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As Congress struggles with Gujarat poll prep, Rahul Gandhi to fly to US, learn AI

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9 years ago

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Rahul gandhi

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Congress vice president, who is known to head abroad each time the party is in a crisis, had earlier flown off to Norway days before RJD’s rally against the BJP

A day after he visited Gujarat to sound his party’s poll bugle for the forthcoming Gujarat assembly polls, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is all set to fly off to America’s Silicon Valley later this week in a bid to “learn more about Artificial Intelligence”.

The 47-year-old ‘youth’ leader, whose propensity for embarrassing gaffes in politics triggers jibes and criticism alike from his political opponents as well as his party colleagues, is also known for going off on frequent foreign sojourns, especially when his party faces crucial electoral challenges – or what his own aide and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh recently termed and “existential crisis”.

It may be recalled that Rahul had gone off to Norway, ditching key Congress ally and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who had organised a massive rally in Patna on August 27 to showcase Opposition unity against the BJP. Although Lalu’s ‘BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao’ rally was a major success, Rahul’s absence along with that of his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi had given the BJP and its allies to punch holes in Lalu’s claims of a ‘show of strength’ by the Opposition.

Lalu Patna Rally

However, Rahul doesn’t seem affected by these recurring taunts about being an ‘absentee’ Congress VP or a ‘reluctant politician’. Instead, he seems to be adamant on strengthening the notion.

On Monday, the Congress vice president was on a day-long visit to Ahmedabad in Gujarat to kick start his party’s preparations for the Assembly polls due in the state later this year. Rahul had in fact announced at an interaction with party workers in Ahmedabad that his visit was the official launch of the party’s poll campaign in a state where the Congress has been out of power for over two decades and was recently faced by a slew of defections and desertions by MLAs who jumped ship to join the BJP.

Gujarat isn’t the only immediate challenge for the Congress. The party is also facing a major factional feud in Himachal Pradesh – one of the few states where the Congress is still in power – and also Bihar where the fall of the Mahagathbandhan government has made the party’s 19 legislators vulnerable to poaching by former ally Nitish Kumar’s JD (U) and the BJP.

In Rahul’s absence, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had to recently step in to hold discussions with the party’s MLAs in Bihar and Himachal Pradesh chief minister Veer Bhadra Singh to prevent dissentions.

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul

But Rahul doesn’t seem too concerned about the immediate challenges at hand and is, instead occupied by his vision for the future. Party sources said Gandhi wants India to be a global leader in the field of technology and his visit to America’s Silicon Valley later this week is with an aim to “expand his thoughts about artificial intelligence”.

“Rahulji wants to make India really a true world power. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Nano Technology and Biotechnology are the future and the current government has failed to deliver on these issues. His aim and vision is to make India not just a software giant but a giant in the areas of artificial intelligence, nano technology and biotechnology,” India Today quoted a senior Congress leader as saying.

It is learnt that Rahul’s US visit is being organised by Sam Pitroda, chairman of the Overseas Congress – a technology innovator who was roped in by Rahul’s father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the mid-1980s to usher in India’s telecom revolution and set up the Centre for Development of Telematics in New Delhi.

Rahul is also set to give a lecture on ‘India At 70: Reflections On The Path Forward’, an event sponsored by the Institute of International Studies Berkeley Research on Contemporary India Program and the Institute for South Asia Studies at the University of California (UC) on September 11.

“Rahul Gandhi has led the reorganisation of India’s Congress Party since becoming the vice president of the party in 2013. At UC Berkeley, he will offer his reflections on contemporary India and the path forward for the world’s largest democracy. He follows in the footsteps of his great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, who delivered a historic speech at Berkeley in 1949,” an announcement on the university’s website said.

The Congress leaders back home would perhaps be wondering if Rahul had any reflections to share on the path forward for India’s oldest political party too.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Asish Banerjee found dead in Rampurhat, Mamata Banerjee aide’s death shocks TMC

Former West Bengal deputy speaker and five-time Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office in Birbhum.

Published

6 hours ago

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August 16, 2026

By

Mamata Banerjee

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning.

Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem. A large crowd gathered outside the Trinamool Congress office after news of his death spread.

Who was Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee had served as the deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the state’s chief minister. He was also a five-time MLA from Rampurhat.

He had served as Bengal’s education and agriculture minister after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress first came to power in the state.

Banerjee contested the West Bengal Assembly election earlier this year but lost the Rampurhat seat to BJP’s Dhruba Saha.

Asish Banerjee’s recent party role

Banerjee stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June. At the time, he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

He lived in the Hattalapara neighbourhood of Rampurhat, with the party office where his body was found located next to his house.

BJP gains in Birbhum

The BJP won six of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Birbhum in the latest state election. This marked a significant change from 2021, when the Trinamool Congress had won 10 seats in the district while the BJP had secured one.

Police have sent Asish Banerjee’s body for postmortem as the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

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IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

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1 day ago

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August 15, 2026

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IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

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Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Published

1 day ago

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August 15, 2026

By

Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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