Sorry if we have hurt Sonia Gandhi's feelings: Veerappa Moily

News Network
August 25, 2020

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Bengaluru, Aug 25: "If we have hurt her (Sonia Gandhi's) feelings, we are sorry for it," M Veerappa Moily, one of the 23 senior Congress leaders who sought urgent organizational reforms, said on Tuesday, asserting they never questioned her leadership.

At the same time, the former union minister defended being a signatory to the letter addressed to the interim Congress president, as he stressed the need for rejuvenating and restructuring the party. Moily also disapproved of the media leak of the letter and called for an internal party enquiry to find out those behind it and wanted them to be punished.

The former Karnataka chief minister asserted that none of 23 leaders have any intention to leave the Congress. "We have never questioned the leadership of Soniaji," Moily told PTI in an interview, a day after the Congress Working Committee in a meeting prompted by the letter unanimously resolved to strengthen the hands of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in every possible way.

The partys top decision-making body also made it clear no one will be permitted to undermine or weaken the party and its leadership. "Soniaji is like a mother to the party. We revere her even now. There is no question of any intention to hurt her feelings. If we have hurt her feelings, we are sorry for it," Moily said. In her concluding remarks at the CWC meeting,

Sonia had agreed to continue but said this arrangement cannot remain "open ended", as the new party chief has to be selected soon. She had also said that she does not hold anything or any kind of "ill-will" against any of her colleagues irrespective of how hurtful were the remarks made by them. Noting that the party is passing through difficult times, Moily said "We can't afford to lose the Congress party which we have nurtured by our perspiration, dedication and sacrifice."

"We do recognise the sacrifice made by Soniaji, she was reluctant (earlier to take up the post), but she gave life to Congress party. Nobody can be ungrateful to Soniaji. And we still treat her as our own mother and guide the destiny of the party and also destiny of the nation," he said.

"That respect will continue to be there. But at the same time, the party needs to be rejuvenated. Our main theme of the letter itself is rejuvenation of the Congress at all levels. That does not mean she should not be President. Her becoming interim President again is welcome. We all love her." He said wholehearted efforts should be made to rejuvenate the party, adding, the organisation will have to be properly restructured.

Moily claimed some mischievous elements leaked the letter written by the leaders. "I dont know from which end it was released. That was not correct. We dont approve of that, none of us approve of it," he said adding none of the signatories leaked it.

Moily said the leak had occurred "somewhere after it is given to...I dont want to go into that. I think a proper inner party enquiry will have to be done and those who have leaked it will have to be punished, he added.

On some senior Congress leaders, including Kapil Sibal and Shashi Tharoor, meeting at their senior colleague Ghulam Nabi Azads house in Delhi on Monday evening after the CWC meeting,

Moily said he did not know about it as he was not in the national capital. He added: "There is no question of any one of us thinking to condemn the party or be away from the party. No question. Question of joining hands with the BJP does not arise at all. We hate BJP, we continue to hate BJP and policies of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi."

Without naming anyone, Moily attacked 'betrayers' of the Congress. "There are many people who betrayed the Congress many a times, they think that they are more loyal than us," he said. Moily said he joined the Congress in 1968 and had remained loyal to the party.

"There are some people who really let Indira Gandhi, and the Congress party down... they think they are more loyal than the King whereas many of us stood by Congress party and fought in most difficult times for the Congress party," he added.

After a marathon seven-hour-long meeting, the CWC on Monday decided that Sonia Gandhi will continue as the party's interim president and effect necessary organisational changes while an AICC session will be called at the earliest to start the process of electing a new chief.

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Agencies
March 26,2025

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that he was not being given a chance to speak in the House which was being run in a "non-democratic style", and said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had made "unsubstantiated" remarks about him.

Gandhi's remarks came after Birla asked him to follow the rules of procedure that members are expected to observe to uphold the dignity of the House. It was not immediately clear what was the reason for the Speaker to make the observation.

The former Congress president said the Speaker made remarks about him and then adjourned the House without giving him an opportunity to speak.

"The Speaker just got up and left. He did not allow me to speak a word. He was speaking about me, and I don't know what he said about me, all unsubstantiated. I said, 'let me speak as you have spoken about me', but he did not say a word and just left. He adjourned the House when there was no need of it," the former Congress president said.

About 70 Congress Lok Sabha MPs, including deputy leader of Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, party general secretary KC Venugopal and party's whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore, met the Lok Sabha speaker and raised the "denial" of opportunity to Gandhi to speak in the House.

Speaking with reporters in Parliament House complex, Gandhi said there is a convention that the Leader of Opposition is allowed to speak, but whenever he gets up to speak, he is not allowed to speak.

"So, in what manner is this House being run? We are not being allowed to speak. I have not done anything, I was sitting quietly, I did not speak anything. In the last 7-8 days, I have not been allowed to speak," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

In a democracy, the opposition has a place, and the government has its own place but here there is no place for the opposition, he alleged.

Gandhi said he wanted to speak on Maha Kumbh last week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a statement on it but he was not allowed to speak.

"I wanted to state that it is good that Kumbh happened, and I wanted to speak about unemployment, but I was not allowed to speak. I don't know what thinking or approach does the Speaker have but the truth is we are not being allowed to speak. It (the House) is being run in a non-democratic style," Gandhi claimed.

Earlier, in his remarks, the Speaker said members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the high standards and dignity of the House.

"Several instances have come to my notice where the conduct of members does not conform to the high standards," the Speaker said.

"In this House, father and daughter, mother and daughter, husband and wife have been members. In this context, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself in accordance with Rule 349 that deals with rules to be observed by members in the House," the Speaker said.

"Especially, it is expected of the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself as per the rules," the Speaker said.

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News Network
March 27,2025

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The Karnataka government has announced that Nandini milk will become ₹4 costlier per litre starting April 1, 2025. This is the second price hike this year.

The decision was made during a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Karnataka Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna and Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh said the increase is meant to support dairy farmers by covering the rising costs of producing and processing milk.

Officials also said that:

>> The extra money from the price hike will go directly to the milk producers.

>> The earlier ₹2 price hike (announced on June 26, 2024) will be withdrawn.

>> The new price hike of ₹4 will apply to both 500 ml and 1-litre packets.

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News Network
March 28,2025

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A 7.7 magnitude earthquake, and an aftershock of 6.8, hit central Myanmar at 12.50pm (local time) Friday. The epicentre was 16km northwest of the city of Sagaing, and at a depth of 10km, the United States Geological Survey said. 20 deaths have been reported - in Myanmar so far - by local media.

Deaths have also been reported from a mosque in Mandalay city, which collapsed while people were inside, praying and a university building in which a fire broke out. And a 1,000-bed hospital in Myanmar capital Naypyidaw has become a "mass casualty area", news agency AFP said.

The Myanmar junta has declared an 'emergency' and has appealed for international aid.

Tremors were felt as far away as northern Thailand, where some metro and rail services were suspended in Bangkok. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is holding an "urgent meeting" to review the crisis and she too has declared a state of 'emergency' in the capital city.

China's Yunnan province also reported strong tremors; the China Earthquake Networks Center said the magnitude was 7.9. And mild tremors were also reported from Kolkata in Bengal and parts of Manipur, where tremors of 4.4 magnitude were recorded as well as Dhaka and Chattogram in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India is ready to offer any assistance needed. "Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone," he posted on X. "... have asked our authorities to be on standby."

Terrifying videos on X showed buildings shaking in Bangkok and other cities, with people running onto the streets in panic. "I heard it... I was sleeping in the house and then I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building," Duangjai, a resident of popular tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP.

One particularly horrifying video showed water from an infinity pool falling over the edge.

And another showed an under-construction skyscraper in Bangkok's Chatuchak neighbourhood collapsing. According to reports, 43 workers have been trapped amid the debris.

"When I arrived to inspect the site, I heard people calling for help, saying help me," Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bang Sue district, told AFP. "We estimate that hundreds of people are injured but we are still determining the number of casualties."

In Myanmar, an old bridge over the Irrawaddy River and some residential buildings having collapsed, with images from Mandalay (around 24km from Sagaing) suggesting more people may be trapped.

Other videos showed extensive damage to the airport in Mandalay and to a monastery near the city of Taunggyi, in Myanmar's Shan State that is on the border to Thailand.

Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or more struck between 1930 and 1956 near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the country.

A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake, in the ancient capital Bagan in central Myanmar, killed three people in 2016, also toppling spires and crumbling temple walls at the tourist destination.

The impoverished nation has a strained medical system, especially in its rural states.

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