Page 127 - Congress

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

Latest news updates: Catch all the news updates from around the world here

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

Catch all the news updates from around the world here

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

Catch all the news updates from around the world here

India locked into low investment cycle, needs liberalised approach: Cong

The Congress on Wednesday claimed that India has been locked into a cycle of low investment since 2014 due to a combination of "erratic policy, rampant cronyism, and the ED/IT/CBI raid raj", and asserted that the country needs a new liberalised approach to political economy. Ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget next week, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the single most important statistic that explains India's inability to grow faster since 2014 is the "sluggish investment rate". "India has been locked into a cycle of low investment since 2014, due to a combination of erratic policy, rampant cronyism, and the ED/IT/CBI raid raj," Ramesh said in a statement. Low investment drags down the medium and long-term GDP growth rates, which in turn drags down wages and consumption growth, he said. "The biggest component of investment - private domestic investment - has been in the doldrums since 2014. It was solidly in the 25-30% of GDP rang

Congress to contest assembly elections alone: Delhi chief to party workers

Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav on Tuesday informed the party workers that the Congress will go it alone in the next assembly elections as its tie-up with the AAP was only for the Lok Sabha polls, a statement said. After the Congress' vote share went up substantially in the recent Lok Sabha elections, there is renewed enthusiasm among the workers and general public that the party will perform better in the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls as people now look for change, Yadav claimed. Addressing a meeting of the office-bearers of the Krishna Nagar district Congress Committee at Preet Vihar, Yadav said the block and district Congress committee meetings have activated and rejuvenated the workers to strengthen the party at the booth level and will bring back the Congress to power in the Delhi Assembly. "Yadav told the workers that in the coming elections, the Congress will go it alone as the tie-up with AAP was only for the Lok Sabha elections," the statement said. He said the people'

News updates: Indian national killed, another injured in Muscat mosque shooting in Oman

Latest news updates: Catch all the news updates from around the world here

BJP will not allow OBC quota for Muslims in Haryana, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused the Congress of being anti-backward classes and said if the party comes to power in Haryana, it will snatch the reservation for them and give it to Muslims. Addressing a 'Backward Classes Samman Sammelan' here, Shah referred to the Kaka Kalekar Commission formed in the 1950s to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and said the Congress did not implement its recommendations for years. "In 1980, (the then prime minister) Indira Gandhi put the Mandal Commission in cold storage. In 1990, when it was accepted, Rajiv Gandhi gave a two-and-a-half-hour speech and opposed OBC reservation," the Union minister said. "In Karnataka, the Congress snatched reservation for backward classes and gave it to Muslims. The same will happen here if they come (to power) here," Shah said. "I want to assure you that we will not allow Muslim reservation in Haryana," he said. He asserted that the BJP will form the government in Haryana with a f