PM Modi should imbibe qualities of courage, determination from Indira Gandhi: Priyanka Gandhi
says, PM Modi's election speeches are hollow talk
Nandurbar (Maharashtra), May 11: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election speeches as "hollow talk", and said he should imbibe qualities like courage and determination from former PM Indira Gandhi.
Speaking at a rally here to drum up support for Congress candidate Gowaal Padvi from the Nandurbar Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra, a day after PM Modi addressed a public meeting in this tribal-dominated constituency, she accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of not respecting the culture and tradition of adivasis (tribals).
"All that Modiji speaks is 'khokhli baatein' (hollow talk) that does not carry any weight. Yesterday, he said he respects Shabri. So why was he silent when several Shabris suffered atrocities in Unnao an Hathras? Why didn't he raise a finger when women wrestlers were on the streets protesting against the harassment, but the BJP gives ticket to the son of the accused person," she said referring to BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment charges.
Lord Ram respected the common people and was committed to fulfilling their wishes, she said.
"What kind of leader do you want? The one who walks for 4,000 km and comes to you to understand your problems or a leader on whose kurta you will not find marks of dust and is scared to come near you. Do you want a leader who wipes your tears or the one who sheds crocodile tears on stage? Do you want a leader who is fearless and speaks the truth irrespective of the pressure or the one who lies throughout," she asked.
She also asked people if they want politics of principles, service and dedication or politics of power and self glory.
Invoking her family's old ties with Nandurbar, she said her grandmother and former PM Indira Gandhi always began her election campaigns from this place.
"She would preserve whatever you gave to her out of love. My mother learnt how to respect you from Indira Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi worked to safeguard your rights over water and forests," she said.
Indira Gandhi used to visit people's houses with bowed head to understand their problems, she said, adding that Rahul Gandhi went across the country to understand people's aspirations and feelings.
"But show me one photograph of Modi ji visiting the houses of tribals and poor people to understand their problems. He comes to you only to achieve his political motives. If the PM said Rs 15 lakh will be deposited in your bank accounts and two crore people will get employment, it should have been done in 10 years," she said.
The Congress general secretary said it is the duty of political leaders to respect the culture and tradition of adivasis, she said, adding that the BJP does not have any respect for these things.
"President Droupadi Murmu, who belongs to the adivasi community, was neither allowed to inaugurate the new Parliament building nor participate in the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. When it comes to actually giving respect, Modi ji backs out," she alleged.
"He says he is fighting alone against corruption...You (PM) have all the power and official machinery at your disposal. Your party leaders say you are the biggest leader in the world enjoying support of heads of state across the globe...You cry like a child during elections saying you have been subjected to abuse.... Have guts Modiji, this is public life," she said.
"Learn from Indira Gandhi...The woman, like Durga, who broke Pakistan into two. Learn from her bravery, courage and determination. But when you call her anti-national, what can you learn from her," she said.
Instead of listening to people's hardships, the prime minister complains about how he was being targeted, Gandhi alleged.
"Politics is a medium of serving people, while Modiji has made politics a means to gain power for himself," she said.
Describing PM Modi as the "messiah" of billionaires and not of the poor, she accused him of lowering the dignity of the top post.
"It is time to see the reality and vote accordingly. Choose your government carefully, choose what kind of leader and government you want. If you make a wrong decision, no one can stop the direction in which the country is going," she told the gathering.
She said the foundation of Congress' politics is to walk on the path of truth and keeping in mind that people of India are supreme.
That foundation was laid down by Mahatma Gandhi and several leaders of the Congress have followed that principle, she said.
"Why do several BJP leaders speak of changing the Constitution. It is because they have been allowed by PM Modi," she claimed.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz if US lifts its blockade and the war ends: officials
Cairo (AP): Iran has offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its blockade on the country and an end to the war, while proposing that discussions on the larger question of its nuclear programme would come in a later phase, two regional officials said Monday.
US President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan and would leave unresolved the disagreements that led the US and Israel to go to war on February 28.
With a fragile ceasefire in place, the US and Iran are locked in a standoff over the strait, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas passes in peacetime. The US blockade is designed to prevent Iran from selling its oil, depriving it of crucial revenue while also potentially creating a situation where Tehran has to shut off production because it has nowhere to store the oil.
The strait's closure, meanwhile, has put pressure on Trump, as oil and gasoline prices have skyrocketed ahead of crucial midterm elections, and it has pressured his Gulf allies, which use the waterway to export their oil and gas.
The closure has also had far-reaching effects throughout the world economy, raising the price of fertilizer, food and other basic goods.
The proposal would push off negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme to a later date. Trump said one of the major reasons he went to war was to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons.
The two officials, who had knowledge of the proposal, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations between Iranian and Pakistani officials this weekend. The Axios news outlet first reported Iran's proposal.
It came as Iran's foreign minister visited Russia, which has long been a key backer of Tehran. It's unclear what, if any, assistance Moscow might offer now.
Strait of Hormuz remains blocked
===================
Iran's ability to choke off traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, has proved one of its biggest strategic advantages in a war that has often boiled down to which side can take more pain.
Oil prices have risen steadily since the war began and tankers full of crude became stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to safely transit through the strait and reach global distribution points.
On Monday, the spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at around $108 per barrel, nearly 50 per cent higher than when the war began.
Iranian foreign minister holds talks as negotiations with US stall
===============================
Trump last week indefinitely extended the ceasefire the US and Iran agreed to on April 7 that has largely halted fighting. But a permanent settlement remains elusive in the war that has killed thousands of people.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in St. Petersburg on Monday morning ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It is a good opportunity for us to consult with our Russian friends about the developments that have occurred in relation to the war during this period and what is happening now,” Araghchi said in a video interview posted by IRNA.
It comes as Pakistan has been seeking to revive stalled talks between Iran and the US, and negotiations had been expected in Islamabad over the weekend. Instead, Trump called off a trip by his envoys and suggested the talks could take place by phone instead.
Over the weekend, Araghchi made two stops in Pakistan and a visit to Oman, which shares the strait with Iran. He also spoke by phone with counterparts in Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Iran wants to persuade Oman to support a mechanism to collect tolls from vessels passing through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter.
Oman's response wasn't immediately clear.
The official, who is involved in mediation efforts, also said Iran insisted on ending the US blockade before new talks and that Pakistan-led mediators are trying to bridge significant gaps between the countries.
Trump says Iran has offered a much better proposal
===========================
Trump told journalists Saturday that after he called off a trip by his envoys to Pakistan, Iran sent a “much better” proposal.
He did not elaborate but stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran “will not have a nuclear weapon”.
Iran insists its programme is peaceful, but the US wants to remove Tehran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which could be used to build a bomb, should Tehran choose to pursue one.
Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,509 people in Lebanon, where fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group resumed two days after the Iran war started. Another 23 people have been killed in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 US service members in the region and six UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have been killed.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been extended by three weeks. Hezbollah has not participated in the Washington-brokered diplomacy.
