Trump is 'divider-in-chief', says Biden as he formally launches 2020 presidential bid
Philadelphia: Accusing President Donald Trump of being "divider-in-chief" by fomenting racism, hatred and bitterness among fellow citizens, former US Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday formally launched his 2020 bid for the White House and asserted that his campaign is all about restoring the soul of the nation, rebuilding the middle class, and unifying the country.
Giving a clarion call "Defeat Trump" amidst chanting We want Joe by several thousands of his die-hard supporters, 76-year-old Biden formally launched his 2020 presidential bid from Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy.
"So why do we begin this journey in this place Philadelphia? Because this was the birthplace of our democracy. It was here that two of the most important documents in the world's history were written," Biden said.
The city of Philadelphia played an instrumental role in the American Revolution. The city is where the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed.
Accusing Trump of stroking fear and bringing racial division among Americans, Biden said, "The threat to our democracy and our nation is real. Our politics today is traffics in division. And our President is the divider-in-chief."
"If the American people want a president to add to our division...they don't need me. They already have a president who does just that," Biden told a cheering estimated crowd of 6,000 supporters.
"I am running to offer our country - Democrats, Republicans and Independents - a different path," said the former US vice president, who had played an important role in strengthening the India-US relationship during his tenure in the Obama administration.
"At the core of our campaign is a simple idea: we are at our best when we're one America," Biden, who was introduced to his supporters by his spouse Jill, said.
Biden has emerged as the frontrunner among nearly 20 Democratic presidential aspirants, including Indian-American Senator Kamala Harris, first Hindu US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Senator Bernie Sanders.
The winner of the Democratic presidential primaries, beginning early next year, would be declared as party's nominee for the November 2020 presidential elections at the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 16.
If nominated, Biden will be pitted against incumbent Trump, 72, for the November 3, 2020 presidential elections.
First elected as the US Senator from Delaware at the age of 29, Biden has nearly five decades of public service including eight years as the Vice President from 2009-2016.
Biden's campaign also attracted several Indian-Americans from various parts of the country.
"We are here to support Joe Biden. I believe it is only he who can put the US back on the path of development. The United States needs to lead the world," said Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a Democrat who flew in from California for the launch event.
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IYC chief Uday Bhanu Chib released on bail in AI Summit protest case
New Delhi (PTI): Indian Youth Congress national president Uday Bhanu Chib, who was arrested for the "shirtless protest" at AI Impact Summit last month, has been released from Tihar jail, sources said on Tuesday.
The development comes a day after the Delhi High Court stayed a sessions court order that had put Chib's bail on hold.
Soon after walking out of jail, Chib said his first message was that the party stands firmly against the India-US trade deal.
"We will continue our struggle to stop this agreement. Despite knowing its implications, the prime minister is still pushing ahead, which only reaffirms the belief that he is acting as an agent of the West," Chib said.
On Sunday, Justice Saurabh Banerjee heard a plea filed by the IYC chief challenging the sessions court's decision to stay the magistrate's bail order.
The magistrate had granted bail to Chib on February 28, but within hours, the relief was halted by the sessions court.
Chib was sent to four-day police custody by a trial court on February 24.
Visuals recorded outside Tihar jail showed jubilant Youth Congress members lifting Chib on their shoulders as he walked out, before escorting him to a car.
A large crowd had gathered outside the jail to welcome him.
Supporters raised slogans such as "Rahul Gandhi tere naam, yeh jawani hai kurban" (Rahul Gandhi, this youth is dedicated to you) and "PM is compromised".
Many of them were seen waving flags and holding placards that read "Roll back India-US trade deal".
Chib was arrested in connection with the "shirtless protest" by Youth Congress workers at the AI Impact Summit, which India hosted at Bharat Mandapam here on February 20.
At the summit venue, IYC workers protested by removing and holding white T-shirts with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump printed on them, along with slogans such as "India-US Trade Deal", "Epstein Files" and "PM is compromised".
