Both leaders assets to Congress: Rahul Gandhi on Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot
Indore (PTI): Amid the power tussle between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday said both the leaders are assets to the party.
Addressing a press conference near Indore, Gandhi, the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad in Kerala, also said the decision to contest again from Amethi would be taken after one or one-and-a-half years.
"At present, my focus is on the Bharat Jodo Yatra," he said.
Union minister Smriti Irani had defeated Rahul Gandhi in his family's bastion Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
To a query on different statements being given by Rajasthan leaders Gehlot and Pilot amid their power tussle, he said, "It will not affect the yatra and both the leaders are assets to the Congress party."
Asked whether he would like to contest again from Amethi if given an opportunity, Gandhi said "I don't want to give any headline to the media as at present my focus is on the Bharat Jodo Yatra."
"The answer to your question on the issue will come after a year or one-and-a-half years," he said.
To a query on plans for solving the unemployment problem in the country, Gandhi said the main problem at present is that the entire wealth of the nation is confined in the hands of three-four industrialists.
The Congress will focus on creating small scale enterprises to generate more employment opportunities in the country, he said.
Gandhi also said his ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, a mass contact initiative, was raising the voice of the nation.
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India-bound LPG tanker clears Hormuz
New Delhi (PTI): A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and is now headed towards the country, an official statement said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 tonnes of LPG and staffed by 20 crew, including 18 Indians, cleared the key shipping chokepoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, it said.
The cargo -- enough to meet half a days requirement of the country -- will partly tide over supply constraints being faced since the start of the West Asia conflict more than two months back.
Ship-tracking data showed its position in Oman Gulf on Sunday evening.
The very large gas carrier has previously made runs between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the war zone since a weeks-old US blockade of ships tied to Iran began, pushing transits through Hormuz back down to almost zero.
There are as many as 14 Indian flagged or India-owned vessels still stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and uninterrupted operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) control room has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails since activation, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal with no congestion reported, the statement added.
