‘No interest in that right now’: Rahul Gandhi on Sonia Gandhi memoir row, cites ‘crime’ against Kharge
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he had “no interest” in the controversy surrounding the upcoming memoir of his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, saying his sole focus at present was the “crime” committed against party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The Lok Sabha leader of opposition was responding to a reporter’s question at his press conference on the “purification” ritual conducted after Kharge’s rally in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, earlier this month. “I call it a digression strategy. I have absolutely no interest in that right now. My interest lies in the crime that has been committed against Kharge ji,” Rahul Gandhi said, demanding “justice” for the veteran politican. The controversy surrounding Sonia Gandhi’s biography, titled “Belonging: A Journey Of Love,” arose from reports that publisher Penguin Random House India had declined to publish the book after she rejected proposed editorial changes. However, Penguin Random House India clarified in a statement on Friday that it was not the publisher of “Belonging” in India. “Any suggestion that Penguin Random House India decided not to publish ‘Belonging’ because the author declined editorial changes does not accurately reflect the circumstances,” the publisher said in a statement. However, it acknowledged that it remained “keen to publish the book”, while stressing that fact-checking and recommending editorial changes were part of its responsibility as a publisher. “As a publisher, it is both our prerogative and our responsibility to fact check and provide authors with recommendations that are in the best interests of their books. This is a normal part of the publishing process. Throughout the relevant discussions, Penguin Random House India’s position was that we remained willing and keen to publish the book. We will not comment further on confidential discussions with the author,” the statement added. On August 20, the birth anniversary of his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi expressed his excitement over Sonia Gandhi’s biography. “I am happy, and so proud, that your story—‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’—will finally be read by the millions of people who love you. I know how hard it was for someone as private as you to tell the world your beautiful story. Today, on his birthday, I can see Papa smiling and looking down proudly at his beautiful Sonia,” the Congress MP wrote on X. The book is scheduled to be published on November 10. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
UP Cong reshuffle: From Priyanka’s circle to Rahul’s camp?
Lucknow: The recent organisational rejig in UP Congress is more than a routine change of roles, believe party insiders. To some of them, the changes speak for ‘the party moving towards a new set of leaders, seen as closer to Rahul Gandhi, to steer the UP unit ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.’ “While the meteoric rise of new in charge Rajendra Pal Gautam – who left AAP to join Congress – is already a talking point among old-timers with references to Gautam’s proximity with Rahul, murmurs that newly appointed deputies given to him are handpicked by the Rae Bareli MP are doing the rounds,” a senior organisational member told TOI. To note, on Aug 6, All India Congress Committee general secretary appointed Abhishek Dutt, Kunal Choudhary, Jagdish Chander Jangid, Sanjeev Arya, Varun Choudhary and Abdul Hannan as AICC secretaries attached to AICC in charge. The party also appreciated the outgoing in-charges – Dheeraj Gurjar, Nilanshu Chaturvedi, Pradeep Narwal, Rajesh Tiwari, Satyanarayan Patel and Tauquir Alam. “All the six co-in-charges given a role in UP were groomed by Rahul under the Youth Congress Transformation Programme. Launched in 2006 from Punjab, this programme aimed to raise young leadership in the grand old party,” said a functionary, adding, “This exercise was based on performance… Those who do well grow up the ranks in the Congress organization. And all the co-in-charges for UP have walked past this route.” During the 2022 state elections, Priyanka Gandhi and her team were at the helm of affairs in UP though her journey began in 2019 with the role of general secretary in charge of eastern UP. With her came a group of young leaders who over time became an important and effective link between Priyanka and UP. The main man in Team Priyanka was Sandeep Singh – former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president. “As personal secretary to Priyanka, Sandeep exuded influence and controlled matters in ways which upset scores of old-timers besides turning certain functionaries virtually redundant,” said a former departmental head in UPCC, adding that the new appointments have edged Team Priyanka out. Adding that two of Singh’s associates – Pradeep Narwal and Tauqeer Alam – were also from JNU and were later appointed as AICC secretaries along with Dheeraj Gurjar, he further said, “Together they completed the coterie (that also had Mohit Pandey and Anil Yadav in the wider team) which became involved in all the key decisions and was accused of causing infighting and factionalism inside India’s politically significant state unit.” Brushing this debate aside, UP Congress in charge Rajendra Pal Gautam said, “All this is bogus. There are no camps. Congress is one party. Those saying this are peddling propaganda.” UP Congress president Ajay Rai said, “These so-called interpretations appear to be manufactured propaganda planted by BJP to dampen our high spirits ahead of the 2027 elections. They have failed on all fronts and are now using rumour mills to create confusion in our base. But they will not succeed.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Congress & BJP clash over Haldwani ‘purification’ row, Rahul seeks FIR
NEW DELHI: BJP and Congress clashed Saturday over the opposition party’s allegation that the venue of its rally in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani was “purified” because of the presence of its president Mallikarjun Kharge, with Rahul Gandhi demanding an FIR as he linked it to the unconstitutional practice of untouchability. BJP slammed Rahul’s comments as his usual bid to divide Hindus on different grounds, including caste, and played videos of some of the organisers of the so-called purification exercise to rebut his charge. It also questioned Rahul for raising the issue so many days after the alleged purification on Aug 10. One of the organisers, Ankit Pal, said he was himself a dalit and that a ‘hawan’ was held after the venue was cleaned for Ramlila. The organisers have said they have no link with BJP. At a news conference, Rahul targeted the BJP and RSS over the “purification” and demanded that PM Narendra Modi order an FIR under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against all those involved in the matter. “We are demanding justice for the Congress president and it is the duty of central and state govt to ensure that Kharge ji gets justice in Uttarakhand. Every dalit faces humiliation from birth to death, everywhere, at every step,” he alleged. “Now the ball is in BJP’s court – an FIR must be filed under the SC/ST Act at the earliest, action must be taken, and justice must be served – otherwise, Congress knows very well how to secure justice,” Rahul warned. “If they take action, good. If they don’t take it, then there will be some reaction. These days, inaction has a much bigger reaction,” he said. “We will ensure action is taken against the culprits. Even if BJP fails to act, the entire Congress party will not let them escape…I guarantee it,” he added. BJP fielded its dalit spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan and Sudhanshu Trivedi to counter Rahul. “Rahul always supports forces working to divide society and uses lies to set the narrative,” Paswan said. “The Congress MP jumps from one issue to another but the one theme that runs constantly is his tendency to put Hindus against each other,” Trivedi said. He cited a string of cases of violence against dalits, including in Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka, when Congress was in office in these states and accused the party of maintaining silence in incidents where aggressors were members of a particular community. Rahul, in reality, works to strengthen the agenda of Macaulay, Marx and ‘maulana’, he alleged Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
DMK and TVK spar in House over atrocities against Dalits
Further, Velu said the figures showed that the previous government had maintained law and order and ensured that cases were registered. CHENNAI: Tempers flared in the Assembly on Friday during a heated exchange between DMK floor leader E V Velu and Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar over atrocities against Dalits during the previous DMK government. Former minister Velu dismissed as “incorrect” the statement made by PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna a day before in the Assembly that Tamil Nadu witnessed the highest number of atrocities against Dalits in the country over the past five years. Citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Velu said Uttar Pradesh had recorded the highest number of cases against people belonging to the Scheduled Caste communities, followed by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra. He said Uttar Pradesh recorded around 71,000 such cases in five years, while Tamil Nadu had recorded 8,110 cases. Tamil Nadu stood 10th in cases registered under the SC category and 15th in cases involving Scheduled Tribes, he said. Further, Velu said the figures showed that the previous government had maintained law and order and ensured that cases were registered. However, Nirmal Kumar rejected the claim and alleged that many cases against Dalits were not registered during the previous DMK regime. He further cited an incident in Ramanathapuram, in which a minister had allegedly assaulted a Dalit tahsildar. Nirmal Kumar claimed that the minister’s portfolio was changed after protests, but no case was registered against him. He said that if all cases had been registered during the previous regime, Tamil Nadu would have topped the NCRB list. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Not publisher of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir’: Penguin rejects ‘editorial changes’ claim
NEW DELHI: Penguin Random House India on Friday clarified that it is not the publisher of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love in India. The Publishing house rejected reports that it decided against publishing the book because the author declined editorial changes. In a statement posted on X, the publishing house said it had remained “willing and keen to publish” the memoir and stressed that fact-checking and providing editorial recommendations are a normal part of the publishing process. “In response to the news reports about Sonia Gandhi’s book ‘Belonging’, Penguin Random House India is not the publisher of ‘Belonging’ in India. Any suggestion that Penguin Random House India decided not to publish ‘Belonging’ because the author declined editorial changes does not accurately reflect the circumstances. As a publisher, it is both our prerogative and our responsibility to fact check and provide authors with recommendations that are in the best interests of their books. This is a normal part of the publishing process. Throughout the relevant discussions, Penguin Random House India’s position was that we remained willing and keen to publish the book. We will not comment further on confidential discussions with the author.” — PenguinIndia (@PenguinIndia) The clarification comes weeks after US publisher Alfred A Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, announced that Belonging would be released on November 10. The status of the memoir’s publisher or distributor in India remains unclear. An e-commerce listing has shown an ebook edition of Belonging available for pre-order at Rs 2,615, with William Collins, an imprint of HarperCollins UK, listed as its publisher. Sonia Gandhi, 79, is expected to offer a personal account of her life, including her childhood in post-war Italy, her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family and the death of her husband Rajiv Gandhi, according to Alfred A Knopf. The memoir will also cover her entry into the “public world of politics” following Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and her decision to turn down the prime minister’s post in 2004. The publisher had earlier described the book as tracing Sonia Gandhi’s life “from her childhood in post-war Italy, to the romance that brings her to India, to the shattering losses that will reshape not only her own future but also that of her adopted home”. Sonia Gandhi has rarely discussed her private life at length in public, making the memoir one of the most closely watched political books ahead of its release. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘We are very clear’: TN minister says Rahul Gandhi is INDIA bloc’s PM pick for 2029
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu minister P Viswanathan on Friday dismissed calls to project TVK chief Vijay C Joseph as the INDIA bloc’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, asserting that Rahul Gandhi is the “definitive” choice.“As Congress leaders, we are very clear. Our beloved leader and leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is the INDIA bloc’s prime ministerial candidate for 2029,” Viswanathan said. His remarks came after several TVK leaders pushed for Vijay to be projected as a prime ministerial candidate for 2029 Lok Sabha polls , drawing sharp reaction from Congress. TVK leaders, including KA Sengottaiyan and D Sarathkumar, have compared Vijay with former Tamil Nadu chief ministers MGR and Jayalalithaa, claiming he would not only rule Tamil Nadu but also lead the country in the future. TVK legislator Kallanai, who organised an event marking the party’s 100 days in office, said people had immense faith in Vijay’s leadership. He expressed confidence that Vijay would eventually lead the country and hoist the national flag at the Red Fort as a representative of the Tamil people, news agency PTI reported. Meanwhile, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said that while party workers may have deep admiration for their leader, national leadership ultimately depends on securing the numbers required to form a government. “I fully accept that they have great love, affection, expectation, and admiration for their party leadership. This is their party. What they say within their party makes no difference to the public discourse. In public discourse, what you should ask about is policy and the law. Their wishes within a party make no difference to me,” Chidambaram told reporters, according to ANI. He said every political party has its own ambitions and aspirations, but any prime ministerial aspirant must ultimately have the numbers to command a majority in the Lok Sabha. “Every party has dreams, ambitions, and desires. One cannot pass laws to stop that. Everyone expresses their own wishes and talks about their favourite leader in their party. But we know what the political reality is. There are 543 constituencies,” Chidambaram said. According to the Constitution, the leader of whichever alliance wins 272 constituencies, or whichever party wins, will be the Prime Minister of India. Anyone who achieves that number can become the Prime Minister, individually or collectively. You and I both know what that political reality is,” he added. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
AAP names Dalit face Garhi as in charge of Channi’s former seat
Patiala: The Aam Aadmi Party has appointed Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission chairperson Jasvir Singh Garhi as its halqa in charge of the SC-reserved Chamkaur Sahib constituency, triggering speculation over a possible candidate change before the 2027 assembly elections. The seat is held by AAP MLA Dr Charanjit Singh, who defeated the then CM, Charanjit Singh Channi, by more than 7,900 votes in 2022. Channi had won the seat in 2007, 2012 and 2017. Party insiders said appointing an outsider as halqa in charge in a constituency represented by a sitting MLA had often preceded a candidate change. Garhi, a prominent Dalit leader with a grassroots network built during his years in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), will now oversee party activities in the constituency. AAP functionaries described the move as a routine organisational exercise to energise workers. Political observers, however, see it as a possible recalibration of the party’s field leadership in a constituency with a substantial Dalit electorate. The appointment assumes significance given Garhi’s political background. A former govt veterinary inspector, he quit service in 2019 and headed the BSP’s Punjab unit for nearly five years. BSP expelled him in Nov 2024 on charges of indiscipline. He joined AAP on Jan 1, 2025, in the presence of CM Bhagwant Mann and became SC commission chairperson two months later. As commission chairperson, Garhi has taken on several Congress and BJP functionaries. He summoned Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring over remarks about late former Union minister Buta Singh and sought a written response. He also summoned leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa twice, including over alleged casteist remarks against Punjab minister Harbhajan Singh ETO. Garhi also summoned Congress-turned-BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu over alleged casteist remarks during a civic poll-related dispute in Dhuri. He rejected Sangrur police’s initial report as unsatisfactory despite Bittu issuing a public apology. MLA Dr Charanjit Singh and AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu could not be contacted for comment. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Modi govt has created two systems in country’: Rahul Gandhi targets NCLT
NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday criticised the Centre over the functioning of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), alleging that the system treats ordinary borrowers differently from large corporate borrowers.Calling the NCLT the “Leader-Company Loot Tribunal”, Rahul contrasted the treatment of farmers, salaried workers and students with that of what he described as a select group of wealthy businesspersons. “If a farmer doesn’t pay 50 thousand, his land gets auctioned off. If a salaried person misses even one EMI, bank goons show up at the house. Poor students can’t even get loans for education,” Rahul said in a post on X. — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) “But for select “friends,” bank money is like personal property – withdraw as much as you want, repay whatever you feel like,” he added. He accused the Narendra Modi government of creating unequal systems for different sections of society. “The Modi government has created two systems in the country – one for a handful of billionaires, and another for everyone else,” Rahul added. Meanwhile, Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra on Thursday said reports about his personal insolvency proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had presented an inaccurate picture of the claims against him. He stressed that he was a personal guarantor and had not personally borrowed money from any lender. In a statement issued by his office, Chandra said the total claims filed in the insolvency proceedings should not be equated with the amount currently outstanding. According to Chandra, lenders had filed claims totalling around Rs 22,006 crore, of which Rs 21,696 crore had been admitted. However, he said the claims of lenders who had objected to his repayment plan amounted to Rs 3,992 crore. Of this, Rs 620 crore had already been settled, leaving Rs 3,372 crore, he said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
BJP cites ‘jhooth ki goonj’ site to hit out at Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI: BJP Thursday latched on to claims made by the website ‘jhooth ki goonj’, which has sought to expose Rahul Gandhi’s assertions in his ‘chhatron ki goonj’ events, to dub him a “flag-bearer of lies” and said truth will prevail over his propaganda. “Rahul’s every lie will be countered with facts. The ‘jhooth ki goonj’ website is exposing every lie of his. The louder propaganda echoes, the faster truth will emerge,” BJP spokesperson Anil Banluni said. Party neta Sudhanshu Trivedi said Rahul is full of frustration and envy vis-a-vis PM Modi, but every lie of his is being exposed. The website, whose creator’s identity is not clear, has said that Rahul has so far made 40 claims, mostly directed against govt, and all of them are either false or misleading. BJP members shared its link on their handles to promote the website amid Rahul’s efforts to connect with the youth to sharpen his pitch against govt. He is scheduled to continue with the programme across the country. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dissidents push for Hindu Pradesh Congress Committee chief to end Punjab crisis
NEW DELHI: Congress is again mulling the idea of appointing a Hindu state president in Punjab amid a push from dissidents for a compromise to end the turmoil in the state unit. Well-placed sources said the deadlock in the dissidence-ridden organisation has cast a cloud over the upcoming election campaign, and the party brass is cut up about the unsuccessful fire-fighting efforts of key managers. A group of dissidents that includes senior netas like Charanjit Channi and Sukhjinder Randhawa has been seeking the replacement of state chief Amarinder Raja Warring ever since the AICC announced a clutch of poll-related panels while sticking with Warring at the helm two months ago. Now, sources said, the dissidents themselves have proposed that a Hindu Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief be appointed. This group has also conveyed that they will be on board with such a replacement, even though each one of them has been fancying their chances till now, they added. With the state chief and the leader of opposition both belonging to the Jatt Sikh community, the idea of a Hindu PCC chief is meant to bring balance to the organisational set-up. This was the original idea before the AICC decided to retain Warring at the top. An insider said the party is looking at its options and may have to make some change in the leadership position — either the Punjab chief or AICC in-charge, or both. While it is too close to the elections for such an organisational overhaul, the sources said the crisis has to be defused. Sources also dismissed the notion that Rahul Gandhi will soon kickstart the state campaign in the form of a bus journey, arguing that the bus would bring all the squabbling netas together and, thereby, enforce peace. A party manager said Rahul will only start the bus journey after the organisational bickering is over. “The campaign will be about the state and state Congress. It needs an agenda so that the party can set a narrative for voters,” he said. “The state netas will have to come together and draw up a plan for winning the election together. Only then will Rahul get into it,” the party functionary said. Also, Rahul will be a part of the bus campaign for 2-3 days, and state netas will steer the rest of it for around 20 days. While Congress was hopeful of its chances in the AAP-governed state, persistent infighting in the local unit has raised concerns about its prospects. Inputs that forces like jailed MP Amritpal Singh’s “Waaris Punjab De” may be gaining ground have further alarmed some strategists. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights