At AMU function, Sonia targets BJP, while Nitish seeks credit

“I pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, who was killed by a person following a communal ideology. The same kind of forces are again rearing head to mislead people and such ideology can destroy anything. Our biggest challenge is to fight this,” she said.

“People of the country have to decide whether to choose a party that takes along everyone or one with a narrow vision. The choice is between path of development and divisive thinking. They (BJP) want power at any cost and hence, you need to be aware of such elements.”

Sonia said the Centre had been making serious efforts to provide modern education at madrasas and the Right to Education Act ensured over 25 crore children go to school now at the primary level.

Raising the pitch on the UPA government’s drive against corruption, she said it was the Centre that brought the RTI Act and recently also passed the Lokpal Bill. Sonia did not attack Nitish directly but said: “It is the job of the Centre to release funds, it is the responsibility of the state government to utilise it optimally.”

She said the Centre had released Rs 1.34 lakh crore in the past nine-and-a-half years.

Nitish, who expressed displeasure at the last-moment invitation to attend the AMU function, said: “The Rs 137 crore disbursed by the Centre to the AMU is like a drop in the ocean. The state government recently started an agricultural university disbursing Rs 1,000 crore.”

Aim to upgrade 70 crore Indians to middle class: Rahul

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi Thursday spoke of uplifting 70 crore Indians — the unorganised daily wage earners — and indicated that the Congress manifesto for the 2014 elections would ensure their welfare. Talking to representatives of labour unions, Rahul said the party’s focus would be to provide jobs and financial security to them. ENS

AAP to contest over 350 seats in LS polls

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will contest more than 350 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
Party political affairs committee member Sanjay Singh, however, said this was subject to availability of candidates meeting all criteria. The seats of the 73 sitting MPs accused of heinous crimes and that of 15 ministers who the AAP believes are “tainted” would be a priority, he said at the end of the first day of the party national executive here Thursday.

“Our principal election planks will be corruption and criminalisation of politics. There are 161 members of Lok Sabha against whom criminal cases are pending,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, the AAP uploaded on its website names of a few ticket-seekers for public scrutiny. Barring former banker Meera Sanyal, who has sought a ticket from Mumbai South, the skeletal list comprises mostly unknowns.

Kumar Vishwas, who has publicly said he would take on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, does not figure on the list. ENS