaal' but what is the reality of the last 10 years - 'anyay kaal'. No mention of 'anyay kaal' is made while big boasts of 'amrit kaal' are projected," Ramesh said.

He was addressing a press conference here along with former Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, state party chief Keisham Meghachandra Singh, former Arunachal Pradesh CM Nabam Tuki and Congress Working Committee member Gaikhangam.

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"The yatra is being taken out keeping in mind political, economic and social injustices committed in the last 10 years," Ramesh said.

"This is a yatra by a political party. It is an ideological yatra and not an electoral one," he stressed.

Ahead of the yatra, Gandhi shared a video montage of women from Manipur sharing their wishes for the march.

"This message of love from the women of Manipur is the blessing we need before we begin our battle for justice tomorrow," he said on his WhatsApp channel.

The yatra will pass through 100 Lok Sabha constituencies in 15 states and the party believes it will prove to be as "transformative" as Rahul Gandhi's earlier cross-country march.

The Congress has said it is taking out the yatra as the government did not give it a chance to raise people's issues in Parliament and the initiative is aimed at re-establishing the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution.

The yatra will traverse 6,713 km, mostly in buses but also on foot. It will cover 110 districts in 67 days, before culminating in Mumbai on March 20 or 21.

Though the Congress has repeatedly stressed that this is not an electoral yatra, it comes at a crucial juncture as the party seeks to revive its fortunes after a poor showing in the last round of assembly elections.

With the BJP focusing on the January 22 Ram temple consecration ceremony, the Congress wants to put the spotlight on bread-and-butter issues through this yatra.

Gandhi had on Friday said emotional issues are being "misused" politically and attention is being diverted from real issues, in a "betrayal" of the people of the country.

In a post on X, he said, "The youth will have to think about what will be the identity of the India of our dreams? Quality of life or just emotions? Youth raising provocative slogans or the employed youth? Love or hate?".

The yatra will be flagged off from a private ground in Thoubal district, instead of Imphal, the party's initial choice.

The state government had given the Congress conditional approval to flag off the yatra from the Palace Grounds in the state capital, restricting the number of participants. Therefore, the Congress decided to opt for another venue.

The Thoubal district administration has also imposed some restrictions such as the duration should not exceed an hour and the number of participants should not cross 3,000.

The yatra will be in Manipur for a day and cover a little over 100 km. The state has been rocked by ethnic violence since May last year which has claimed more than 180 lives and rendered thousands of people homeless.

At the press conference, Ramesh lashed out at the BJP-led central and state governments for the situation in Manipur.

"What can be a bigger 'anyay' (injustice) than the prime minister not visiting the state even once," he said and slammed PM Modi for maintaining "silence" on the violence in this northeastern state.

The PM spoke during the no-confidence motion in Parliament for hours but talked about Manipur only for a few minutes, what can be a bigger injustice, he asked.

Ramesh alleged that there is no 'loktantra' but just 'ektantra (one-man rule)', and asserted that the yatra is aimed at strengthening democracy and democratic institutions.

Source : India Today
 
Why should the Congress attend a heavily politicised issue like the Ram Mandhir inauguration that the BJP cynically uses to gain poltical capital and appease its hindutva base ?

If your objection is for bringing religion into politics then Congress should be the absolutely very last political party that you should be batting for because these vermin are the masters of that art. They are now squirming because BJP finally found a much better way to play the same game. I mean this is the party that bought in legislation to undermine the SC Ruling on Shah Bano case fearing political backlash. This is the party that introduced Hajj Subsidies, bringing only temples under govt but excluding Mosques, Churches , Iftar parties .... and the list goes on and on.
 
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It appears you are unhappy with Congress's every leftist action and want them to become the B team of BJP. India already had many right wing parties so someone needs to be the voice of reason.

Can you list some actions and policy decisions from the Congress party ( a.k.a the "Voice of Reason") during the 60+ yrs that they were in Power ? And when I mean power .... imagine 10x more power than what Modi is accused of today and ofcourse ZERO Social media pressure.
 
Can you list some actions and policy decisions from the Congress party ( a.k.a the "Voice of Reason") during the 60+ yrs that they were in Power ? And when I mean power .... imagine 10x more power than what Modi is accused of today and ofcourse ZERO Social media pressure.
Sure bro, I won't waste your time by producing a long essay. Just to state a single step that eclipses Modi's entire career is the introduction of LPG (Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization) policy under Narshima Rao of Congress in 1991 that steered India out from the pawns of IMF for good. Other steps include look east policy. Indira Gandhi has own achievements too but feel even above are enough for Modi to ponder his achievements in 10 years long tenure.
 
Sure bro, I won't waste your time by producing a long essay. Just to state a single step that eclipses Modi's entire career is the introduction of LPG (Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization) policy under Narshima Rao of Congress in 1991 that steered India out from the pawns of IMF for good. Other steps include look east policy. Indira Gandhi has own achievements too but feel even above are enough for Modi to ponder his achievements in 10 years long tenure.

Up untill 1991 the party had run the country into the ground and had completely bankrupted the nation with only weeks left .... they had no options but to enact those laws while mortgaging gold.

Today Milind Deora a very senior Congress leader whose family has a 50+ year relationship with congrees quit the party fed up with the party, and the response from the top leadership was could you have not chosen a different day since you are taking away spotlight from Rahul Gandhi's yatra ... this is how shallow the "voice of reason" is now.

The legacy of this party is corruption. They even normalized it and we suffer because of that even today!
 
India’s main opposition party begins a cross-country march ahead of a crucial national vote

Thousands of members of India’s main opposition Congress party and its supporters began a 2-month cross-country march Sunday in a bid to regain some of the popularity it has lost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party ahead of a crucial national vote this year.

The march led by Rahul Gandhi, scion of the influential Gandhi family, began from the northeastern Manipur state’s Thoubal district. The “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,” or “Unite India Justice March,” is scheduled to cover 6,713 kilometers (4,171 miles) in 67 days, mostly in buses but also on foot, while passing through 110 districts in 15 states, the party said in a statement.

This is the second time the Congress party has hit the road in the last two years to rally support for elections.


 
Congress march in Imphal: What Rahul Gandhi's Nyay Yatra means for India elections 2024

With just months left for India's general election, Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of the opposition Congress party, has embarked on a 6,700km (4,163 miles)-long march across the country.

It comes nearly a year after Mr Gandhi wrapped up a 4,000km-long "unity march" in which he travelled from the country's southern tip in Kanyakumari to Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir in the north.

The journey this time would see him travel from east to west, by bus and on foot. He plans to cover 100 parliamentary constituencies across 110 districts in 15 states, many of them electorally crucial, and finish in Mumbai in 66 days.

On Sunday, Congress flags fluttered in the air as Mr Gandhi addressed a rally that kicked off his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (United India Justice March) in Imphal city, capital of the north-eastern state of Manipur.

Over the past eight months, Manipur has witnessed violent ethnic clashes between its majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities. More than 200 people have been killed and thousands of families displaced by violence.

But on the sunny afternoon, thousands of women cheered as top Congress leaders addressed the crowd amid massive security presence. Among them was Waikhom Ibemma Devi, who reflected on the tough life in the state. "Whenever I go to a relief camp, I feel sad looking at the victims," she said.

"We understand the pain the people of Manipur have been through. And we promise you, we commit to you, that we will bring back what you valued," Mr Gandhi told the gathering.

Many analysts and Congress supporters such as Tehseen Poonawala say last year's unity march had burnished Mr Gandhi's political image, "recharged party workers and gave the Congress organisation, often criticised for being lethargic, a shakeup".

They expect the current campaign - aimed at demanding economic, social and political justice for the masses - to do the same.


BBC
 
Sure bro, I won't waste your time by producing a long essay. Just to state a single step that eclipses Modi's entire career is the introduction of LPG (Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization) policy under Narshima Rao of Congress in 1991 that steered India out from the pawns of IMF for good. Other steps include look east policy. Indira Gandhi has own achievements too but feel even above are enough for Modi to ponder his achievements in 10 years long tenure.
And how did congress and gandhis treat narsimha rao? His dead body wasn't allowed inside aicc headquarters because Sonia Gandhi didn't approve of it. Congress itself doesn't own Rao so what's the point of its supporters talking about his legacy.
 
Sure bro, I won't waste your time by producing a long essay. Just to state a single step that eclipses Modi's entire career is the introduction of LPG (Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization) policy under Narshima Rao of Congress in 1991 that steered India out from the pawns of IMF for good. Other steps include look east policy. Indira Gandhi has own achievements too but feel even above are enough for Modi to ponder his achievements in 10 years long tenure.
LOL. Credit to the congress ecosystem for creating a narrative that gives them credit for doing something which was the only option left to fix a problem they had created themselves.

1. When india was going bankrupt, it had been ruled by all except 2 years by congress.
2. Opening the economy was a condition by IMF. It was not some brain child, but something they kept delaying and trying other things till they had no option left.
3. Congress govt which was supporting the minority govt in 1991 kept putting pressure on them to delay the budget, because they did not want the govt to get credit. Rajiv Gandhi, the original pappu, forced the then PM to resign and brought unnecessary elections when country was going bankrupt. Pure karma that he was assassinated when campaigning for his party for the election he forced upon the country.
4. Although credit to Narsimha that he took the decision which was the only choice left. Congress never gave him his due.
5. Must also give credit to congress ecosystem that they controlled the narrative so well that Pappu One was considered a martyr and no one blamed them for the darkness they brought upon the country.
 
And how did congress and gandhis treat narsimha rao? His dead body wasn't allowed inside aicc headquarters because Sonia Gandhi didn't approve of it. Congress itself doesn't own Rao so what's the point of its supporters talking about his legacy.
I remember that. Can't believe Congress stooped so low.
 
How is our puppu doing? has the little one started his second cardio marathon yathra?

:LOL:
 
And how did congress and gandhis treat narsimha rao? His dead body wasn't allowed inside aicc headquarters because Sonia Gandhi didn't approve of it. Congress itself doesn't own Rao so what's the point of its supporters talking about his legacy.
Yep that was unfortunate should not have done that with him.
 

'Manipur United in Affection for Rahul Gandhi': K.C. Venugopal on Day 2 of Congress Yatra​


On day two of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Congress’ general secretary and Rajya Sabha lawmaker K.C. Venugopal said that the Meitei and Kuki communities are united in their affection for Rahul Gandhi as civil society groups urged the former Congress president to raise the demand in parliament to ensure prime minister Modi visits Manipur.

Speaking to The Wire in Manipur’s Senapati on Monday (January 15), Venugopal said that Gandhi’s visit to the violence hit state has received “positive feedback from both Meiteis and Kukis.”

Manipur has been in the grip of ethnic violence since May 3, 2023. Nearly 200 people have died and over 50,000 displaced.

“You can see the situation in the state-people from one part of the state cannot travel to the other part,” said Venugopal to The Wire.

Amid the ongoing violence, Manipur is sharply divided between the hills where the population is dominated by Kukis and the plains including capital Imphal which is Meitei dominated, with people from the two communities staying in their areas and not being able to travel to the parts where the other community is dominant.

“Yet amid all this division, when Rahul Gandhi met Meitei groups they were very happy to see him yesterday and when he met people from the Kuki community today, they too were very happy to see him. The communities might be divided in Manipur but they are united in their affection for Rahul Gandhi,” said Venugopal.

Day two of the yatra saw Gandhi beginning his journey from Sekmei in Manipur’s Imphal West, passing through Kangpokpi, one of the areas that that saw large-scale ethnic violence, to Senapati (which has a predominantly Naga population) before stopping for the night in Khuzama, Nagaland on the Manipur-Nagaland border.

Rahul Gandhi in Manipur on day two of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Photo: By arrangement.

‘Make PM visit Manipur before Lok Sabha elections’

Congress MP and general secretary media in-charge Jairam Ramesh told reporters in Karong village, Senapati, that the civil groups that had met Gandhi over the last two days wanted him to raise their demand in parliament that prime minister Narendra Modi should visit Manipur before the Lok Sabha elections.

“Earlier, when we used to come to Manipur, we used to meet Manipuri organisations. Today in Manipur we have to meet organisations of different communities,” said Ramesh.

“Everyone has told Rahul Gandhi that there is a need for a sensitive, transparent, accountable and strong governance in Manipur. The civil society groups also told him that the Congress should demand in the Budget Session of Parliament that Modi should come to Manipur before Lok Sabha elections.”

Unlike the south-north Bharat Jodo Yatra that was conducted from October 2022 to January 2023, this yatra is being conducted mostly by bus with some parts on foot with Gandhi stopping to interact with locals at various points on the way.

“I understand that you have faced a tragedy, you have lost family members, you have lost property and I want you to know that we are fully standing with you, we want to bring peace back to Manipur. We want to make Manipur peaceful and harmonious again,” said Gandhi while addressing a crowd that had gathered in Senapati.
On day two of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Congress’ general secretary and Rajya Sabha lawmaker K.C. Venugopal said that the Meitei and Kuki communities are united in their affection for Rahul Gandhi as civil society groups urged the former Congress president to raise the demand in parliament to ensure prime minister Modi visits Manipur.

Speaking to The Wire in Manipur’s Senapati on Monday (January 15), Venugopal said that Gandhi’s visit to the violence hit state has received “positive feedback from both Meiteis and Kukis.”

Manipur has been in the grip of ethnic violence since May 3, 2023. Nearly 200 people have died and over 50,000 displaced.

“You can see the situation in the state-people from one part of the state cannot travel to the other part,” said Venugopal to The Wire.

Amid the ongoing violence, Manipur is sharply divided between the hills where the population is dominated by Kukis and the plains including capital Imphal which is Meitei dominated, with people from the two communities staying in their areas and not being able to travel to the parts where the other community is dominant.

“Yet amid all this division, when Rahul Gandhi met Meitei groups they were very happy to see him yesterday and when he met people from the Kuki community today, they too were very happy to see him. The communities might be divided in Manipur but they are united in their affection for Rahul Gandhi,” said Venugopal.

Day two of the yatra saw Gandhi beginning his journey from Sekmei in Manipur’s Imphal West, passing through Kangpokpi, one of the areas that that saw large-scale ethnic violence, to Senapati (which has a predominantly Naga population) before stopping for the night in Khuzama, Nagaland on the Manipur-Nagaland border.

Rahul Gandhi in Manipur on day two of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

‘Make PM visit Manipur before Lok Sabha elections’

Congress MP and general secretary media in-charge Jairam Ramesh told reporters in Karong village, Senapati, that the civil groups that had met Gandhi over the last two days wanted him to raise their demand in parliament that prime minister Narendra Modi should visit Manipur before the Lok Sabha elections.

“Earlier, when we used to come to Manipur, we used to meet Manipuri organisations. Today in Manipur we have to meet organisations of different communities,” said Ramesh.

“Everyone has told Rahul Gandhi that there is a need for a sensitive, transparent, accountable and strong governance in Manipur. The civil society groups also told him that the Congress should demand in the Budget Session of Parliament that Modi should come to Manipur before Lok Sabha elections.”

Unlike the south-north Bharat Jodo Yatra that was conducted from October 2022 to January 2023, this yatra is being conducted mostly by bus with some parts on foot with Gandhi stopping to interact with locals at various points on the way.

“I understand that you have faced a tragedy, you have lost family members, you have lost property and I want you to know that we are fully standing with you, we want to bring peace back to Manipur. We want to make Manipur peaceful and harmonious again,” said Gandhi while addressing a crowd that had gathered in Senapati.

Source: The Wire
 
Did Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel act illegally when they removed the mosque in Somnath and built a temple there?

Its shocking that the people who believed and supported the right of Muslims to have a separate homeland in 1947 think that Hindus taking back some of their temples at their holiest sites is not correct.

wow.. to clarify, you're saying the tearing down of a 500 year old mosque was perfectly legal .. and that incident didn't violate any indian laws or the Constitution ?
 
wow.. to clarify, you're saying the tearing down of a 500 year old mosque was perfectly legal .. and that incident didn't violate any indian laws or the Constitution ?
Every revolution started by doing something which was illegal, but proved to be right thing that had to be done.
 
They are now squirming because BJP finally found a much better way to play the same game.

So you're admitting that BJP is no better than the Congress then ? Which is why I found you calling them 'despicable scumbags' funny as if Congress were uniquely deserving of that tag.

The BJP are just as bad and you seem to have no issue with it because your religion is getting appeased now. It is naked tribalism.
 
Every revolution started by doing something which was illegal, but proved to be right thing that had to be done.

Revolutions have nobler goals and involve the removal of a dictator, not an elected democracy. 1992 was an act of vandalism and destruction of property by extremist goons.
 
Revolutions have nobler goals and involve the removal of a dictator, not an elected democracy. 1992 was an act of vandalism and destruction of property by extremist goons.
Huh, which elected democracy was being overthrown here?

Overthrowing symbols of oppression is a noble goal. If not for that act of resistance, the govts and courts and haters of hindus would have continued neglecting it.

Credit to hindus who waited for years for justice and finally brought in the deus ex machina by demolishing the symbol of hate.

Every justice loving person, whether hindu or not, should be proud of this event.
 
Huh, which elected democracy was being overthrown here?

Overthrowing symbols of oppression is a noble goal. If not for that act of resistance, the govts and courts and haters of hindus would have continued neglecting it.

Seems you keep contradicting yourself.

You just said you don't believe in govts and courts and that vigilantism is the way to go; that is tantamount to overthrowing of a democracy.
 
wow.. to clarify, you're saying the tearing down of a 500 year old mosque was perfectly legal .. and that incident didn't violate any indian laws or the Constitution ?

That it was allowed to exist after 1947 is the biggest violation of the rights of the Hindus.
 
Seems you keep contradicting yourself.

You just said you don't believe in govts and courts and that vigilantism is the way to go; that is tantamount to overthrowing of a democracy.
I am not responsible for what you understand (or don't). Vigilantism happens when justice is denied. Justice delayed is justice denied. Should we have waited for a century more hoping for justice? From indian courts?

I was one of those people who said that let a hospital be built at the place. Such was my brainwashing.
 
While anything can happen, but the bookmakers odds for upcoming elections put congress at winning 46-50 seats and BJP winning 314-318 seats.
 
It seems only Hindu populace have rights in India.Not minorities
Majority should have major rights. Minorities should behave if they want more concessions. Hindus despite being the majority, have been denied their rights for decades and they are fed up always making concessions. Now hindus don't care what others think of them.
 
Majority should have major rights. Minorities should behave if they want more concessions. Hindus despite being the majority, have been denied their rights for decades and they are fed up always making concessions. Now hindus don't care what others think of them.
After observing your thoughts it's no more surprise why India is no more a secular country and their majority are happy with it.
 
After observing your thoughts it's no more surprise why India is no more a secular country and their majority are happy with it.
Yes by secularism if you mean minority appeasement/pseudo secularism then you are correct India is no longer a secular country.
 
How come a country with majority hindus remained secular without the secular word added in the constitution?
Yes by secularism if you mean minority appeasement/pseudo secularism then you are correct India is no longer a secular country.
Well guys, I am not making up things it's your own leaders across the parties who take pride in India's secular credentials and assertions.
 
Well guys, I am not making up things it's your own leaders across the parties who take pride in India's secular credentials and assertions.
If secularism was so good, Pakistan would be a secular country. But Pakistanis are wise and they know that Islamic laws are superior to secular laws. Indians are only beginning to get this wisdom, that secularism should be sent to the dustbin.
 
That it was allowed to exist after 1947 is the biggest violation of the rights of the Hindus.

You ignored the question. So I'll ask again. Was the 1992 demolition a legal act or not ?

I only ask because every second post of yours on this forum is about how Indians will follow the law of their land and their Constitution and everybody else should mind their own business. Why the double standard now ?
 
If secularism was so good, Pakistan would be a secular country. But Pakistanis are wise and they know that Islamic laws are superior to secular laws. Indians are only beginning to get this wisdom, that secularism should be sent to the dustbin.
I dont know why but got a feeling like that Trump utter such like worded remarks. Like bluntly putting one's thought without mincing words.
 
You ignored the question. So I'll ask again. Was the 1992 demolition a legal act or not ?

I only ask because every second post of yours on this forum is about how Indians will follow the law of their land and their Constitution and everybody else should mind their own business. Why the double standard now ?
Was the road blocking during farmer strikes legal or not? Answer this. Then you will get your answer.
 
Should we have waited for a century more hoping for justice? From indian courts?

Yes, you should have waited for as long as it takes. There are 3 lakh cases pending in the Indian courts, you don't deserve any special treatment. You have to wait just like the others.

Instead your lot behaved like hooligans and tore down other people's property.
 
Yes, you should have waited for as long as it takes. There are 3 lakh cases pending in the Indian courts, you don't deserve any special treatment. You have to wait just like the others.

Instead your lot behaved like hooligans and tore down other people's property.
And you think we care about getting praised from you. I have only this to answer:

No regret. No repentance. No sorrow. No grief. Only Pride.
 
So farmers should not have protested as it was illegal. And they should have waited for 70 years from the court. They don't deserve any special treatment from the courts.

Right? LOL

Farmers should have been arrested if they blocked the roads. This is not the killer argument that you think it is lol.
 
And you think we care about getting praised from you. I have only this to answer:

No regret. No repentance. No sorrow. No grief. Only Pride.

False pride is dangerous. You aren't going to get any special blessings from God just because you bludgeoned your way to a Ram temple. It doesn't work that way. I will pray for your confused soul, cartoon.
 
You ignored the question. So I'll ask again. Was the 1992 demolition a legal act or not ?

I only ask because every second post of yours on this forum is about how Indians will follow the law of their land and their Constitution and everybody else should mind their own business. Why the double standard now ?

The correct question to ask is .... why was the demolition of the original temple and building a Mosque on top of it not condemned by various political parties other than BJP?

Worse thing is that the left wing + Muslim groups pretending that it was a Holy place and fighting tooth and nail blatantly refusing to accept any wrong doing .... and then you and other left wing bum buddies of your ilk lecturing on secularism.
 
Lol at sanghis to project it as some sort of treason by Congress.
Someone asked me in my office how i feel about Congress rejecting the invitation, I informed them first I’m not a congress supporter just because I criticise BJP second I think they did well because thry will not get the right wing votebank irrespective.

But i do criticise Bihari Politicians RJD though about their stupidity and comments regarding this.
 
I had no issue with Missionaries for years but now that so many of my friends and my acquaintances(Tamil and Punjabis) are blindly converting for flimsy reasons I do think Hindus and Sikhs should watch out.

We should maybe have a law where Dharmic religions can convert among Dharmic ones and Abrahamic among abrahamic ones this way everyone can be happy.
 
I had no issue with Missionaries for years but now that so many of my friends and my acquaintances(Tamil and Punjabis) are blindly converting for flimsy reasons I do think Hindus and Sikhs should watch out.

We should maybe have a law where Dharmic religions can convert among Dharmic ones and Abrahamic among abrahamic ones this way everyone can be happy.
I had no issue with conversions, except that it completely changes the persons ideology and loyalty. Suddenly a co-religionist from another country will be higher priority than someone closer at home but from wrong religion. Demography is destiny, and all religions except hindus understand it so well, while hindus are busy proving to others they are secular and liberal. It is a civilizational war, and yet more than half of hindus are under secular amnesia. Even good people like you forget that it was demography change which uprooted you from your ancestral land.
 
Worse thing is that the left wing + Muslim groups pretending that it was a Holy place and fighting tooth and nail blatantly refusing to accept any wrong doing .... and then you and other left wing bum buddies of your ilk lecturing on secularism.

bum buddies ? I thought you were telling me the other day that insults are unproductive to discussions.
 
bum buddies ? I thought you were telling me the other day that insults are unproductive to discussions.

I also told you multiple times across many threads that I too can very easily use the same tactics .... so entirely tour problem. What goes around comes around.
 

Your tall claims...': Rahul Gandhi jabs PM Modi over 'neglect' of Northeast​

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he talked about the lack of infrastructural developments in Nagaland, and the overall "neglect" of northeastern states.

Addressing PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi said, "Your tall claims of development demand firsthand experience. Have you braved the broken roads that Nagaland's people navigate daily?"

Speaking at a public rally in Nagaland on the third day of the Congress's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the former Congress chief said, "For the people of Nagaland to have to drive through these roads is an injustice. It is a betrayal of the people of Nagaland. How are we expected to bring a positive future to the young people of Nagaland with these roads?"

He highlighted the challenges faced by the people in Nagaland, including poor road conditions, insufficient access to electricity, and a lack of medical infrastructure.

Rahul Gandhi said the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was organised to bring the country's attention to "the people of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam -- to the people who are not part of the development that is taking place".

Source : India Today
 
The Indian National Congress may well now be a limp organisation, and there may not be much love for it on these pages, but whatever faults it has always had, it should not blind us to its remarkable history and its remarkable achievements. One of the world’s oldest political parties, it broke new ground: a nationalist party, established before other such parties in Africa and Asia. It played its part in moulding a sense of nationhood in an incredibly diverse country. Structurally it reached down to the villages. Over time and through a distinctive ‘struggle-truce-struggle’ strategy, it unsettled - mainly through peaceful means - colonial foundations of rule and thereby contributed to the eventual departure of Britain. It brought together many strands of nationalism and political thought. Even amongst its most celebrated figures, there is the socialist - in fabian mould - Nehru; the conservative believer in a strong state - Patel; and the ‘enlightened anarchist’ for whom the real locus of sovereignty was the individual and not the state - Gandhi. Perhaps most significantly, it made a successful transition from an oppositional nationalist force to a governing national party without dispensing with democracy. This was partly because it was an ‘umbrella’ party, a coalition of many locally influential individuals and home to many varied ideas, opinions and interests. As a virtual parliament in itself it was able to accommodate conflicting viewpoints, and therefore able to stabilise democracy and contain any threat of social upheaval.
 
The Indian National Congress may well now be a limp organisation, and there may not be much love for it on these pages, but whatever faults it has always had, it should not blind us to its remarkable history and its remarkable achievements. One of the world’s oldest political parties, it broke new ground: a nationalist party, established before other such parties in Africa and Asia. It played its part in moulding a sense of nationhood in an incredibly diverse country. Structurally it reached down to the villages. Over time and through a distinctive ‘struggle-truce-struggle’ strategy, it unsettled - mainly through peaceful means - colonial foundations of rule and thereby contributed to the eventual departure of Britain. It brought together many strands of nationalism and political thought. Even amongst its most celebrated figures, there is the socialist - in fabian mould - Nehru; the conservative believer in a strong state - Patel; and the ‘enlightened anarchist’ for whom the real locus of sovereignty was the individual and not the state - Gandhi. Perhaps most significantly, it made a successful transition from an oppositional nationalist force to a governing national party without dispensing with democracy. This was partly because it was an ‘umbrella’ party, a coalition of many locally influential individuals and home to many varied ideas, opinions and interests. As a virtual parliament in itself it was able to accommodate conflicting viewpoints, and therefore able to stabilise democracy and contain any threat of social upheaval.
As usual top post, you have criticised Congress in the past but here you acknowledge their contribution to the Indian state good or bad they were learning as well.

But the grand old party is almost done.
 
The Indian National Congress may well now be a limp organisation, and there may not be much love for it on these pages, but whatever faults it has always had, it should not blind us to its remarkable history and its remarkable achievements. One of the world’s oldest political parties, it broke new ground: a nationalist party, established before other such parties in Africa and Asia. It played its part in moulding a sense of nationhood in an incredibly diverse country. Structurally it reached down to the villages. Over time and through a distinctive ‘struggle-truce-struggle’ strategy, it unsettled - mainly through peaceful means - colonial foundations of rule and thereby contributed to the eventual departure of Britain. It brought together many strands of nationalism and political thought. Even amongst its most celebrated figures, there is the socialist - in fabian mould - Nehru; the conservative believer in a strong state - Patel; and the ‘enlightened anarchist’ for whom the real locus of sovereignty was the individual and not the state - Gandhi. Perhaps most significantly, it made a successful transition from an oppositional nationalist force to a governing national party without dispensing with democracy. This was partly because it was an ‘umbrella’ party, a coalition of many locally influential individuals and home to many varied ideas, opinions and interests. As a virtual parliament in itself it was able to accommodate conflicting viewpoints, and therefore able to stabilise democracy and contain any threat of social upheaval.

All of this is either pre independence, or a decade after independence at best. But all this has been already said by durbari historians. But this is only the half truth. The other half is that congress was just a petitioning body wanting some concessions from the british, till gandhi made it popular and a mass movement. Even then they were the last ones to demand independence. It was not till 1929 that gandhi's congress demanded independence. Gandhi was 60 years then. Imagine Farukh Abdullah of Kashmir playing nice with Delhi and asking for some concessions while being against separatists, and only at the age of 60 wanting complete independence. Him being called the father of the nation will be an insult to all those who died demanding independence many years before he finally relented.

What is also missing from your paean is how different opinions was crushed in gandhi's congress. Mohandas would throw tantrum and sulk whenever the party voted on something he didnt approve of.

Today's BJP is closer to the congress of 1947 than congress itself. Gandhi was against caste based categorization, today congress wants caste census and resources divided based on that. Nehru was against communal veto, today's congress supports veto of any small group and wants laws approved by parliament to be taken back if a minority vetoes it. Congress leaders (except nehru) included Hindu religion and motifs in their movement, today congress opposes it.

@JaDed
 

BJP, RSS attacking different cultures in India, says Rahul Gandhi​

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are attacking different cultures in India.

Rahul Gandhi addressing a public gathering in Mokokchung, Nagaland, said, “Nobody has a right to decide about your tradition and what you eat and what you wear. Every culture and religion must be respected.”

He said any decision on having a joint manifesto of the INDIA bloc parties will be taken by chiefs of all outfits, even as it launched a website and email ID for seeking people’s suggestions for its own manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections.

“As an Indian, I am ashamed that the Prime Minister did not visit Manipur which has been torn apart into two pieces, I am equally ashamed of the PM for not fulfilling his promises of peace pact made to the people of Nagaland nine years ago,” he said. “Their politics has torn the state (Manipur) apart. They have weaponized and burnt the state, and now they cannot set a foot in it,” he added.

Rahul also said the ruling regime is discrimination with the people of northeastern states, especially Nagaland. “Why are people of Nagaland deprived of good roads, electricity, hospitals and other basic facilities that people in other parts of the country enjoy? How will a Naga youth sit for a competitive exam by traveling this road? How will he compete with the children of the rest of the country without electricity in his home” the Congress leader said.

In his address, he also criticized the Prime Minister for not fulfilling promises made to Nagaland under the Naga Accord in 2015. “If you don’t have a solution, please don’t lie to people,” he said in a veiled reference to the Prime Minister. “A solution cannot be brought out without taking people in confidence and having discussion with them,” he added.

Source: Kashmir Media Service
 
@CricketCartoons - thank you for your thoughts.

To be clear, my point was not to suggest that the Congress party was without its imperfections. It was only to remind, in the context of the battering it receives nowadays, that in its historic context it was a party that has its fair share of remarkable achievements, even if these are admittedly now dated, as you indicate. To address the substantive points raised:

The other half is that congress was just a petitioning body wanting some concessions from the british, till gandhi made it popular and a mass movement. Even then they were the last ones to demand independence. It was not till 1929 that gandhi's congress demanded independence.

It is undeniable that prior to Gandhi’s capture, the Congress was largely an elite body of men who engaged in petitioning and pleading and appealed, as Mithi Mukherjee (India in the Shadows of Empire) has argued, to a sense of imperial justice and the benevolence of the Queen as judge. Even into the 1910s the annual meetings of the Congress ended with there cheers to the Queen. With Gandhi the temper of the movement changed and an anti-colonial discourse became transformed into a nationalist struggle. The irony is that Gandhi himself was not in fact a nationalist in the sense of merely seeking to capture state power. For Gandhi, dislodging the British was in fact subordinate to his aims of the moral transformation of the self and replacing the system of modern civilisation and not merely the rulers.

In the end there was no revolutionary overthrow but in the official language a ‘transfer of power’ in 1947. Some - mainly but not exclusively on the left - have criticised the Congress for being too conservative and lacking revolutionary fire. But the flip side was that the ‘struggle-truce-struggle’ strategy meant that, even before independence, the Congress could experience government and had time to build up into a party with secure funding, broad networks, roots in society and legitimacy amongst a critical mass of the population. The strength of the Congress in 1947 was a significant contribution to the establishment of Indian democracy and compared favourably with the experience of many other parties in other countries following decolonisation.

What is also missing from your paean is how different opinions was crushed in gandhi's congress. Mohandas would throw tantrum and sulk whenever the party voted on something he didnt approve of.

There is again much truth in this and Congress authoritarianism has been commented by historians. Ian Copland (in an article ‘Congress Paternalism’) stated that “like the British Raj, the Congress high command believed it knew what was good for the Indian people, and like the Raj it did not suffer gladly those who defied its leadership.” More recently Tripurdaman Singh (Sixteen Stormy Days) has revealed the latent authoritarianism that was revealed in the debates and the passing of the First Amendment in 1951. Where did the authoritarianism spring from? Part of it was perhaps prompted by the need to reject colonial discourse which pointed to India being an essentially fragmented country and by colonial polices, which encouraged centrifugal tendencies. Part was driven by a genuine anxiety that without a strong state and strong party India might balkanise. Part was driven by the leaders own inclinations. There was also maybe an emotional attachment built up during the anti-colonial movement and carried over into post-independence period, to the idea that the Congress embodied Indian unity. “The Congress is the Country,” so said Nehru in 1953, “and the country is the Congress.”

Today's BJP is closer to the congress of 1947 than congress itself. Gandhi was against caste based categorization, today congress wants caste census and resources divided based on that. Nehru was against communal veto, today's congress supports veto of any small group and wants laws approved by parliament to be taken back if a minority vetoes it. Congress leaders (except nehru) included Hindu religion and motifs in their movement, today congress opposes it.

I think it is a bit provocative to suggest that BJP is now closer to the Congress of 1947 than the contemporary Congress party. But it is legitimate to point to certain continuities. Nehru and Modi have, of course, strikingly different visions. But both have sought to fashion or re-fashion the nation and can be seen as leaders that had/have a grand vision with the belief that history was/is on their side and both had/have their authoritarian streaks. Hindu nationalism was also an important thread within the Congress movement. But it was never the only thread. There are also critical divergences and Nehru’s vision is being dismantled by Modi. “Its [Nehruvianism] major achievement,” writes Benjamin Zachariah (Nehru):

“was to disarm the view of Indian culture as ‘Hindu’. It could, of course, be argued that this was a matter of naming: a Hindu majoritarian ethic could hide behind the secular view of an overarching Indian culture…This allowed Hindu sectarianism to survive behind a veneer of political correctness, even within the Congress. But this banishing of Hindu sectarianism into an outer darkness, in which it was the ‘ism’ that dare not speak its name, was in itself an achievement."
 
I saw Rahul Gandhi yesterday in hanuman's get up. Is he too going to follow BJP religion card to some extent in upcoming elections or was it just a rare one off sort incident.
 
I saw Rahul Gandhi yesterday in hanuman's get up. Is he too going to follow BJP religion card to some extent in upcoming elections or was it just a rare one off sort incident.
The latter.

No one can beat them in their own game by imitating them.
 
The latter.

No one can beat them in their own game by imitating them.
So it's going to be the advocacy of hindu rights vs Indian(minorities included) rights campaign this season between BJP and Congress.
 

Rahul Gandhi blows flying kisses to Modi supporters chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra​

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday jumped out of his vehicle to greet ‘BJP and Modi supporters’ in Assam during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The grand old party posted a video of the crowd chanting ‘Modi-Modi’, and ‘Jai Shree Ram’ with saffron flags on its official handle X (formerly Twitter).

In the visuals, Rahul Gandhi was seen blowing flying kisses at his rivals' supporters and asking the driver ‘Why don’t you stop here'. The driver immediately stopped the vehicle and Rahul Gandhi stepped down to greet them.

“Mohabbat ki dukaan is open for everyone, India will unite, and India will win," the Congress party wrote on the microblogging site while sharing the video.

The Assam leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra began on January 18 and will continue till January 25, covering 17 districts of the northeast state.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi was also mobbed at a roadside eatery in Assam's Nagaon district on Sunday evening. The incident took place when Gandhi and some other leaders stopped at the restaurant in Ambagan on their way to their night halt in Rupohi, about 10 km from the site.

The crowd raised slogans against the MP and also displayed placards with messages such as 'Anyay Yatra' and 'Rakibul go back', referring to Samaguri Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain.

Gandhi and other leaders were escorted out of the eatery by security personnel.

There was another incident of attack on vehicles of party workers returning from the rally, an eyewitness said, adding three members of the students' wing were admitted to hospital with serious injuries.

Earlier in the day, state Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah was assaulted and senior central leader Jairam Ramesh's car was attacked in two separate incidents in Sonitpur district, through which the Yatra entered Nagaon.

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, being led by Gandhi, reached the central Assam district earlier in the day. The leaders addressed a public rally in Kaliabor in the afternoon, in which Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge was also present.

Source : NDTV
-------------------------
@Romali_rotti ,@IndoorCricket and @uppercut look what pappu has for u...
 
I generally do not like liberal candidates. But, I hope Mr. Rahul Gandhi will win next time. All the very best to him.

Rahul Gandhi blows flying kisses to Modi supporters chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra​

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday jumped out of his vehicle to greet ‘BJP and Modi supporters’ in Assam during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The grand old party posted a video of the crowd chanting ‘Modi-Modi’, and ‘Jai Shree Ram’ with saffron flags on its official handle X (formerly Twitter).

In the visuals, Rahul Gandhi was seen blowing flying kisses at his rivals' supporters and asking the driver ‘Why don’t you stop here'. The driver immediately stopped the vehicle and Rahul Gandhi stepped down to greet them.

“Mohabbat ki dukaan is open for everyone, India will unite, and India will win," the Congress party wrote on the microblogging site while sharing the video.

The Assam leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra began on January 18 and will continue till January 25, covering 17 districts of the northeast state.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi was also mobbed at a roadside eatery in Assam's Nagaon district on Sunday evening. The incident took place when Gandhi and some other leaders stopped at the restaurant in Ambagan on their way to their night halt in Rupohi, about 10 km from the site.

The crowd raised slogans against the MP and also displayed placards with messages such as 'Anyay Yatra' and 'Rakibul go back', referring to Samaguri Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain.

Gandhi and other leaders were escorted out of the eatery by security personnel.

There was another incident of attack on vehicles of party workers returning from the rally, an eyewitness said, adding three members of the students' wing were admitted to hospital with serious injuries.

Earlier in the day, state Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah was assaulted and senior central leader Jairam Ramesh's car was attacked in two separate incidents in Sonitpur district, through which the Yatra entered Nagaon.

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, being led by Gandhi, reached the central Assam district earlier in the day. The leaders addressed a public rally in Kaliabor in the afternoon, in which Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge was also present.

Source : NDTV
-------------------------
@Romali_rotti ,@IndoorCricket and @uppercut look what pappu has for u...

Refer to him as Puppu not Pappu when you address me about this diaper pooper.

Puppu is 2 levels below Pappu in intellect.

And

Yes look what Puppu is doing, it is everyones right to dream. He can dream all he wants but will never become the PM of India
 
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After today, I don't think he will even be a PM candidate from India alliance. They don't want a failed product three times in a row. They will have some dummy guy contest against Modi this time. Rahul will be a contender in 2029 when Modi retires as PM and becomes President of India
 
After today, I don't think he will even be a PM candidate from India alliance. They don't want a failed product three times in a row. They will have some dummy guy contest against Modi this time. Rahul will be a contender in 2029 when Modi retires as PM and becomes President of India

What did Pappu ji do today? Any new buffoonery that I missed? :ROFLMAO:
 
Himanta Sarma's Case Warning To Rahul Gandhi After Face-Off During Yatra

Chaotic scenes played out at Guwahati limits this afternoon as about 5,000 Congress workers tried to enter the city to continue the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. A huge contingent of state police blocked the Congress rally from hitting Guwahati roads. Barricades were thrown off as the cops and Congress workers clashed on the streets.

The Himanta Biswa Sarma government in Assam had earlier denied permission to the Yatra to move through arterial roads in Guwahati. Arguing that it is a working day in Guwahati and allowing the yatra to move through key city roads may lead to traffic snarls, the state administration had asked the rally to take the national highway route as it moves towards lower Assam. Congress workers were asked to take the National Highway 27 that acts like a ring road around the city.

Speaking at the Guwahati city limits, Mr Gandhi said, "This is the same route Bajrang Dal walked, (BJP chief JP) Nadda ji's rally was also taken on the same place. There was a barricade, we threw the barricade, but we will not break the law. Don't think we are weak, it's the power of Congress workers."

The people of Assam, he said, are being suppressed. "My student interaction (in Meghalaya) was cancelled, the authorities were told not to allow students to meet me. Despite that, they came to meet me outside."

"My message is Congress workers aren't afraid of BJP- RSS, we'll defeat them in Assam. I know the officers are being told to do their duty, but there should be justice. We are not here to fight you, we love you. We are here to fight the most corrupt CM Himanta (Biswa Sarma) of Assam," he said.

The Congress workers part of the march alleged that the state administration denied entry into the city on frivolous grounds. This comes amid the ongoing spat between Congress and the BJP government in Assam. The Congress has alleged that the Himanta Biswa Sarma government is creating hurdles in the yatra led by Mr Gandhi. "Since our entry in Assam, the most corrupt CM in India has been carrying out relentless attacks on our convoys, properties and leaders using his goons," it has said.

These are not part of Assamese culture. We are a peaceful state. Such “naxalite tactics” are completely alien to our culture.
I have instructed @DGPAssamPolice to register a case against your leader @RahulGandhi for provoking the crowd & use the footage you have posted on your

Responding to the face-off today, Mr Sarma said Assam is a peaceful state and such "naxalite tactics" are alien to its culture. "I have instructed DGP, Assam Police, to register a case against your leader Rahul Gandhi for provoking the crowd and use the footage you have posted on your handles as the evidence. Your unruly behaviour and violation of agreed guidelines have resulted in a massive traffic jam in Guwahati now," he said in response to a Congress post on X.

Assam Police have said that the Congress workers broke some of the barricades and this led to injuries to cops and the public. Appropriate action is being taken in the matter, police have said.

Reference events related to road event of Indian National Congress on Jan 23rd 2024 at Guwahati - 1. The road event was to travel from Meghalaya towards Kamrup through Guwahati 2. There are two major roads and permission was given to use one of these after deliberation with…

Today's face-off near the Guwahati city limits followed dramatic scenes yesterday, when Mr Gandhi was barred from visiting the shrine of a 15th century social reformer. Mr Gandhi had planned to visit the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva near Guwahati. Soon after the plan was announced, Chief Minister Sarma urged Mr Gandhi not to visit the shrine before the Ram Mandir 'pran pratistha' ceremony in Ayodhya ends.

"I urge Rahul Gandhi to not create a notion that there is a competition between Ram Temple and Batadrava Satra because the TV channels will be flashing Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony on one side and him visiting Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva's birthplace on the other side. This won't be good for Assam." Mr Sarma had said.

The shrine's managing committee, too, had said Mr Gandhi will not be allowed to enter before 3 pm.

The Congress leader and his associates were stopped on their way to the shrine. Thereafter, they sat on a dharna at the site of the roadblock. Party MP Gaurav Gogoi and Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora proceeded to the shrine and offered prayers.

Speaking to the media later, Mr Gandhi said he believes in the philosophy of Sankardeva. "We, like him, believe in bringing people together and not spreading hatred. He is like a guru to us and gives us direction. So I had thought when I came to Assam, I should offer my respects to him,'' he said. 'Gaurav Gogoi and all can go, but only Rahul Gandhi cannot go. I don't know, there may be some reason, but I will go to Batadrava when I get an opportunity," he added.

The Congress alleged that the shrine's managing committee had earlier agreed to Mr Gandhi's visit but later changed its position.

Mr Gandhi's yatra also faced roadblocks in Meghalaya. An interaction between the Congress leader and students at a university in Meghalaya was cancelled after the local authorities denied permission. Mr Gandhi later addressed students from atop the yatra truck near the Assam-Meghalaya border. During his address, he alleged that his interaction with the students at the university was cancelled on the instructions of the Union Home Minister.

Source : NDTV
 
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