Kathua protest in Mumbai: Congress worker claims molestation by party youth

A woman Congress worker has complained to the party's city unit that she was allegedly molested by male colleagues on Sunday during a candle march held here to protest against the Kathua and Unnao rape cases. She complained to the party's Mumbai unit chief Sanjay Nirupam, who promised to take action against those found guilty. The protest march was organised by the party at Juhu. Talking to a news agency, Nirupam said the woman, who is a district-level party worker, sent a text message to him about the alleged incident.

In her message, the woman said, "The workers of Youth Congress and NSUI (party's students' wing) stooped to such low level that they touched, pushed and shoved women workers in an inappropriate manner, making us feel unsafe among our very own party's male colleagues.

"Sadly, some male workers did this to us only to get ahead in the march so that their faces were captured by the media. I want to know if women workers will be safe in similar events held in future?" her text message said. Nirupam said, "This incident is very unfortunate and I condemn it. I told the woman that he would take action if she identifies the persons involved. I told her that if she wished, he would help her file police cases against the accused. But she told me there was too much crowd, so it won't be possible for her to identify them."

Rahul Gandhi protest a 'farce', removing Tytler 'admission of guilt': BJP

The BJP came down heavily on the protest led by Rahul Gandhi, calling it a 'farce' aimed at 'burnishing' the Congress chief's political career and to fast-track it. The BJP also said that the Congress' decision to keep the 1984 anti-Sikh riots accused Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler away from the main dais as its "admission of guilt"
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra took a jibe at the opposition party's nation-wide fast against the alleged caste violence and communalism, saying its leaders had come to the Mahatma Gandhi's memorial to talk about non-violence but the presence of Kumar and Tytler exposed the party's "real violent" face.
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre of disturbing social harmony in the country, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday led his party’s nation-wide fast at Raj Ghat in New Delhi. A statement from the party said that Gandhi had directed all party workers across India to observe a fast in their respective states and district headquarters.

Parliament attack ceremony: A day after war of words, Modi & Manmohan meet

Days after their bitter war of words over a meeting with Pakistani officials, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his predecessor Manmohan Singh greeted each other and shook hands on Wednesday at an event here to pay homage to the victims of the 2001 Parliament attack.

Also present were Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi and party chief Sonia Gandhi, who too met and greeted Modi and other BJP leaders at the event in Parliament House.

A smiling Rahul Gandhi went ahead and met Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sushma Swaraj.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Home Minister Rajnath Singh were also present at the occasion.

"We pay homage to those who laid down their lives protecting the temple of our democracy on December 13, 2001. Their sacrifices will never be forgotten," the Prime Minister tweeted after the event.

President Ram Nath Kovind also remembered those "martyred while defending Parliament from terrorists on this day 16 years ago".

"Forces of hate and terror targeted what we cherish most. India's democracy and democratic values. They did not succeed. And we will never let them succeed," Kovind said in his tweet.

On December 13, 2001, five heavily-armed gunmen stormed the Parliament complex indiscriminately firing and killing nine persons.

Those killed included five Delhi Police personnel, a woman Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer, two Parliament watch and ward staff and a gardener.

A journalist, who was injured, died later. All five terrorists were shot dead.

A year later, four accused, including Afzal Guru, were arrested for the attack and found guilty after a trial. Guru was hanged on February 9, 2013.