Goyal hits back at Rahul, calls him 'merchant of hate'
New Delhi, July 23 : As Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that the latest lynching incident in Rajasthan's Alwar represents Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "brutal New India", Union Minister Piyush Goyal hit him back, terming him a "merchant of hate".
"Stop jumping with joy every time a crime happens, Rahul Gandhi. The state has already assured strict and prompt action. You divide the society in every manner possible for electoral gains & then shed crocodile tears. Enough is Enough. You are a merchant of hate," he said in a tweet.
Goyal's remarks came soon after Gandhi shared a news report claiming that the policemen, before taking the lynch victim to the hospital, stopped to take some refreshment.
Attacking the government, Gandhi said: "Policemen in Alwar took three hours to get a dying Rakbar Khan, the victim of a lynch mob, to a hospital just six km away. Why? They took a tea-break en route. This is Modi's brutal 'New India'.
The 'New India,' the Congress chief alleged, is where "humanity is replaced with hatred and people are crushed and left to die."
Rakbar Khan alias Akbar, 28, was on Saturday thrashed by a mob on suspicion of being a cow smuggler. The Rajasthan Police has since formed a high-level team to probe the reasons for the delay in taking him to hospital.
Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani also attacked the COngress leader saying that his family presided over the worst form of hate in 1984, after the killing of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
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National Synodal Assembly 2026 begins in Bengaluru with over 220 delegates
Bengaluru: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) on May 1 inaugurated its National Synodal Assembly 2026 at St. John’s Medical College, bringing together more than 220 delegates from across the country under the theme Synodal Pilgrims of Hope.
The assembly is part of the global synodal process initiated in 2021 by Pope Francis, which calls for greater participation, dialogue and shared responsibility within the Church. In India, the process has involved consultations at diocesan, regional and national levels.
Participants at the assembly include two Cardinals, 25 Bishops, 65 priests, more than 20 women religious, and over 100 lay faithful, including youth and women leaders.
The gathering began with a Eucharistic celebration led by Filipe Neri Ferrão. In his homily, he described the assembly as a moment of grace and discernment and called on delegates to walk together in prayer, listening and missionary commitment.
He spoke about the importance of the Risen Christ in the mission of the Church and urged the faithful to be witnesses of the Gospel. Referring to the conversion of St Paul, he said every baptised person has a role in spreading the message of Christ. He also highlighted the example of St Joseph the Worker, stressing the dignity of labour and the call to holiness in everyday life.
The formal inauguration included the invocation of the Holy Spirit through Veni Creator Spiritus and the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. Deputy Secretary General Fr. Stephen Alathara welcomed the delegates and described the gathering as a spiritual journey.
In his presidential address, Cardinal Ferrão referred to the CCBI pastoral plan titled Journeying Towards a Synodal Church: Mission 2033 and called on participants to build on the vision outlined at the 36th Plenary Assembly held in Bhubaneswar in 2025.
Delegates will reflect on four key themes identified from 16 pastoral priorities: interreligious dialogue and peacebuilding, inclusion of the excluded, poverty and integral ecology, and support for children and youth.
The discussions are being conducted through a method of spiritual conversation aimed at encouraging listening, dialogue and collective decision-making. The focus is on translating these discussions into practical actions within the Church.
The assembly also looks ahead to the Jubilee Year 2033, which will mark 2,000 years of the Redemption, and aims to strengthen the Church’s mission in the coming years.
Further consultations are scheduled for September 2026, with the process expected to conclude at the 38th Plenary Assembly of the CCBI in January 2027.
Organisers said the assembly seeks to strengthen unity within the Church and promote participation of all sections, including women and youth, in shaping its future direction.
