States Watch

Sonia Gandhi's Birthday celebrated

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Pradesh Congress Committee on December 9 celebrated the birthday of Smt. Sonia Gandhi by organizing several programmes and rallies in the city. Blood donation, dental and free eye-checkup camps were held across the city while fruit and other materials were distributed to poor and handicapped persons.

JAMSHEDPUR: AICC member and Jharkhand Pradesh Congress leaders, Shri Rajesh Kumar Shukla presided over a meeting to celebrate the birthday of Congress president, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and wished her a long life.

The speakers at the function were Pradesh Youth Congress general secretary, Shri Vijay Khan, INTUC working committee member, Shri Sunil Shukla, Shri Ramayodhaya Rai, Shri Rajendra Rajak, Shri Upendra Asthana, Shri Hamid Raza, Shri Kaushalendra Mohato, Shri Vipin Majhi, Shri John Rodriques and Shri S.K. Das.

SAWAI MADHOPUR (RAJASTHAN): The District Congress Committee celebrated the birthday of Smt. Sonia Gandhi with simplicity and gaiety. The Congress workers wished her long life.

At another function, the party workers criticised the BJP-led NDA Government for its anti-people policies and encouraging corruption in every sphere. The meeting was addressed by the general secretary of district Minority Cell, Shri Mohammad Jamil Lahore, Youth Congress Committee block president and general secretary Shri Iqbal Khan and Shri Anis Ahmed respectively.

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Congress Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Cell celebrated the birthday of Congress president, Smt. Sonia Gandhi here at the Nehru Bhawan on 9 December and on the occasion made a resolve to bring back the lost glory of the Congress. The Congressmen also resolved to make the people aware of its policies. The Cell also made it a point to look into the problems of the poor, farmers, youth, unemployed, backward class, minorities, dalits and women of the state and to bring them closer to the Congress by telling them about the policies of the party which was against communalism, casteism and terrorism. The Congressmen vowed to start a "Jan Sampark Abhiyan" to bring the party back to power in Uttar Pradesh.

ALLAHABAD: On 9 December, the Congress activists celebrated the 57^th birth anniversary of Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi with various relevant activities. The partymen organized the function at Arunima Blind School under the presidentship of Special Invitee UPCC and state ex-spokesman, Shri Kishore Varshney. Addressing the gathering former State Home Minister, Shri Rajendra Tripathi said that under the dynamic leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, the Congress has re-emerged once again as a revitalized and dynamic organisation. Shri Varshney said that Sonia Gandhi has displayed Indira's determination and Rajiv's modern approach to the nation's problems. Not only has she won the hearts and minds of the Indian electorate, she has through her constructive work as the leader of the Opposition, ensured that the BJP was unable to ride roughshod over our Constitution and over the rights of all communities.

The convenor and state Youth Congress, senior vice-president, Shri Ajay Sharma said that Smt. Sonia Gandhi is an inspiration for the youths and always keen to put their interest on priority. District Youth Congress president, Shri Mukund Tiwari called upon the youths to come forward to fulfill the task of the party to make the nation strong.

The partymen later distributed woollen clothes, sweets and fruits among the blind, disabled and poor. Among those who spoke and participated in the function were UP Youth Congress general secretary, Keshav Lal, state Minority chief, Abdul Rab, Block Pramukh, Deenanath Pandey, Rajkumar Singh, Rajendra Mishra, Mohd. Sahid, Shiv Manorath Shukla, Bhupendra Singh, Rajkumar Tripathi, Rajesh Pandey, Kaushal Singh, Umanath Dwivedi, Ashok Sharma and many others.