Sonia Gandhi greets nation on occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr

 Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday greeted the nation 'Eid Mubarak'.

Congratulating all, who have undertaken the purifying Ramadan fast, she said "Holy Prophet's teachings of honesty, love, peace, compassion, equity and peaceful co-existence have immense value to strengthen our nation and enrich brotherhood."

Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety in various parts of the country today.

Rahul can take over, Priyanka will be an asset: Amarinder

As speculation raged over the issue, Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh today said that time is right for Rahul Gandhi to take over from his mother as Congress President and favoured Priyanka's entry into active politics.

"Sonia Gandhi is a brilliant leader. I have said that she has been working (as Congress President) for the last 20 years. If she feels that time has come to give it to a new generation, then she should pass it on and we will fully support Rahul (to take over)," he told a press conference here.

He was replying to a question whether time has come for Congress Vice-President to take over from Sonia Gandhi.

A 'Shahenshah' takes away democracy...like Indira Gandhi during Emergency: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday castigated Congress president Sonia Gandhi's 'Shahenshah' jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said it was the grand old party which defined the true meaning of 'dynasty' rule, while taking a shot at former prime minister Indira Gandhi, saying that she resembled a 'shahenshah' as she had taken away democracy during the Emergency.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told ANI that, "Sonia Gandhi calls the Prime minister 'Shahenshah'. She has to be reminded of the history, what is a Shahenshah? A 'Shahenshah' or Badshah is the one who only sees that the dynasty continues, After Nehru it was Indira, after Indira it was Rajiv, after Rajiv it is Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka this is a classic definition of Shenshaaiyat or dynasty rule. What is a Shahenshah? It is who imposes emergency rule taking away democracy as we have seen during the day of Indira Gandhi."

After humiliating defeat, Sonia revisits Rajiv's ideology

In a veiled attack at the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has registered resounding victory in Assam replacing 15-year-old Congress government, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday said people practicing the politics of hatred and terror must have deprived them of political power, but they can't take away from them the ideologies of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

"People practicing the politics of hatred and terror must have deprived us of political power, but they can't take away ideologies of Rajiv Gandhi from us," said Sonia.

She was speaking at the 25th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi at Indira Gandhi stadium here.

"Rajiv is not amongst us, but somewhere in us. He will always reside within us forever. The steps taken by him have led India held its head high in the world," she said remembering her husband, who was assassinated in a suicide attack during an election rally at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991.

He brought the IT revolution and gave the power of voting to 18-year-old youths. Changes in politics and society that we boast of today were initiated by by Rajeev Gandhi, who wanted to transform the lives of the poor by the mean of science and technology," said Sonia, while recounting steps taken by the former prime minister for the welfare and empowerment of the people of the nation.

" Rajiv Gandhi also took important steps for ensuring peace in Assam, Mizoram and Darjeeling, and viewed India as a front runner in the world economics," she added.

Earlier in the day President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, the Congress President Sonia Gandhi accompanied by son and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka Gandhi and son-in-law Robert Vadra paid tributes to the late leader at his memorial, Veer Bhumi.

Senior party leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Sushil Kumar Shinde, PC Chacko, Sheila Dikshit and DPCC President Ajay Maken, among others, also paid tributes to the former prime minister.
-Source ANI