Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi attend Arun Nehru’s cremation

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi attended Arun Nehru’s cremation at New delhi’s Lodhi road crematorium. Priyanka’s son lit the pyre.

Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi -- the energetic Congress leaders

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has been leading her party very effectively and under her guidance Congress-led UPA government at the centre implemented various welfare policies for the benefit of the poor in the country. Her daughter and Star Congress campaigner Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also another energetic leader who strike chords with the people very easily.

Sonia Gandhi in Karnataka slams BJP’s misrule; calls for change in the state

Chikmagalure: Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, while addressing a mammoth election rally at Chikmagalure in Karnataka as part of her campaign for the upcoming assembly polls in the state on Saturday, launched a blistering attack on the ruling BJP government for cheating the people and ignoring the development in the state.

Sonia Gandhi started her address by striking an emotional chord with the people of Chikmagalure recalling how they had extended their support to late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1978. “We cannot forget and we will not forget that the people of Chikmagalur, 35 years ago, lent a helping hand to my mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi, when she needed it the most.  And I am here today to offer to you the helping hand of the Congress party now, because it is now you need it most” said Sonia Gandhi and the audience greeted it with huge applauds.

Slamming the BJP, the Congress President stressed that the present government in Karnataka betrayed the people's mandate and claimed that the people are looking for a change. “People want change and this feeling was seen in the recent local elections.. The need for change is now and you know better, why we need a change? You live here and you are suffering because of the bad governance of the BJP” said Sonia Gandhi in her first campaign rally in Karnataka, which goes to assembly polls on May 5.

"The BJP has completely betrayed the mandate of the people of Karnataka", she argued and continued “Immoral behaviour of the persons in the positions of power has crossed all limits. The law and order has collapsed. The mining mafia has destroyed the environment and has ransacked huge mineral resources, which are your property. Secular values of Karnataka society, in this region in particular, have been gravely damaged by fanatical elements only for their narrow and selfish political ends”.

Sonia Gandhi added that there was a time when industries competed with one another to invest in Karnataka but the situation now is opposite. She alleged that the industries are leaving Karnataka because of corruption, government interference and poor infrastructure. Noting that Karnataka has had a glorious past and brighter future awaiting, she said this is possible only if there is political stability. 

Taking a dig at BJP for frequently changing the Chief Ministers in the recent past, she said “For a brighter future for Karnataka, one should realise that stability is essential. We cannot afford governments, which keep on changing Chief Ministers every now and then.. A stable Government is the need of the hour in Karnataka”. 

“We (Congress party) reject any communal ideology. We reject any ideology or institution that spreads hatred and disunity” underlined the UPA Chairperson.

“Come out in large numbers on 5^th of May. Vote for Congress; caste your votes for stability; caste your votes for a future of pride of all the people of Karnataka and Chikmagalur” said Sonia Gandhi while concluding her address.

Sonia Gandhi and 15 successful years as Congress President

On 14 March, when Sonia Gandhi completes 15 uninterrupted years - a unique distinction - as the Congress president, she has a lot of things in her credit, from strengthening her party to giving a visionary guidance to the Congress-led coalition government at the Centre.   She took over as Congress President in 1998 at a time a demoralised and fragmented Congress party was going through a turbulent phase and ruling just four states of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Mizoram and Nagaland. And after taking over Sonia Gandhi restored the party's central place in the country's polity in six years.

After three continuous in 1996, 1998 and 1999, Sonia Gandhi played a pivotal role in bringing the Congress party back to power in 2004 and since then the Congress has successfully led a coalition government at the Centre and is in power in 13 states.

It was because of her persistent intervention and guidance the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre framed some land mark polices like Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, the Right to Education and the Right to Information. Women empowerment has always been her focus and she was instrumental for many polices by the Centre in that direction. The mid-day meal scheme in government schools is yet another example for her pro-poor approach. Now the government is ready with Food Security Bill, another dream project of Sonia Gandhi.  She always argued for inclusive growth and insisted for special care to youth, women, minorities, tribals and other most backward classes. There is her mark in the latest Congress-led Centre government programme, the Direct cash transfer (DBT) in which the money meant for the poor will directly reach the beneficiaries bank accounts through Aadhar card.

It is a fact that the Congress was in disarray when Sonia Gandhi took over. But after that she has been able to establish unity and authority in the party and now Congress has regained its political domination across the country.

Sonia Gandhi has also been credited for taking the Congress to the left-of-the-centre position and for crafting good and effective coalitions. Her legacy is bringing Congress back to secular position with focus on welfare and distribution that helped the party to regain its dominance in the national polity in 2004.

It is a known fact that Sonia Gandhi, after the assassination of her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, had turned down repeated requests by Congress workers, leaders and followers to  join the party, till 1997. And finally, on March 14, 1998, she was elected as the Congress President. The biggest challenge for her then was to rejuvenate the party that had crumbled and split over the years and it is history now that she could accomplish the task effectively and efficiently.

Though Congress faced electoral debacle initially, the party under the energetic leadership of Sonia Gandhi could come back with a bang in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress emerged as the single largest party and along with Left, and other like-minded parties formed the UPA government. Unperturbed by the foreign origin issue raked by her opponents, Sonia Gandhi had succeeded in demolishing BJP led NDA's "India Shining" campaigns with the "aam aadmi" slogan of the Congress.

The important milestone in her political career is her refusing the PM post. She stunned the entire world by declining to take up the top post. "Power in itself has never attracted me, nor has position been my goal," she had then said. The renunciation of power -- a move many described as one of her biggest political masterstrokes-- solidified Sonia Gandhi's position. Under her leadership, the UPA retained power in 2009 general elections with the Congress winning 206 seats, the highest by any party since 1991.

For Sonia Gandhi, the biggest challenge now, is to ensure Congress' victory in the coming assembly and Lok Sabha elections, which comes at a time when the party has been at the receiving end of several controversies. But, Congress is hopeful that with her visionary leadership and under newly appointed young Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the party will retain the power in the next general elections also.

Sonia Gandhi inaugurates South Asian Autism Network (SAAN) conference

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi inaugurated a conference of the South Asia Autism Network in New Delhi on Monday. Representatives from India, Bangladesh, Thailand and WHO, SEARO will participate in the daylong conference.

“It is simply not acceptable that we perceive people with autism as people who don’t have any understanding. We need to change. We must make the world a comfortable place for those with autism. We need to learn to respect those who may perceive and experience the world differently from us. We need to empathize with them” said Sonia Gandhi. “We need to focus on not what is different about them, unfamiliar movement, unexpected expressions, unusual silences, uncommon imagination but on the vastness of what we have in the common as equal members of one humanity” she added.

The Congress President continued “Human society has expanded the frontiers of knowledge and seen the eradication of many debilitating diseases, yet in the case of autism, despite its widespread prevalence, an understanding for its causes remains elusive”.

“ Professor Saima Wajid Hussain has just given us some figures that tell us that autism specter disorder is on the increase. We probably have over 8 million individuals with autism spectrum condition” said SoniaGandhi and added “Our ministers have just spoken to us about many initiatives and the programmes which have been started here in India, including some changes in some policies. However, I feel that the fulmination of public policies in our countries is not kept pace and not enough attention has been given to disability sector.  In the absence of adequate institutional support mechanism, the differently abled remained deprived of their rights”.

During the conference, representatives from India and Bangladesh will present the official SAAN charter for adoption by all network member States. The charter notes the commitment to the following goals: To raise public and professional awareness of ASD; to provide resources for parents and professionals; to collect public health data to understand the burden of ASD; to conduct professional training in the areas of evidence based services to meet the life cycle needs of persons with ASD. It will also encourage in ASD, promote inter-country sharing of data resources and expertise and to explore funding mechanisms to achieve the above goals and objectives.

The WHO shows an escalation in the disease burden for autism from 10 percent to 14 percent over the period 1990 to 2011. It is expected to rise to 15 percent by 2020. After the adoption of Dhaka Declaration on 25 July 2011, the South Asian Autism Network (SAAN) was born to combat the devastating autism public health crises. The intention is to identify common challenges each country is facing and form a partnership to develop solutions in a collaborating and coordinated fashion.

The intensions include establishing a regional autism awareness campaign in South East Asia, creating joint programmes for information-sharing and professional training, and defining national and regional strategies to advance autism public health research and policy development.

Sonia Gandhi releases brochure for ‘Magic of hands’ painting competition

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi endorsed a national painting competition for schools having a unique theme – Magic of Hands—and with total prize money of Rs. 10 lakhs at her residence in New Delhi. While releasing the competition brochure Sonia Gandhi hoped that it would send out a good message to the students to create the awareness about the use of hands.

The painting competition, which has Rs. 5 Lakh for the school of the winner, Rs 20,000 for the winning student and Rs 10,000 each to 49 finalists, is being held in connection with the forthcoming 12th Triennial Congress of International Federation of Societies for Surgery of Hand (IFSSH) and the 9th Triennial Congress of the International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy (IFSHT), scheduled from March 4 – 8 in Delhi.

In a meeting with office-bearers of the Conference organizing committee, Dr. S. Raja Sabapathy and Dr. Rakesh Khazanchi, Sonia. Gandhi also conveyed her wishes for the event. She also enquired in detail about the competition and its terms & conditions.  “We are happy that the painting competition is getting support from different quarters. Mrs. Gandhi was so keen to learn about the competition with such a unique theme, to which nobody gives due attention,” said Dr. Sabapathy, Head, Dept of Plastic, Hand & Reconstructive Microsurgery, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. He is the Chairman of the IFSSH-IFSHT 2013 Congress Committee.

Top 50 paintings will be selected by a panel of eminent judges. This will be communicated to the winners by 15th of February. The shortlisted students will then need to attend an authentication camp where they have to reproduce their paintings. These 50 paintings will be published in a book, entitled ‘Magic of Hands’, along with the title and names of the artists and their schools.

Sonia Gandhi: If we work as a unit and in the right direction we will get public mandate again

Congress President Sonia Gandhi while speaking on the last day of the Congress chintan shivir in Jaipur on Sunday said that there was no reason the party should not get public mandate again if it works in the right direction.

"There is only 15 months left for the elections. I am confident, if we work in the right way and are united, there is no reason we should not get public mandate again," Sonia Gandhi said addressing the last day of Congress' 'Chintan Shivir' or introspective meet at the Rajasthan capital.

The Congress President also said that discipline and unity was needed, and also added that party members should publicise the good work done by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government. "Several states are also going to polls. I think our biggest challenge is to be disciplined and united and present ourselves to people. The victory of the party is the victory of all of us," Sonia Gandhi said.

"We must tell the people of our country about our achievements. The government gives information from its side, but the party organisation should also publicise it," added Sonia Gandhi.

The 'Chintan Shivir' which began on Jan 18 focussed on chalking out a strategy for the 2014 general elections.

Sonia Gandhi wants to ensure adequate women empowerment

'Desh ki mahilaon ka samman, baad mein Bharat Nirman' is the slogan the Congress party plans to raise in the Jaipur summit demanding 50 per cent job quota for women. At the behest of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, some senior party leaders are expected to ask the government to explore the possibility of providing 50 per cent reservation for women in government and private jobs, apart from making another effort to push through the contentious women's quota Bill.

Coming a month after the brutal gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old girl in the national Capital that shocked the conscience of the nation, the Congress 's upcoming chintan shibir (brainstorming session) in Jaipur is set to give top billing to "women empowerment". The party brass believes that concrete, long-term "economic and legislative" steps, instead of knee-jerk reactions or piece-meal measures, will go a long way in real empowerment of women.

The mood in the Congress is summed up by the fact that party managers have coined a new slogan: "Desh ki mahilaon ka samman, baad mein Bharat Nirman"(the honour of the country's women first, then Bharat Nirman).

A resolution is likely to be moved suggesting that the government adopt this slogan. "Bharat Nirman may be a flagship programmer  but we want to emphasis our sensitivity to women and the problems being faced by them," a senior leader said. Sources said Sonia Gandhi's speech is expected to forcefully stress the need for major steps for women's empowerment.

The meet is also expected to direct all Congress chief ministers to give top priority to issues concerning women and fast-track measures for their uplift. It is for the first time the party has set up a committee to study gender issues and suggest solutions for a brainstorming session.

The party will also have a detailed discussion on the political challenges and alliances. Congress party wants the existing UPA set-up at the Centre to continue while remaining flexible in other states, except West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

The party's aam admi-focussed schemes such as Direct Benefits Transfer, Food Security Bill, Land Acquisition and Dalit rights will also be discussed in detail.

Besides, Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi will also address the shivir beginning Friday.

Sonia Gandhi has a great concern for the farmers

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi always stressed that development means welfare of the poor. If the poor and underprivileged sections of the society are not getting the benefits and they are not able to be a part of the path of progress, we cannot claim development, she always said.

In her recent campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, Sonia Gandhi had slammed the BJP government for its false claims of development. She said that the tribals in the state are in distress and pain.  “The welfare and development of Adivasis are our prime concern but the present BJP government has not been serious in this matter. They have almost killed the Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojana”. “You must be remembering that the UPA Government at the Centre had waived off loan worth crores  of the poor farmers but still the condition of the farmers in Gujarat remains pathetic because of the anti-people policies of the BJP government in the state”, she added. 

“Farmers have committed suicide. There is no water or electricity available,” she added. The Saurashtra region, which has 52 Assembly seats, saw a spate of suicides by farmers following poor monsoon this year. The Congress had announced Rs 1 lakh compensation to kin of each of the deceased farmers.

Hitting out at BJP’s manifesto that promised 50 lakh houses in the next 50 years, Sonia Gandhi argued “Now, at the time of elections, they remember houses. They are promising 50 lakh houses. How many units will they construct per day? What kind of dream are they selling?” Dismissing Modi’s claims of Gujarat being a power-surplus state, she said, “Even today, 57 areas are dark zones and 4.5 lakh farmers are waiting for electricity connections even as the state is selling power to other states.”

Sonia Gandhi reiterates the need to address the issue of corruption more seriously

Taking serious note of middle class protesters taking to the streets over corruption, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said the lifestyles of leaders is giving rise to questions about the source of their wealth.

Speaking at Congress's chintan shivir in Jaipur, SoniaGandhi said, "Celebrating weddings, festivals and happy events is one thing, what of lavish and ostentatious displays of wealth, pomp and status? Does this not beg the question, where is this wealth coming from?"

Her direct remarks caused a hush to descend on the meeting. "Our citizens are rightly fed up with the levels of corruption that they see in public life at high levels, but equally with the corruption they have to deal with in their daily lives,'' said Sonia Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi also urged the party not to lose touch with the middle classes that backed the Congress in the 2004 and 2009 general elections. The party cannot afford "our growing educated and middle classes to be disillusioned and alienated with the political process".

The candid references to the middle class drift away from Congress, the need to keep alliances intact, a commitment to make women feel safer, and erosion of party's base in traditional strongholds were key aspects of her speech as she set out the political tasks for her party.

Sonia Gandhi wishes that no poor should suffer

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has always been saying that a country cannot develop if everyone in our society, including the poor, downtrodden, tribals and underprivileged are not taking part in the process of development. In all her campaigns and public addresses Sonia Gandhi did underline this important aspect of development. Following her footsteps her son and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and her daughter Priyanka Gandhi also highlighted this point on several occasions. Rahul Gandhi also argues that till the development reaches the grass root, overall progress cannot be attained.

In her recent addresses in Gujarat the Congress President expressed her concern over the bad state of affairs of the people in the state. “For inclusive growth of urban pockets, we have implemented JNNURM. You will be amazed to know that 16 per cent of total grant has been spent only on one constituency” said Sonia Gandhi.  She called it an injustice as it was against the principle of inclusive development.

That is why Sonia Gandhi dismissed the Modi government’s development claims and said they were hollow and false.  “This is a land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel who used to preach what they practiced. Now there are people who give big advice but not follow them” she had said.

Sonia Gandhi always raised the issue of suicides by farmers, unavailability of Narmada water, pending electricity connections, un affordable housing, health and education, all related to common man.  Out of her extreme concern over the state of affairs of the poor she had said, “Now they talk of filling all dams in Saurashtra with Narmada water. What did they do in the past 10 years. Manmohan Singh-led government has done everything to make sure project got implemented, but the present state government failed to bring Narmada waters to Saurashtra, which is shameful”. Sonia Gandhi was deeply saddened over the farmer’s suicides. “Farmers have committed suicide. There is no water or electricity available” she had said. The Saurashtra region, which has 52 Assembly seats, saw a spate of suicides by farmers following poor monsoon this year. The Congress had announced Rs 1 lakh compensation to kin of each of the deceased farmers.

Similarly, earlier, Rahul Gandhi also had visited the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and had personally realized the hardships of the people over there. After his successful intervention, the Congress-led Centre had sanctioned a financial package for the relief of the people over there.

Truly, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi set a new example of true leaders. They always went to the people, directly interacted with them, understood their grievances and tried their level best to solve those. Yes, at a time when leaders are indulged in only promising, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi prove just opposite. They do not believe in mere promising but showed the country that they deliver. The MNREGA, Direct cash subsidy, RTE, RTI and the proposed Food Security Bill and Land Acquisition Bills are examples for their commitment and concern for the poor.

Sonia Gandhi leaves for US for check-up

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has again gone to the United States for a medical checkup, six months after undergoing surgery, informed the Congress spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi on Tuesday.

“The checking is just a routine follow-up after her treatment in the US last August. She will be back in Delhi in four or five days,” he added.

Sonia Gandhi had actively campaigned for the ongoing assembly elections in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. She also had visited Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa part of her campaign for Congress. Her son and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi has been spearheading the Congress campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

Sonia Gandhi had undergone a surgery in the US in August last year.

This article is posted by pressbrief.in