News Analysis India

Tag: rajyavardhan rathore

  • Gehlot fires back at Rathore over comments on Kharge, says BJP leaders should read history

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday hit back at BJP MP Rajyavardhan Rathore over his comments on new Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and said leaders of the saffron party should read history before speaking.

    Rathore had on Wednesday called newly elected Congress president Kharge a “rubber stamp” and alleged that the party’s internal polls to elect a new chief were a “fraud”.

    In his response, Gehlot told reporters, “These people have no shame. New boys have come. They do not understand that they should read history and then learn to speak so that their image is not spoiled. They have no knowledge. What is a rubber stamp? Sonia Gandhi herself went to his (Mallikarjun Kharje) place yesterday (on Wednesday).”

    READ HERE | Tough road ahead for Mallikarjun Kharge as challenges galore for Congress

    Kharge won the polls for the post of Congress president, the results of which were announced on Wednesday. He was pitted against Shashi Tharoor.

    Gehlot, long known as a loyalist to the first family of the country’s oldest party, added that if there was any leader in India who commanded respect, it was Sonia Gandhi.

    “She refused to become PM, got the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government formed at the Centre twice and also got many state governments formed,” he said.

    The chief minister also lashed out at BJP leaders questioning what happened in the 70 years after Independence and said everything that has happened has taken place in the 70 years.

    “Not even a needle used to be manufactured when the country got Independence. These people are misleading the public and youths. They are destroying the young generation in the name of religion and caste,” he said.

    Gehlot added that the BJP should not indulge in ‘panchayati’ (politics) about the Congress and instead take care of its own house.

    The veteran Congress leader also attacked the BJP over some of its leaders allegedly acting as informers of the British, while adding that the history of the Congress’ sacrifice dated back to the pre-Independence era.

    Gehlot was referring to some leaders of the RSS, the BJP’s ideological mentor, who allegedly did not participate in the freedom movement and acted as informers of the British.

    The chief minister also targeted Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur over his comment on the old pension scheme and said he had once advised the BJP leader to examine the scheme and introduce it in his state in the interest of government employees.

    The Rajasthan chief minister said his government had taken many initiatives and launched several schemes that should be the Centre should study so that they could be implemented at the national level.

    He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been the chief minister of Gujarat and kept reminding people about the Gujarat model.

    Gehlot advised Modi to study the Rajasthan model and compare it with the Gujarat model.

    “The Centre should implement schemes and programmes launched by the Rajasthan government at the national level. If they have anything good to offer from the Gujarat model, they should tell us, we will implement those too,” he said.

    When asked about the BJP’s allegation that the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympic Games was organised to take political advantage, Gehlot said there was nothing wrong if the government took political advantage of its good works.

    “Are we saints? What is wrong if good works and good governance give us an advantage? We are aiming to repeat the government in the next elections,” he added.

    Earlier, speaking at the closing ceremony of the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympic Games at Sawai Mansingh Stadium here, Gehlot said criticism should be taken in good spirit as it made democracy stronger.

    The chief minister later visited Indira Rasoi at Jal Mahal and talked to the people eating there.

    Food is served at Rs 8 under the state government’s Indira Rasoi scheme.

    Gehlot said he had appealed to public representatives to have food at Indira Rasoi at least once a month so that the quality of food was maintained.

    He also spoke to reporters after visiting the Rasoi and said that the Centre should tell BJP-ruled states to restore peace and harmony.

    Gehlot said there was tension, religious and caste difference in the country.

    He added that this should stop and peace and harmony be restored.

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday hit back at BJP MP Rajyavardhan Rathore over his comments on new Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and said leaders of the saffron party should read history before speaking.

    Rathore had on Wednesday called newly elected Congress president Kharge a “rubber stamp” and alleged that the party’s internal polls to elect a new chief were a “fraud”.

    In his response, Gehlot told reporters, “These people have no shame. New boys have come. They do not understand that they should read history and then learn to speak so that their image is not spoiled. They have no knowledge. What is a rubber stamp? Sonia Gandhi herself went to his (Mallikarjun Kharje) place yesterday (on Wednesday).”

    READ HERE | Tough road ahead for Mallikarjun Kharge as challenges galore for Congress

    Kharge won the polls for the post of Congress president, the results of which were announced on Wednesday. He was pitted against Shashi Tharoor.

    Gehlot, long known as a loyalist to the first family of the country’s oldest party, added that if there was any leader in India who commanded respect, it was Sonia Gandhi.

    “She refused to become PM, got the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government formed at the Centre twice and also got many state governments formed,” he said.

    The chief minister also lashed out at BJP leaders questioning what happened in the 70 years after Independence and said everything that has happened has taken place in the 70 years.

    “Not even a needle used to be manufactured when the country got Independence. These people are misleading the public and youths. They are destroying the young generation in the name of religion and caste,” he said.

    Gehlot added that the BJP should not indulge in ‘panchayati’ (politics) about the Congress and instead take care of its own house.

    The veteran Congress leader also attacked the BJP over some of its leaders allegedly acting as informers of the British, while adding that the history of the Congress’ sacrifice dated back to the pre-Independence era.

    Gehlot was referring to some leaders of the RSS, the BJP’s ideological mentor, who allegedly did not participate in the freedom movement and acted as informers of the British.

    The chief minister also targeted Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur over his comment on the old pension scheme and said he had once advised the BJP leader to examine the scheme and introduce it in his state in the interest of government employees.

    The Rajasthan chief minister said his government had taken many initiatives and launched several schemes that should be the Centre should study so that they could be implemented at the national level.

    He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been the chief minister of Gujarat and kept reminding people about the Gujarat model.

    Gehlot advised Modi to study the Rajasthan model and compare it with the Gujarat model.

    “The Centre should implement schemes and programmes launched by the Rajasthan government at the national level. If they have anything good to offer from the Gujarat model, they should tell us, we will implement those too,” he said.

    When asked about the BJP’s allegation that the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympic Games was organised to take political advantage, Gehlot said there was nothing wrong if the government took political advantage of its good works.

    “Are we saints? What is wrong if good works and good governance give us an advantage? We are aiming to repeat the government in the next elections,” he added.

    Earlier, speaking at the closing ceremony of the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympic Games at Sawai Mansingh Stadium here, Gehlot said criticism should be taken in good spirit as it made democracy stronger.

    The chief minister later visited Indira Rasoi at Jal Mahal and talked to the people eating there.

    Food is served at Rs 8 under the state government’s Indira Rasoi scheme.

    Gehlot said he had appealed to public representatives to have food at Indira Rasoi at least once a month so that the quality of food was maintained.

    He also spoke to reporters after visiting the Rasoi and said that the Centre should tell BJP-ruled states to restore peace and harmony.

    Gehlot said there was tension, religious and caste difference in the country.

    He added that this should stop and peace and harmony be restored.

  • Congress warns of legal action against BJP for sharing ‘misleading’ Rahul video, demands apology

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Accusing BJP leaders, including former Union minister Rajyavardhan Rathore, of sharing “deliberately fabricated and distorted reportage” on Rahul Gandhi’s comments in Kerala, the Congress on Saturday threatened to take legal action against them if the saffron party fails to apologise.

    Rahul Gandhi also lashed out at the BJP and the RSS, alleging that “propaganda and lies” are their foundation.

    The opposition party attacked Rathore and called him “shameless” after Twitter labelled a post by him on a video of Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in Kerala as “media presented out of context”.

    In a letter to BJP chief J P Nadda, Congress general secretary in-charge communication Jairam Ramesh said he was appalled to note that several BJP leaders have been deliberately and enthusiastically sharing “mischievous” reportage that occurred on a news channel on Friday.

    “The original video was Shri. Rahul Gandhi’s comment on the SFI violence on his Wayanad office but it was deliberately and mischievously doctored to appear as if it was a comment on the heinous murder of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur,” Ramesh said.

    It was immediately brought to the attention of all concerned that the reportage was false and deliberately misleading, he said.

    “What is of even greater concern, is that several of your party colleagues, including Rajyavardhan Rathore, MP, Subrat Pathak MP, Kamlesh Saini, MLA and others, have enthusiastically and without verification published and shared the deliberately fabricated and distorted reportage,” Ramesh said in his letter.

    “Despite being cautioned by my party colleagues that the clip was maliciously false and misleading, Rathore persisted with amplifying the same, first deleting and then re-uploading the same,” he said.

    This leaves no doubt that Rathore’s actions were deliberate and part of your party’s strategy to defame the former Congress president, the party and to further polarise an already sensitive, communal situation, Ramesh alleged.

    ”The fact that some of your colleagues may have deleted the false reportage later after uploading and sharing is no excuse whatsoever because the damage has already been inflicted,” he said.

    “We have already initiated appropriate legal action against the original broadcaster. We expect that you and your party colleagues will cease and desist from spreading such falsehoods,” Ramesh said in his communication to Nadda.

    “Furthermore, I expect that you will immediately issue an appropriate apology on behalf of your colleagues who have acted with such reckless disregard towards the truth.”

    “If this apology is not issued today, we will take appropriate legal action against your party and its leaders who insist and persist in using social media in such a blatantly irresponsible and criminal manner,” Ramesh warned.

    There was no immediate reaction from the BJP.

    In an apparent reference to the issue, Rahul Gandhi in a tweet in Hindi said, “Whole India knows the history of BJP-RSS, which warms its hands by pushing the country in the fire of hatred.

    “No matter how much these traitors try to break the country, the Congress will continue to do more work to unite India,” he said.

    The communication department head, Pawan Khera, said that those BJP leaders who have put out “fake video” of Rahul Gandhi should be ready to tour the country as they will have to make rounds of the courts of many cities.

    “Doctored Shameless Rathore has this honour of being labelled by @twitter as a man who posts fake content,” Khera tweeted, sharing a screenshot of Twitter’s flagging of Rathore’s post.

    Congress’ social media in-charge Supriya Srinate also slammed the BJP for sharing the video to mislead people and called Rathore a “fake news peddler”.

  • Pegasus snooping row: Rahul demands Shah’s resignation, BJP calls it a plot

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over the Pegasus spyware controversy, saying they have used it against India, its institutions and it’s no less than treason. BJP said he must submit his phone for investigation on the matter.

    Demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe and resignation of Shah, Rahul said Pegasus is classified by the Israeli state as a weapon and that weapon is supposed to be used against terrorists.

    “The prime minister and the home minister have used this weapon against the Indian state and our institutions. They have used it politically, they have used it in Karnataka and the only word for this is treason,” he told reporters.

    He claimed his phone has also been tapped and intelligence officials informed him and his friends about it.

    “I get calls from IB people who tap my phone. They call me up and say please be aware we are tapping your phone. My security people tell me that they have to debrief what I say. They have to report to their seniors everything I say. I am under no pretention that my phone is not tapped.”

    BJP’s spokesperson Rajyavardhan Rathore said no phone has been tapped illegally by the Modi government and that Congress is determined to stall Parliament for one reason or another. He said Rahul must submit his phone for investigation.

    He also took a swipe at Gandhi, saying even a “junior copy writer” will not be interested in copying his phone’s content as the Congress leader has nothing “original” to offer.

    Amid a row over the suspected Pegasus snooping, Gandhi had said earlier in the day that all his phones were tapped.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah allegedly used the Pegasus spyware against India and its institutions, and “the only word for this is treason”, Gandhi alleged.

    Rathore said Gandhi’s comments were “irresponsible” while adding that everybody has the right to say what they want in a democracy.

    Gandhi should submit his phone to a probe agency, and investigation will take place according to the Indian Penal Code (IPC), he said.

    The law of the land prevails in India, and no one’s phone is tapped illegally, he claimed, adding that if anyone has any doubt that some agency is doing it illegally, then he can complain and lawful action will be taken.

    “We will now wait for Rahul Gandhi to deposit his phone for investigation to proceed,” he said.

    The Congress cannot accept the country’s development and has been stalling Parliament’s functioning on one pretext or another, he alleged, accusing Gandhi of having a single-point strategy of not letting it function.

    “We are well aware of his record in Parliament,” the former Union minister said in a dig at Gandhi over his frequent absence from Lok Sabha, where he represents the Wayanad constituency.

    He often goes abroad on vacation during monsoon sessions, Rathore said, adding that the former Congress chief is now not letting Parliament function for “manufactured” reasons.

    The first week of the session has been all but a washout due to opposition’s protests over a host of issues, including the suspected Pegasus snooping and price rise.

    Opposition parties have accused the government of being behind the snooping.

    The government has called the entire Pegasus Project as “sensationalism” without having any substance and described it as a bid to malign India.

    Rathore claimed that while the country has been progressing, some forces have been trying to stall its development.

    The former Congress chief, whose name is also on the list of people whose phones are allegedly tapped, said Pegasus cannot be bought by just anyone as it can be sold only to the government of a country.

    “Pegasus was used against the Supreme Court, to scuttle the Rafale investigation. The home minister should resign and a judicial inquiry by the Supreme Court should be conducted on Narendra Modi as no one else can authorise the use of Pegasus,” he said.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Sports Minister sanctions a special financial assistance of Rs.5 lakhs for former International Archer Limba Ram.

    Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs and Sports Col Rajyavardhan Rathore has sanctioned a special financial assistance of Rs.5 lakhs to former International Archer & Arjun Awardee Shri Limba Ram.  Shri Limba Ram, who is suffering from neuro generative disease or neurological illness is undergoing treatment at Jaipur. He is working for the State Government of Rajasthan and is in receipt of salary beyond the ceiling of Rs.4 lakhs fixed under the scheme of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons. The Minister in his capacity as Chairperson of the Fund, has relaxed the condition and by invoking the discretionary clause sanctioned Rs.5 Lakhs considering that his widowed mother, widowed sister and her children, widowed mother-in-law and unemployed brother are dependent on him.

    Earlier, on getting the news of Shri Limba Ram’s admission in a hospital, the Minister had deputed a team of officers to visit and enquire if any assistance is required.  The sanctioned amount is based on the report of this Committee.  The Minister has also asked his officers to regularly visit him and update on his health