Page 112 - Congress

Wayanad landslides: Rahul calls for concerted efforts to revitalise tourism

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said it is imperative to make a concerted effort to revitalise tourism in Wayanad and encourage people to visit the area by dispelling the notion that it is "dangerous" place in the aftermath of the recent landslides. Gandhi made the assertion during a virtual meeting with some Kerala Congress leaders and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. In a post on X along with a video clip of the online meeting on relief and rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad, Gandhi said Wayanad is steadily recovering from the devastation caused by the tragic landslides. "While there is still much to be done, it is heartening to witness people from all communities and organisations coming together in relief efforts," he said. "There is one crucial aspect I wish to highlight that will greatly aid the people of Wayanad - tourism. Once the rains cease, it is imperative that we make a concerted effort to revitalise tourism in the area and

Haryana Assembly election: Bishnois welcome decision to defer poll date

The Bishnoi community has thanked the Election Commission for deferring the Haryana Assembly poll date to October 5 from October 1 in view of the centuries-old festival of the community. The ruling BJP has also welcomed the EC's decision. The Election Commission on Saturday deferred the Haryana assembly poll date, saying the decision was taken keeping in mind the Bishnoi community's festival. Som Prakash Bishnoi, Akhil Bhartiya Bishnoi Mahasabha's vice president, said the entire community thanks the Election Commission for its decision to defer the poll date. Lakhs of members of the Bishnoi community take part in the festival and it takes 15-20 days to organise it, he said. "Earlier, we were worried what if people (Bishnoi community) cannot vote as they would be travelling or if they are not able to take part in the event too. Now, with the new poll date, our problem has been solved and we thank the EC for this," he said. Before the revision of the date, the Haryana polls were to

Rahul Gandhi to visit US from Sep 8, hold interactions at Texas university

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will visit the US from September 8-10 during which he will hold numerous interactions in Washington DC and Dallas, including at the University of Texas. Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitorda shared details of Gandhi's first visit to the US after becoming the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha in June. "Since Rahul Gandhi has become the leader of opposition, I, as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, which has a presence in 32 countries, (have) been bombarded with requests from the Indian diaspora, diplomats, academicians, businesspersons, leaders, international media and many others, for interactions with him," Pitroda said in a video statement. "Now, he (Gandhi) is coming to the US for a very brief visit. He will be in Dallas on September 8th and Washington DC on September 9th and 10th. In Dallas, we will have interactions with the University of Texas, (with) students, academic institutions and community people. We wil

Rahul Gandhi to address two election rallies in J-K on September 4

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will address two election rallies in Jammu and Kashmir on September 4 to campaign for the candidates of the NC-Congress alliance, a senior Congress leader said on Saturday. AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir told PTI Videos here that it was the desire of the candidates of the alliance and the people of J&K in general to have Gandhi campaign in the Union territory. "Rahulji will visit J&K on September 4 and will address election campaign rallies in Kashmir as well as Jammu for the alliance candidates," he added. Mir, who is contesting the assembly elections from Dooru in the south Kashmir district here, said Gandhi will address an election rally at the Dooru stadium. He said Gandhi would address another rally likely in the Sangaldan area of Jammu. "We are happy that he (Gandhi) accepted our invitation. This programme is for the first phase only. He might visit J&K again for the other phases," Mir said. The AICC general

Cong holds protest against K'taka Guv's nod to prosecute CM Siddaramaiah

The Congress in Karnataka on Saturday staged a protest against the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to investigate and prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam. Ruling party leaders led by Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar held the agitation before taking out the 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' march. The Chief Minister has alleged that the Governor's office was misused to 'destabilise' the Congress government in the state. Siddaramaiah has also accused Gehlot of discriminating against him while granting permission for prosecution. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on August 16 accorded sanction for prosecution of the CM under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions of three social activists.

Statue collapse: Apology not enough, Maharashtra's pride hurt, says Patole

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole has said that simply apologising for the collapse of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will not suffice as the episode has "hurt the pride of Maharashtra". He made the remarks on Friday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and those hurt by the collapse of the warrior king's statue in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district. The statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior king at Rajkot fort in Sindhudurg district's Malvan tehsil, which fell on August 26, was unveiled by the PM on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day. During his address in Palghar on Friday, PM Modi said, "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king. For us, he is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity." Talking to reporters in Bhandara, Patole said, "What made him (PM) apologise ? It means he has acknowledged that he had made a mistake. When the statue was ready, as a prime ...

Robert Vadra slams Kangana, says she does not deserve to be in Parliament

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband Robert Vadra slammed BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Friday for her comments on farmers' protests and said she does not deserve to be in Parliament. "She (Ranaut) is a woman. I respect her. But I feel she does not deserve to be in Parliament. She is not educated. I feel she does not think about people. She thinks only about herself. She should think about women. My appeal is that the entire country should come together and move forward on the issue of women's safety," Vadra told reporters here. Noting that the safety of women is the most important issue, he said all political parties must come together to address it. Ranaut, the member of Parliament from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, on Monday posted on X a clip of her interview with Hindi daily "Dainik Bhaskar", in which she suggested that a "Bangladesh-like situation" could have erupted in India during farmers' protests against three now-repealed farm laws but for the country's stro

Cong MLAs Siddique, Antapurkar expelled from party: MPCC chief Nana Patole

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday said the party has expelled its MLAs Zeeshan Siddique and Jitesh Antapurkar, a move coming just ahead of the assembly polls. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, he did not elaborate on reasons for the expulsion of Zeeshan Siddique and Antapurkar, but the action comes more than a month after it came to light that seven Congress MLAs cross-voted in biennial elections to 11 seats of the Legislative Council. Replying to a query on Zeeshan Siddique and Antapurkar, Patole said there was no point in commenting on the two MLAs as they have been expelled by the party. Zeeshan Siddique was elected from Bandra (East) in Mumbai, while Antapurkar represented Deglur in Nanded district. Zeeshan Siddique's father Baba Siddique joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Assembly polls in Maharashtra are due in November.

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Mayawati flays Cong over 'Bharat Dojo Yatra', çalls its 'mockery of poor'

BSP supremo Mayawati on Friday hit out at the Congress over its proposed "Bharat Dojo Yatra," calling it a "mockery" of those struggling with poverty and said politicisation of sports is harmful. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday shared a video of one of the martial arts sessions held at campsites of his east to west Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra earlier this year, and said a "Bharat Dojo Yatra" is coming soon. In a post on X, Mayawati said, "No one denies the importance of Dojo and other sports for people with full stomachs, but what about the crores of families struggling with poverty, unemployment, inflation and backwardness, who are forced to work hard day and night to feed themselves. Isn't 'Bharat Dojo Yatra' a mockery of them?" Dojo broadly refers to a training hall or school for martial arts. "The central and state governments want to make crores of poor and hardworking people of the country sing 'bhajans' on empty stomachs to cover up their failure to provide them with a .

Youth Cong leaders seek apology from PM Modi over Shivaji statue collapse

Several posters demanding an apology from the Prime Minister were put up in various locations by the Congress

Cong MP Varsha Gaikwad claims police detained her ahead of PM's visit

Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad claimed on Friday that police had detained her and many of her party workers ahead of their planned protest during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mumbai. Modi is scheduled to address Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024 in the city and lay the foundation stone of Vadhvan Port project worth around Rs 76,000 crore in Palghar on Friday, according to his office. The police are there at my residence since 7 am. They are not even allowing me to walk two steps. What can I say if asking (PM) to apologise or stage a silent protest is a crime. If questions cannot be asked to the country's prime minister, then whom should we pose our questions to, she said. The Mumbai Congress had planned a protest during PM's visit to Mumbai. We have been detained for raising our voice for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, for Maharashtra's pride. But we will not be deterred. The Prime Minister must apologise for the insult to our icon, Gaikwad, who is also the Mumbai Congress chief,

Telangana CM apologises to Supreme Court for comment over Kavitha's bail

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy tendered an apology to the Supreme Court on Friday after the apex court expressed strong displeasure over the Telangana Chief Minister's statement that he gave on the top court granting bail to BRS leader K Kavitha.In a post on X, CM Reddy said, "I have the highest regard and full faith in the Indian Judiciary. I understand that certain press reports dated 29th August, 2024 containing comments attributed to me have given the impression that I am questioning the judicial wisdom of the Hon'ble Court."He further stated that he was a firm believer in the Constitution and its ethos and hold the Judiciary in high esteem."I reiterate that I am a firm believer of the judicial process. I unconditionally express my regret for the statements reflected in the press reports. The remarks attributed to me in such reports have been taken out of context. I have unconditional respect & highest regard for the Judiciary & its independence. As a firm ...

Mallikarjun Kharge condoles demise of ex- Air Marshal Denzil Keelor

Kharge remembered his unmatched valour and unwavering patriotism during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War

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PM Modi's 'billionaire raj' more unequal than British Raj, says Congress

The Congress on Thursday latched on to a new rich list to attack the Centre, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "billionaire raj" is more unequal than even the British Raj and it is also the cornerstone of the government's economic policy-making. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which cited the Hurun India Rich List to state that India created a new billionaire every five days throughout 2023. "India has had one billionaire for every five days in 2023, and the non-biological Prime Minister's closest friend is the foremost among them all," Ramesh said on X. "Modi's Billionaire Raj is more unequal than even the British Raj. But it is also the cornerstone of the government's economic policy-making," he alleged. This is why, at a time when countries across the world are coalescing around the idea of a global billionaire tax, the Indian government has been conspicuously silent and continues to remain blind to rapidly

Cong shakes up Haryana strategy: Sitting MPs won't contest assembly polls

Haryana elections 2024: The decision has been reportedly taken to calm down internal differences between groups of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Lok Sabha MP from Sirsa, Kumari Selja

Rahul Gandhi hints at Bharat Dojo Yatra after sharing martial arts video

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday shared a video on martial arts sessions held at campsites of his east to west Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra earlier this year and said a "Bharat Dojo Yatra" is coming soon. Dojo broadly refers to a training hall or school for martial arts. "During the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, as we journeyed across thousands of kilometers, we had a daily routine of practicing jiu-jitsu every evening at our campsite. What began as a simple way to stay fit quickly evolved into a community activity, bringing together fellow yatris and young martial arts students from the towns where we stayed," Gandhi said on X along with the video of the sessions. "Our goal was to introduce these young minds to the beauty of the 'Gentle Art' a harmonious blend of meditation, Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, and non-violent conflict resolution techniques," the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said. "We aimed to instill in them the value of transforming violence into gentleness, giving them the

Jan Dhan Yojana UPA-era scheme renamed by Modi govt, says Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday said the Jan Dhan Yojana was a UPA-era scheme that was "renamed" by the Modi government, and asserted that several million accounts were opened between 2005 and 2014. The former finance minister's remarks came a day after the government marked completion of 10 years of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailing the scheme. Chidambaram said the RBI governor who conceived of the idea was C Rangarajan. In 2005, when the 'No Frills Account' or 'Zero Balance Account' was rolled out, the governor was Dr Y V Reddy, he said. "Dr Reddy was succeeded by Dr Subba Rao. All the past governors deserve credit for introducing the scheme. It was renamed as Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBDA) in 2012," he said in a statement. The UPA-era scheme was renamed as Jan Dhan Yojana by the Modi government, Chidambaram said. Several million accounts were opened between 2005 and 2014, he said. As the Pradhan Mantri Ja

LDF backs Mukesh, says Cong MLAs who face rape charges should resign first

The ruling LDF in Kerala on Thursday threw its weight behind CPI(M) MLA M Mukesh, booked in a rape case, saying that the two Congress legislators who are accused in sexual assault cases should resign first before the Malayalam actor's resignation is sought. At the same time, LDF convener E P Jayarajan also said that neither the CPI(M) nor the Left government will protect any wrongdoers in any of the cases registered on the allegations against various actors and directors. Jayarajan was responding to reporters' queries on whether Mukesh will resign or not. He said that earlier, much bigger sexual assault cases were lodged against two other MLAs who had not resigned. He was referring to Congress MLAs M Vincent and Eldhose Kunnappilly. "Had they resigned, then the third MLA (Mukesh) too would have to resign. The law is applicable equally to all legislators. By asking for Mukesh' resignation, you are protecting the other two," he said. On being told that some CPI leaders, including A