Rahul Gandhi to youth: Ask what you can do for the nation

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi opined that instead of questioning the politicians as to what they can do for the country, the youth should ask itself what it can do,. "You got to stop asking your politicians how they are going to do this or that and start asking yourself, how you are going to do it. Because that is how this country is going to move forward," said Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi's response came while addressing a gathering in New Delhi when he was asked how he can help educate illiterate children. He was chairing a talk on 'Future of the Internet- 1.2 Billion Empowered Indians' by Vice President and Chief Internal Evangelist of Google Vinton G Cerf.

"Can I ask you a counter-question? How you are going to help them? Not as a citizen but as a young Indian, how you are going to help them?" he asked the questioner, a JNU student. Observing that there are two ways to deal with the problem, Gandhi said, "One way is to think in a rigid way. How we do this in a linear manner and the other way is to think in an exponential way."

You got to stop asking your politicians how they are going to do this or that and start asking yourself, Rahul Gandhi said. "To say that internet is not connected to the eight year old child, you are cutting off a very very powerful avenue. We don't know how it's connected. Let that child, let his aspirations catch fire."

Referring to Sam Pitroda, Rahul Gandhi said, "He too could have looked at it and said we want to provide access to every Indian over telephone and thought about it in a linear fashion. They would have never got that, they would be sitting here right now, still figuring out how to get phones to Indians."

"What they essentially did is that they came out with something called a rural exchange. You must have all seen a PCO and that humble PCO is actually what gave you cell phones in your hands. Because it suddenly opened up the system to millions of people and it did not do so in a linear way. It did that in an exponential way," Rahul Gandhi said.

Inaugurating the session, the Congress leader also emphasised on creating IT-based systems and structures which helps the country deal with its several complexities. Replying to a poser on how many free Aakash tablets have been distributed by the government in the past one year, Gandhi said, "Frankly I am not the person who came up with the Aakash tablet. You need to ask the gentleman who came up with it and you need to ask him that question."

Rahul Gandhi’s initiative: Youth to have a significant presence in Jaipur Congress session

Congress General Secretary always argued that if the development is to be completed more and more young people should join politics. Their increased participation will cleanse the system and strengthen democracy, he stressed on several occasions. And this strong positive concept reportedly got a good acknowledgment  in the Congress party and the Jaipur Congress’ session is likely to have a good number of youth.

The party this time has emphasized on the necessity for adequate participation of youth. Of the 350 delegates invited to take part in the Chintan Shivir, about 120 delegates will be from frontal organizations like the Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India.

Young people will be given emphasis because the party is seriously looking at emerging challenges such as protests by the youth and forms of expression provided by tools such as social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. The Congress party understands the strength and influence of social media among the youngsters and so correctly wants to reach out to all age groups who use such tools.

New media or social media is something that services the information needs of crores of young people. Congress thinks it would be of worth to the government to see how it could be best leverage its own message.

In fact, reconnecting with the urban middle class and improving delivery systems including dispensation of justice to the poor is something that the party hopes to debate threadbare. These topics are clearly a fallout of the recent protests that saw apolitical groups, largely comprising the youth, who braved police batons and water cannons to protest against, what is being perceived as a callous and an unresponsive system.

Proceedings of the Chintan Shivir will start with an opening speech of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and will end on January 20 with the adoption of the Jaipur Declaration. 

Rahul Gandhi slams ‘umeed ki Cycle’ slogan of SP

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi who has been leading the election campaign for Congress in the state of Uttar Pradesh slammed the slogan of the Samajwadi Party ‘umeed ki Cycle’. Rahul Gandhi said that the Cycle punctured thrice and it also punctured the hopes and future of the people in the state.

“Now this is election time and Mulayam Singh Ji has come with a slogan umeed ki Cycle. Thrice you elected him as your Chief Minister. Please tell me what did he do for you? Did you get electricity or water? I remember in 2007, goons were running the police station. Poor people were not able to lodge FIR. There was a scam in the appointment of police personnel. I was the MP of Amethi in 2007 and I know electricity was available there only for four hours. Now they have again come with a promise of free electricity. For the last 22 years there has been no power houses built in the state. From where will they give you power? Will the electricity fall from the sky?” asked Rahul Gandhi.

In his highly interactive speech Rahul Gandhi told the crowd “You please attend an election rally of Mulayam Ji. After his speech please request him to paint the blue sky with green. He will agree even that. He will commit whatever you want to hear”.

This article is posted by pressbrief.in

Rahul Gandhi questions Mulayam’s pro-minority stance

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi while addressing a public rally in Ambedkar Nagar as part of his U.P election campaign ridiculed the double-stance of SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s on minority welfare.

“SP talks a lot about minorities. But when Rasheed Masood raised this issue of reservation for minorities he was expelled” said Rahul Gandhi referring the expelled former SP leader Rasheed Masood who joined Congress.

On Bunkars relief package he said “Bunkars in U.P had approached me. They pleaded for assistance as they face a lot of difficulties. They informed that they had approached both SP and BSP but no one listened to them. They also shared that they are not able to secure loan from anywhere. We took them to the Prime Minister and the Centre approved a relief package for the Bunkars. We introduced a Bunkar credit card and also helped them to get loan upto two lac rupees”.

He then added “We had not made any promise to the Bunkars that I would help them. But when they came to me and conveyed their difficulties, we helped them. We will do whatever we can do for all sections of the society. Where was Mayawati Ji or Mulayam Ji when poor Bunkars were crying for help?”

Rahul Gandhi promised that the state of Uttar Pradesh will again surge ahead if the people elected a Congress Government in the state.

This article is posted by pressbrief.in