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At Princeton University, RaGa lauds NaMo’s Make in India but criticizes its implementation

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8 years ago

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At Princeton University, RaGa lauds NaMo’s Make in India but criticizes its implementation

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Congress VP says anger building up in India against Modi government for failing to deliver on promise of generating employment

Days after he lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on its failure to resuscitate India’s economy while addressing students at the University of California, Berkeley, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday, gave a back handed compliment to the Indian Premier over his Make-in-India campaign.

Interacting with students at the prestigious Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School in New Jersey, Gandhi conceded that he appreciated Modi’s Make-in-India initiative but promptly qualified his praise by asserting that the scheme wasn’t targeting the right sector of India’s economy.

“I like the Make-in-India concept but they are not targeting whom they should. My implementation and focus would be slightly different,” the Congress vice president said, while adding: “PM Modi feels large businesses should be targeted. I feel medium and small companies should be targeted. That is where the jobs are going to come from.”

In a rare display of the political intellect that he is seldom credited to have, Gandhi used Modi’s flagship scheme to highlight how even a good program could fail to achieve desired results if it targets the wrong sector.

Gandhi used the Make-in-India scheme to underscore the government’s failure in creating jobs – a major promise that Modi and his BJP had made during the Lok Sabha poll campaign in 2014 – and said that “there is anger building up in India right now” over the Centre’s inability in creating employment opportunities.

Gandhi sought to draw a parallel between the elevation of Modi and India’s Prime Minister and Donald Trump as President of the United States by asserting that the aspiration of the youth to get proper employment is what contributed in a big way to the meteoric political rise of the two leaders.

“I think the central reason why Modi arose and to an extent why Trump came, is the question of jobs in India and in the US. There is a large part of our population that simply does not have jobs and cannot see a future. And, so they are feeling pain and have supported these type of leaders.”

The Nehru-Gandhi scion who had attracted massive criticism from the BJP last week when he told students at Berkeley that India functions through its dynasts, chose to stay focused on issues related to job creation and aspirations of the youth during his interaction at Princeton.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Just as he had candidly admitted at UC, Berkeley that the Congress had become “arrogant” in 2012, Gandhi once again made an introspective remark, claiming that his party was “unable” to deliver on the front of creating employment but said that the same was now true of the Modi government.

The attack was in a way an escalation of what Gandhi had said at Berkeley a few days ago. “Currently, we are not producing enough jobs… 30,000 new youngsters are joining the job market every single day and yet the government is only creating 500 jobs a day. And this doesn’t include the massive pool of already unemployed youngsters,” Gandhi had said earlier.

On Tuesday, the Congress vice president added the facet of disenchantment among the youth against the Modi regime to his argument. “Those same people who got angry with us because we couldn’t deliver on those 30,000 jobs (a day) are going to get angry with Modi. The central question is resolving that problem. My main issue with Modi is that he diverts that issue and points the finger somewhere else instead of saying ‘listen we have a problem’,” Gandhi said.

The Congress vice president identified “the politics of polarisation” as a central challenge for India. “In the 21st century, if you leave some people out of your vision, you are asking for trouble. New ideas would come, new different visions would develop. So, to me, central challenge in India is politics of polarisation where you pit one community against other and you create spaces for other people to come in,” he said.

“There is a belt of 100 million tribal people who do not feel comfortable with the vision (of the BJP). There are a number of States in India, which don’t want a single vision forced down their throat. There are minority communities, they do not feel that they are the part of the vision. So that’s where the real danger is,” Gandhi added.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Rahul Gandhi attacks Centre ahead of Vladimir Putin’s India visit

Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government discourages visiting foreign dignitaries from meeting Opposition leaders, calling it a sign of “insecurity,” hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Delhi.

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1 day ago

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December 4, 2025

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Rahul Gandhi

As Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Delhi today for the India-Russia Annual Summit, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has renewed his charge that the Centre discourages visiting foreign leaders from meeting Opposition representatives. He called it a sign of “insecurity” within the government.

Rahul Gandhi alleges break in long-followed tradition

Speaking outside Parliament, Rahul Gandhi said that it has traditionally been the norm for visiting foreign leaders to meet the Leader of the Opposition, a practice he claims continued during the tenures of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.

He alleged that the present government advises foreign dignitaries against such meetings. “When foreign leaders come, the government suggests they should not meet the Leader of the Opposition. This is their policy,” Gandhi said. He added that a meeting with the Opposition offers visiting leaders a broader perspective, as “we too represent India.”

Gandhi further stated that this approach reflects the government’s reluctance to allow engagement between the Opposition and foreign guests.

Former Foreign Secretary counters Gandhi’s remarks

Responding to Gandhi’s allegations, former Foreign Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla said visiting leaders operate on very tight schedules and there is no protocol mandating a meeting with the Leader of the Opposition. He stressed that such interactions depend entirely on the guest’s time and preference, noting that the required meetings are those with the President and the Prime Minister.

Putin’s schedule packed with bilateral engagements

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to land in Delhi this evening on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation. His itinerary includes:

  • A private dinner with PM Modi
  • Visit to Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Raj Ghat
  • Engagements at Bharat Mandapam and Hyderabad House
  • A banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu

The visit forms part of the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

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TMC MLA Humayun Kabir suspended after Babri Mosque replica proposal sparks row

TMC suspended MLA Humayun Kabir after he proposed building a Babri mosque replica in Murshidabad, a move that drew criticism from the party and sparked political tension.

Published

1 day ago

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December 4, 2025

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Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended MLA Humayun Kabir after he publicly announced plans to construct a replica of the Babri Masjid in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district. Party leaders said Kabir had earlier been cautioned for making such statements but continued to push ahead with the controversial proposal.

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said the MLA’s remarks were unacceptable, stressing that the party stood firmly by its secular stance. “We noticed that one of our MLAs suddenly declared he would build the Babri masjid. We had warned him before. As per the party’s decision, we are suspending him,” he said.

Kabir vows to continue project, may form new party

Kabir had planned to lay the foundation stone for the mosque replica in Beldanga on December 6. Sources indicated he is likely to resign from Trinamool on Friday and float a new party while continuing with the project.

The choice of date and nature of the project drew sharp criticism from the Trinamool leadership. Hakim alleged the move reflected a “divisional politics” strategy aligned with the BJP. “Why December 6? He could build a school or college. This is divisional politics,” he said.

Sources also said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was “hugely annoyed” by Kabir’s remarks and informed him that the party would not support or associate with such activities.

Governor raises concerns, administration on alert

West Bengal Governor Ananda Bose questioned why action was not being taken if the MLA’s statements risked creating a law-and-order issue. He said intelligence inputs suggested attempts to turn Murshidabad into a “hub of scandal,” adding that authorities would not remain silent if communal tensions were provoked.

Officials confirmed that while Kabir has permission to hold the December 6 event, the administration is maintaining a high-level alert in Murshidabad.

Minutes after his suspension, Kabir withdrew from Mamata Banerjee’s rally in the India–Bangladesh border district, where she was protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.

BJP attacks Kabir over remarks

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo condemned Kabir’s comments, claiming they were intended to “create communal tensions.” He said any attempt to raise structures linked to historical rulers would trigger disputes similar to the Babri Masjid conflict.

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Karnataka Power Shift: What Siddaramaiah–DK Shivakumar compromise formula means

A closer look at the emerging ‘compromise formula’ between Karnataka’s top leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, and how it may shape the state’s political future.

Published

6 days ago

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November 29, 2025

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A possible settlement between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has emerged, signalling a calmer phase in the leadership tussle within the state Congress. While the final decision rests with the party leadership in Delhi, details of the so-called “compromise formula” are gradually becoming clearer.

Breakfast diplomacy calms tensions

After weeks of speculation over friction between the two top leaders, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar met over breakfast today. The meeting, aimed at projecting unity, served as a symbolic reset after their strained ties over the chief ministership question.

Analysts believe the optics were crucial — the Congress successfully avoided a public showdown by diffusing tensions before they escalated further.

A transition of power likely, say analysts

According to political observers, the compromise indicates a strong possibility of Shivakumar taking over as Chief Minister in a smooth transition, potentially as early as March–April 2026.
For now, sources say the arrangement requires Shivakumar to continue as Deputy Chief Minister without pushing for immediate change.

In return, the formula reportedly includes more cabinet positions for leaders loyal to Shivakumar and continuation of his role as the state Congress chief. Siddaramaiah is also expected to back Shivakumar as the party’s face for the 2028 Assembly election.

Why the Congress prefers this route

Replacing Siddaramaiah abruptly would not only upset internal balance but could also weaken the party, given his stature and mass appeal. Shivakumar, despite his influence, does not have the numbers within the legislature to force a takeover, making compromise the most viable path.

Siddaramaiah has already stated that this will be his final term as Chief Minister. With his legacy secure and his position as one of Karnataka’s tallest leaders intact, he appears willing to enable a dignified transition when the time comes.

Variables that could shape the final outcome

The success of the formula depends on three key factors:

1. Trust between the two leaders

Whether Shivakumar believes Siddaramaiah will keep his word remains uncertain. Karnataka’s political history is full of last-minute shifts, giving rise to the phrase “natak in Karnataka”.

2. Decision-making by the Congress high command

Delhi’s leadership must ensure the transition happens on time and without internal resistance, especially in the run-up to the 2028 Assembly polls.

3. Caste equations and political alignment

Siddaramaiah is the strongest face of the AHINDA bloc, while Shivakumar represents the OBC Vokkaliga community. The Congress cannot afford to alienate either group, making the timing and execution of any transition extremely delicate.

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