Rahul Gandhi answers why he always wears white T-shirt
New Delhi, May 5: Why does Rahul Gandhi always wear a white T-shirt? The Congress leader has not one but two reasons -- it conveys "transparency" and "simplicity".
Gandhi answers several such light-hearted questions in a more than two-minute video released by the Congress on its social media channels.
In the video captioned "A day campaigning in Karnataka. Some light rapid fire questions and some very illustrious company", Gandhi also talks about his take on the importance of ideology.
"In my view, you cannot go as a large organisation towards power without a clear understanding of the ideology. We have to convince the people of our ideology which is pro-poor, pro-women, plural, treating everybody equally," he says.
"So the fight at an organisational level, at a national level, is always about ideology," asserts Gandhi.
The white T-shirt has been Gandhi's 'trademark' since the Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Asked why he always wears it, Gandhi says, "Transparency and simplicity and I just don't care much about clothes. I prefer it (to be) simple."
When quizzed on the best part of campaigning, he quips, "When it ends!"
Gandhi says he has been on the road for 70 days, starting with the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which he clarified wasn't a campaign but involved even more rigorous work.
He likes making speeches during the campaign as it "makes one think about what the country needs", he says in the video.
In the video, Gandhi also asks Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge what he likes or dislikes in the campaign.
Kharge says, "There is nothing bad. It's good because we are doing this for the country. The one who is spoiling the country, when we work to stop them, we feel good. At least we are doing something for the country."
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also makes an appearance in the video and talks about the importance of ideology.
A day campaigning in Karnataka.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2024
Some light rapid fire questions and some very illustrious company. pic.twitter.com/xHoqK3AF5T
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MK Stalin urges PM Modi to intervene after Saudi cancels 52,000 private Hajj seats
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to intervene after Saudi Arabia abruptly cancelled approximately 52,000 Hajj seats allocated to private tour operators. The move has triggered widespread anxiety among Indian Muslim pilgrims preparing for the upcoming pilgrimage.
In his letter, Stalin expressed deep concern over the “sudden reduction” in India’s Hajj quota for private operators, describing the development as a matter of urgent concern. He emphasized that many pilgrims, including those from Tamil Nadu, had already made full payments and were left in distress due to the uncertainty caused by the cancellation.
"I request that the matter may be taken up with the authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia urgently and seek an expeditious remedy,” Stalin wrote, expressing hope that PM Modi’s intervention would help restore the cancelled quota and provide reassurance to affected families.
India had signed a bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia in January 2025, finalising a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for Hajj 2025. This was split in a 70:30 ratio between State Hajj Committees and private operators—allocating 1,22,517 seats to the former and 52,507 to the latter.
However, Saudi Arabia has now reduced the private Hajj quota by nearly 80 per cent, affecting close to 52,000 Indian pilgrims. The decision reportedly stems from revised policies and stricter timelines for private tour operators, which several failed to meet despite repeated reminders.
In a partial relief, the Saudi government has agreed to India's request to reopen the Hajj Portal for Combined Hajj Group Operators (CHGOs), allowing an additional 10,000 pilgrims to register under the private category.
