Complaint filed against Rahul Gandhi over Modi surname jibe
New Delhi: A defamation complaint has been filed against Congress president Rahul Gandhi in a Bulandshahr court over his remarks why all "thieves" share the "Modi" surname.
Citing Gandhi's statement, which was made at a public meeting and carried widely in the media, Jagdeep Kumar Modi, a resident of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, filed the complaint on Monday.
He said Gandhi's comment during a rally had dealt a blow to his and his family's reputation as many people made fun of him.
"Gandhi made the statement with an aim to defame those with the Modi surname despite knowing that it is untrue," he said, claiming that it is a punishable offence.
The complainant has urged the court to take appropriate action against the Congress chief.
In the rally in Maharashtra's Nanded district on Monday, Gandhi had cited names of fugitive businessman Nirav Modi and former IPL chairman Lalit Modi, and also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi with "chowkidar chor hai" jibe.
He then went on to ask why all thieves share the Modi surname.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had on Tuesday threatened to file a defamation case against Congress president Gandhi over his comment.
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Min. Priyank Kharge to expresses concern over implementation of VB-G Ram G
Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the proposed VB-G Ram G scheme, stating that the MNREGA programme, which has been a lifeline for rural India for nearly two decades, appears to be facing an uncertain future.
Speaking to media, Kharge said that as March 31 draws to a close, there is no clarity on the rollout of the new scheme from April 1. He pointed out that the central government has not yet issued the necessary guidelines for implementing the scheme for rural workers and villages.
He criticised the Centre for its lack of preparedness, stating that there is no clarity on fund allocation, no final parameters for classifying gram panchayats, and key processes such as social audits have not been defined.
Kharge said the situation comes at a critical time, as summer marks a peak period for rural employment demand, when many people depend heavily on wage employment for their livelihood.
He added that reports have emerged of delays in approvals and families not receiving work despite demand.
He further alleged that the Centre’s move to shift from a statutory employment guarantee to a rule-based allocation system is already showing negative consequences.
Kharge also raised concerns over provisions such as a mandatory 60-day halt during agricultural seasons, which he said would further limit employment opportunities for rural workers.
The BJP-led central government had claimed that the new scheme would transform rural India, but in reality it is turning out to be detrimental to people’s livelihoods, he said.
“The crisis in rural India due to the stalling of MNREGA is beginning to unfold. Given the Centre’s past record in handling such situations, there is growing concern over the impact on rural livelihoods,” Kharge said.
