Congress will slide no further, can now reverse tide: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid
Bengaluru, Oct 28: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said on Monday the outcome of Haryana and Maharashtra elections indicates that his party's slide in the country has stopped and it can now look forward to reversing the tide.
The party has now come out of a bad period of confusion and self-doubt, the former Union Minister said, obviously referring to the party's poor show in the Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi quitting as the party President and some leaders deserting in a few States.
Terming the election results in the two States as "encouraging", he said the party workers are very pleased.
In Haryana, the Congress doubled its 2014 tally, and it Maharashtra, the Congress-NCP alliance improved its tally considerably.
"It (the election results) gives them (Congress workers) a second breath and I think it's a remainder to all of us in the Congress that there is a lot of life in us and what we need to do now is to get back on our feet and fight with faith and conviction," Khurshid told PTI.
"I think it's a clear indication that there is no further slide and we can start reversing the tide,'' he said, adding the Congress now needs clarity of purpose.
Khurshid said the Congress has an outstanding manifesto but in public performances there needs to be clarity of purpose.
He added that departing from manifesto and taking contradictory positions are some things that need to be avoided.
"We need a clarity of unity and purpose and I hope that we will be able to show that," Khurshid said.
Asked if the Congress would have put up a much better show had it made more efforts before the elections in the two states, he said that's always the case.
"We were coming out of a very bad period, we had obviously lot of confusion, self-doubt etc. I think all that haze has cleared and we can see the path clear again," he said.
On some reports before the elections in Haryana and Maharashtra that the verdict is going to be one-sided with BJP projected to win and the Congress not putting up a fight, Khurshid said it was a perception created by a section of the media and there was no lack of conviction in his party.
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NCW chief condemns rape-murder of 4-year-old girl in Pune, calls for swift action
New Delhi (PTI): National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has condemned the alleged rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Pune, calling it "deeply distressing" and a "blot on humanity".
The girl was allegedly raped and killed by a 65-year-old labourer, who has a criminal record, in Bhor tehsil of Pune on Friday. The accused allegedly lured the child to a cattle enclosure on the pretext of giving her food. After raping her, he killed her by hitting her with a stone, according to police.
The accused has been arrested.
In a post on X on Saturday, Rahatkar said the incident in the Nasrapur area in Pune was heartbreaking and has shaken society.
"The brutal torture and murder of a four-year-old innocent girl in Nasrapur (Bhor, Pune) is deeply painful, heartbreaking, and shocking. It is a blot on humanity," she said.
She said Pune Rural police has arrested the accused and noted that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar have assured strict action in the case.
Rahatkar said the NCW has taken cognisance of the matter and written to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), requesting the body to ensure necessary and prompt action.
It has also been recommended that the case be pursued under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and be closely monitored from the filing of the chargesheet to proceedings in a fast-track special court to ensure time-bound justice, she added.
Ensuring justice for the victim and stringent punishment for the accused is a collective responsibility, the NCW chairperson underlined.
In a post on X, the NCW said it has taken suo motu cognisance of the extremely "heinous" incident.
"This heinous crime causes profound pain and outrage, and it highlights serious concerns regarding the safety of young girls," it said.
Strongly condemning this grave "inhuman act", the NCW said such crimes constitute a serious violation of children's rights and raise questions about society's security system.
