Priyanka Gandhi Archives - Lokmarg

Priyanka Meets Punia, Sakshi Amid Protest Over WFI Chief’s Election

By LokMarg 22nd December 2023

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Friday met wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia after Sakshi announced her retirement from wrestling in a protest against the election of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s aide Sanjay Singh as the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

Gandhi after meeting the protesting wrestlers assured them of her full support and said that she would stand in their fight till last.

After coming out of the meeting with the wrestlers, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi spoke to reporters and said, “I came here as a woman because I think what has happened to these girls is beyond disgusting.”

After the election of Sanjay Singh as the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Sakshi Malik on Thursday put her shoes on the table at the press conference as she announced her decision to quit wrestling.

“We slept for 40 days on the roads and a lot of people from several parts of the country came to support us. If Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling,” she said, accompanied by some other wrestlers who were part of the protest.

Congress leader Deepender Hooda had also accompanied Priyanka Gandhi to the residence of a wrestler.

Deepender Hooda informed that Priyanka Gandhi assured the wrestlers she would stand in their fight for justice till last.

“Priyanka ji told them that Congress is with them. The whole nation is sad over the treatment our women wrestlers have got. This is unfortunate. We assured them of full support,” Hooda said.

Meanwhile, India’s ace wrestler Bajrang Punia, who on Friday announced that he is returning his Padma Shri after former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s aide was elected president of the federation, said he will not take the medal back home and placed it on the pavement near Kartavya Path in central Delhi.

“As I have said earlier we were fighting for our daughters and sisters. I could not get justice for them. Due to this, I think I do not deserve this honour. I came here to return my award, However, I could not meet with PM because I didn’t have an appointment. PM has a busy schedule. So I am putting my award on the letter written to PM. I will not take this medal to my home,” Bajrang Punia told reporters.

Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik were part of a protest by wrestlers against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations against him.

Earlier, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections were held on Thursday after several postponements earlier in the year.

A panel led by Sanjay Singh won the WFI election. The other panel got seven votes.

Sanjay Singh served on the WFI’s previous executive council. Since 2019, he has also served as the national federation’s joint secretary.

The WFI elections were originally slated to be held on August 12. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, while holding a hearing on a petition in August, extended the stay on the WFI elections till September 25. Elections to the federation, which oversees wrestling in the country, were initially planned for June this year. (ANI)

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Rahul, Priyanka Set To Ignite High-Octane Campaign With Vijayabheri Bus Yatra

By LokMarg 17th October 2023

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi are scheduled to visit Telangana as part of their Vijayabheri yatra on Wednesday.

The leaders will commence their bus yatra, which will start from the historic Ramappa temple in Mulugu and conclude in Ramanujapuram between 5 pm and 6 pm.

Both leaders will respectfully present the Congress’s six guarantees before Lord Shiva as part of their visit, followed by the launch of the Vijayabheri bus yatra.

Subsequently, both leaders will engage with women from the Mulugu and Bhupalpally areas to gain insights into their concerns.

During his three-day visit, Rahul Gandhi is set to conduct a series of public meetings and connect with labourers, farmers, and party members.

This visit by both leaders is expected to provide a significant boost to the Telangana Congress.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on October 9 announced that the Telangana Assembly polls are scheduled to be held on November 30.

The counting of votes will be done on December 3, the poll body added.

Telangana is set to witness a triangular contest between the BJP, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, and the Congress in the upcoming assembly election.

In the previous Assembly election held in 2018, BRS managed to win 88 seats out of 119 and had a dominant vote share of 47.4 per cent. Congress came in a distant second with 19 seats. Its vote share was 28.7 per cent. (ANI)

Priyanka Slams Centre’s Decision To Reduce Tariff On American Apples

By LokMarg 12th September 2023

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday slammed the Centre over its decision to reduce customs duty on apples imported from the US, saying it will make import of American apples easier and the move has come at a time when apple growers were facing problems.

Priyanka Gandhi, who is visiting rain and flood-affected areas of Himachal Pradesh, said there has been a massive loss.

The Congress leader told ANI that the farmers in the state were suffering due to decisions of industrialists concerning procurement and the central government’s move on tariff reduction on apples coming from US will affect them adversely.

“…This will make the import (of American apples) easy and they will be sold easily. Prices of procurement of apples in Shimla have been brought down by big industrialists. When the apple growers are suffering here, who should be helped? They, or the farmers in the US?” she asked.

The Congress leader said local farmers should be helped and they should get proper price for their produce.

She was answering a query about Centre’s decision of 20 per cent reduction in customs duty on apples imported from the US.

In June, the US and India agreed to terminate six outstanding disputes at the World Trade Organization. Also, India agreed to reduce tariffs on certain US products, including chickpeas, lentils, almonds, walnuts, apples, boric acid, and diagnostic reagents, a United States Trade Representative statement said on Friday.

An additional 20 per cent duty was imposed on US apples in 2019 in response to US’ measure to increase tariffs on certain steel and aluminium products. There is no reduction on Most Favoured Nation (MFN) duty on apples which is still applicable on all imported apples including on the US at 50 per cent.

Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, have also slammed the Centre’s move to reduce tariff on apples imported from the United States.

Speaking about the impact of rain-induced floods in Himachal Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi urged the Central government to declare the situation in the hilly state a national disaster.

She told ANI that the state government is doing what it can and the calamity should not be politicised.

“The situation is very painful. There has been a massive loss…People are suffering…We have been requesting that if the Central Government declares it a national disaster, it will be beneficial to them (locals). The state government is doing everything it can…But some things can be done only with the help of the Central Government. I’m sure they will help… I don’t think anyone wants to politicise such a calamity…,” she said. (ANI)

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Priyanka Pens Appreciation Post For IndiGo Cabin Crew

By LokMarg 21st July 2023

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday penned down an appreciation post for the cabin crew of an IndiGo flight she was travellig on, calling them “most efficient and pleasant”.

Taking to Instagram, Priyanka Gandhi shared a string of pictures which she captioned, “Thank you to the sweet Indigo ladies on my flight to Gwalior….I have always thought that the crew on Indigo flights are most efficient and pleasant.”

In the pictures, the Congress general secretary is seen posing with the crew members of the flight and in the last post, she shared a picture of a special gift she received from team IndiGo.

Soon after she dropped the pictures, her followers swamped the comment section with red hearts and fire emoticons.

“This shows simplicity can bring people closer to you,” a fan commented.

Another fan wrote, “Brave girls!!“

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address a public rally in the Gwalior-Chambal region, which is the home turf of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, on Friday.

Her rally in Gwalior comes two days after the Congress government announced implementation of Gruhalakshmi scheme in Karnataka for direct transfer of Rs 2000 every month to the women heads of families. (ANI)

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WFI Chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Singh

Wrestlers Protest Expanding Like Shaheen Bagh: Brij Bhushan

By LokMarg 1st May 2023

Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Monday alleged that wrestlers’ protest is “expanding like Shaheen Bagh” and the target of protest is not him but the BJP.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh asked why the protest at Jantar Mantra has not ended even though an FIR has been registered on demand of wrestlers and alleged that the protest is “paid”.
“Tukde-tukde gang, the forces which were active in Shaheen Bagh, in the farmers’ protest, those who attack PM Modi from time to time, attack the party, all those forces are visible,” he said.

“I have been saying right from the beginning that my resignation is not their target, that is their excuse, their target is the party (BJP). When on their demand an FIR has been filed…the way they are inviting political parties, …Priyanka Gandhi reached, her husband reached, Malik sahab (Satyapal Malik) reached, Kejriwal reached, the way people are coming together, abusive language is being used against the Prime Minister…is this an agitation of players? it is not,” he told ANI.

Shaheen Bagh in Delhi came to the limelight during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in 2019. The protesters blocked the road against the citizenship law for a few months forcing long traffic diversions.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP MP from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh, asked if normal players can hire expensive lawyers for cases.

“There are industrialists behind it, these industrialists want to hurt me in every way, they are pouring money… I feel when industrialists can spend hundreds of crores against me.. there is a threat to my life, they have decided to be after Brij Bhushan Singh,” he said.

“The demand was that there should be FIR. It has been registered but their agitation is not coming to an end. Does the agitation not cost money. Slowly it is expanding like Shaheen Bagh. Slowly they want to divide UP, Haryana,” he added.

The MP said the majority of wrestlers were from two caste groups in Uttar Pradesh and one in Haryana.

“I want that these players to be asked by people from these two states why they are not letting nationals happen? I did cadet nationals, they protested against it. The nationals for the juniors, under 15 and under 23 should have been done by now. There are parents making sacrifices for the players. The wrestlers protesting are practising at Jantar Mantar. They are all big names, they can get permissions for trials as well. But what about the children whose parents are making sacrifices but are not getting to play because the activities of the federation are stopped for four months,” Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh told ANI.

The Delhi Police on Friday registered two FIRs against WFI president Singh over allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation of female wrestlers.

Top Indian grapplers such as Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, are part of the protest against the WFI chief.

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said Delhi Police is probing the allegations and the result of probe should be awaited.

The MP said he had given the oversight committee a purported audio allegedly of a player involved in the protest.

“What resignation should I give,” he said, adding that there was a conspiracy against him.

He said he was not aware of some of the allegations and did not know who had made them.

After a protest led by some prominent wrestlers of the country in January this year, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had announced the formation of an ‘oversight committee’ to probe allegations levelled against the WFI and its chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and other coaches.

The committee was tasked with submitting a report on the issue to the ministry. The wrestlers launched a fresh protest in April. (ANI)

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Priyanka Gandhi PA Booked For Threatening Archana Gautam

By LokMarg 8th March 2023

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s personal assistant has been booked for allegedly misbehaving and threatening former Bigg Boss contestant and Congress leader Archana Gautam, said police on Tuesday.

Archana Gautam’s father Gautam Buddha had registered a case against Vadra’s PA Sandeep Singh at Partapur police station in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh under sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and also under sections 3(1)(d) and 3(1) of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Her father in a complaint to police alleged that Sandeep Singh not only used casteist words to his daughter, but also threatened to kill her.

“My daughter Archana Gautam was called to Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on February 26 by Sandeep Singh to participate in the Congress General Convention on the invitation of Priyanka Gandhi. My daughter asked for an appointment with Priyanka Gandhi but he refused and misbehaved with her. He also used casteist indecent language, humiliated my daughter and threatened to kill her in front of everyone on the convention stage. The video proof of which is available with the cameraman present there,” her father told the police.

Her further alleged that when her daughter met Priyanka Gandhi and said that she had been trying to meet her for a long time, then Singh threatened to put her in jail.

“Due to this my daughter’s mental condition has been deeply affected, as well as my daughter’s reputation has been hurt. Such insulting casteist remarks in front of everyone deeply hurt me and my family. Sandeep has even threatened to put my daughter’s family in jail and has also threatened to destroy my daughter’s career,” the complaint read.

Meerut police officials said that the an FIR has been filed against Sandeep Singh based on the complaint of Archana Gautam’s father.

“Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s PA has been booked for allegedly threatening former Bigg Boss contestant Archana Gautam,” Meerut SP Piyush Kumar Singh said.

“Further probe into the matter is on,” he added. (ANI)

I Learnt A Lot From Bharat Jodo Yatra: Rahul Gandhi

By LokMarg 26th February 2023

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said he learnt a lot during his just concluded months-long ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ during which he met people from all sections of the society.

“During Bharat Jodo Yatra I learned a lot. I walked for my nation from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Thousands connected with me and other party leaders during the yatra. I listened to all problems of farmers and realised their pain,” Rahaul, an MP from Kerala’s Wayanad constituency, said on Sunday at the party’s ongoing 85th Plenary Session in Raipur.

The yatra began on September 7, 2022, from Kanyakumari and passed through 12 states, culminating in Jammu and Kashmir — covering a total distance of about 4,000 kms over the course of four-and-a-half-months.

He also mentioned Jammu and Kashmir leg of his yatra, saying that he felt like being at home when he reached there.

“52 years passed and I still don’t have a home, but when I reached Kashmir, it felt like home. The yatra was to make people of all castes and age groups feel at home. People were not talking political with me during the yatra but it all changed when I reached Kashmir,” Gandhi said.

According to Congress, the walk was aimed at uniting and strengthening India. It also sought to address unemployment and inflation issues, and what the Congress claimed, was the “politics of hate and division and over-centralisation of our political system”.

Further, Rahul Gandhi, targeting the BJP, said politics should revolve around unemployment and economic matters.

“During elections, issues not relevant to the public are raised. Politics should be on how to tackle unemployment, strengthen GDP, and take our economy forward. The BJP raided us but we are standing strong,” he added. (ANI)

Priyanka Arrives In Raipur To Attend Congress’ 85th Plenary Session

By LokMarg 25th February 2023

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi arrived in Raipur on Saturday to attend the 85th plenary session of the party.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel received her at the airport.
Flower petals were laid out on the streets to welcome Priyanka Gandhi and other Congress leaders in Raipur.

The 85th plenary session of the Congress party began on Friday in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

Party Chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address the session on Saturday.

The plenary will on Saturday also discuss resolutions including political and economic ones.

Former Party chief Rahul Gandhi will address the plenary on February 26.

A meeting of the steering committee was held on Friday to decide the agenda of the plenary session.

The Steering Committee decided to go for nomination members to Congress Working Committee (CWC) in view of the challenges faced by the party and the proposed amendments to the party’s constitution.

There was some speculation that Congress may opt for elections to CWC, a demand that has been raised from time to time by sections in the party. CWC is the highest-decision-making body of Congress.

“During the Steering Committee meeting today, members gave their opinion and with everyone’s consent the committee decided that the party president should be given the power of selecting CWC members,” party leader Jairam Ramesh said at a press conference.

He said 16 articles and 32 rules are proposed to be amended and an important amendment was to provide 50 per cent reservation in the working committee for SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities and youth below the age of 50.

Asked if no one from the Gandhi family was present in the meeting of the steering committee and if their concurrence were taken, Ramesh said the discussion was held among those present in the meeting.

The Subjects Committee held a discussion on the party resolutions on Friday. In his opening remarks, Kharge talked about the challenges including the assembly elections this year and the Lok Sabha polls next year.

He attacked the BJP-led government saying democracy and the Constitution were under threat.

Noting that 84 sessions of the party have been held since its formation in 1885, he said the plenary this year holds special significance as it marks 100 years since Mahatma Gandhi was elected the Congress president.

He hoped that the plenary will be a milestone in the party’s journey.

The party is likely to amend the constitution to confer party leaders who have been Prime Ministers and party chiefs permanence in the CWC. (ANI)

Bharat Jodo Enters UP, Ex RAW Chief Dulat, SS’s Priyanka Join It

By LokMarg 3rd January 2023

Amarjit Singh Dulat, former Cheif of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and former special director of the Indian Intelligence Bureau, joined Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra on Tuesday in the Uttar Pradesh leg of the Yatra.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also joined Bharat Jodo Yatra with RG in Seelampur. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also joined the UP leg of the yatra today.
Notably, leaders like Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav extended their warm wishes to Bharat Jodo Yatra on Monday. But they won’t join the Yatra in Uttar Pradesh, sources said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led Bharat Jodo Yatra and entered Uttar Pradesh today after a nine-day Christmas and New Year break. The Yatra resumed from Delhi’s Marghat Hanuman Mandir near Kashmiri Gate at around 10 AM today.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visited Marghat Hanuman Mandir in Delhi in the morning. Temple Mahant Vaibhav Sharma said that Rahul Gandhi chanted mantras in his mind and bowed before the idol of Hanuman.

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Tuesday joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra after Rahul Gandhi sent an invite to her. She said, “The time has come for the opposition to unite and confront the current situation in the country.”

The Yatra is expected to cross Uttar Pradesh over a span of three days before re-entering Haryana on January 6.

Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Uttar Pradesh from Delhi via Loni. A large number of people were present along the way to welcome the yatra.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will accompany Rahul Gandhi throughout the UP leg of the Yatra.

Yatra will cover the stretch from Loni in UP to Ghaziabad. It will take a halt at Baghpat tonight.

The UP Police has issued guidelines ahead of the Yatra entering the state. “The yatra will reach from Loni to Baghpat and the common people should not have any problem in communication,” said the Police officials.

Congress leaders Alka Lamba, Spokesperson Shama Mohamed, and MP Jothimani were seen in today’s Delhi leg of Yatra.

Shama Mohamed said to ANI, “Congress has sent the invitation to the leaders of the Opposition. Some people could not make it. But they have extended their wishes. That’s a positive message.”

Alka Lamba said to ANI, “We want to ask the Delhi government and the BJP government at the center. What has been done for the security of women? One decade has passed since 2012. Still, incidents like Kanjhawala happened. The issue of women’s security is also getting prominence from the Yatra.”

The yatra has covered more than 110 days and over 3,000 km of march. Starting from the southern states, the yatra moved to Rajasthan and Delhi before the break.

So far, the Yatra, which started from Kanyakumari on September 7, has covered parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, and Haryana. It will culminate in Jammu and Kashmir.

It is the longest march on foot by any Indian politician in the history of India, the Congress has claimed.

With this yatra, Rahul Gandhi aims to mobilize the party cadre and unite the general public against the BJP’s “divisive politics in the country. (ANI)

Gehlot Joins Bharat Jodo Yatra, Calls It “Journey Of Every Class”

By LokMarg 10th December 2022

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot joined Congress party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, along with party MP Rahul Gandhi and others on Saturday.

The padayatra resumed from Rangpuria village in Bundi district, Rajasthan.
“Cleanliness warriors and sweepers are also joining the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. #BharatJodoYatra There is a journey of every class, there is a platform to raise the issues of every class,” tweeted CM Gehlot.

People were seen joining the march in large numbers holding banners and party flags.

Bharat Jodo Yatra, which began on September 7 from Kanyakumari, will cover a further distance of 2,355 km in its 3,570-km march. It will end in Kashmir next year. It is the longest march on foot by any Indian politician in the history of India, the Congress claimed earlier in a statement.

The Congress suffered a debacle in the assembly polls held earlier this year and the Yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra has so far covered parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, and has now entered Rajasthan.

Earlier on December 8, Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge said that Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra has contributed to the party’s performance in the hill state, of Himachal Pradesh.

“We have won the Himachal elections. I want to thank the people, our workers, and our leaders as due to their efforts this result has come. I want to thank Priyanka Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra also helped us with this. Sonia Gandhi’s blessings are also with us,” Kharge told reporters. (ANI)

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