Page 123 - Congress

600 PUC centres in Delhi shut due to AAP govt's internal churn: Congress

Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav Sunday alleged that 600 PUC centres, which check vehicles for their emission levels, have closed due to the AAP government's "internal churn", and lakhs of vehicles are plying on the road without pollution clearance certificates. He said the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party should emulate the governance model of the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress dispensation to eradicate air pollution from the city, he said. "Due to the Kejriwal government's internal churn, 600 PUC (Pollution Under Control) centres have been closed -- lakhs of vehicles ply on roads without getting pollution clearance certificates in the Capital," Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav said. Delhi Petrol Dealers' Association (DPDA) has been demanding the government revise the rates for Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates in the national capital. It recently shut down nearly 600 PUC centres functioning at petrol pumps, saying the hike announced recently was not commensurate with ...

All-party meet: Congress demands discussion on NEET, UP eateries row

The Congress on Sunday asserted at an all-party meeting that issues such as the NEET 'scam', Uttar Pradesh government's order to eateries and internal security situation in Jammu and Manipur, be taken up for discussion during the Budget session of Parliament. Congress general secretary, in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh said that in the all-party meeting of floor leaders chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress' deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi presented a host of issues on behalf of the party that should be taken up in the Parliament session beginning Monday. Gogoi called for discussion on governance issues relating to "NEET/NET scams, UPSC controversies, worsening railway safety and Agniveer", Ramesh said. He said the party also flagged that the internal security situation in Jammu and Manipur should be taken up for discussion during the session. According to Ramesh, Gogoi also asserted at the meeting that challenges on the borders with China and ...

Congress, CPI(M) skip all-party meeting ahead of Odisha Assembly session

The opposition Congress and CPI(M) in Odisha skipped the all-party meeting that was convened by Speaker Surama Padhy on Sunday ahead of the assembly session. The BJD was represented by its Chief Whip Pramila Mallik with Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik staying away from the meeting. Senior Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati said as the decision was not made on who would be the legislature party leader, the party did not attend the meeting. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling said, "We had a friendly discussion with the BJD chief whip and she has assured full cooperation for the smooth functioning of the House." "The Congress is yet to name its leader in the assembly. I spoke to state Congress president Sarat Patnaik in the morning, and requested him to send an MLA to the meeting," he said. The lone CPI(M) MLA also did not attend the meeting. After the meeting, the speaker said, "Suggestions of all the members were taken. The assembly will start with the governor's .

In all-party meet, Congress seeks LS Dy Speaker's post for opposition

The Congress on Sunday sought the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker's position for the opposition in the all-party meeting convened by the government ahead of Parliament session, and raised the issue of paper leaks, including of the prestigious NEET, sources said. They said party leader Gaurav Gogoi said the opposition should be allowed to raise issues in Parliament after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju sought cooperation from every party for the smooth running of the two Houses. Samajwadi Party MP Ramgopal Yadav, sources said, raised the issue of the Uttar Pradesh government's controversial directive to eateries on the kanwariya route to display the owners' names. The YSR Congress spoke about the TDP government's alleged targeting of its leaders in Andhra Pradesh and sought the Centre's intervention. The meeting is being chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and was convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju. Separately, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that in th

Nation's air pollution crisis result of policy failure: Congress slams govt

Accusing the Modi government of "poor policy-making" in dealing with air pollution, the Congress on Sunday demanded that the forthcoming Union Budget must provide a path forward to resourcing and equipping India's local bodies, state governments, and the Centre in tackling this "grave public health crisis". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said earlier this month, a study revealed that 7.2 per cent of all deaths in India are associated with air pollution -- about 34,000 deaths each year in just 10 cities. A new study by the Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi has evaluated the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) and brought to light the policy chaos that has resulted in this public health crisis, he said in a statement. "The current budget of the NCAP, including the 15th Finance Commission's grants, is about Rs 10,500 crore -- spread across 131 cities! The programme is therefore desperately underfunded -- and yet, and of this meagre amount, onl

Ahead of Maharashtra polls, BJP and Cong announce teams for media connect

The BJP and the Congress have announced their teams to engage with the media ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls, which are likely to be held in October. The BJP, which is part of the ruling alliance in he state, released a list of more than 30 leaders who will speak to the media at 9am and 4pm everyday. The list includes new entrants Ashok Chavan, who was a former Congress chief minister, and lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as well as Pankaja Munde, who was recently elected as MLC. The state BJP media coordinator Navnath Ban will coordinate with all the leaders. Apart from these three, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, former Union minister Raosaheb Danve , BJP group leader in the legislative council Pravin Darekar, state ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar, Girish Mahajan, MLAs Nitesh Rane, Atul Bhatkalkar, Ram Kadam and senior party leader and vice president Madhav Bhandari have also been appointed as spokespersons. Newly elected Pune MP and Union minister Murlidhar Mohol has been appointed by .

Cong's poll guarantees, BRS MLAs' defection issues in T'gana Budget session

The implementation of crop loan waiver and other poll 'guarantees' of the Congress government in Telangana, issues of unemployment and BRS MLAs joining the ruling party are likely to figure prominently during the budget session of Assembly beginning July 23. The government would present the budget on July 25. This will be the Congress government's first full budget after assuming power in December last year. It had presented an interim budget in February this year. Amid fanfare, the government launched the crop loan waiver scheme last week which would be implemented in two more phases with a total outlay of about Rs 31,000 crore. While the Congress leaders and activists held celebrations, the opposition BRS and BJP expressed disappointment. The BRS alleged that the loan waiver did not benefit a majority of farmers, while BJP National General Secretary and Union MoS (Home) Bandi Sanjay Kumar said the government has failed to disburse the promised amount of 'Rythu Bharosa' (invest

Khera ctiticises home min's drug control efforts as substance abuse rises

Highlighting the increase in drug consumption in India in recent years, Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera criticised the Union Home Ministry for making bold claims about controlling drugs in the country.Taking to social media platform 'X' on Saturday, Pawan Khera tweeted, "Mr. @HMOIndia, in June 2023, you had said, 'The Modi government will root out drugs from India; not allow smuggling of narcotics through the country.' But Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy DG at Narcotics Control Bureau, claims that 'The consumption of drugs among the youth is increasing, and there are roughly around 10 crore Indians who consume drugs. It used to be around 2 crore, 15 years ago.'""The DRI Report, 2021-22, mentions the seizure of 2,889 kg of heroin at Mundra Port, owned by Adani Port & SEZ (worth Rs21,000 crore), the highest ever so far in the world. In September 2020, heroin worth Rs9,000 crore was seized from the same port. Drug traffickers reportedly had links with Pakistani terror outfits," Khera

BJP unit in Karnataka dares Congress govt to probe scams during its rule

The BJP in Karnataka on Saturday challenged the Congress government to order a probe into the '21 scams' that allegedly took place during the last five years, when the saffron party was in power. The party accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah headed government of 'shielding' those involved in the Rs 187 crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. "The Chief Minister has said 21 scams have taken place during the BJP rule. You have been in power for the past 15 months. Why did you take so much time to investigate these scams? We are ready for a probe," Leader of the Opposition Party (LOP) R Ashoka said in a press conference. He said, "The way Rs 88 crore of Valmiki Corporation was 'Khata-Khat' transferred to different bank accounts in Telangana, you should have 'Khata-Khat' investigated the allegations of irregularities against us." Ashoka, a former Deputy Chief Minister, accused Siddaramaiah of trying to put the blame on Valmiki Corporation

Unable to digest defeat, BJP resorting to communal politics: Gaurav Gogoi

Congress's deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, on Saturday alleged that the ruling BJP was resorting to its "old brand of communal politics", as it was "unable to digest the moral defeat" in the parliamentary elections. He claimed that this was being manifested in instances such as the order in Uttar Pradesh to owners of eateries to display their names during the Kanwar Yatra and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma targeting a specific community over population figures. "The BJP has not been able to digest the moral defeat it suffered in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, that is why in every state, they are back to their old brand of communal politics," Gogoi said here. He cited the instances of the Uttar Pradesh government asking owners of eateries along the route of Kanwar Yatra to display their names and in Assam, the "politics over the population of a specific community". Sarma had on Friday claimed that the decadal growth of Muslims in Assam was around 30 per cent and t

Nudged out amid current controversy: Cong on UPSC chairman resignation

With the UPSC chairman Manoj Soni resigning citing personal reasons, the Congress on Saturday said he apparently "nudged out" given the current controversy in which the UPSC is involved. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also said the sanctity and autonomy of all Constitutional bodies have been badly damaged since 2014 -- the year Narendra Modi became prime minister. Soni has resigned citing personal reasons before the expiry of his tenure in May 2029, official sources said on Saturday. His resignation is "not in any way connected to controversies and allegations surrounding the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) after probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar issue came to the fore," they said. Reacting to the development, Ramesh said, "The sanctity, character, autonomy, and professionalism of all Constitutional bodies have been badly damaged since 2014. But at times even the self-anointed non-biological PM is forced to say enough in enough." He ad

Highlights: Piyush Goyal likely to attend Brics trade ministers' meeting in Moscow on July 26

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ED attaches Rs 300 cr worth land of M3M realty in case involving Congress

The ED on Friday said it has attached land in Gurugram, worth over Rs 300 crore, of real estate group M3M as part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged land fraud case that also involves Congress leader and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. To attach the land, a provisional order was issued by the federal probe agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The 88.29 acres of land is located in Basharia village of Harsaru tehsil in Haryana's Gurugram district that borders Delhi. The land is valued at Rs 300.11 crore, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement. In a statement, a spokesperson of the real estate group said they were "highly disappointed with the highly unwarranted, unjustified and uncalled for action by the ED...to provisionally attach its land asset which is in no way connected with any offence and under no circumstances can be placed in the purview of proceeds of crime as understood under the PMLA." The money ..

Nadda terms Congress 'parasite party', says it weakens alliance partners

BJP national president J P Nadda on Friday termed the Congress as a "parasite party that stands on the crutches of others' votes and weakens alliance partners". Addressing the Odisha BJP's state executive meeting here, the Union minister said that "those who have hurt the Constitution the most are teaching the ruling dispensation on how to protect democracy". "The Congress has become a parasitic party and is standing on the crutches of others' votes. People who have hurt the Constitution the most are now teaching us on how to protect democracy. Rahul Gandhi is not aware how his grandmother (Indira Gandhi) used the Constitution in a different way," Nadda said, while referring to the Emergency period. He claimed that the Congress had dismissed elected governments 90 times in the past, while the Narendra Modi dispensation at the Centre has never dismissed the governments of other parties in the last 10 years. Highlighting the "BJP's acceptance among the people of India", Nadda claimed

Delhi Court reserves order against Jagdish Tytler in 1984 anti-Sikh riots

Delhi Court reserves order on framing charges against Congress Leader Jagdish Tytler in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, where three people were killed

Move to reduce govt stake in PSB to less than 51% will be resisted: Cong

The Congress on Friday said any move to bring down the Union government's stake in 12 public sector banks to less than 51 per cent would continue to be resisted forcefully both in Parliament and outside. The party asserted that the mergers in the public sector banking industry in the last seven years have been broadly accepted only because the Union government's share was not to be reduced to below 51 per cent. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh recalled that on this day 55 years ago, then prime minister Indira Gandhi had moved decisively to nationalise 14 banks and opened a whole new chapter in India's economic history. "I have described the background to this momentous event based on archival material in my 'Intertwined Lives: PN Haksar and Indira Gandhi'. DN Ghosh who played a key role along with Haksar has also left a detailed account of it in his very valuable memoir 'No Regrets'," he said. IG Patel was the special secretary in the finance minist

News updates: Lok Sabha Speaker sets up the Business Advisory Committee for new session

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Ensure Rs 400 per day min wage to achieve 'Asli 400 paar', Cong asks PM

Flagging the issue of "decline in real wages", the Congress on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been delivered a "stinging rebuke by voters" in his efforts to reach "400 paar" in the Lok Sabha but the Budget offers him the chance to achieve "Asli 400 paar" of a nationwide minimum wage of Rs 400 per day. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said multiple data sources, including the government's own official statistics, are unanimous in showing that workers can buy less today than they could 10 years ago. "A combination of slow wage growth and back-breaking inflation has caused an unprecedented decline in real wages (wages adjusted for price rise)," he said in a statement. Citing the government data of labour bureau's wage rate index, Ramesh said real wages for labourers stagnated between 2014 and 2023, and in fact declined between 2019 and 2024. He further cited the Ministry of Agriculture's Agricultural Statistics to claim that under Manmo

BJP accuses Congress of using remarks inciting violence against PM Modi

The BJP on Thursday accused the Congress of often using remarks, which incite violence, against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said words like 'maut' and 'hinsa' should not be used in speeches to target political rivals. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi cited a write-up of an ex-IPS officer to highlight that rhetoric used for short-term political benefits at times incites violence as he referred to the killing of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Targeting the Congress, Trivedi said its leader Rahul Gandhi used words like violence and murder in Parliament and had rationalised as throwing of some article at Modi's convoy during the poll campaign as an evidence of people's fear of the prime minister ending. Modi's security was endangered in Punjab when the Congress ruled the state, he said, contrasting this with the security provided to Rahul Gandhi in sensitive places like Kashmir and Manipur. Someone who spoke of ..

News updates: Karnataka puts on hold Bill for reservation in private sector firms for Kannadigas

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