Report

AICC DIARY

Success at WTO Hailed

2.08.04: Dr. Girija Vyas, Smt. Jayanti Natarajan and Shri Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media.

Dr. Girija Vyas said that the Congress president, Smt. Sonia Gandhi is on a visit to the flood-ravaged state of Assam to take stock of the situation there. Dr. Girija Vyas said that the membership enrolment date has been extended till 31 August by the Congress party.

Dr. Girija Vyas congratulated the government and the Commerce Minister, Shri Kamal Nath for successfully protecting the interest of the Indian farmers at the WTO conference and also forcing the United States to cut down the subsidy on exports which will surely benefit the Indian farmers to a great extent. Dr. Vyas praised Shri Kamal Nath for his efforts in successfully placing the cause of Indian farmers and for protecting the rights of farmers from Asia.

Shri Abhishek Singhvi said that the Supreme Court has today issued notice to all affected states in the case of water sharing through the Yamuna-Sutlej Link canal project. Shri Singhvi said that the Congress being a major national party believes in sharing common resources like water and minerals and it should be shared in national interest.

BJP Stand Unfortunate

4-08-2004: Smt. Jayanti Natarajan addressed the media.

Smt. Natarajan said that it was unfortunate that the BJP was not impressed by the success of India’s initiative at the WTO Conference in Geneva. Smt. Natarajan said that Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Kamal Nath’s role was appreciated by all in India and Asia for successfully protecting the rights of formers. This, Smt. Natarajan said, was possible only through the able efforts of Shri Kamal Nath who had placed the case of Asia in a very successful manner and argued the case of India and Asian farmers on a whole and made the other developed nations understand the problems faced by the developing nations.

CAG Revealation

6-08-2004: Shri Janardan Dwivedi, Dr. Girija Vyas and Shri Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media.

Shri Janardan Dwivedi, while making the announcement, said that the Congress President has appointed Shri Ghulam Mohd. Poonchi, Ex-MP & Ex-Minister and Shri R. S. Chhib, Ex-Minister, as vice-presidents of the Jammu and Kashmir PCC.

Shri Janardan Dwivedi further said that the Congress president has included Smt. Omem M. Deori, Ex-MP, and INTUC president, Shri Sanjeeva Reddy in the Congress Working Committee as special invitees.

In another announcement, Shri Dwivedi said that Shri Oscar Fernandes has been appointed as the chairman of the Central Election Authority with immediate effect as Shri Ram Niwas Mirdha has resigned from the chairmanship.

Dr. Girija Vyas said that Congress members lashed out at the BJP leaders in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on the CAG report. The CAG report revealed that state exchequer has been brutally robbed by the three BJP chief ministers between 1988 and 2002 who flouted all rules in disbursing the money from the discretionary fund.

Kranti Diwas

9-08-2004: Shri Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media.

Shri Abhishek Singhvi greeted the people on ‘Kranti Diwas’ and said that for the Congress Party it was a memorable day as on this very day the freedom struggle started in 1942 with the launching of the Quit India Movement. It was also a great day in the history of Indian National Congress which commemorates this day as the start of the freedom movement.

Shri Abhishek Singhvi said that the Congress president Smt. Sonia Gandhi greeted the Congressmen and 250 freedom fighters who had come to greet her on this ‘ Kranti Diwas’ at her residence. The freedom fighters, many of who had participated in the Quit India Movement, had come from all over the country.

Shri Abhishek Singhvi said that the BJP were confusing and misguiding the people of India and the nation by expressing different meanings of Hindutva. Sometimes they call it Rashtravaad, sometimes they call it Deshdharm and sometimes they call it Rashtradharm and what not.

Relief for Gujarat

13-08-2004: Shri Anand Sharma and Shri Janardan Dwivedi addressed the media.

Shri Anand Sharma said that looking at the devastating flood situation in the state of Gujarat, the Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi had earlier made a statement asking the state government to make a formal appeal to the Central Government by way of giving a memorandum. Shri Anand Sharma said that the Congress president had also appealed to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh to release all possible help to Gujarat and we are happy that the Prime Minister has agreed to give immediate help of Rs. 55 Crores to Gujarat from the Contingency Fund. The Prime Minister has given additional Rs. 5 crores to be disbursed among those families affected by floods.

Gujarat Cases Reopened

17-08-2004: Dr Girija Vyas addressed the media.

Dr Girija Vyas welcomed the initiative taken by the Supreme Court in ordering the reopening the 2000 court cases relating to the Gujarat riots. The Congress party had been repeatedly asking the Gujarat government and the then BJP-led NDA government to look into these cases in a free and fair manner, but the Modi government and the Vajpayee government at the Centre were ignoring our demand. But now with the Supreme Court order we are happy that our efforts to get a free and fair trial for those who have perished in the riots has been heard.

BJP’s Double Standard

24-08-2004: Shri Anand Sharma addressed the media.

Shri Anand Sharma said that today also no work could be carried out in both the Houses because of the confrontationist approach of the BJP and while commenting on it we feel sorry that the expectations of the people who think that some fruitful work will be carried out by their representatives have been dashed. Shri Sharma said there were three ministries to be discussed in each of the Houses but nothing could happen. Shri Sharma said that the BJP is not interested in fair politics and take to petty politics. Can Advani, who talks volumes about the values in their party, give a reply to the attitude adopted by their members in not letting the Parliament proceed with its day-to-day work, asked Shri Sharma.

Shri Sharma said that did the Congress ask the BJP to start a communal carnage in Gujarat? Did the Congress asked Uma Bharti to start riots in 1994? Shri Sharma said that in 1999 elections in Gujarat there were many of their leaders who were involved in many serious crimes but they were given the party ticket to fight the elections despite cases pending in the court of law.

Bill Passed Sans Debate

26-08-2004 : Shri Anand Sharma addressed the media.

Shri Anand Sharma said that the Rajya Sabha had been adjourned at about 4:00PM while the Lok Sabha will be adjourned later today. It was a premature sine die adjournment of the House.

Shri Anand Sharma said that since 1952, it is for the first time that the Finance Bill on budget was passed without any debate or discussion. The seriousness of such boycott by the members of the Opposition has to be brought to the attention of the people whom they represent in Parliament through the media. Shri Sharma said it is a practice that on the last day of the Parliament, the leader of the government in the Lok Sabha, the prime minister or the Speaker and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha addresses the House. The Rajya Sabha chairman had expressed his deep anguish over these repeated disruptions and the fact that many urgent matter could not be taken up in the House.

Gegong Apang Back in Congress

28.08.04: Dr. Girija Vyas, Shri Ramesh Chennithala and Shri Irshad Baig addressed the media.

Dr. Girija Vyas said that it was a home-coming for Arunachal Pradesh chief minister, Shri Gegong Apang, and his 29 colleagues today when he rejoined the Congress party. We welcome them today into the Congress party.

100 Days of UPA Govt.

30-08-2004 : Shri Anand Sharma addressed the media.

Shri Anand Sharma said that the UPA government has completed 100 days in office. In this period a firm foundation has been laid for a strong and stable government for the next five years. Shri Sharma said the priorities of the Prime Minister is to ensure good governance, to bring about a qualitative improvement in governance and administrative reforms.

The policies made by the government reflect the concern for the farmers and the weaker section of the society. The decisions taken and the new scheme initiated are towards the fulfillment of the commitments made to the people by the Congress in its manifesto and the Common Minimum Programme of the UPA.

The concern of the government is to right the wrongs of the previous government under the BJP-NDA government, both the policies and direction were wrong, the UPA government is striving to correct the course and take corrective measures to remove the short comings in policies and planning.

Shri Sharma said that the UPA government has made a special package for farmers and rural India. The rural credit structure, which had collapsed under the BJP government, has been restored. More funds have been allocated to disburse loans to the farmers on easy terms. The government has fulfilled the promise of allocating 6% of the GDP for education and 3% on health.

Tom Vaddakan
Media Secretary