Poor deprived of their right to dream: Rahul Gandhi flags rising costs of houses
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday flagged concerns over the rising costs of houses, especially in big cities, and said the next time "someone tells you the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures, show them the truth about your domestic budget".
Gandhi shared on his WhatsApp channel a media report which claimed that even for the top 5 per cent of urban families by income in Maharashtra, buying a house in Mumbai would take more than 100 years of savings.
"Yes, you read it right - and if you don't believe it, let me repeat it: 'To buy a house in Mumbai, even the richest five per cent of India's people will have to save 30 per cent of their income for 109 years!'" Gandhi said.
"This is the condition of most big cities, where you work hard in search of opportunities and success. And, where will so much savings come from?" he said in his post in Hindi on his WhatsApp channel.
The inheritance of the poor and the middle class is not wealth, but responsibilities - expensive education of children, worry about expensive treatment, responsibility of parents or a small car for the family, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
"Still, there is a dream in the hearts - 'one day' we will have a house of our own! But when that 'one day' is 109 years away even for the rich, then understand that the poor have been deprived of their right to dreams," Gandhi said.
"Every family needs a comfortable four-walls and a roof over its head - but unfortunately, it costs more than your entire life's hard work and savings," he said.
"The next time someone tells you the Gross Domestic Product figures, show them the truth about your domestic budget - and ask, who is this economy for?" Gandhi said.
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Will take legal course if film is stopped: Vivek Agnihotri on release of 'The Bengal Files' in WB
Kolkata, Aug 18 (PTI): Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri on Monday said he would go the legal route if the release of his film "The Bengal Files" is stalled in West Bengal.
The trailer launch of the film in Kolkata was disrupted on Saturday. Agnihotri claimed the event was first cancelled by a multiplex and then moved to a hotel where power supply was disrupted and police turned up asking if permission had been taken.
"We will go by the Constitution. We will go legally. If they stop us, we will take the legal course. What can we do? We are common citizens like you... We will pray that sanity prevails and the state government does not do it (stop the release)," the filmmaker said at a press conference here while hitting out at the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal.
"The Bengal Files", which is slated for release on September 5, revolves around the Calcutta riots of August 16, 1946, which were triggered after the All-India Muslim League called for 'Direct Action Day' to demand a separate homeland.
"...This is an Indian film. I am telling you the truth," Agnihotri said.
Known for films such as "The Kashmir Files" and "The Tashkent Files", Agnihotri also addressed the many controversies surrounding his latest release, including an FIR by Gopal Chandra Mukherjee's grandson Santanu Mukherjee.
Gopal Mukherjee is said to have played a pivotal role in the resistance against the Muslim mob violence in 1946. Santanu claims Agnihotri's film refers to his grandfather as a butcher.
Agnihotri said Gopal Mukherjee in his film is an inspired character and not central to the plot.
"I will not go into his history. Watch Santanu's interview. I can give you all the links. There is an interview of Gopal Mukherjee on BBC. In that interview, what he has said, we have only shown that much. I have nothing to do with Gopal Mukherjee's life, politics. He was a hero and I have shown him as a hero," he said.
"I respect Gopal Mukherjee a lot. His grandsons work with TMC. There is a compulsion there... They have done it legally. We are giving a legal answer to that," he said.
Agnihotri claimed the film is his attempt to reveal hidden truths. He said he aims at showing "the untold stories of India".
"Our purpose is very clear. I make films on Hindu civilization. That is why I make films on Hindu history. I do not consider myself capable of making films on Islamic history or Christian history," he said, adding that filmmakers like Mani Ratnam and Vishal Bhardwaj have already made movies on the Islamic history of Kashmir through "Roja" and "Haider".
Agnihotri said the censor board passed "The Bengal Files" without any cuts though it went through the examining committee and then the revising committee.
"This film was made with a lot of responsibility and sincerity. No one can object to this. Bengalis will be proud of this film."
"The Bengal Files" stars Mithun Chakraborty, Saswata Chatterjee, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Priyanshu Chatterjee and Darshan Kumar.
