Washington:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, speaking at the National Press Club in Washington DC, said that our party was politically forced to take up the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Nyay Yatra because all the instruments that normally work in a democracy were not working.

He said that the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Nyay Yatra were the only ways to connect with Indians.

“We were forced politically to take out the Yatra because all the instruments that normally work in a democracy, they just were not working….The media was not working, the courts were not working…nothing was working so we said, okay, let’s go direct. We went and it worked…It worked beautifully. This was at the political level and my work level but as an individual, at the private level, I always wanted to do it. I always wanted to do it since I was young. I always had this idea that I must, at some point in my life, walk across my country and see what it’s about…” Mr Gandhi said on Tuesday (local time).

He said that politics in India changed in 2014, PM Narendra Modi’s first term as the Prime Minister.

“I think politics in India changed in 2014. We entered a phase of politics we never saw before. Aggressive, attacking the foundations of our democratic structures. It’s been a tough fight. And personally, it changed me,” he said.

“I wouldn’t have ever imagined before 2014 that I would have laughed at the idea of walking from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. But, that was the only way left for the opposition in our country. Media was suppressed, institutions were controlled, agencies were attacking the opposition, and governments were overthrown. We found that literally the only way to go to the people of India. That certainly changed me,” the Congress leader further said.

Explaining his Yatras, Rahul Gandhi said, “One march was on foot, and the other was by car. One went from South India all the way to Kashmir- that was by foot… [which was] 4,000km. Other one was from Manipur which, as you know, is burning to Maharashtra.”

LIVE: Interaction With Media | Headliners Newsmaker | National Press Club | Washington DC, USA https://t.co/RfTpIr2Znk

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 10, 2024

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Amid chants of Bharat Jodo and a copy of the Indian Constitution in his hand, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took the oath as a member of the Lok Sabha this afternoon. Mr Gandhi has been elected from two seats — Wayanad and Raebareli. He has vacated the Wayanad seat that will now be contested by his sister and Congress leader, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

“I, Rahul Gandhi, having been elected a member of the House of People, do solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, and that I will faithfully discharge the duty upon which I am about to enter. Jai Hind, Jai Samvidhan,” Mr Gandhi said, taking the oath.

The Constitution booklet has emerged as a familiar sight in this Parliament session after MPs of the INDIA Opposition bloc held up the booklets in a demonstration yesterday. Several MPs from the Opposition posted photos on social media where they can be seen holding the Constitution booklet. In an interaction with the media, Mr Gandhi yesterday said that the Opposition will not allow the government to “attack the Constitution”.

To counter the Congress’s Constitution narrative, the BJP today launched an all-out attack on the main Opposition party. Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top ministers of the NDA government put out social media posts to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government.

“Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the Emergency. The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India which every Indian respects greatly,” the Prime Minister posted on X.

“Just to cling on to power, the then Congress Government disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail. Any person who disagreed with the Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections.

“Those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess their love for our Constitution. These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on innumerable occasions, got a Bill to destroy press freedom, destroyed federalism and violated every aspect of the Constitution,” he added.

The Prime Minister said the mindset that led to the imposition of Emergency “is very much alive among the same Party which imposed it”. “They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them time and again,” he said.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Congress on October 23 charged that the gap between the ultra-rich and the middle class in the country is widening under the Modi government.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said an analysis of the publicly available data on income tax returns for the period 2013-14 to 2021-22 confirms one of the essential themes of the Bharat Jodo Yatra — that of increasing income inequality.

“The widening gap between the ultra-rich and the middle class under the Modi government is more and more apparent,” he said in a post on X.

“Here’s the proof: The top 1% of income tax payers made 17% of all income in 2013-14. By 2021-22, the top 1% made 23% of all income. “Further, the income growth of the ultra-rich was much faster than for the middle class. The top 1% of income tax payers saw their income grow at 13% year-on-year from 2013-14 to 2021-22 — a massive 60% faster than the income of the lowest 25% of tax payers,” the Congress leader claimed.

Mr. Ramesh said after adjusting for inflation, the lowest 25% tax-payers actually took home less real income in 2022 than in 2019.

“Gross income of the lowest 25% fell by 11%, from ₹3.8 lakh crore in FY19 to ₹3.4 lakh crore in FY22. Meanwhile, the real income of the top 1% jumped 30% from ₹7.9 lakh crore in FY19 to ₹10.2 lakh crore in FY22. “Figures don’t lie. Only the Prime Minister does,” he alleged.

The Congress has been alleging that income disparity between the rich and the poor has been growing in the last few years.

African Union to join G-20, as Sherpas reach a deal

The African Union (AU) is set to join the G-20 as negotiators agreed on clearing its membership, according to sources privy to the discussions at the Sherpa meeting at a resort on the outskirts of Delhi. This will mean the 55-member AU will join the European Union as the only two regional bodies in the G-20. While it still unclear whether the G-20 will be renamed as the “G-21” after the induction of the AU, Indian officials said the announcement would help “leave a lasting imprint” of the work the Indian Presidency has done in bringing in the Global South’s ambitions to the economic grouping.

Delhi may turn venue for dialogue on reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative

As world leaders gather in Delhi on Friday ahead of the G-20 summit, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is on a mission to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI or BSI), in talks on the sidelines of the summit hosted by India. The deal that facilitates export of grain from Russia and Ukraine lapsed in July. Among those in Delhi, Turkiye President Recep Erdogan, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as well as leaders of European Union and UN officials will be trying to work a compromise that would give assurances to Russia, for an exchange that would allow grain export from blockaded Ukrainian ports to restart at the earliest, sources told The Hindu. 

At G-20, Japan backs India, not China, as bridge to Global South: Japanese experts

Beyond the immediate outcomes of the G-20 Summit, one key takeaway with longer term implications is the positioning of India as a key bridge to the “Global South” for Japan and the West, in the view of Japanese experts. “Japan sees a rivalry over the leadership of the ‘Global South’ between India and China, and it is in the interest of Japan and the G-7 that India plays a leading role in the ‘Global South’, not China,” said Hiroyuki Akita, Tokyo-based strategic affairs commentator at Nikkei, in an interview with The Hindu.

Modi, Biden to discuss trade issues, jet engine, drone deals during meet

Progress on the deal to jointly manufacture jet engines in India, purchase of MQ-9B armed drones, agreement on civil nuclear liability and trade are expected to be the top issues on the agenda as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden hold bilateral talks late on Friday, a day before the G-20 summit. Further discussions as well as some of the deals are expected in January when Mr. Biden is likely to visit India and officials said India is looking to have the Quad leaders summit on January 26 or a day before possibly with the leaders as chief guests.

Bharat Jodo Yatra was a people’s movement: Congress

Calling the Bharat Jodo Yatra a people’s movement “unequalled” in history, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on September 7 said the Yatra seeks to bring real issues like economic inequalities, price rise, unemployment, social injustice and subversion of the Constitution to the fore. Mr. Kharge also slammed the trend of “manufacturing headlines” to divert attention from the real issues of the people.

Assets worth over $1.8 billion recovered under Fugitive Economic Offenders Act in four years: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said assets worth more than $12 billion had been attached since 2014 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), while in the past about four years, assets worth over $1.8 billion had been recovered under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA). In his inaugural address at the first-ever International Day of Police Cooperation, after conferring police medals to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials at an investiture ceremony at the agency headquarters, Dr. Singh said the FEOA was brought in by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government.

U.N. chief says ‘systematic repression’ crushing Myanmar democracy hopes

Hopes of a return to democracy in junta-ruled Myanmar are being crushed by “systematic repression”, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on September 7 at a summit in Indonesia with the United States, China and regional leaders. Myanmar has been ravaged by deadly violence since a 2021 military coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government, unleashing a bloody crackdown on dissent.

Indonesia warns against new conflicts as U.S., China, Russia attend ASEAN summit

Indonesia warned leaders including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov against sharpening rivalries as they wrapped up an East Asia summit in Jakarta on Thursday. The meeting brought Washington and Beijing into contact a day after Mr. Li warned major powers must manage differences to avoid a “new Cold War”, and ahead of the G20 summit in New Delhi this week that Chinese President Xi Jinping will miss. Interactions between the officials from the world’s top two economies are being closely watched as they seek to control tensions that risk flaring anew over issues ranging from Taiwan to ties with Moscow and the competition for influence in the Pacific.

India keen on having Quad leaders as Chief Guests for 2024 Republic Day parade

India is discussing the possibility of inviting leaders of the Quad grouping, comprising of India, Australia, Japan and the U.S., to the Republic Day parade on January 26, diplomatic sources confirmed. The possibility of U.S. President Joe Biden being the Chief Guest for the parade, with the Quad summit held a day prior, on January 25, is also being looked into, but given that January 26 is observed as Australia Day, it would be extremely difficult for their Prime Minister to be in India on that day, an official source said.

Caste discrimination survey in IIT-Delhi commenced and withdrawn

After two Dalit students allegedly committed suicide at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi in the past two months, a campus-wide survey on caste discrimination circulated by the institute’s Board of Student Publications (BSP) was been suspended within hours of commencing. As soon as the survey was shared, complaints said the survey’s design was “biased, insensitive, and problematic”, with the institute’s official Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST) Cell stating that it had not been consulted on the survey.

Authorities forced us off the streets in the name of G-20 security, say city vendors

While the city is all set to host the G-20 Summit, street vendors say the authorities have forced thousands of them to vacate public space over the past month. Shri Ram, a member of the town vending committee (TVC) of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), told The Hindu that around 50,000 people have been displaced. The TVC, which comprises representatives from the civic body, police, and street vendors, is responsible for assigning designated zones to the vendors.

Kings Cup 2023 | India lose to Iraq in penalty shootout after conceding debatable penalty, face Lebanon in bronze medal playoff

A Sunil Chhetri-less India conceded a late goal off a debatable penalty to miss out on their first ever win over higher-ranked Iraq, who won the King’s Cup semifinal clash via penalty shootout here on Thursday. India will take on Lebanon in the bronze-medal playoff, which will be followed by the summit clash between Iraq and Thailand on Sunday. In the other semifinal at the 700th Anniversary Stadium, Thailand defeated Lebanon 2-1.

Gukesh excited about the Asian Games, feels India has a fair chance

He was the undoubted star of last year’s Chess Olympiad in Chennai, and now D. Gukesh is excited about the Asian Games, beginning at Hangzhou later this month. Chess is making a comeback to the Asian Games after a gap of 13 years, just in time for the massively talented young Indians like Gukesh. “I am very excited about my first ever Asian Games,” he said at a media interaction here on Thursday. “It is a prestigious event and I look forward to watching athletes in other sports. I love badminton, and I would like to watch it if I could.” Gukesh, who recently broke into the World top 10, believes India has fair chances on the chessboard. “But there are other strong teams,” he said. “And we had a camp here with Boris Gelfand. It went off very well. It was very tiring, which is usually good. The camp was brilliant.”

Opposition’s Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge during a press conference after the bloc leaders meeting, in Mumbai on Friday
| Photo Credit: ANI

Mallikarjun Kharge calls meeting of INDIA bloc floor leaders on September 5 ahead of Parliament’s Special Session

Ahead of the Special Session of Parliament, floor leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc will meet on September 5 at Congress president and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge’s official residence at Rajaji Marg.

Campaigning ends for byelections to seven Assembly constituencies

Campaigning came to an end on Sunday for the bypolls to be held on September 5 in seven Assembly constituencies spread over six States. Bypolls would be held in Assembly constituencies of Dhupguri in West Bengal, Bageshwar in Uttarakhand, Puthupally in Kerala, Ghosi in Uttar Pradesh, Dhanpur and Boxanagar in Tripura and Dumri in Jharkhand.

Election Commission to visit Bhopal on September 4 to inspect poll measures

The Election Commission will visit Bhopal from September 4 to 6 as it gears up to hold assembly polls in five States, including Madhya Pradesh. The commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel, has already been to Chhattisgarh and Mizoram to take stock of poll preparedness there.

Congress to hold yatras at district level to commemorate one year of Bharat Jodo Yatra on September 7

To mark the first anniversary of the Kanniyakumari-to-Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra on September 7, all district units of the Congress party will hold padayatras in their respective areas. A circular from the party’s general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal to all party units read: “To commemorate the first anniversary of this historic Bharat Jodo Yatra, on the remarkable day of 7th September 2023, as per the directions of the Hon’ble Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji, the party has decided to organize ‘Bharat Jodo Padyatra’ from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm at all districts.”

Ethnic cleansing complete in Imphal Valley, says Chidambaram

Former Union Minister and Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Sunday accused the BJP government in Manipur of resorting to “ethnic cleansing” in the Imphal Valley and said nothing could be more “shameful” than this development. Mr. Chidambaram cited The Hindu report about the remaining five Kuki families in Imphal being “forcibly removed” from their homes by the authorities.

Shivpal Singh Yadav will join the BJP: Om Prakash Rajbhar

Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar on Sunday claimed that Samajwadi Party (SP) general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav will join the ruling BJP before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and added a “Maharashtra-like political situation may emerge in U.P.”, hinting at a mass crossover to the BJP from the SP.

Bangladesh gears up to host Russia’s Lavrov and French President Macron as Sheikh Hasina plans G-20 participation

The first fortnight of September is appearing hectic in Dhaka’s diplomatic calendar with multiple high-profile visits and agreements that are being scheduled. The series is expected to start with the arrival of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Dhaka on September 7. This will be followed by the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron on September 11. The two visits are unique as a French President is visiting Dhaka after nearly 33 years and Mr. Lavrov is the first Foreign Minister of Moscow to visit Bangladesh in its history. In between, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is due to arrive in New Delhi in the afternoon of September 8 and participate in the G-20 meetings where Bangladesh is among the “guest countries”.

Iran sentences two women journalists to jail time

Two female Iranian journalists will spend around a month behind bars as part of a three-year partly suspended prison sentence for “conspiracy” and “collusion”, local media reported on Sunday. Under the sentence, Negin Bagheri and Elnaz Mohammadi will serve one-fortieth of the term, or less than a month, in prison, their lawyer Amir Raisian told the reformist Ham Mihan daily newspaper, where Mohammadi works.

At least 25 civilians killed in 48 hours in Sudan: activists, medic

Five civilians were killed by bombs that “fell on their homes” in Khartoum, a Sudanese medical source told AFP, a day after an air strike in the city’s south killed at least 20 civilians. Residents of the war-torn capital reported the city was again pummelled by artillery and rocket fire Sunday, in the fifth month of war between the army and paramilitary fighters.

Asia Cup 2023: Bangladesh keep themselves alive with 89-run win over Afghanistan

Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto delivered when it mattered the most by hitting centuries as Bangladesh registered an emphatic 89-run win over Afghanistan to keep themselves alive in the Asia Cup here on Sunday. While Miraz amassed 112 runs off 119 deliveries, Shanto picked up where he left off in the previous game, with a 105-ball 104 to take Bangladesh to a commanding 334 for 5 after opting to bat.

Hockey | Indian Railways thumps Karnataka, lifts MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup

The experience and the might of Indian Railways was too much to handle for a young Hockey Karnataka side as the former scripted a 5-2 victory in the final of the 94th MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup all-India hockey tournament here on Sunday. The hero of the match was drag-flick expert and former junior international Pratap Lakra, who scored a hat-trick.