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Tag: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

  • Why is PM not sad over Assam floods or anti-CAA movement, asks Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

    By PTI
    JORHAT: Launching a frontal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday alleged he is sad about a tweet by a “22-year-old woman” but not for the flood-ravaged people of Assam.

    A day after Modi raised the toolkit issue and alleged Congress conspiracy in it at a poll rally in Chabua in Assam, the daughter of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, lamented that Modi was silent about people’s suffering in perennial flood and “attack on culture” by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

    Last year’s flooding of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries during the pandemic affected some 2.8 million people in Assam.

    “I was listening to the Prime Minister’s speech yesterday. He very seriously said that he was very sad about a development. I thought he would speak about Assam’s development or how BJP worked in Assam.”

    “But I was shocked to hear that the PM was talking about a tweet by a 22-year-old woman. He said the Congress conspired to finish the tea industry of Assam. He was also sad about the Congress mistakenly putting two wrong pictures on social media,” Vadra said.

    During his speech on Saturday, the prime minister apparently referred to Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg’s controversial toolkit, which she tweeted and then deleted, outlining ways in which people can participate in the farmers protest.

    One of the points reportedly mentioned there was to “disrupt yoga and chai image of India in general”.

    The Congress general secretary questioned Modi why he was not sad for the people affected by the flood and the anti-CAA movement, in which five youths were killed.

    “Why didn’t you come to Assam when people were drowning? Why were you not sad when all the big promises by BJP were not fulfilled? Did you go to tea gardens and talk to workers about their problems?” she asked of Modi.

    Vadra on March 2 visited a tea garden in Biswanath of Assam to interact with the workers and also tried her hands in plucking tea leaves, which was termed as “theatrics and drama” by the BJP leadership.

    Talking about her visit to a tea garden during her last trip to Assam, Gandhi said she came to know about their lifestyle and realised that “the tea garden sisters are the protectors of culture and identity”.

    On the prime minister’s frequently uttered statement of “double-engined” government in Assam, Vadra made fun of it saying the state currently has “two chief ministers”, in an apparent reference to rumours of powerful minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal acting as rival power centres.

    “The PM said you have a double-engine government but Assam has two CMs. I don’t know which fuel runs which engine. The Assam government is not run in Assam. Even the Asom Gana Parishad (an ally of the ruling BJP) is now Delhi Gana Parishad as it can’t work without Delhi’s permission. God save you! “The Assam government is currently run by remote control. If you elect them again, you will be hurt. So, elect a Congress government and have your own chief minister,” she added.

    The Congress leader also alleged that all segments of the society, including youths, farmers and tea garden workers, have been cheated by the BJP government as it did not fulfil any of its promises made five years ago.

    “Today, I think I will not speak about big issues, but the small problems of my sisters. You carry the biggest responsibility of the society. You run the home, bring up the children and also earn for the household.

    “It is your life’s problems and realities. I don’t know them. My leaders don’t know them. You are my sister. So, please take a decision carefully for your future,” she appealed to the crowd, consisting mostly of women.

    Vadra pointed out the BJP’s promises of 2016 such as 25 lakh jobs, protection of culture, implementation of Assam Accord and minimum wages to tea gardens, and alleged that none of these have been fulfilled.

    Continuing her tirade against Modi, she said, “The PM also said Congress insulted Assamese culture and people won’t forgive us.

    Now, is it not an insult to former CM Tarun Gogoi, who is no more today? Gogoi lived for Assam and worked for people till his last breath.

    ” She also slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for allegedly insulting 15th-16th century Vaishnavite scholar Srimanta Sankardeva by stating that he fought against infiltrators.

    Vadra alleged the BJP’s sole aim is to “hand over” prime properties of Assam to Modi’s 2-3 close businessmen friends.

    “The BJP wanted to hand over farmers’ land in Nagaon to a corporate body. When protests took place, a pregnant woman was attacked and farmers were jailed. They also brought an ordinance to sell land to anyone from outside without any permission,” she said.

    Assam has huge unemployment problem, while several big scams have surfaced in the last five years, she alleged.

    “How can you trust the BJP? You have seen what you have got in five years. Tarun Gogoi might have committed some mistakes, but he never cheated you. He did not bring the CAA and attacked your culture and identity,” she added.

  • Will tea garden workers look at Rs 5,000 in bank accounts or 5 leaves plucked by Priyanka Gandhi: BJP Assam chief Ranjeet Dass

    Gandhi had visited the tea gardens in Assam and got photographed while plucking tea leaves with a basket on her head.

  • Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hits out at Yogi govt over crime in Uttar Pradesh

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday lashed out at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government over crime in the state.

    “The father of a girl who did not withdraw her case against molestation in Hathras was murdered. The body of a girl, who had been missing for several days in Bulandshahr, was found buried in a house. Every day some family is screaming for justice on the ground, contrary to the false propaganda of the UP BJP government regarding crime,” read Priyanka’s tweet roughly translated from Hindi.

    Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday arrested a man from Himachal Pradesh in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl in Bulandshahr.

    “On February 28, a man had filed a missing complaint of his 13-year-old daughter. He alleged that a man named Harendra had kidnapped her. On Tuesday, the victim’s body was recovered from the accused’s house in Bulandshahr and around 7:30 today, we arrested him from Himachal Pradesh,” said Santosh Kumar Singh, SSP, Bulandshahr.

    The police said the accused attempted to rape the girl when she went to her house to drink water in Bulandshahr.

    Amrish Sharma, a resident of Hathras, was shot dead by another man against whom he had filed a case in July 2018 for allegedly molesting his daughter, at a village in Sasni police station area on Monday, Uttar Pradesh police said.  

  • Assam polls: Law to nullify CAA among Congress’ ‘five poll guarantees’

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: Launching the “five-guarantee campaign” in poll-bound Assam on Tuesday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the party would bring in a law to nullify the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

    The other guarantees are five lakh government jobs, raising the daily wage of tea workers to Rs 365, free electricity up to 200 units per household, and Rs 2,000 monthly income support to all housewives. Priyanka said these are not promises but guarantees.

    “This is an election of trust. The people of Assam have been cheated by a party that promised them 25 lakh jobs but gave CAA instead. The Congress is not making empty promises but undertaking five guarantees,” she said at a rally in Tezpur.

    The Congress leader took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second straight day.

    “The PM said Assam tea is being attacked but they themselves are attacking Assam’s identity for the past five years. BJP-RSS leaders have kept making the attack but the PM is silent,” Priyanka said.

    ALSO READ | Priyanka Gandhi tries hand at plucking tea leaves in Assam during campaign

    She said the BJP often talks about the CAA elsewhere in the country but does not have the courage to do so in Assam.

    “Assam has become like an ATM for BJP where they get money any time. Seventy per cent tax on petrol and diesel goes to the coffers of Government of India. Money doesn’t reach you,” she told the crowd.

    Earlier in the day, Priyanka joined a group of tea workers and plucked tea leaves at the Sadhuru Tea Estate in Biswanath district. The basket on her back, where plucked tea leaves are kept, was balanced by a band on her head.

    Explaining the rationale of five guarantees, state Congress chief Ripun Bora said the party had identified the top issues facing people through the “Asom Basaon Ahok” (Save Assam) yatra and was now presenting its solutions to the public.

    Congress general secretary in-charge of the state, Jitendra Singh said the party’s symbol of hand has five fingers and each stood for a guarantee.

  • Priyanka Gandhi wows with ‘Jhumur’ moves, attacks Modi over ‘Assam tea under attack’ comment

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: Ahead of the Assam assembly polls, both the BJP and Congress are trying hard to woo the tea workers in the state. The BJP had scored some brownie points initially when it brought the top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to the tea gardens. Taking a cue from the saffron party, the Congress, too, is sending its star campaigners to the state. 

    On Monday Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra danced with a group of girls from the tea workers’ community in Lakhimpur and surprised the voters with her  moves.Later, speaking at a programme, she targeted PM Modi for his recent statement that Assam tea was under attack. “PM Modi had spoken about an attack on the Assam tea. If you wanted to protect Assam tea, why did you not generate employment? Why was there a meager hike in the daily wage of tea workers?” she asked.

    The state government had recently hiked the wages by Rs 50 — from Rs 167 to Rs 217. Ahead of last election, the BJP had promised a daily wage of Rs 351 to the community. Recently, the Congress promised that it would give a daily wage of Rs 365 if voted to power.Assam has 126 Assembly seats and in around one-third of them, tea workers determine the fate of candidates.

    Continuing her attack on the BJP, Priyanka said, “Assam is your mother. The upcoming polls are a matter of the existence of your mother. When you cast your vote, think twice if the party can ensure a brighter future of your children.” She also said that the BJP-RSS ideologies have no place in Assam’s culture. 

  • BJP mum on implementing CAA in Assam, says Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

    By PTI
    LAKHIMPUR: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday claimed that BJP leaders talk about implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in various parts of the country, but lack the courage to mention it in Assam.

    Assam witnessed violent protests against the CAA in 2019 and five persons lost their lives.

    The grand alliance of the Congress and six other parties will form the government in Assam after the election as people are fed up with the false promises made by the BJP, she said.

    “The BJP makes tall promises before elections but during the next five years, they do nothing to fulfil them and people have realised it,” the Congress leader told reporters after addressing a meeting of party workers here.

    BJP leaders move around the country talking about implementing the CAA but are silent about it when they come to Assam, Gandhi said.

    “They lack the courage to mention it in the state and people of Assam should never allow them to even talk about it, let alone implement it,” she said.

    The objective of the CAA is to grant Indian citizenship to people of minority communities Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who had come to India till December 31, 2014 due to religious persecution in these countries.

  • ‘Can’t tell difference between wheat and barley’: BJP’s Arun Singh hits out at Priyanka Gandhi over support to farmers’ stir

    By PTI
    MATHURA: Taking a dig at Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over her party’s support to the farmers protesting against the Centre, BJP MP Arun Singh on Tuesday claimed she has had no exposure to agriculture and cannot even tell the difference between wheat and barley plants.

    The Congress and other opposition parties are misguiding and fooling the farmers, but during elections, people will fool them and vote for the BJP, Singh told reporters at the Vrindavan Kumbh.

    “Priyanka Gandhi will not be able to tell the difference between a wheat plant and a barley plant,” the BJP national general secretary said.

    He alleged the opposition parties, including the Congress and the Left, are supporting the farmers’ agitation for their own political interests.

    Singh added that the BJP government was trying to increase the income of the farmers by providing adequate facility of water for irrigation, good seeds, genuine and sufficient fertilisers, and MSP among other things.

    To a question about the pollution in the Yamuna river, the BJP leader blamed the attitude of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi for it.

  • Priyanka’s farmer visits to Uttar Pradesh worry BJP

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s frequent visits to the state aimed at reviving her party for 2022 assembly polls has prompted the BJP to strategise to blunt her attack. Till mid-February, the Congress leader has visited the state four times. She was in Rampur on February 4 to meet the family of farmer Navdeep Singh, who died during the Republic Day protests.

    She went to Saharanpur on February 10 to address a ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ despite the district administration’s refusal to allow such a gathering. On February 11, she was in Prayagraj, where she displayed her ‘soft Hindutva’ approach by taking a holy dip at the Sangam.

    On Monday, the Congress general secretary was in the western UP district of Bijnor, where she addressed another ‘kisan panchayat’ repeating her charge that the Centre and PM Narendra Modi were helping “his billionaire friends” at the cost of farmers.

    BJP insiders say the party is planning a series of pro-farmer meetings. The ‘action plan’ envisages small, rural gatherings. Besides, the leadership is also contemplating giving some positions of prominence in the party to some Jat leaders. The buzz is that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath may reshuffle his cabinet and induct party leaders for western UP, which has emerged an epicentre of farmer protests. Groups of farmers backing the new farm laws, too, are active and moves are afoot to rope them in.

    State BJP leaders have already started attending farmers’ meetings. Assembly feedback is being gathered through grassroots cadre. Special focus is on those assembly constituencies which the party had won in the 2017 elections. The party’s rural exercise is being spearheaded by BJP state chief Swatantra Dev Singh. It will also help the BJP in upcoming panchayat polls likely in April-May.

    The western UP leadership of BJP seems to be cagey about the ‘kisan mahapanchayats’ organised by Rashtriya Lok Dal, Congress and Samajwadi Party. “The farmers’ protest might have benefited the RLD and SP to an extent, but 2022 elections are a year away. We are confident of regaining the ground,” said a senior BJP functionary.

    Observers believe more than BJP, parties like SP and BSP would be more cautious of the Congress presence as the party has a common vote bank. If Congress succeed sin gaining ground, it would be at the cost of regional satraps, they said. 

  • BJP chalking out strategy to counter Priyanka’s farmer outreach in UP  

    By Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Congress leader and party’s UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s frequent visits to the state with an intent to revive her party’s fortunes in 2022 has unnerved the ranks and files of the BJP. The saffron party is now busy drawing a strategy to counter the Priyanka factor.

    So far, in the month of February, the Congress leader has visited the state four times. She had come to Rampur on February 4 to meet the family of the farmer Navdeep Singh who had died during Delhi protests on Republic Day. Then Priyanka went to Saharanpur on February 10 to address a Kisan Mahapanchayat despite district administration’s refusal for such a gathering. On February 11, the Congress leader was in Prayagraj where her “soft Hindutva” approach came into play when she took a holy dip at Sangam.

    On Monday (February 15), the Congress general secretary was again in Bijnor, the western UP district, where she addressed another Kisan Panchayat repeating the same rhetoric by accusing the Centre and PM Modi of helping “his billionaires friends” at the cost of farmers.

    However, keeping a close watch on the activities of the Congress leader, the saffron brigade has gone back to the drawing board to chalk out a strategy to counter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s farmer outreach.

    If the party insiders are to be believed, the BJP has the plan to give a fresh push to its farmers’ outreach by holding series of pro-farmer meetings. However, this exercises have been continuing at the party front for quite some time. The action plan envisages small, rural gatherings and its leaders have started visiting villages.

    ALSO READ | Govt insulted farmers, ministers called them traitors: Priyanka Gandhi at kisan panchayat

    Besides, the leadership is also contemplating giving some positions of prominence in the party to some Jat leaders. Moreover, as the buzz has it, CM Yogi Adityanath is likely to affect a cabinet reshuffle in near future. Some new inductions may take place especially for the western UP which is playing anepicentre to UP farmers’ protests. Groups of farmers backing the new farm laws, too, are active and moves are afoot to rope them in the BJP outreach plan.

    As per the Congress sources, Priyanka Vadra is likely to increase the frequency of her UP visits. Meanwhile, she has also activated the senior leaders. In Farrukhabad, veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Salman Khurshid also attended a farmers’ panchayat.

    “She has the plan to visit each and every assembly constituency till 2022 assembly polls,” said a Congress leader, who felt that she was new emerging hope on the horizon of UP’s political landscape.

    BJP’s state leadership has activated its cadre and the leaders have already started attending farmers’ meets. The feedback from the meetings is being gathered through the grass root cadre. Special focus is being kept on those 84 assembly constituencies which the party had last in the last 2017 elections.

    Party’s rural connect exercise is being spearheaded by BJP state chief Swatantra Dev Singh. It will also help the party in upcoming Panchayat polls likely in April-May.

    The western UP leadership of the party seems to be cagey about the kisan mahapanchayats being organised by the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Congress, and other parties like Samajwadi Party taking part in them.

    “This farmers’ protest might have benefitted the RLD and SP to some extent, but 2022 election are around a year away. We are confident of regaining the lost ground if any,” said a senior BJP functionary on the condition of anonymity.

    However, the political experts feel that it would take much more for the Congress to revive itself from decimation. They feel that more than the BJP, parties like SP and BSP would be more cautious of the Congress presence as the party has a common vote bank and if Congress succeeds in gaining some ground, it would not be possible without denting the prospects of regional satraps.

  • ‘Congress will scrap new farm laws if voted to power’: Priyanka Gandhi at mahapanchayat

    By ANI
    SAHARANPUR: Congress will scrap new farm laws if voted to power, said General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at a kisan mahapanchayat in Saharanpur on Wednesday.

    Earlier, she offered prayers at Shakumbhari Devi Temple situated at a distance of 40 km to the north of Saharanpur.

    “I will be in Saharanpur to listen, understand, and share my feelings with the farmers as well as support their struggle. The BJP government will have to withdraw the black agriculture laws,” she had tweeted on Wednesday morning.

    District Magistrate Saharanpur had issued an order imposing section 144 in the area till April 5 ahead of her visit.

    कांग्रेस महासचिव श्रीमती @priyankagandhi जी शक्तिपीठ शाकुंभरी देवी मंदिर में ध्यान की मुद्रा में।#JaiJawan_JaiKisan pic.twitter.com/x6DIF5UbZG
    — Congress (@INCIndia) February 10, 2021

    The Congress leader is also expected to also conduct a dialogue with farmers in Bijnor and Muzaffarnagar districts on February 13. Congress had earlier extended its full support to the call for ‘chakka jam’ from farmers for three hours last week. The grand old party and the other opposition parties have raised their concern against the new farm laws.

    Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.