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Amid talks of elevation as party chief, Rahul goes all out to attack Modi, Shah and RSS in Gujarat

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8 years ago

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Congress credits Rahul Gandhi for GST rate cuts

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Nehru-Gandhi scion hit out at Modi for failing to deliver on poll promises, wonders how Shah’s son made his fortune in three years, why RSS has no women

Amid talks of his imminent elevation as the Congress president – taking the baton from his mother, Sonia Gandhi – Rahul Gandhi showed that he is finally learning the ropes of political semantics as he launched a scathing attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and took digs at BJP national president Amit Shah in their home state of Gujarat on Tuesday.

The Congress vice president didn’t spare the BJP’s parent outfit – the RSS – either, wondering why the outfit had no representation of women.

On his campaign tour in Gujarat which goes for assembly polls later this year, Rahul even admitted that the crushing defeat of his party in the Lok Sabha polls of 2014 and the ongoing abuse that is hurled at him and his party colleagues by right-wing sympathizers and BJP leaders on social media platforms had “knocked sense” into the Congress leadership.

“The BJP helped me a lot. They have really helped me. We lost 2014 but the defeat could not have helped us more. Itni buri tarah haraya ki pit pitkar humein akal aagayi (They beat us so badly in 2014 that it drilled sense into us),” the Congress vice president said in Vadodara, expressing “gratitude” to the BJP.

“Pitai karke, gaali deke, maar maarke (they beat me, abused me, thrashed me)… They opened my eyes,” Rahul said. The Nehru-Gandhi scion’s remarks came on a day when BJP national president Amit Shah, Union I&B minister Smriti Irani and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath were all in his constituency Amethi where they too launched a broadside against him for his alleged failure to bring development to his family bastion.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci12aWRlbyUyMiUyMGRhdGEtbGFuZyUzRCUyMmVuJTIyJTNFJTNDcCUyMGxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUyMGRpciUzRCUyMmx0ciUyMiUzRSUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRmhhc2h0YWclMkZXQVRDSCUzRnNyYyUzRGhhc2glMjZhbXAlM0JyZWZfc3JjJTNEdHdzcmMlMjU1RXRmdyUyMiUzRSUyM1dBVENIJTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQSUyMENvbmdyZXNzJTIwVmljZSUyMFByZXNpZGVudCUyMFJhaHVsJTIwR2FuZGhpJTIwcGFydGljaXBhdGVzJTIwaW4lMjAlMjYlMjMzOSUzQlRpbWxpJTI2JTIzMzklM0IlMjBkYW5jZSUyQyUyMGluJTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGaGFzaHRhZyUyRkd1amFyYXQlM0ZzcmMlM0RoYXNoJTI2YW1wJTNCcmVmX3NyYyUzRHR3c3JjJTI1NUV0ZnclMjIlM0UlMjNHdWphcmF0JTNDJTJGYSUzRSUyNiUyMzM5JTNCcyUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRmhhc2h0YWclMkZDaGhvdGFVZGFpcHVyJTNGc3JjJTNEaGFzaCUyNmFtcCUzQnJlZl9zcmMlM0R0d3NyYyUyNTVFdGZ3JTIyJTNFJTIzQ2hob3RhVWRhaXB1ciUzQyUyRmElM0UlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGdC5jbyUyRjVWVGFiWE9yZlklMjIlM0VwaWMudHdpdHRlci5jb20lMkY1VlRhYlhPcmZZJTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQyUyRnAlM0UlMjZtZGFzaCUzQiUyMEFOSSUyMCUyOCU0MEFOSSUyOSUyMCUzQ2ElMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ0d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRkFOSSUyRnN0YXR1cyUyRjkxNzc0NDM3ODQ0OTI0ODI1NiUzRnJlZl9zcmMlM0R0d3NyYyUyNTVFdGZ3JTIyJTNFT2N0b2JlciUyMDEwJTJDJTIwMjAxNyUzQyUyRmElM0UlM0MlMkZibG9ja3F1b3RlJTNFJTBBJTNDc2NyaXB0JTIwYXN5bmMlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjIlMkYlMkZwbGF0Zm9ybS50d2l0dGVyLmNvbSUyRndpZGdldHMuanMlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0U=[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The Congress vice president has evidently been drawing much joy out of the recent controversy that Amit Shah has landed himself in ever since a news portal carried an expose showing how his son, Jay Shah, had seen a meteoric rise in his company’s wealth ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government came to power at the Centre in 2014. The expose shows how Jay Shah’s fortunes rose 16,000 times in the past three year as his company which posted a turnover of a paltry Rs. 50,000 before 2014 went up to a turnover of over Rs. 80 crores in 2016.

“Have you heard of start-up India? The most successful is Jay Shah’s start up… it’s a very interesting story,” Gandhi said, going on to sum it up for his audience. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said: “The chowkidaar of India is quiet, he doesn’t like to comment on these things.”

At another interactive session, when Gandhi was asked by a journalist to comment on the controversy around Jay Shah’s wealth, he asked the journalist to come closer to the stage and then hailed him for being a “brave man” for having the guts to ask questions about Amit Shah’s son. Rahul then posed a series of questions to the journalist – what is the name of Jay Shah’s company, what was its turnover earlier, what were its profits last year, what was the quantum rise in his wealth, etc. He then told the journalist – when you know all this, then why are you asking me to comment on it![/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci12aWRlbyUyMiUyMGRhdGEtbGFuZyUzRCUyMmVuJTIyJTNFJTNDcCUyMGxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUyMGRpciUzRCUyMmx0ciUyMiUzRUNWUCUyMFJhaHVsJTIwR2FuZGhpJTIwYXQlMjBoaXMlMjB3aXR0aWVzdCUyMGJlc3QlMjElMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGdHdpdHRlci5jb20lMkZoYXNodGFnJTJGRGFyb01hdCUzRnNyYyUzRGhhc2glMjZhbXAlM0JyZWZfc3JjJTNEdHdzcmMlMjU1RXRmdyUyMiUzRSUyM0Rhcm9NYXQlM0MlMkZhJTNFJTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnQuY28lMkZpMXlwNkl4ZDd1JTIyJTNFcGljLnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGaTF5cDZJeGQ3dSUzQyUyRmElM0UlM0MlMkZwJTNFJTI2bWRhc2glM0IlMjBEaXZ5YSUyMFNwYW5kYW5hJTJGUmFteWElMjAlMjglNDBkaXZ5YXNwYW5kYW5hJTI5JTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGZGl2eWFzcGFuZGFuYSUyRnN0YXR1cyUyRjkxNzQyMjY0NDAyNjE1MDkxMyUzRnJlZl9zcmMlM0R0d3NyYyUyNTVFdGZ3JTIyJTNFT2N0b2JlciUyMDklMkMlMjAyMDE3JTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQyUyRmJsb2NrcXVvdGUlM0UlMEElM0NzY3JpcHQlMjBhc3luYyUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMiUyRiUyRnBsYXRmb3JtLnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGd2lkZ2V0cy5qcyUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]In Rahul’s sharp and pointed attacks, his party men see signs of the new, more savvy and confident leader set to take over as Congress president – a far cry from the “reluctant politician” image that he is known for and something that he had recently said was a perception about him that was created systematically by “a 1000-member strong army” of BJP trolls.

Hitting out at the RSS with comments that clearly infuriated the BJP leadership, the Congress vice president accused the Sangh and its political progeny of discriminating against women in their organisations and asked if anyone had ever seen women at an RSS ‘shakha’ meeting wearing shorts, the group’s trademark khaki uniform.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]“Their thinking is, as long as women are silent, all is good. But as soon as she opens her mouth, they run to shut her up,” Rahul Gandhi said, adding: “If the Congress is voted to power, it will focus on women’s empowerment”.

Rahul’s renewed pitch for women’s empowerment comes weeks after Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to use his party majority in the Lok Sabha to get the Women’s Reservation Bill passed by the House.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Bharti Singh, Haarsh Limbachiyaa welcome second child after she’s rushed to hospital mid-shoot

Comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Haarsh Limbachiyaa welcomed their second child after she was rushed to hospital during a television shoot.

Published

3 hours ago

on

December 19, 2025

By

Bharti

Popular comedian and television personality Bharti Singh and her husband, writer-host Haarsh Limbachiyaa, have welcomed their second child. The baby was born on Friday after Bharti was taken to the hospital following a sudden medical emergency earlier in the day, according to media reports.

Emergency during television shoot led to hospitalisation

As per available information, Bharti Singh was scheduled to shoot for the television show Laughter Chefs on Friday morning when her water broke unexpectedly. She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where she later delivered her second child. No further details about the baby have been shared publicly so far.

The news of the delivery comes weeks after the couple announced Bharti’s second pregnancy on social media.

Pregnancy announcement and maternity shoot

Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa had revealed the pregnancy during a family vacation in Switzerland. A few weeks ago, Bharti also shared pictures from her maternity photoshoot, where she was seen wearing a blue silk gown with white floral patterns.

Sharing the photos online, Bharti wrote, “2nd Baby Limbachiya coming soon,” along with a baby emoji.

Family background

Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa became parents for the first time in 2022, when they welcomed their son, Lakshya.

The couple is among the most well-known faces on Indian television. Bharti is widely recognised for her comic timing and distinctive on-screen persona, while Haarsh has made his mark as a writer and host. Apart from their television work, the two also co-host a podcast together.

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India News

Renaming MGNREGA removes core spirit of rural employment law, says Shashi Tharoor

Published

9 hours ago

on

December 19, 2025

By

Shashi Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has strongly criticised the renaming of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), saying the move strips the rural employment programme of its core essence. His remarks came after Parliament cleared the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, also referred to as the VB-G RAM G Bill.

Speaking to media, Tharoor said the decision to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme “takes out the heart” of the rural employment programme that has been in place for years. He noted that the identity and philosophy associated with Mahatma Gandhi were central to the original law.

Tharoor also objected to the way the new name was framed, arguing that it unnecessarily combined multiple languages. He pointed out that the Constitution envisages the use of one language in legislation, while the Bill’s title mixes English and Hindi terms such as “Guarantee”, “Rozgar” and “Ajeevika”, along with the conjunction “and”.

‘Disrespect to both names’

The Congress leader said that inserting the word “Ram” while dropping Mahatma Gandhi’s name amounted to disrespecting both. Referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas, Tharoor said that for Gandhi, the concepts of Gram Swaraj and Ram Rajya were inseparable, and removing his name from a rural employment law went against that vision.

He added that the name of Lord Ram could be used in many contexts, but questioned the rationale behind excluding Mahatma Gandhi from a programme closely linked to his philosophy of village self-rule.

Protests over passage of the Bill

The VB-G RAM G Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 18 and cleared by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of December 19 amid protests from Opposition members. Several MPs opposed the manner in which the legislation was pushed through, with scenes of sloganeering and tearing of papers in the House.

Outside Parliament, members of the Trinamool Congress staged a sit-in protest near Samvidhan Sadan against the passage of the Bill. Congress also announced nationwide protests earlier this week, accusing the government of weakening rights-based welfare schemes.

Despite opposition criticism, the government has maintained that the new law will strengthen rural employment and livelihood security. The Bill raises the guaranteed employment from 100 days to 125 days per rural household and outlines a 60:40 cost-sharing formula between the Centre and states, with a higher central share for northeastern, Himalayan states and certain Union Territories.

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India News

Rahul Gandhi attacks G RAM G bill, says move against villages and states

Rahul Gandhi has criticised the G RAM G bill cleared by Parliament, alleging it dilutes the rights-based structure of MGNREGA and centralises control over rural employment.

Published

9 hours ago

on

December 19, 2025

By

Rahul Gandhi

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has launched a sharp attack on the Modi government after Parliament cleared the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural) Bill, commonly referred to as the ‘G RAM G’ bill. He described the proposed law as “anti-state” and “anti-village”, arguing that it weakens the core spirit of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The new legislation, which is positioned as an updated version of MGNREGA, was passed amid protests by opposition parties and is expected to replace the existing scheme once it receives presidential assent.

‘Bulldozed without scrutiny’, says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi criticised the manner in which the bill was cleared, saying it was pushed through Parliament without adequate debate or examination. He pointed out that the opposition’s demand to refer the bill to a standing committee was rejected.

According to him, any law that fundamentally alters the rural employment framework and affects crores of workers should undergo detailed scrutiny, expert consultation and public hearings before approval.

Claim of dilution of rights-based guarantee

Targeting the central government, the Congress leader said the proposed law dismantles the rights-based and demand-driven nature of MGNREGA and replaces it with a rationed system controlled from Delhi. He argued that this shift undermines the autonomy of states and villages.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that the intent behind the move is to centralise power and weaken labour, particularly impacting rural communities such as Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis.

Defence of MGNREGA’s impact

Highlighting the role of MGNREGA, Gandhi said the scheme provided rural workers with bargaining power, reduced distress migration and improved wages and working conditions, while also contributing to rural infrastructure development.

He also recalled the role of MGNREGA during the Covid period, stating that it prevented crores of people from slipping into hunger and debt. According to him, any rationing of a jobs programme first affects women, landless workers and the poorest communities.

Opposition to name change and provisions

The Congress has also objected to the renaming of the scheme, accusing the government of attempting to erase the legacy associated with Mahatma Gandhi. Opposition MPs staged a dharna within the Parliament complex, questioning provisions of the bill that they claim dilute the “soul and spirit” of the original law enacted in 2005.

Under MGNREGA, the government guaranteed 100 days of work in rural areas along with an unemployment allowance if work was not provided. The ‘G RAM G’ bill proposes to raise the guaranteed workdays to 125, while retaining other provisions. However, critics have flagged concerns over employment being linked to pre-approved plans.

The bill was cleared after a midnight voice vote in the Rajya Sabha, following its passage in the Lok Sabha amid protests and walkouts. It will become law once approved by the President.

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