Rahul Gandhi: More anti-corruption bills are in pipeline

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that there were more anti-corruption bills in the pipeline. Speaking to the media after the passage of Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011, in the Lok Sabha, which provides for formation of an anti-graft ombudsman, Rahul Gandhi said more legal teeth was needed to curb corruption. "We need more bills and we have the framework. The Congress has bills in the pipeline that need to be passed," Gandhi said. "We've had big success with the Lokpal bill, we had the RTI (Right to Information) earlier," he added. The Lokpal bill was passed by the Lok Sabha Wednesday and by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Rahul Gandhi addresses Lok Sabha, urges all parties to pass Lokpal Bill

Rahul Gandhi wants to extend Parl. Session to pass the pending anti-corruption Bills too
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi while taking part in the debate on Lokpal Bill urged all political parties to support the Bill and ensure its smooth passage. He also asked why the ongoing Parliament's Winter Session could not be extended to ensure that the pending anti-corruption bills also could be passed.

“Prevention of Corruption Bill, 2013 Amendment, The right to Citizens to time bound delivery of goods and services and redressal of grievance Bill, 2011, Public procurement Bill 2012, Bill to address foreign bribery as required under Article 16, Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill 2010,  The whistle blowers protection Bill, 2011; these are those Bills which we can pass. If necessary Madam Speaker, can we not extend the session of Parliament to complete the passage of these bills and provide this country with a frame work to fight corruption” urged the Congress Member of Parliament from Amethi.

“The Lokpal bill was first introduced by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1968. We have the chance to make history by enacting the Lokpal Bill. I appeal to all parties to come together and pass the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill unanimously” said Rahul Gandhi beginning his brief address and added, “The Right to Information Act, 2009 was UPA’s first and most important assault on corruption in this country. The establishment of Lokpal is necessary to strengthen the fight against corruption and to ensure accountability of public officials to the people”.



“But the Lokpal Bill alone is not adequate to fight corruption. We need a comprehensive anti-corruption code in this country. The UPA Government has developed a powerful anti-corruption frame work consisting of eight new Central laws. Even after the passage of the Lokpal Bill, four of these bills are pending in Lok Sabha and two in the Rajya Sabha”, further said the Congress Vice President.

“I believe it is our responsibility to complete our unfinished work in our fight against corruption. I believe it is the responsibility of the 15th Lok Sabha to consider and enact all six pending anti-corruption bills before its term expires,” said Rahul Gandhi amidst applauds from the Congress members.

The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha yesterday. Veteran social activist Anna Hazare who is on an indefinite fast demanding a strong Lokpal Bill had thanked Rahul Gandhi for his commitment towards passage of the Lokpal Bill in Parliament.

Full text of Sh. Rahul Gandhi’s address in Lok Sabha on Lokpal Bill

Lokpal: Anna thanks Rahul Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi thanks Anna for his encouragement

Lokpal: Anna thanks Rahul Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi thanks Anna for his encouragement
New Delhi: With the Lokpal Bill slated to come up in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi replied back to Anna Hazare's letter and thanked him for his encouragement in the passage of Lokpal Bill.

In his letter he said that the government is trying its best to give country a strong Lokpal Bill. Here is the full content of the letter to Anna Hazare by Rahul Gandhi.

“Thank you for your letter dated 15 Dec, 2013. It gave me encouragement in the passage of Lokpal bill.

We are committed to provide the people with a strong and efficient Lokpal bill. I take this opportunity to appreciate your role in it and also we are very grateful for your support in this regard”.

Rahul Gandhi has taken charge of his government's efforts to pass the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill, which will be taken up in the Rajya Sabha today with support across the political spectrum barring the government's ally, Samajwadi Party. Gandhian activist Anna Hazare, who is on a fast in his village in Maharashtra to demand a Lokpal law, has given his blessing to the government's efforts with a letter to Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday morning called two ministers - Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath and minister in charge of the Prime Minister's office V Narayanasamy - to discuss strategy to push the Bill in Parliament. The Congress Vice President on Saturday appealed publicly to all parties, including allies, to support the Bill. He denied that his party's initiative was linked to its humiliating defeat in the Delhi elections. Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party or AAP made a stunning debut with its promise to fight corruption, decimating the Congress after three terms.

Anna Hazare has written to Rahul Gandhi thanking him for his support to the Bill. He has disagreed vehemently with Arvind Kejriwal, his one-time protege, who has said the Lokpal Bill lacks teeth. In an equally warm reply, Rahul Gandhi wrote to Anna that his party was trying to give the country a strong Lokpal and acknowledged the 76-year-old Gandhian's role in the proposed law.

Rahul Gandhi: Lokpal bill is important for India; all parties must set aside differences to pass it

New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, while addressing the media persons, emphasized that his party is committed to pass the Lokpal Bill in the Parliament. He also urged the parties -- both allies and the opposition- to support the legislature in Parliament. "We would like opposition and other parties to ensure the Bill is passed. This is a matter of national importance. We would like all parties to put aside their concerns and do this job," Rahul Gandhi said at the press conference, flanked by union ministers P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal.

Rahul Gandhi on SC verdict on Gay rights: I agrees more with the Delhi High Court

SC verdict on gay rights: Rahul Gandhi says he agrees more with the Delhi High Cour
 New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, while commenting about the recent Supreme Court verdict that termed gay sex as illegal, said on Thursday that he agrees more with the Delhi High Court's earlier verdict on it.

Addressing the media persons, the Congress Vice President said, "My personal view is that these are matters of personal freedom and I think I would agree more with High Court (than with the SC verdict criminalising same-sex relations). I think these matters should be left to the individuals”.

“These are personal choices. This country is known for its freedom, freedom of expression. So let that be," added Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress leader’s reaction comes as the SC on Wednesday put the ball in Parliament's court to consider the "desirability and propriety" of deleting or amending the penal provision making sexual intercourse between people of same sex as a criminal offence attracting punishment up to life imprisonment.

Earlier, Congress President and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also had expressed her disappointment over the Supreme Court’s verdict and urged the Parliament to amend Section 377 of the Constitution. Sonia Gandhi hoped that the Parliament would take adequate measures to guarantee of life and liberty to all the citizens of the country.

“I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has reversed a previous Delhi High Court ruling on the issue of gay rights. The HC had wisely removed an archaic, repressive and unjust law that infringed on basic human rights enshrine din our Constitution”, said the Congress President. “I hope the Parliament will address this issue and uphold the constitutional guarantee of life and liberty to all citizens of India, including those affected by this judgement”, she added.



Setting aside the Delhi High Court verdict of 2009, the apex court bench of Justice GS Singhvi and Justice SJ Mukhopadhayay said: "We hold that Section 377 IPC does not suffer from the vice of unconstitutionality and the declaration made by the division bench of the high court is legally unsustainable." Pronouncing the judgment, Justice Singhvi said: "We would like to make it clear that this court has merely pronounced on the correctness of the view taken by the Delhi High Court on the constitutionality of Section 377 IPC and found that the said section does not suffer from any constitutional infirmity." "Notwithstanding this verdict", the court said "the competent legislature shall be free to consider the desirability and propriety of deleting Section 377 IPC from the statute book or amend the same as per the suggestion made by the attorney general."

Section 377 of the IPC that deals with unnatural offences says: "Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine."

Section 377: Sonia Gandhi says she is disappointed with SC verdict on homosexuality

Section 377: Sonia Gandhi says she is disappointed with SC verdict on homosexuality
New Delhi: Congress President and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday expressed her disappointment over the Supreme Court’s verdict that consensual sex between adults of the same sex is an offence and has asked the Parliament to amend Section 377 of the Constitution. Sonia Gandhi hoped that the Parliament would take adequate measures to guarantee of life and liberty to all the citizens of the country.

“I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has reversed a previous Delhi High Court ruling on the issue of gay rights. The HC had wisely removed an archaic, repressive and unjust law that infringed on basic human rights enshrine din our Constitution”, said the Congress President.

“I hope the Parliament will address this issue and uphold the constitutional guarantee of life and liberty to all citizens of India, including those affected by this judgement”, she added.

Sonia Gandhi’s reaction comes as the Supreme Court on Wednesday had urged the Parliament to consider the desirability and propriety of deleting or amending the penal provision making sexual intercourse between people of same sex as a criminal offence attracting punishment up to life imprisonment.

Section 377 of the IPC that deals with unnatural offences says: "Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine." The bench said Parliament is authorised to delete or amend section 377 of IPC but till the time this penal provision is there, the court cannot legalise this kind of sexual relationship.

Here is Sonia Gandhi's full statement:

“I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has reversed a previous Delhi High Court ruling on the issue of gay rights. The HC had wisely removed an archaic, repressive and unjust law that infringed on basic human rights enshrine din our Constitution. This Constitution has given us a great legacy, a legacy of liberalism of openness that enjoins us to combat prejudice and discrimination of any kind. We are proud that our culture has always been an inclusive and tolerant one. The SC also suggested another course. I hope the Parliament will address this issue and uphold the constitutional guarantee of life and liberty to all citizens of India, including those affected by this judgement.”

Indira Gandhi to be bestowed highest state honour by Bangladesh

The Bangladesh government has decided to confer “Bangladesh Swadhinata Sammanona” upon former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi posthumously for her outstanding contribution to the country's Liberation War in 1971. Indira Gandhi will be the first ever foreigner to be given the highest state honour of Bangladesh.
The decision to award the highest state honour was taken in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh
Bestowal of the highest state award on the former Indian Prime Minister is in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the country's war of liberation in 1971. Indira Gandhi had thrown the full weight of the Indian government behind the Bangladesh war.
It is recognized by that country that East Pakistan, as Bangladesh was then known, would have never secured freedom from Pakistan had the then Prime Minister of India not lent full support - by way of men and material - on humanitarian grounds. It was a bold step executed with perfect precision for which Indira Gandhi was well known.

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