Indian National Congress

Former Union Minister K P Unnikrishnan, who was regarded as one of the prominent figures in Indian politics during the 1980s and 1990s, died in the early hours of Tuesday, his family said. He was 89. He died while undergoing treatment for age-related ailments at a private hospital here, they said. Having been elected to the Lok Sabha six consecutive times from Vadakara, he served as a Union Minister in the V P Singh Cabinet, holding the portfolios of Surface Transport and Communications during 198990. During his tenure as Minister, he oversaw the evacuation of Indians during the Gulf War. Beginning his professional life as a journalist, Unnikrishnan was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Vadakara in 1971 as a Congress candidate. He subsequently represented the constituency in the Lok Sabha in 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989 and 1991. Between 1981 and 1984, he served as the leader of Congress (Secular) in Parliament, and from 1980 to 1982 he was a member of the Public Accounts Committee.

A court here has granted bail to nine Indian Youth Congress workers who were arrested in connection with the "shirtless" protest at the AI summit, saying the protest constituted symbolic political critique and pre-trial detention could "illicit pre-emptive punishment". Judicial Magistrate First Class Ravi passed the order on Sunday while hearing the bail pleas of the nine accused -- Krishna Hari, Narshimha Yadav, Kundan Kumar Yadav, Ajay Kumar Singh, Jitendra Singh Yadav, Raja Gurjar, Ajay Kumar Vimal alias Bantu, Saurabh Singh and Arbaz Khan. "The protest, at highest, constituted symbolic political critique during a public event: T-shirts with leadership imagery, non-inciteful slogans bereft of communal/regional taint, and transient assembly. No evidence discloses property defacement, or delegate panic; exit was orderly via escort," the court said. It noted that the pre-trial detention, severed from any imperative necessity and devoid of persisting investigative demands, could ...

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the government has "abandoned" the Palestinians and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to Israel despite that country's attacks on civilians in Gaza continuing "mercilessly". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the Modi government makes cynical and hypocritical statements on its commitment to the cause of the Palestinians but in reality it has abandoned them. Israel's dispossession and displacement of thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has intensified and drawn worldwide condemnation, Ramesh said on X. Israel's attacks on civilians in Gaza continue mercilessly, he said. Ramesh also pointed out that Israel and the US are planning air assaults on Iran. "Yet the Prime Minister is going to Israel tomorrow (where there is a Modani connection as well) to embrace his good friend Mr. Netanyahu, who faces very serious corruption charges," the Congress leader said. "The Opposition in Israel is

After the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's global tariffs, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being "compromised", saying his "betrayal" in the India-US interim trade deal stood exposed. The Congress alleged that the trade deal had become an "ordeal" for the country subjected to by the prime minister's "desperation and surrender". "The PM is compromised. His betrayal now stands exposed. He can't renegotiate. He will surrender again," Gandhi said in a post on X. This comes a day after the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's global tariffs. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh claimed that if Prime Minister Modi had not been so "desperate" to protect his "fragile image" and waited just 18 days more, Indian farmers would have been saved from the agony and distress, and Indian sovereignty would have been protected. "Yesterday after the US Supreme Court struck down his tariffs policy,

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the doors of the BJP were open for Bhupen Borah, hours after the former state Congress chief resigned from the party. Sarma also said that if Borah joins the BJP, he would try to get him elected from a "safe seat". Borah sent his resignation letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge earlier in the day, dealing a blow to the party ahead of the Assam assembly polls. In the letter, he claimed that he was being "ignored" by the party leadership and not being accorded his due in the state unit. Borah was the president of the Assam Congress unit from 2021 to 2025, and was replaced by Gaurav Gogoi last year. He has been a two-time legislator in Assam. Sarma said Borah was the "last Hindu leader" in the Congress without a family background father or mother not occupying a ministerial post or being an MLA. ''His resignation carries the symbolic message that in the Congress, no one from a normal family can prosper. Congress doe

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday asserted that whatever the Congress high command decides on the CM change issue is final, and that he will be committed to what the leadership says. He also clarified that he is not going to Delhi to discuss the issue, and will go only if he is called by the high command. The CM was responding to comments made by his deputy and another claimant for the Chief Minister post D K Shivakumar earlier in the day that he has "no confusion" over the leadership issue, as he and Siddaramaiah have discussed the matter in presence of the Congress high command. "I will not speak about it now. Whatever the high command says is final. There is no use of you asking unnecessary questions," the CM told reporters here. When reporters said that they were merely asking what Shivakumar had stated, a visibly upset Siddaramaiah said, "if he has said something, you ask him. I don't know. I'm committed to what the high command says." Stating that he is not go

Opposition members of the Rajya Sabha on Monday staged a walkout from the House while raising the issue of LoP Mallikarjun Kharge not being allowed to speak. Congress member Kharge rose during Question Hour to say that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak on the Motion of Thanks. Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, however, did not allow him to raise the issue relating to the Lok Sabha and said "nothing that he says will go on record". Earlier, Kharge raised the issue of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal making a statement last week on the India-US trade deal, outside the House when Parliament was in session. As the Chairman did not allow Kharge to speak, members of the entire Opposition were on their feet, raising their protest. As the Chairman proceeded with the Question Hour, Opposition members continued with their protest and later staged a walkout from the House.

The Congress on Saturday questioned whether the Budget numbers would undergo revisions very soon after they are unveiled, as the new GDP and Consumer Price Index (CPI) series are to be released just days after the Budget, and said it reflects poorly on coordination in policy making. Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, noted the Budget for 2026/27 will be presented on Sunday. "State governments will be anxiously awaiting what awaits them since the Finance Minister will be announcing the implementation of the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission," he said in a post on X. The Finance Commission is a body set up under Article 280 of the Constitution every five years (or earlier) to recommend the share of the states in the tax revenues collected by the Centre, the distribution of this share among the states, and special grants for five years, he said, adding that the 16th Finance Commission deals with the period 2026/27-2030/31. "But there

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday lauded party leader Rahul Gandhi as a "sincere" person who was a "strong voice" on various issues like communalism in the country. Tharoor said that everyone likes Rahul as he constantly speaks against the politics of communalism, hatred and divisiveness in the country. "I do not have a different opinion on that," the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram told reporters here. Tharoor also said that he had never agreed with any wrong comment against Rahul, saying "he is a sincere leader". His remarks come a day after he met party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for redressal of his grievances, after which he said "all is good" and "we are all on the same page". Tharoor had been upset over the treatment meted out to him at a Kochi event recently and attempts by some leaders to sideline him in Kerala.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said he has never violated the party's stated positions in Parliament, asserting that his only public disagreement in principle was over Operation Sindhoor. Answering questions during a session at the Kerala Literature Festival here, Tharoor said he had taken a strong stand on that issue and remained "unapologetic". His statement comes amidst recent reports stating "Tharoor's differences with the party leadership", with a speculation that he is upset over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi not adequately acknowledging his presence at a recent event in Kochi and over alleged repeated attempts by state leaders to sideline him. Explaining his position, Tharoor said that, as an observer and writer, he had written a newspaper column after the Pahalgam incident, stating that it should not go unpunished and that there should be a kinetic response. He said that while India is focused on development, it should not be dragged into a prolonged conflict with ..

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday dubbed the BJP 'Bhrast Janata Party' and claimed that its double-engine governments in various states have ruined the lives of the people through corruption, abuse of power and the poison of arrogance. Gandhi cited the murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand, the Unnao rape case in Uttar Pradesh, deaths from drinking contaminated water in Indore, among others, to attack the BJP. Across the country, the Bhrasht' Janata Party's double-engine governments have ruined the lives of the people. Corruption, abuse of power, and the poison of arrogance have spread throughout the BJP's politics, from top to bottom, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said in a post in Hindi. In their system, the lives of the poor, the helpless, labourers, and the middle class are merely statistics, and a system of extortion is operating in the name of "development", Gandhi alleged. "The brutal murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand shook the entire nation but th

Twelve newly elected councillors in the Ambernath Municipal Council, suspended by the Congress for aligning with the BJP after the polls, have formally joined the saffron party. Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party president Ravindra Chavan announced the development at the BJP office here late Wednesday night, asserting the move was not motivated by power but driven by a shared commitment to development. "The people elected these councillors and they had promised development to the citizens. They have come with us because the government is working in a dynamic manner and is capable of delivering justice and development to the people," he said. Following the local polls held on December 20, the BJP joined hands with its arch-rival, Congress, under the banner of 'Ambernath Vikas Aghadi' (AVA) to form the Ambernath Municipal Council (in Thane district) leadership, sidelining ally Shiv Sena, which emerged as the single largest party. The Aghadi also includes Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist ...

Siddaramaiah, who on Tuesday equalled Devaraj Urs' record as the longest-serving chief minister of Karnataka, while expressing confidence about him completing the full five-year term, maintained that the Congress high command will have to decide on it. He also said that he will discuss with the high command regarding the much-awaited cabinet rejig when they call him for discussion. In his second term as chief minister, Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, January 6, equalled Devaraj Urs' record as the longest serving Chief Minister of Karnataka for 2,792 days, and will surpass it on January 7. This unique record has come even as the power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. The speculation was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar in 2023. "I have not done politics to break any ...

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here, sources said on Tuesday. She is doing fine and has been kept under observation of a chest physician, they said. It is a routine admission, but she has this problem of chronic cough, and she keeps coming for check-ups, especially with this pollution in the city, a hospital source told PTI, adding that she was admitted on Monday evening. Gandhi had turned 79 in December 2025.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has congratulated Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as he is about to complete a record tenure, saying it is a proud moment and that the veteran Congress leader will continue to remain in the history books. "This is a happy moment. I wish him well. Everyone has an ambition to achieve in life. He has been in the history books in the past, and he will be (there) in the future too," Shivakumar told reporters, referring to Siddaramaiah surpassing the record of Devaraj Urs on Wednesday and becoming the longest-serving chief minister of Karnataka. On speculation about his own political future, Shivakumar said he has risen from a village background to his present position and asked reporters not to put words in his mouth. There was a stiff power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar over the top post in the southern state. It intensified in mid-November, after the Congress government touched the halfway mark in its tenure. Amid the heightened

A four-time MP and former Railways minister, Kalmadi was a key powerbroker in Pune and sports bodies, with his long career ultimately defined by the Commonwealth Games scandal

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Suresh Kalmadi passed away in Pune early Tuesday following a prolonged illness, family sources said. He was 81. Kalmad breathed his last at around 3.30 am, the sources said. He had served as Union Minister of State for Railways and was a former president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Kalmadi, a prominent political figure from Pune, represented the city multiple times in the Lok Sabha. He held several key positions during his political career and was associated with sports administration at the national level for many years. Leaders cutting across party lines expressed grief over his demise and paid tribute to his contribution to public life. Kalmadi is survived by his wife, son and daughter-in-law, two married daughters and a son-in-law, as well as grandchildren. His mortal remains will be kept at Kalmadi House in the Erandwane area here till 2 pm, the sources said. The cremation will be held at Vaikunth crematorium in

A nationwide campaign was needed against the repeal of the rural employment scheme MGNREGA, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday, pointing to the three farm laws that the government was eventually forced to repeal following strong opposition against it. Speaking at the Congress Working Committee meeting here, Kharge also said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was a "well-planned conspiracy" to limit democratic rights. He said the meeting was being held at a time when the democracy, Constitution and citizen's rights were under serious threat. He said the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was a visionary legislation of the UPA government, which was appreciated across the world. The scheme was named after Mahatma Gandhi due to the impact it had, Kharge said. "The Modi government has, without any study, evaluation or consultation with states and political parties, repealed the law. This is just as they did with

Top Congress leaders on Saturday are attending a crucial meeting of the working committee, the party's highest decision-making body. They are deliberating on the current political situation in the country and the party's further action against the government after it replaced the UPA-era rural employment scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) with the new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM G). The extended meeting of the Congress Working Committee is being attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and former party president Rahul Gandhi, besides chief ministers of the Congress-ruled states of Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh. Presidents of Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC) are also present at the meeting. The meeting comes ahead of next year's assembly polls in Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tam

Congress leaders on Friday paid tributes to former prime minister Manmohan Singh on his first death anniversary, saying his humility, honesty and legacy would continue to inspire the future generations. Describing Singh as a transformative leader, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said he reshaped the country's economic path and expanded opportunities for millions through economic reforms and lifted millions out of poverty. "Known for his humility, integrity, and wisdom, he led with dignity and compassion, ensuring that progress remained inclusive and welfare reached those most in need. The rights-based paradigm is a testament to that approach. We had built a stronger India under his vision," he said. "We pay our heartfelt tribute to a statesman whose legacy of honest public service and lasting reforms shall continue to inspire generations," the Congress chief said in a post on X. Former party president Rahul Gandhi also paid tributes to the former prime minister. "Through his