Page 102 - Congress

Rahul Gandhi promises economic development, jobs in J&K's Dogri Dham event

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday engaged with over 300 business owners and professionals from across Jammu and Kashmir and promised them of giving utmost importance to economic development and job creation in the Union Territory. Gandhi referred to the event at a public rally here and said until the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) get a boost, there will be no employment avenues in J&K. Addressing the concerns at the 'Dogri Dham with RG' event hosted by the All India Professionals' Congress (AIPC) here, Gandhi promised that a Congress-led government in Jammu and Kashmir will prioritise economic development and job creation. "He promised to ensure that the to-be-formed Congress alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir will give utmost importance to economic development and job creation in the state," an AIPC statement said. He outlined several key policy proposals aimed at boosting the local economy, including improved access to capital for ...

Sikh body supports Rahul Gandhi's remarks on community during US visit

A Sikh body on Wednesday came out in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks during his recent US visit about the community, saying its members have an inalienable right to adhere to and protect their religious and cultural rights. In a statement, Khushhal Singh, general secretary of Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha said Gandhi's special mention of Sikhs' freedom to wear turban and worship in gurdwaras was an open recognition of their distinct religious and cultural identity. He said the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha rightly identified the decades-old distortions in Indian politics as caste hierarchy and religion-cultural conflicts which "invariably manifested as violence and misgovernance". According to Khushhal, political thinkers associated with the Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha, a central body of Singh Sabha Gurdwaras, are of the opinion that Gandhi opted for the right direction which would put an end to the politics of hate, communalisation and targeting of ...

Wayanad by-election: Priyanka will win by record margin, says Congress

The Congress in Kerala on Wednesday exuded confidence that party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would win the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, vacated by Rahul Gandhi, with a record margin. Addressing reporters here, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said his party was confident of victory in the high range constituency. He said the party leadership and the workers had commenced preparations for the election, but devastating landslides struck Wayanad district. The Lok Sabha MP said the party usually does not conduct any programmes in such areas. There is no doubt that the workers of the Congress party and the United Democratic Front (UDF) would actively take part in various programmes when the election was announced. "As we said before, Priyanka Gandhi will win the constituency with a record margin," Venugopal said. As per law, the by-poll should be conducted within six months and the period would end this November. "So, we are ready for the election," he said. To a query, the Congress

From demolition to campaign, bulldozers become party tool to pull crowds

Once just an innocuous piece of construction equipment and today a symbol of state power and politics, bulldozers are visible everywhere as campaigning hots up in Nuh. Not as a demolition tool but festooned, prettied up and embraced by all parties. Young people sitting on dozer blades, dancing and showering petals on crowds gathered on the narrow streets below are a common sight. Bulldozers may have earned a bad name but clearly not in this Haryana constituency, counted among the most backward in the country, where they are being used to further the festive election mood. The scene was very different just over a year ago when five people were killed in communal violence in the Muslim dominated constituency. The violence later spread to adjoining Gurugram where a cleric was killed in an attack on a mosque. Following the violence, the BJP-led Haryana government went on a demolition drive in Nuh, drawing allegations of "ethnic cleansing". Then chief minister M L Khattar stoutly denied

Cong asks BJP about vision to ensure Haryana's farmers make decent living

The Congress claimed on Wednesday that Haryana's farmers have completely lost trust in the BJP and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out his party's vision for ensuring that the state's tillers can make a decent living. As Modi heads to Haryana to campaign for the Assembly polls, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posed three questions to the prime minister. Does the prime minister have any updates on the commitments he had made to the farmers after their protests against three agriculture laws that have since been repealed, Ramesh asked. "Haryana's farmers have completely lost trust in the BJP. When the farm protests were called off in 2021, farmers left after being reassured by the non-biological PM and his government that they would meet their demands," he said. However, over time, the Modi government's dialogue with farmers' organisations slowed down and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appointed a "biased committee" to deliberate

Congress moving swiftly to fund government, avert potential shutdown

Congress is expected on Wednesday to give swift approval to a temporary spending bill that would keep federal agencies funded when the new fiscal year begins next Tuesday, avoiding a potential shutdown showdown just weeks before the November 5 election. The stopgap measure generally funds agencies at current levels through December 20, but an additional USD 231 million was included to bolster the Secret Service after the two assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Money was also added to aid with the presidential transition, among other things. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., billed the measure as doing only what's absolutely necessary", a statement directed at members of his own conference concerned about spending levels. Still, it's a no-go for some Republicans, forcing House GOP leadership to rely on Democratic votes to pass the bill through a process that requires at least two-thirds support from voting members. Johnson said the only ...

Cong MP demands splitting of OBC quota for caste representation in Gujarat

Congress MP Geniben Thakor has demanded that the existing 27 per cent reservation quota in place for the Other Backward Classes be divided into two parts for better representation of all castes under the OBC category in Gujarat. In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, Thakor said the split in OBC quota was necessary because out of the total 146 backward castes in Gujarat, only five to ten castes were getting majority of the benefits while other "extremely backward castes" received only one or two per cent benefits. These extremely backward castes in Gujarat include Thakor, Koli, Vadi, Dabgar, Kharva, Madari, Nat, Salat, Vanzara, Dhobi, Mochi and Vaghri, said Thakor, who represents Banaskantha seat in Parliament as the lone Congress Lok Sabha MP from Gujarat. To end the disparity, Thakor suggested that the 27 per cent OBC quota be split in two parts - 7 per cent quota for those who receive maximum benefits so far and a separate 20 per cent quota for the .

When you press EVM button, think about decade lost: Kharge to J-K voters

As Jammu and Kashmir votes in the second phase of crucial assembly elections on Wednesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged the voters to think about the decade "lost in betrayal" and remember how their state was downgraded to a Union Territory. Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is on the cusp of change, he appealed to them to use the power of democracy to ensure a positive change for securing their future. Kharge's remarks came as voting began for the second phase of the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir in which over 2.5 million voters are eligible to vote and decide the fate of 239 candidates, including former chief minister Omar Abdullah, in the fray for 26 seats. The voting began at 7 am across the 26 assembly constituencies amidst tight security arrangements. In a post on X, Kharge said, "Today, as the second phase of voting gets underway for 26 seats, I exhort the people of Jammu and Kashmir to come out in large numbers to exercise their democratic ...

Day after dispelling speculations, Cong leader Kumari Selja meets Kharge

Senior Congress leader Kumari Selja met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday, a day after she avowed her dedication to the party and dismissed talk of a possible switch to the BJP. Selja put out pictures from the meeting on X in which Kharge is seen offering her something sweet to eat on her birthday. "My heartfelt gratitude for the love and good wishes received from Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge on my birthday today," she said in her post in Hindi along with a couple of pictures from the meeting. A host of leaders, including her bete noire and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, wished Selja on her birthday. Her meeting with Kharge came after most of her concerns were addressed by the top leadership and she announced on Monday that she would start campaigning for the Haryana polls. Amid reports that she was disgruntled over ticket distribution for the polls, Selja on Monday dismissed talk of discord within the Congress ranks and said, "We will .

Cong cites Kangana's remarks accusing BJP of wanting to get back farm laws

The Congress on Tuesday cited BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's purported remarks on farm laws to allege that the ruling party was making efforts to bring back the three laws that were repealed in 2021, and asserted that Haryana will give a befitting reply to it. The Congress shared on X an undated video of Ranaut in which she is purportedly saying in Hindi, "Farm laws that have been repealed should be brought back. I think this may get controversial. The laws in farmers' interest be brought back. Farmers should themselves demand this (to bring farm laws back) so that there is no hindrance to their prosperity. "Farmers are a pillar of strength in India's progress. Only in some states, they had objected to farm laws. I appeal with folded hands that farm laws should be brought back in the interest of farmers." In a post in Hindi along with the video, the Congress said, "The three black laws imposed on farmers should be brought back: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has said this. More than 750 farmers of

Cong raises alarm as SBI decides to pick equity in debt-laden infra firm

Promoted by the Bhawanishankar H Sharma family, Mumbai based Supreme Infrastructure has been a loss-making company for a decade now.

Highlights: PM Modi says US visit fruitful, covered programmes aimed at making world better

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J-K, Haryana polls highlights: Why did youth of Haryana turn to 'Dunki', asks Rahul Gandhi

J-K, Haryana Assembly polls updates: Catch all the latest news developments related to the Assembly polls here

Cong's reservation policy for Dalits, backwards 'deceptive': Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday dubbed the Congress "anti-reservation", accusing it of having a "duplicitous and deceptive" reservation policy for Dalits and backward classes. In a series of posts on social media platform 'X', the former UP chief minister launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and his party Congress. In her posts, she said, "The SC/ST/OBC reservation policy of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi is not clear, rather duplicitous and deceptive." "In our country, they support reservations for votes and advocate for increasing it beyond 50 per cent, while abroad they talk about abolishing those reservations. People should be alert to their double standards," she further said. Mayawati added, "It is also true that their government at the Centre did not implement the Mandal Commission report regarding OBC reservations. Furthermore, the amendment Bill brought to Parliament to effectively implement the reservat

Bittu sticks to remark against Rahul, asks Cong to protest against leader

Targeted by the Congress over his comments against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu defended his stand and said the opposition party should instead protest against Gandhi's remarks in the US on Sikhs. A few days ago, Bittu had attacked Gandhi over the statements he made in the US about the condition of Sikhs in India, saying if those "manufacturing bombs" were supporting the Congress leader, he was the "number one terrorist". An FIR has been registered in Bengaluru against Bittu for his remarks based on a complaint by one of the officer-bearers of the Congress' Karnataka unit. Bittu, the minister of state for Railways, who was here on Monday to inaugurate the 57th Inter Railway Shooting Competition at the Jagatpura Shooting range, said, "Rahul Gandhi himself goes to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib so many times. Who stops him? Therefore, this is not a matter of the party, it is above the party." "The Air Force chief wears a turban and the CI

Highlights: PM's principal secy chairs meet to analyse plans for tackling air pollution in Delhi-NCR

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Assembly polls highlights: Modi only talks about his 'Mann ki Baat', not 'kaam ki baat,' says Rahul

J-K, Haryana Assembly polls updates: Catch all the latest news developments related to the Assembly polls here

I am a 'Congressperson', says Selja amid rumours of her joining BJP

"I am a Congressperson, I will remain a Congressperson", senior leader Kumari Selja asserted on Monday and dismissed talk of a possible switch to the BJP, accusing the ruling party of diverting attention from its own "failures" in Haryana. Amid reports that she was disgruntled over ticket distribution for the Haryana Assembly polls, Selja also dismissed talk of discord within the Congress ranks and said, "We will together form the government". Asked about the BJP's recent overtures to her to join its ranks amid reports that she was discontented over ticket distribution for the Haryana Assembly polls, the Congress general secretary said, "The BJP is probably more concerned. There are many things that go around within the party. "We had worked to ensure the party's victory earlier in Lok Sabha and later also...so that we strengthen the party on the ground, work for the people on the ground and taking that forward, we have to form a Congress government." Selja said she would start her

Will be your voice in parliament, restore statehood: Rahul Gandhi in J&K

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday promised to be the voice of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament, reiterating the Congress party's commitment to put pressure on the BJP-ruled Centre to restore J-K's statehood. "Whenever you need me, you just have to give me an order and I will be present before you. I will raise your issues in Parliament. You know the special relationship I have with you. I do not have to even mention it," Gandhi told an election rally in the Zainakote area on the city's outskirts. "I will be your voice in parliament," he told the gathering. Gandhi said the biggest issue for the people of J-K is the restoration of the statehood. "We guarantee that it will be restored. If the BJP does not give it you (after elections), we will ensure that it is restored." The Congress leader said downgrading J-K into a Union Territory was an injustice done to the people of J-K. "Your democratic right has been snatched by downgrading the state i

Cong challenges Kangana to prove charge against Himachal govt, Sonia Gandhi

The Himachal Pradesh Congress on Monday challenged Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut to prove her allegation that the state government took loans and diverted the money to Sonia Gandhi, failing which it said it would file a defamation case against her. Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh told reporters that her comments showed the BJP MP's "intellectual bankruptcy". "There cannot be a bigger foolish statement than saying that funds coming from the Centre or the state's funds for development are being given to Sonia Gandhi," he said. "I openly challenge BJP MP Kangana Ranaut to show proof of even Rs 1 being diverted or apologise to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for making such baseless and unwarranted allegations against her. Otherwise, the Congress will file a defamation case against her," the minister added. Actor-politician Ranaut on Sunday claimed everyone was aware that Congress-ruled state governments had hollowed out their coffers. Attacking the Himachal Pradesh government, sh