Rahul Gandhi to visit Kedarnath shrine on foot

[magudi]

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is set to visit the Kedarnath temple on Friday, his first trip outside Delhi after he returned from nearly eight-week sabbatical. He would trek to the shrine located on the foothills of the Himalayas and attend the temple’s kapat (portals) opening ceremony.
Rahul would reach Dehradun airport Thursday morning from where he would take a helicopter to Gaurikund. He would start his 21-kilometre trek from there. According to Surendra Kumar, media in-charge of Uttarakhand CM, Rahul would stay overnight at Linchauli and next morning, leave for Kedarnath taking the new trek route.
Sources said AICC general secretary in-charge of Uttarakhand Ambika Soni and state Congress president Kishore Upadhyay would accompany the Congress vice-president on his trip to the temple. The Uttarakhand government has undertaken special exercise to give a new shape to Kedarpuri. Despite facing adverse weather situation, a team of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering has been continuing the restoration works in Kedarnath temple area after the June 2013 flash flood and landlside.
Rahul’s visit to the temple assume political dimension given the fact that a view had emerged in the Congress after the Lok Sabha election defeat the party’s proximity to minorities had cost it dearly.
Many believe Congress’s aggressive pro-minority stance has proved counter-productive and suggest the need to strike a balance. Senior leader A K Antony had last year openly suggested that proximity to minority communities had led people to doubt is secularism, a view which found acceptance among many Congress leaders.
AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed had aired similar views in the Congress Working Committee which met immediately after the debacle. While Congress has time and again asserted that secularism was an article of faith for the party, many feel there is lack of ideological clarity. The party had in fact asked its leaders at all levels to hold a discussion on “what are the core non-negotiable elements of the party’s ideology”.
— With ENS, Dehradun

Rahul Gandhi to visit Kedarnath shrine on foot | The Indian Express

 

[magudi]

NEW DELHI: Congress will ask its cadre if the party is perceived as "anti-Hindu", seeking views on what has been flagged by some senior leaders as a vulnerability that cost it heavily in the faceoff with BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.

The effort to chart Congress's " political strategy" for the future will seek feedback on the perception that the party is tilted towards minorities. Such fraught consultation would not have been possible but for the rise of Hindutva strongman Narendra Modi.

Sources said there was a strong desire in Congress to "shatter the perception" that is politically debilitating even as the party contends that a skewed view about its "secular" politics is unfair.


The big BJP victory in the Modi-steered campaign that lashed out at the Congress over issues like illegal immigration and legislation like the communal violence bill led to some soul searching. Congress's decimation saw senior leader A K Antony warn that the party needed to correct the perception about its minority bias that was hurting its chances.

Congress heir apparent Rahul Gandhi has directed AICC managers to hold state-level meetings to pick the average worker's mind on key issues that would form the basis for organizational renewal.

Besides expanding the party reach and revamping its structure, sources said the brainstorming on "political strategy" would aim to shed the perception of the party being seen as anti-Hindu in its bid to woo minorities and in its secular construct.

Though flagged by stalwarts like Antony and Digvijay Singh, the issue surfaced in consultations on future strategy held by Rahul. In around 20 meetings, sources said almost every group of leaders underlined the backlash due to Congress's pro-minority stance. They also blamed the saffron camp for branding Congress as opposed to the majority's interests.

Congress to seek feedback on its ‘anti-Hindu’ perception - The Times of India

Wary of anti-Hindu tag, Congress mum on Sushma's Gita remark - The Times of India

Rediscovering Janmashtami: Congress' grand plan to counter Hindutva

Congress to hold all Hindu festivals

 

[indiatester]

Seems wrong in so many ways. What is going to happen to to secularism?

 

[gslv]

Trying to do a chandashoka to dharmashoka.

 

[magudi]

Seems wrong in so many ways. What is going to happen to to secularism?

This is going to ruin whatever is left of them :

For one it gives more impetus to BJP to not ignore its core voters secondly congress's core voters won't like it

 

[Josef K]

Still won't vote for him.

 

[thesolar65]

Kim Jong-un 'climbs North Korea's highest mountain,'

Kim Jong-un 'climbs North Korea's highest mountain,' claims state media - Trending - CBC News

 

[Neemo neemo]

Kim Jong-un 'climbs North Korea's highest mountain,'

Kim Jong-un 'climbs North Korea's highest mountain,' claims state media - Trending - CBC News

Dude, Nice analogy there.

 

[dray]

This shows that Congress is now on "Bhagwan ke bharose"!


Stupid politics of religion!

 

[Josef K]

Anyway, to prove his secular credentials he should do an Umra. Someone should inform Sagarika about this.

 

[Fireurimagination]

After Bangkok trip, Kedarnath for asking of forgiveness

 

[SpArK]

He visit the temple or local discotheque... we seldom care !

 

[indianBong]

After Bangkok trip, Kedarnath for asking of forgiveness

what sin did he do in bangkok trip????

 

[MarkovChain]

Chota Bheem must not be airing for a week. He would never ever miss that.

 

[Sky lord]

Too little. Too late . A lot of photo ops and gimmickry. No substance.

But you never know in 10 years he may become the PM, in which case God save India.