Priyanka Gandhi assumes charge as AICC general secretary
New Delhi, Feb 6 : Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Wednesday took charge as AICC general secretary and will helm the party's affairs in Uttar Pradesh East.
She arrived at the party headquarters at Akbar Road after dropping her husband at the office of the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a money laundering case. She also met some party workers and leaders from the Hindi heartland state.
During her 15-minute stay at the party office, security personnel had a hard time controlling the crowd that had gathered there.
The atmosphere at the AICC headquarters was electric. Priyanka's official entry into politics is expected to boost the morale of the party workers in Uttar Pradesh, the state which sends 80 MPs to Lok Sabha.
A large number of party workers welcomed her by raising slogans of "Priyanka Gandhi aayi hai, nayi roshni layi hai" (Priyanka Gandhi has come, she has brought light).
"I am extremely happy to be here," Priyanka told reporters soon after she reached the Congress headquarters.
She thanked her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi for entrusting her with the responsibility and said people of Uttar Pradesh had given a lot to her family.
Rahul and his mother Sonia Gandhi have been elected to the Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh's Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies. It is speculated that Priyanka might follow in their footsteps by contesting from a seat in the state.
Earlier, her father Rajiv Gandhi and grandmother Indira Gandhi were also elected from Uttar Pradesh.
While leaving the party office, Priyanka stepped out of her black Land Rover and greeted the Congress workers and supporters waiting outside. She waved to them and shook hands with some.
Priyanka, 47, was appointed as general secretary and in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East on January 23 by Rahul Gandhi.
She has been allotted an office adjacent to that of her brother's at the party headquarters.
She will share her office with Jyotiraditya Scindia, general secretary in-charge for Uttar Pradesh West. Scindia's appointment was made on the same day as Priyanka's and he assumed charge earlier in the day.
Priyanka will attend her first official meeting on Thursday. Rahul Gandhi has called for the meeting, which will also be attended by all other party general secretaries and in-charges of various states to plan the strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
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Unruly scenes witnessed in Punjab Assembly
Chandigarh (PTI): The Punjab Assembly on Friday witnessed high drama on Friday after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira made an allegedly objectionable remark against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during an intense argument over the alleged use of mobile phone in the house by the legislator.
During the one-day special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here, Mann accused Khaira of using a mobile phone when Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading out an official resolution on the revision of wages.
After rising from his seat, the chief minister pointed to the speaker, claiming that Khaira is busy on his mobile phone and urged him to ask the Congress MLA what Sandhwan had said about the resolution.
The speaker then asked Khaira to maintain order in the house and listen to the resolution carefully.
Mann then asked Khaira, "Why don't you go out and then use it (mobile phone)," which led to a strong verbal altercation during which the opposition MLA hurled an accusation against the chief minister. Meanwhile, the speaker appealed for order and insisted that the chair be addressed.
However, both Mann and Khaira continued arguing and could be seen pointing fingers at each other as the proceedings of the house were disrupted.
The AAP MLAs also rose from their seats with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemning Khaira for his conduct and demanded action against him.
Cheema further alleged that Khaira "always tries to disturb the house" as he spoke about his conduct in the assembly.
The incident occurred as an official resolution on the revision of wages was presented at the special session by Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond who said it paid homage to labourers on the International Workers' Day.
"Workers are the axis of construction of the nation, the community, the state and society. Every construction project succeeds only through their blood and sweat," the resolution read.
As per the resolution, "The base rate of minimum wages for the working class in Punjab was last revised in the year 2012. Although the dearness allowance has continued to increase since 2012, there has been no increase in the base rate of minimum wages.
On this sacred occasion of May Day, in this special session of the legislative assembly, this house proposes to revise and increase the minimum wages of labourers and strongly recommends to the government to take a decision regarding the increase of minimum wages for workers, so that the contributions of the workers can be acknowledged." PRK
