Amritsar, Sept 22: Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi began his three-day Punjab visit from here today.

The Amethi MP started his visit by paying obeisance at Golden Temple. He listened to the recital of Gurbani kirtan for few minutes in the morning. Amidst tight security, he also visited the community kitchen and had langer (meals) there.

He said that he is starting his Punjab visit with the blessings of Vahe Guru. He also paid tributes to the martyrs in the Jallianwala Bagh and visited Durgiana Mandir.

Anantpur (Andhra Pradesh), Sept 11 : Sonia Gandhi, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and leader of the Congress Party, today said that the 123 agreement would accelerate India’s pace of development.

Gandhi, while addressing a huge gathering in Anantpur District of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, said “Nuclear energy is important for the country for producing more electricity and meeting the demands of its billion plus population.”

Tirupati, Sep 11 : Congress president Sonia Gandhi today praised the Andhra Pradesh government for taking the lead in women’s empowerment in the country.

She said the performance of the state government to empower women was not only admired by the rest of the country but had also aroused curiosity abroad.

“During my visit to other countries, I am often asked by women leaders about the programmes taken up by the Andhra Pradesh government,” she said while interacting with members of self-help groups (SHGs) and women beneficiaries of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

New Delhi, Sept 4 : The Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government has rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) charge of having surrendered the country’s right to conduct nuclear tests to the United States.

The Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma while terming the BJP’s charges as preposterous said, “India reserves its right to conduct nuclear tests under the 123 Agreement.”

The government was forced to issue clarification after details of the letter sent by the Bush administration to the US Congress were revealed.

New Delhi, Sept 01 : The Samajwadi Party and Congress today decided to jointly contest the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The SP is also seeking alliance in four other states including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka

After a marathon four-hour long talk with a Congress delegation led by party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, SP general secretary Amar Singh said that the seat-sharing would be carried out with winnability as the criteria in the state.

New Delhi, Sep 1: The Congress and the Samajwadi Party are to hold seat sharing talks for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh today.

The Congress side, which is to be led by Rahul Gandhi, will consist of the party General Secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, and the State Congress president, Rita Bahuguna Joshi

The Samajwadi Party side will be represented by party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, General Secretary Amar Singh and Mulayam''s brother Ram Gopal Yadav, also a General Secretary of the party.

Digvijay Singh expressed confidence about reaching an agreement on seat sharing arrangement, and added that it would be pragmatic, realistic and honourable for both sides.