01-03-2021 The Asian Independent

6 01-03-2021 to 15-03-2021 ASIA
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
RSS has destroyed institutions
and FREE PRESS : Rahul
Chennai : Congress leader and former
AICC president Rahul Gandhi has
charged that the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) has
destroyed the free press and institutions
in the country in a systematic manner
over the past six years. He was addressing
a meeting of advocates at VO
Chidambaram college hall, Tuticorn, on
Saturday.
He said the nation is held together by
institutions including elected institutions
like Lok Sabha,Vidhan Sabhas and
Panchayats and institutions like the
judiciary and a supporting free press.
Pointing out that all these institutions
and a free press hold the nation together,
Rahul Gandhi stated that democracy
in India is dead. He went on to say that
democracy does not die in a day but in a
systematic manner and alleged that the
RSS was instrumental in destroying the
democracy of the country.
Gandhi, who is an MP from Wayanad
constituency in Kerala, said that the
RSS combined with capitalists has
destroyed the balance of the country. He
also charged that when the institutional
balance of the country is lost, states
don't have equal say.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra
Modi directly, he said "The question is
not that the PM is useful or useless but
to whom is he useful? It's like Hum Do
Hamare Do".
On the Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA), the Congress leader said that it
is discriminatory and added that the
farm laws passed by the parliament, are
against the poor farmers of the country.
Rahul Gandhi also said that the people
cannot rely on the institutions to
protect democracy and added that people's
power is the only power that can
protect democracy and democratic institutions.
The Congress leader is on a threeday
visit to Tamil Nadu where assembly
elections are being held on April 6,
along with Puducherry and Kerala. He
had visited Puducherry before embarking
on the Tamil Nadu visit. It may be
noted that the Congress party has been
staking claim to contest in 45 assembly
seats in the DMK-led alliance but the
DMK has been sticking to its stand of
allowing only 22 assembly seats to the
grand old party.
Former Kerala Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy was deputed by the
Congress high command to have a one
to one meeting with DMK supremo MK
Stalin but a consensus was elusive even
in that meeting.
Youth Cong protests fuel price hike outside Smriti Irani's residence
New Delhi : The Indian
Youth Congress on Saturday
organised a protest against rising
inflation, petrol, diesel and gas
cylinder prices outside the residence
of Union Minister for
Women and Child Development,
Smriti Irani, in New Delhi.
Hundreds of Congress workers
gathered and shouted slogans
against the Central government.
Srinivas B.V., National
President of the Indian Youth
Congress, said, "When the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
was in opposition, Smriti Irani
was seen on the streets protesting
Rs 5 hike in petrol, diesel
and LPG prices but today when
there is inflation all over the
country, she is silent that is why
today the Youth Congress has
tried to awaken her from slumber."
"Petrol has crossed Rs 100,
diesel has crossed Rs 90 in many
parts of the country, and the
prices of gas cylinders are
increasing day-by-day, the
shameful thing is that despite
such open loot, the BJP government
is blaming the Congress
and trying to run away from the
issue."
According to the Indian
Youth Congress, farmers, youth,
labourers, traders and women
are feeling the pinch due to inflation,
but it is having no impact
on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh (RSS) and the BJP. The
anti-people and anti-national
face of the RSS and BJP has
emerged in front of the country.
Commenting on the recent
statement of Union Petroleum
Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,
attributing the petrol and diesel
price hike to the cold weather,
Srinivas called it an absurd statement
and demanded his resignation
from the ministerial position.
He also urged the Central
government to reduce the prices
of petrol, diesel and cooking gas
with immediate effect.