Rahul Gandhi takes charge as congress president

International Desk: ahul Gandhi became Congress president today, replacing his mother Sonia Gandhi and taking charge of India's oldest party after what many describe as the longest-ever political apprenticeship.

At a ceremony held on the lawns of the party's 24 Akbar Road headquarters in Delhi, the 47-year-old accepted a certificate for his promotion, watched by Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh on the stage and younger sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the audience.

Rahul Gandhi is the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to lead the Congress; no one challenged his elevation in the organizational election that critics called a sham. Images of Mahatma Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh beamed on a banner behind him as he took charge after the traditional "Vande Mataram".

"Congress took India to 21st century, but the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) is taking us backwards, to medieval times, where people are being butchered because of who they are, beaten for what they believe and killed for what they eat," Rahul Gandhi said, attacking PM Modi and the government in his first speech as Congress boss.

ahul Gandhi became Congress president today, replacing his mother Sonia Gandhi and taking charge of India's oldest party after what many describe as the longest-ever political apprenticeship. At a ceremony held on the lawns of the party's 24 Akbar Road headquarters in Delhi, the 47-year-old accepted a certificate for his promotion, watched by Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh on the stage and younger sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the audience.

Rahul Gandhi is the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to lead the Congress; no one challenged his elevation in the organizational election that critics called a sham. Images of Mahatma Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh beamed on a banner behind him as he took charge after the traditional "Vande Mataram".

"Congress took India to 21st century, but the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) is taking us backwards, to medieval times, where people are being butchered because of who they are, beaten for what they believe and killed for what they eat," Rahul Gandhi said, attacking PM Modi and the government in his first speech as Congress boss.

Source: NDTV

risingbd/Dhaka/December 16, 2017/A K Azad