Rahul Gandhi says power should be used to empower people of India

Jaipur, Jan.20 (ANI): Stating that power should be used to empower the people of India, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday called for the sidelining of power hungry leaders, adding that they should make way if they fail to perform or be accountable.

He said having power for the sake of power was akin to having poison, and that the focus should be to evolve positives rather than negatives from power.

He also called for an end to infighting within the Congress party, saying that the grand old party still has the support of every single Indian, and should not lose it.

While thanking senior Congress leaders and supporters for the support and education that they had provided him during his eight years in politics, Rahul Gandhi said: “This (being made vice-president of the Congress Party) is a huge honour for me. Over the past eight years, the party has taught me tremendously. I have learnt from seniors, youngsters and thank all of them for the help that I have got from the bottom of my heart.”

The Gandhi scion called for change in the largely centralised system and also raised the issue of youth anger spilling on the streets.

“There is a young and impatient India demanding a voice in decision-making and politics,” Gandhi  said.

Raising the deficiencies in the Indian political system, the Congress vice president asked, “Why do a handful of people occupy political space without being accountable . Power is grossly centralised in the Indian political and administrative system. Why don’t we believe in empowering people.”

“People who are corrupt talk about eradicating corruption, people who disgrace women in daily life talk about women development,” he added.

Emphasising on empowering people who have immense knowledge but are deprived of positions, Rahul said that the time has come to question decision making in politics as only a handful are being empowered.

He also came down heavily on opposition parties and criticized them for terming the Aadhar scheme as a system of bribing the people.

Rahul underlined the benefits of schemes like MNREGA, Food Bill, Right to Education, Direct cash transfer scheme.

On an emotional note he reminisced the time when his grandmother, Indira Gandhi was killed and how his father had cried then. He also said that he was aware of the huge responsibility that had been bestowed on his shoulders. Rahul revealed that his mother, Sonia Gandhi had cried when they were together yesterday night because she knew that power was akin to poison. (ANI)

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Congress converting largest democracy into dynastic society: Arun Jaitley

Bangalore, Jan.20 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley on Sunday charged the Congress Party of converting India, the world''s largest democracy, into a dynastic society.

He was reacting sharply to the elevation of Rahul Gandhi to number 2 in the Congress hierarchy.

"The reforms the party (Congress) has chanted is to take democracy to dynastic rule. The meeting (shivir in Jaipur) failed to address the issues of spiraling price raise, cap on LPG, investment coming to a standstill among others, but has promoted the dynasty rule," said Jaitley while participating in a BJP convention organized by party''s law and parliamentary cell here on Sunday.

Jaitley lamentably said: "Political parties have seized to be structural in nature. Ideologies have taken back seat and families are playing vital role in ruling the state. Only in the feudal society inheritance will be given importance and most of the parties, barring the Left parties, too are following this route."

He, however, said the public is smart not to take the developments as dictated by the Congress.
He maintained that the BJP was the only party in the country that was structural and believed in merit-based leaders taking on positions of responsibility and governance.

"Barack Obama did not become President of the U.S. on the basis of family name or caste. It was ability to lead and immense merit he took the top post," he said.

Jaitley said Rahul''s "anointment" would place the country at risk, as his priorities, experience, public knowledge and reforms mind was unknown.

Targetting AICC president Sonia Gandhi, he said the country''s middle-class is disillusioned with UPA for its rampant corruption, negative economic and infrastructure growth, spiraling price rise due to its anti-people policies. (ANI)

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System needed to be transformed completely: Rahul Gandhi

Jaipur, Jan. 20 (ANI): Newly appointed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday sought a change in the prevailing political system and said there should be greater participation of the Aam Aadmi (common people) in the political and decision making system.

Addressing the All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting here for the first time after being elevated as number two in the party, Rahul said: There is a young and impatient India, and it is demanding a greater voce in the nation''s future. Let me tell you that they are not going to watch silently. The answer is not to run the system in a better way, but the answer is to completely transform the system."

"We need the Aam Aadmi to participate in our politics, because even as I speak their future is being decided in a close room. All our systems are aimed to keep people out. But, I am very optimistic, because we have already put the building blocks to ensure people''s participation in the system," he added.

He lashed out at the opposition parties and criticized them for terming the Aadhar scheme as a system of bribing the people.

"The corrupt stand up and talk of eradicating corruption, and then people who disrespect women all their lives talk of women''s rights," said Rahul.

He also called for an end to infighting within the Congress party, saying that the grand old party still has the support of every single Indian, and should not lose it. (ANI)

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