Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary: Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi distribute motor-vehicles to disabled

New Delhi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra handed over the keys of especially designed motorised vehicles to 52 physically challenged people on Saturday under the 'Access to Opportunities' programme of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

This programme is conducted every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka, who are the Trustee and Executive Trustee of the foundation interacted with the awardees while handing over the vehicle keys. The participants clicked pictures with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. The Congress vice president also advised the awardees to "drive slow".

Some awardees also brought souvenirs from their native places which was warmly received by the trustees. This year the Foundation will be distributing 150 vehicles across different parts of the country. For the Delhi distribution ceremony, 52 selected recipients from Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal were given the vehicles at Jawahar Bhawan here.

"Through a rigorous selection process, the focus was to identify those individuals whose physical disability was limiting their access to opportunities and hampering the realisation of their potential. "Education being the main focus of the Foundation, preferences were given to student applicants to help them access more opportunities in education and livelihood," said a release issued by the Foundation. The program began with an inspirational song sung by children from 'Wonderoom', one of the initiatives of the Foundation.

Later, two of the youth awardees from the previous year, shared their experiences of how they benefited by the vehicle specially designed for them. They also highlighted the idea of self dependence and freedom in mobility. After the award ceremony, the awardees were provided training by professionals on the usage of the vehicle, safety rules and regulations.

People caught in web of false dreams, says Sonia Gandhi in a dig at Modi

New Delhi:  Congress President Sonia Gandhi while addressing an event in New Delhi on the occasion of 70th birth anniversary of her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on Wednesday, accused the Narendra Modi government of showing "false dreams" to the people of India and urged her Congress party to stay the course even though the road to revival may be "longer" and the struggle, harder.

"We have done so much but our track record was forgotten as people got caught up in a web spun by those who showed nakli sapne (false dreams)," said the Congress president. Sonia Gandhi repeated her charge that the new government was taking credit for the programmes started by the previous Congress-led regime.

Reminding the audience that it was the Congress led UPA that had brought in women friendly laws the Domestic Violence bill, the MNREGA Sonia Gandhi alleged that the present NDA government had attempted to hijack the welfare programmes of the UPA and take credit for it. "Today, those who have come to power, as is their habit, are announcing programmes that were started by us. I want to know who started the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Drive)? Tell me who started building toilets under MNREGA schemes? Who promoted self-help groups in rural women or the ASHA scheme under the National Rural Health Mission? Who did all this?" she questioned.

Sonia Gandhi’s comments are being seen as a direct challenge to PM Modi, who had announced in his Independence Day speech last Friday that his government would focus on making every village a "model village" with toilets in every home. The Congress President also noted that the party had a "long struggle" ahead to recover lost ground. "We will leave no stone unturned to bring back Congress' aan, baan, shaan (pride and glory). Our struggle may be a little longer and may require more hard work but I assure you that we will win back our support base," said Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress president's pep talk comes after the party's epic defeat in the national election three months ago. The Congress was reduced to just 44 seats nationwide - its lowest ever tally since the 1947 Independence - while the BJP rode to power with a massive mandate. "Winning and losing is part of life...the real thing is to stick to our ideology. The Congress has never sacrificed its principles for elections," Sonia Gandhi told party workers.

"Today, we are in the opposition but, the Congress will not withdraw from its commitment to women's reservation and we will build full pressure on the NDA government to pass the bill as soon as possible," she said.

Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, Priyanka pay homage to Rajiv Gandhi on his 70th birth anniversary

Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was today remembered on his 70th birth anniversary with several leaders paying homage at his memorial in New Delhi. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the late leader's wife and Congress President Sonia Gandhi offered flowers at his memorial 'Vir Bhumi'. Sonia Gandhi was accompanied by son and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka Gandhi and son-in-law Robert Vadra, who arrived together to pay homage. Rajiv Gandhi, who was the sixth and youngest PM of India, was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu during a poll campaign.

Sonia Gandhi: There has been a spurt in communal violence after NDA government came to power

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on the Narendra Modi led NDA government at the Centre over the increasing incidents of communal conflicts in the country, especially in the northern India. "There has been a spurt in communal violence in the country, especially in some states, after the new government came to power," Sonia said while addressing Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee convention in Thiruvananthapuram.

Rahul Gandhi: Only one man's voice counts for anything in this country

New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi took charge in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as he led his party's demand to discussion the Communal Violence Bill. Rahul Gandhi entered the well of the House in the Lok Sabha shouting slogans and demanding that the Bill be brought for discussion and passage. "We are asking for a discussion. There is a mentality in the government that discussion is not acceptable. There is a mood in parliament that only one man's voice counts for anything in this country," said the Congress MP from Amethi.

Rahul Gandhi attacks Centre, says voice of only one man counts in the country

New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi joined other Congress members of Parliament at the well in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday during a protest against incidents of communal violence all over the country.

This occurred after the speaker Sumitra Nahajan refused to allow any discussion on communal violence in the Parliament. The Congress's demand came after incidents of communal violence Saharanpur and Meerut. The Congress's demand also comes amidst the tension over the Meerut gangrape and conversion case. The Congress had sought an adjournment of the house proceedings to discuss communal violence in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country.

"We are asking for a discussion. There is a mentality in the government that discussion is not acceptable. There is a mood in parliament that only one man's voice counts for anything in this country," said the Congress MP from Amethi.  When asked about his current protest in Parliament, he said, "I have raised my voice many times in Parliament."

Congress gave notice of an adjournment motion over rising incidents of communal violence in the country. The notice was given by Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, party MP M I Shahnawaz and party whip K C Venugopal, party sources said. Speaker rejected their demand and continued with the question hour, leaving Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders miffed. The leaders then stormed into the well of the House in protest.