States Watch

Centre has Failed on all Fronts : Congress

NEW DELHI: The political secretary to the Congress president and incharge of the party's Delhi affairs, Shri Ahmed Patel on October 4 lashed out at the NDA government at the Centre "for following the communal agenda set by the Sangh Parivar and its allied organisations".

Terming the Vajpayee Government as most inefficient and ineffective, Shri Patel charged the Central Government with failure on all fronts including the security of the nation.

Addressing a public meeting at Gandhi Nagar in East Delhi on the occasion of inauguration of a newly-built railway bridge crossing, Shri Patel said the directionless policies of the BJP-led government had led to massive unemployment among the youth of the country. "The anti-people policies had increased the number of people living below the poverty line and during the past five years of Vajpayee Government rule, the plight of farmers has gone from bad to worse."

The programme was organized by the area MLA, Shri Arvinder Singh Lovely, and saw the participation of Delhi's Development Minister, Shri Haroon Yusuf, Chairman of MCD Standing Committee, Shri Ram Babu Sharma, former minister, Narendra Nath and Deputy Mayor, Smt. Varyam Kaur.

Youth Asked to Keep Secularism Intact

KOZHIKODE: Youth Congress national president, Shri Randeep Singh Surjewala on 14 August urged the Congress-led Government in the State to show courage by putting Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia behind bars when he visits Kerala next time to distribute tridents to his `fanatic followers'.

Inaugurating the `Manava Maithri Sangamon', organized by the Youth Congress here, he reminded the State Government that the Congress Government in Rajasthan had arrested Togadia when he tried to distribute tridents and kept him in jail for five days. He urged KPCC president, Shri K. Muraleedharan and Shri Ramesh Chennithala, MP to ensure the arrest of Togadia during his next visit to the State for `spitting venom'.

Shri Surjewala said that the secular character of the country would remain intact as long as the Youth Congress functioned here. "Each Youth Congress worker should receive fanatics like Togadia by waving black flags," he added.

Book on Lal Bahadur Shastri

CHANDIGARH: The Youth Congress delegation led by general secretary, Shri Gagandeep Singh Wasu and general secretary and president of Lal Bahadur Shastri Social Forum Shri Sushil Malhotra alongwith the president of the Punjab School Education Board, Shri Rajinder Sharma met the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt. Amrinder Singh at his residence here on 20 September and presented him a book "Dharti Ka Lal" on the life of former Prime Minister Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri authored by Smt. Vibha Shastri, daughter-in-law of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

The book containing 800 pages is about the entire life history of Lal Bahadur Shastri and his social, economic and political achievements for the country. Shri Wasu and Shri Malhotra assured the Chief Minister that the Punjab Youth Congress would soon launch a massive door-to-door campaign in every district of Punjab highlighting the achievements made by the present government.

Block Convention, Training Programme

NARTIANG: A Nartiang block convention was held on the 27th August, 2003 and a district training programme was held on 11th September 2003. These two programmes of the Congress in Jaintia Hills proved a grand success. There was good response from Congress workers as well as the general public. In the block convention, Prof. (Dr.) H. Lamin, district president was invited as the chief guest and in the district training programme the ex-MP, Shri O.L. Nongtdu was the chief guest. Others who attended the programme were Shri N. Lyngdoh, MLA, Minister, Shri Shitlang Pale, MLA, Minister; Shri E.S. Lyngdoh, AICC Member; Shri T. Tariang MDC, Dy. Chief Executive member; Shri N. Lamare MDC; Shri W. Suchiang MDC and other members of district council; Mahila Congress president Jaintia Hills, Smt. R. Lyngdoh; and party workers from the blocks of the Jaintia Hills district. Members present in the conference impressed upon the need for such meetings to strengthen the party.