Kejriwal following Modi's strategy of propaganda, false promises: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi, Jan 13: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying that they keep mum on the issue of caste census as they do not want backwards, Dalits, tribals and minorities to get their due share.
Specifically targeting Kejriwal at his first public meeting for Delhi assembly polls, Gandhi said that the AAP convenor was following "Modi's strategy of propaganda and false promises" despite rising pollution, corruption and inflation in the national capital.
Gandhi also promised a caste survey in Delhi if the Congress formed the government in the national capital.
"Kejriwal had said that he would clean Delhi, remove corruption, and turn the national capital into Paris.
"What actually happened -- one cannot move around due to pollution and inflation is rising," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said addressing his 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' public meeting at Seelampur.
"Arvind Kejriwal had talked of removing corruption. Has he removed corruption? Just like Modi ji's propaganda of making false promises, he is following the same strategy.... Pollution, corruption and inflation are on the rise in Delhi," Gandhi said.
The Congress and AAP are part of the INDIA bloc. The two parties had fought the Lok Sabha election together in Delhi, but are contesting the assembly polls separately.
Stressing that India belongs to everyone, Gandhi said the Congress does not want "an India run by a handful of crony capitalists".
"When I talk of caste census, neither Modi says a word nor does Kejriwal because both want that backward sections, Dalits, tribals and minorities do not get their due share (bhaagidari). Ask Kejriwal whether he is with the caste census. Ask Modi ji whether he is with the caste census," Gandhi said.
"I had said to Modi ji in Parliament that you do it or not, we will get the caste census done and reservation cap removed in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha when a Congress government comes.
"We want the poorest of the poor, whether they are Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Christians, to dream big... head big companies," he said.
He urged the people to support the Congress and make it victorious, asserting that the party would ensure Delhi's development as in the past under Sheila Dikshit's government.
"Neither Kejriwal nor the BJP can do what the Congress had done," Gandhi said.
He said a battle of ideology is currently on in the country.
"It is written in the Constitution that India belongs to everyone. The BJP-RSS people spread hatred, make people fight," he alleged.
"We walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to protect the Constitution. (BR) Ambedkar's Constitution is being attacked by Narendra Modi and the people of BJP-RSS daily," he alleged.
"Till I am alive, I will protect every Indian from assault be it Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians," he said.
With the rise of AAP, Congress' stake in Delhi's political landscape has shrunk and it failed to open its account in the last two assembly polls.
केजरीवाल जी आए और कहा कि दिल्ली साफ कर दूंगा, भ्रष्टाचार मिटा दूंगा, पेरिस बना दूंगा।
— Congress (@INCIndia) January 13, 2025
अब हालात ऐसे हैं कि भयानक प्रदूषण है। लोग बीमार रहते हैं। लोग बाहर नहीं निकल पा रहे हैं।
जैसे मोदी जी झूठे वादे और प्रचार करते हैं, वैसे ही झूठे वादे केजरीवाल करते हैं।
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Kerala minor girl rape: 44 arrested, two accused abroad, says police
Pathanamthitta (PTI): The special investigation team (SIT) of Kerala police probing the sensational case of alleged sexual abuse of a Dalit girl in the district has arrested 44 people so far in connection with the matter, a senior police officer of the district said on Tuesday.
DIG S Ajeetha Begum, who is overseeing the investigation, said that 30 FIRs have been registered in connection with the alleged sexual assault of the girl and out of the 59 accused mentioned in the cases, 44 have been arrested.
"Two of the accused are absconding. They are abroad at present. We are considering issuing Look out Circulars for them. We are also planning to issue a Red Corner notice for them through Interpol," the officer told TV channels.
Besides them, 13 more have to be arrested, she said.
"We are searching for their locations. They will be arrested soon. A foolproof and scientific investigation will be carried out by the SIT. We will not spare any of the accused. There will be no compromise. We will bring all of them before the law," the officer said.
The investigation so far has revealed that several of the accused met the girl at a private bus stand in Pathanamthitta. She was then taken to various locations in vehicles and subjected to abuse, police said.
The probe also found that the girl, while she was studying class XII last year, was taken by a youth who was acquainted with her through Instagram to a rubber plantation in Ranni, where he raped her along with three others.
Police said the investigation revealed she was gang-raped on at least five occasions, including incidents inside a car and at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital in January 2024.
The girl, who is now 18 years old, has alleged in her complaint that she was sexually abused by 62 individuals since the age of 13.
The matter came to light during counselling conducted by the Child Welfare Committee, after the victim's teachers at an educational institution informed the panel about noticeable changes in her behaviour.
The Committee, subsequently, notified the police and an investigation is on.
The SIT had been formed to conduct a comprehensive probe into the incident, with Pathanamthitta Deputy SP P S Nandakumar leading the team under the supervision of District Police Chief V G Vinod Kumar.
The team comprises over 30 police officers, including women, from various ranks and stations.
DIG Ajitha Beegam said that once the Sabarimala pilgrimage season gets over, more officers will be included in the SIT.
