http://www.congressmedia.net/rss2 Connect with Congress Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:10:45 GMT Copyright 2008, Indian National Congress en-us :Title: Friday, 06 Jan 2012 :Summary: Shri Abhishek Singhvi said hypocrisy of BJP is like a Himalayan peak. There is no wider hiatus between preaching and practice that you can ever find anywhere. :Info: =================================== Press Briefing Friday, 6th Jan 2012 =================================== **Shri Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media today.**   Shri Abhishek Singhvi said hypocrisy of BJP is like a Himalayan peak. There is no wider hiatus between preaching and practice that you can ever find anywhere. As we have said it is imperative for Mr. Advani to immediately embark on 'rath-yatra'.  This 'rath-yatra', however, will be by the BJP for the BJP because Mr. Advani should know that this country does not require education about corruption. His party does. His party needs to be told the true scope of corruption. It is the most fertile ground for promoting and encouraging corrupt people. We are told this is the purificatory right which happens when allegedly corrupt get in to the BJP. It is very sad that polluters are welcomed and you are told that everybody has become pure instead of polluted. They are the savior of Judeo. Look at their forked tongue. They count the cash with Bangaru Laxman. Look at their hypocrisy. They bow out and kneel before Yeddyuruppa. Look at their preaching without practice. They support Reddy brothers till recently and the distinguished gallery which they have built up is not limited to Mr. Kushwaha alone. The distinguished gallery includes Mr. Satish, Mr. Sakshi Maharaj, Mr. Badshah Singh, and Mr. Dhananjay Singh and there are many more names. The voter has an alternative between a party which is encouraged, protected and given power & position and pelf to such people for five years the licence to loot UP. The other alternative projected before the electorate is those who welcome them on the eve of the election after giving lectures to the whole country about corruption and taking out 'rath-yeatra'. These are the two birds with the same feather. They always flock together. Necessarily the BJP and the BSP understand each others' culture. One practices utter hypocrisy by seeking to expel them a few weeks before election and the other welcomes them. The BJP has no need to carry a delegation to the Hon'ble President of India to shed crocodile tears on the Lokpal. The BJP should have an internal Lokpal and an internal Ombudsman which carefully scrutinizes and screens the applicants to only allow the corrupt to get through and then they should go out and give lecture to the nation. This is a very short and abbreviated synoptic view of the utter hypocrisy of this party.     On the reaction of the Congress party over the statement of Shanti Bhushan that the case of evasion of stamp duty against him is only because of the Congress party, Shri Singhvi said I think we are waiting and the whole country is waiting with bated breath for the day when anything wrong which happens in this country when the smallest leaf moves it is not ascribed to the Congress party. This univocal animosity against the Congress party tells its own tale. The silence about other parties is eloquent and sends its own message. If so much bias and animus against the Congress, such people should join the political movement and fight the congress directly. It is in the ultimate analysis very obvious to all people who have already drawn their conclusion about this biased one-sided negative and consistently critical commentary about the congress and anti-congressism as a creed which some people in this country have adopted.   To a question over the fact that Uma Bharati is going to campaign whereas earlier she had decided not to campaign in the UP elections, Shri Singhvi said this is not for me to comment who campaigns and who does not campaign. These are internal matters of their party. We have already seen on candid camera on your cameras what divide can mean between the BJP and the person you have named. You have to ask them.                      On the question of giving a long rope to Mamata Banerjee, Shri Singhvi said nobody is denying that there have been differences of opinion but to suggest that such differences of opinion are irreconcilable for some quarters to try to act as 'Naradmuni' and to provoke and to create a provocative atmosphere is not right. The fact of the matter that we are in an alliance and we believe that there is nothing which cannot be sorted out even though sometimes time consuming by in depth talks and we have no doubt ultimately there will be a convergence.   To another question as to the release of the Punjab list of candidates and few of them are related to the leaders of the party, Shri Singhvi said I think this is the perennial asked question and every time some basics are forgotten. In a long list of different states, you will find few persons related to each other. That happens in every party in every election. The crucial point is that are they persons having a standing of their own with a winability quotient in that area. If somebody has winability quotient, he cannot and should not be denied a ticket merely for the reason he happens to be related to somebody. No party is as foolish as you might suppose to give deliberately ticket to somebody who is surely to lose thereby destroying its own chances of forming government only because that person is related to another person. Please don't think that Congress party thinks like that because we are not imbued with suicidal tendencies.       **Tom Vadakkan** **Media Secretary** http://www.congressmedia.net/articles/newsandmedia/pressbriefings/06jan2012.rst http://www.congressmedia.net/articles/newsandmedia/pressbriefings/06jan2012.rst nomail@congressmedia.net (Indian National Congress) Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:10:10 GMT :Title: Monday, 12 Dec 2011 :Summary: Smt. Renuka Chowdhary said you have seen the steps that we have been taking to ensure that the parliament functions smoothly and other important issues that have been taken up and addressed within the forum of parliament. :Info: ==================================== Press Briefing Monday, 12th Dec 2011 ====================================   **Smt. Renuka Chowdhary and Shri Digvijaya Singh addressed the media today.**   Smt. Renuka Chowdhary said you have seen the steps that we have been taking to ensure that the parliament functions smoothly and other important issues that have been taken up and addressed within the forum of parliament. Parliamentary practices have always devolved that democracy prevails within and outside the house. Since important issues have been drawing the attention of the country and the media, today we have an issue which has come in from Madhya Pradesh where the farmers have expressed the losses that they have suffered due to the un-seasonal rains which have affected the cotton crop and the farmers have been treated in a derogatory fashion by the state government as the result of which one of such farmer has lost his life partner.     Smt. Renuka Chowdhary introduced two farmers from Madhya Pradesh to the media who narrated their plight and the treatment meted out to them by the state government and distributed a copy of the memorandum submitted by Dr. Vijaylakshmi Sadho, MP Rajya Sabha to Hon'ble Prime Minister of India drawing his attention to the pathetic condition of the farmers of Madhya Pradesh and how the derogatory treatment meted out to them by the state government was driving them to commit suicide.   Smt. Renuka Chowdhary further said the Congress party has been taking these issues within and outside the house. The problems of the farmers need to be addressed so that they remain safe and on a productive curve and add to the economy of the country.   Smt. Renuka Chowdhary also said that it is unfortunate that the political opportunism over-rules the practice of democracy and personal attacks on individuals are only a sorry state of affairs. We can only pity those who believe that this is the way to establishing their own credibility.   Shri Digvijaya Singh, General Secretary, AICC introduced Shri Rashid Masood former Rajya Sabha MP who today resigned his Membership from Rajya Sabha and has joined the Congress party. Shri Digvijaya Singh welcomed his entry into the Congress party. Since Shri Rashid Masood is a grass root leader, Shri Digvijaya Singh said that consequent the joining of Shri Rashid Masood the Congress will not only be strengthened in UP alone but in the entire country. Shri Masood has a very clean image.   Shri Digvijaya Singh informed that along with Shri Rashid Masood, his nephew Shri Imran, MLA of UP Assembly has also joined the Congress party. We welcome him also into the Congress party.     Shri Rashid Masood addressed the media and assured his belief in the policies and programmes of the Congress party. He made a mention of Anna Team taking up the corruption issue against the Congress candidate in Hissar bye-election. He said it does not speak well for Anna Hazare and said it was only the congress candidate who has a des He  clean image whereas the two other candidates had corruption cases already registered against them. Secondly Shri Rashid Masood narrated what drove him to join the Congress party. Shri Masood said that under the leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Hon'ble Congress President, the future of minority in India is safe. He did make a mention of reservation within the reservation. Everybody should fight the corruption but no politics should be played under the garb of fighting corruption.   On the question of alliance with Shri Ajit Singh of RLD and offering him the Cabinet berth, Shri Digvijaya Singh said Shri Ajit Singh Ji of RLD has given a letter to the Chairperson of UPA Smt. Sonia Gandhi that RLD would like to join the UPA and Hon'ble Sonia Ji has agreed to include the RLD in the UPA.   On another question on the opinion of Shri Rashid Masood on Anna Hazare, Shri Digvijaya Singh said I have been saying this from the very beginning. It only adds to my contention.   To another question whether the government made a mistake in dealing with Anna Hazare at the first place, Smt. Chowdhary said I would like to see that as not making a mistake but on a learning curve where our decency was misinterpreted and our generosity and reaching out in a totally democratic way where we said OK. If we can evolve a solution for what we are collectively looking at but the agenda appears to be otherwise. We have no regret in practicing the democratic process. It is very unfortunate that they could not retain that or access it.  There is a little disappointment. We felt that when the civil society comes forward, we should be able to work together to be able to find a correct solution to the problem and not an egoistic one.   On the Lokpal Bill issue and whether the PM should be brought under its ambit, Smt. Chowdhary said the parliament in its joint wisdom will actually decide it. I think that is a fair enough system. It should be discussed there and then to evolve some consensus. Smt. Chowdhary added I would like to believe that in a coalition politics, the UPA allies have the freedom and flexibility to express their opinions. There are some things where we have to discuss and we collectively agree and move forward.   On the question of the reaction of the Congress party over the remarks of Anna Hazare, Smt. Chowdhary said it is for Anna Hazare when he claims he is above board and apolitical. Unfortunately the evidence goes to prove otherwise. He will have to answer not only the Congress party but the whole nation. There are not too many secrets in public life and that is the beauty of politics that everything is so transparent, you cannot afford to keep secrets.           **Tom Vadakkan** **Media Secretary** http://www.congressmedia.net/articles/newsandmedia/pressbriefings/12dec2011.rst http://www.congressmedia.net/articles/newsandmedia/pressbriefings/12dec2011.rst nomail@congressmedia.net (Indian National Congress) Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:56:30 GMT :Title: Friday, 18 Nov 2011 :Summary: Highlights of the Press Briefing held on Friday, 18th Nov 2011. :Info: ==================================== Press Briefing Friday, 18th Nov 2011 ==================================== .. image:: http://www.congressmedia.net/images/articles/18nov2011-1.gif .. image:: http://www.congressmedia.net/images/articles/18nov2011-2.gif .. image:: http://www.congressmedia.net/images/articles/18nov2011-3.gif .. image:: http://www.congressmedia.net/images/articles/18nov2011-4.gif http://www.congressmedia.net/articles/newsandmedia/pressbriefings/18nov2011.rst http://www.congressmedia.net/articles/newsandmedia/pressbriefings/18nov2011.rst nomail@congressmedia.net (Indian National Congress) Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:44:27 GMT :Title: Friday, 28 Oct 2011 :Summary: We have pleasure in announcing and welcoming their entry into the Congress Party under the kind permission of the Congress President. :Info: ==================================== Press Briefing Friday, 28th Oct 2011 ==================================== **Shri Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media today.** Shri Abhishek Singhvi said as per the permission of the Congress President, we wish to announce the entry of the following two persons into the Congress Party: 1. Shri Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin who happens to be sitting BSP MLA from Uttarakhand in his second term from Mangalore; 2. Shri Amrish Kumar, former MLA holding several senior positions in the Samajwadi Party. We have pleasure in announcing and welcoming their entry into the Congress Party under the kind permission of the Congress President. Shri Abhishek Singhvi said the UP Chief Minister does protests too much. There is a lot of sound and a lot of theory but no facts. Facts are inconvenient. Truth is indeed a mirror and mirrors do not lie. The UP Chief Minister actually needs to be congratulated for topping the chart once again but it is a left-handed compliment because the chart which she and her administration and the state has topped as per the latest figures and statistics available for 2010 by a statutory body - National Crime Record Bureau - released for 2010 - puts the crime rate as the highest in the state of UP for the available latest year. Shri Singhvi further said I am not taking you into the details but roughly 33+% of all crimes registered in the country are registered in UP. Incidentally on a related parameter, UP also again tops the charts for which the UP Chief Minister deserves congratulations again and those are the published statistics for violent crime in the same report where again UP is the highest though in this case the rate has remained static mercifully at 11%. This is not surprising. It is only a statistical, a factual confirmation of what each 'aam-aadmi' and 'aam-aurat' of UP knows - knows only too well. Ask them that 'aam-aadmi' and he will put flesh and blood into these cold figures because that flesh and blood is borne out of agony and everyday experience. So this is merely a statistical confirmation. UP has flourished in all the wrong areas because of the special kindness of this administration and this Chief Minister. It has flourished in governmental apathy; it has prospered because the CM has supported the wrong doings, so it has prospered in wrong doings. Bureaucratic nepotism is encouraged and supported by the political bosses of Uttar Pradesh. Nowhere is the bureaucracy so disheartened, demoralized, dejected as in UP and the reason is simple - blue eyed favorites have galloped to the top position while the seniority and integrity are two of the biggest disqualifications with this government with this administration. Seniority and integrity are the black marks. That is why; the backbone of the administration has crumbled and when the backbone of the administration crumbles you get these figures. That is when criminals and crime hold sway and have the run of the state. The UP Chief Minister and the UP administration are also protesting too much. Indeed protesting is a symbol of guilt regarding the very grave charges of embezzlements and siphoning in relation to MNREGA. It is no point holding press conferences to tell you that the Union Minister's letter reached press first and the Chief Minister later. This is an irrelevant shooting the messenger tactic. Apart from telling you such trivia, the response of the UP government is not able to convincingly refute a single figure because the allegation is again based on nitty-gritty details on facts and figures. Indeed such facts and figures cannot be refuted because they are objective. There is a district-wise breakup. There is an item-wise breakup and without giving you too much details, let me give only two examples. There are around 20-30 districts. In Balrampur - supported by documents - in 2008 the panchayat of that district bought 1.5 lakh calendars under the name of MNREGA - each calendar costing Rs. 31/-. Tents of Rs. 80 lakhs and first-aid boxes of lakhs were again purchased. In Ghonda, in 2007-08, toys of Rs. 37 lakhs were purchased in the name of Women laborers' creches. How do you refute such figures just to say that the letter whether it reached the press or the CM two days later or before. How does it make a difference? This is not the question of toys only but they are playing with the sentiments of the people of UP. The people of UP needs an answer from the UP government. To a question asked over the statistics available for Delhi in regard to crime against women when compared to that of UP, Shri Singhvi said there has been a decline in such figures in respect of Delhi. We are talking based on facts and figures only. On the question of reaction of the Congress party over the statement of Shri Digvijaya Singh that we should have a cue from the case of Shri Rajat Gupta, Shri Singhvi said we are not required to comment on every comment of others. We feel no need to do the same. Shri Singhvi added the Congress party does not need any view about legal or judicial proceedings regarding the individual merits of any case. You are entitled to ask anybody you like but as Congress Party, we have no need to comment on judicial proceedings or the merits or demerits of any individual case involved in judicial or legal proceedings. On the question of reaction of the Congress party on the reconstitution of Anna Team, Shri Singhvi said there is no need for the Congress party to comment on the internal constitution, reconstitution or de-constitution of any other body. To another question on the tragedy happening in West Bengal, Shri Singhvi said I think there is no question of reaction. It is a terrible incident. We are horrified. Anybody who has seen it would be horrified. I think immediate action has to be taken to prevent recurrence and fixing of blame and punishment will and must follow but at the moment the need of the hour which the Chief Minister has already commissioned on a massive scale must be to prevent any remote recurrence of this terrible tragedy. It is a terrible tragedy and it is a human problem. On another question as to why the irregularities in the MNREGA has been pointed at this point when these had happened in 2008, Shri Sinvhgi said district-wise audit starts later and much later. Please understand the size of the exercise. This is a district-wise audit. The point is these audits start towards the end of the relevant year and given the size and numbers, it takes very long time. After the audit it takes further time to reinforce correct check and counter-check figures. So this has come only recently and the second point is that these are completely irrelevant issues. We have not yet heard of any refutation on the merits. To another question on the rate of inflation and rising prices, Shri Singhvi said I take your point. We are extremely concerned in the current context. To another question on the statement of Shri KV Thomas on the price rise when he commented that eating habit of the people is the reason for the price rise, Shri Singhvi said it is very unfair to pluck out one sentence out of a much larger address and to seek comment on it out of context. In that address, he has emphasized the multi-pronged reasons for the hike. This is one out of many and I totally disagree that this is the main or the only reason which he has emphasized. I refuse to comment on out of context comment. On the question of the reaction of the Congress Party over the position of J&K Congress President Shri Saif-ud-din Soz with regard to the proposal of J&K CM for revoking of AFSPA from Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Singhvi said you are asking me at the third level on the third occasion. The PCC President has spoken. The Congress party does not need to add or subtract from what has been stated by the PCC President and we fully endorse and uphold that view. The view expressed by the State in-charge is the view of the Congress party. Our view on AFSPA is what has been articulated by the state in-charge. A decision has to be taken in consultation with all relevant stakeholders and that certainly includes the Army, central government, the ruling coalition and elements of it and others. On the question of economic blockade in Manipur, Shri Singhvi said it is regrettable and has to be set right. Blockades because of local regional sentiments create a major problem. It is very limited in both - time, space and degree and we have no doubt it will sort itself out very shortly because all steps have been taken. But certainly we do not support for a minute irrespective of reasons a blockade which imposes on 'aam-aadmi' or 'aam-person' the consequences of which are extremely serious. **Tom Vadakkan** **Media Secretary** http://www.congressmedia.net/articles/newsandmedia/pressbriefings/28oct2011.rst http://www.congressmedia.net/articles/newsandmedia/pressbriefings/28oct2011.rst nomail@congressmedia.net (Indian National Congress) Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:41:48 GMT