Page 128 - Congress

News updates: AAP to hold nationwide protest on June 29 against Kejriwal's arrest by CBI

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NEET-UG exam row: NSUI members barge into NTA office, demand its closure

Members of NSUI, Congress's students wing, barged inside the office of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is at the centre of NEET-UG row over allegations of alleged irregularities in the conduct of the exam. National Students Union of India (NSUI) members barged inside the testing agency's office here in Okhla, raising slogans of "shut down NTA". There was no immediate reaction from officials of the NTA about the incident. Visuals from the scene shared by NSUI showed scores of its members raising slogans inside the building of the NTA. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5 with around 24 lakh candidates taking part in it. The results were announced on June 4, but they were followed by allegations of question paper leaks in states such as Bihar, besides other irregularities.

Parliament news updates: Both Houses adjourned for the day

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Travesty of traditions: Congress slams Speaker Birla's 'Emergency' remark

Congress leader K C Venugopal has written a letter to Om Birla condemning his remarks on the 1975 Emergency following Birla's re-election as Lok Sabha Speaker

DK Shivakumar mocks demand for 3 more deputy chief ministers in Karnataka

Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar on Thursday mocked demand from some Ministers to create three more posts of Deputy Chief Minister, saying they will get no "solution" by discussing it before the media. Some of the Ministers have been pitching for leaders from Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST and minority communities to be given the post of Deputy Chief Minister. Currently, Shivakumar, a member of the Vokkaliga community, is only the Deputy Chief Minister in the Siddaramaiah-led government. "Let those speaking to papers (newspaper or media) go and speak to high command, get a solution and come. Let them go and get whatever solution they want. There is no need to discuss before the media. I will also not discuss anything before the media," Shivakumar said, making no secret of his displeasure. "Let anyone go and get whatever solution they want, who will say don't? Neither newspapers nor TV channels will give a solution for this, you (media) only give publicity, that's all," he told

Rahul Gandhi shares the stage with PM Modi after years in his shadow

As head of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi has sturdier footing to negotiate with PM Modi. He'll be afforded powers including the ability to freely meet visiting heads-of-state

With less than 25 employees, NTA conducts over two dozen exams: Cong leader

Criticising the Centre over the alleged paper leak in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG, Congress leader Ajoy Kumar claimed that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has less than 25 permanent employees but was conducting over two dozen exams. Kumar, the Congress in-charge for Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, alleged the Centre gambled with these competitive examinations by asking the NTA to conduct those. "NTA has about a dozen employees on deputation from various departments and some contractual employees. Due to inadequate internal experts, NTA outsourced the paper setting, paper distribution and data security protocol work to private technical service providers and external experts," he claimed. Kumar said NTA's functioning was akin to playing with the future of students. NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5 with around 24 lakh candidates appearing in it for admission to MBBS courses. The results were announced on June 4, but they were followed by allegations of question pa

Sam Pitroda returns as Indian Overseas Congress chief months after quitting

Slamming the Congress for reinstating Sam Pitroda, the BJP called his resignation a poll gimmick anticipated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

News updates: Sam Pitroda re-appointed as chairman of Indian Overseas Congress with immediate effect

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Kharge reappoints Sam Pitroda as chairman of Indian Overseas Congress

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday reappointed Sam Pitroda as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, days after he had resigned from the post following some controversial remarks in the middle of Lok Sabha elections which the BJP termed as "racist". "Congress president has reappointed Sam Pitroda as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress with immediate effect," AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said in a statement. Pitroda, who is considered a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, resigned from the post on May 8, and his resignation was accepted by the Congress chief. Pitroda, who held the post of chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, stoked a major controversy with his remarks during a podcast where he cited ethnic and racial identities like Chinese, Africans, Arabs and Whites to describe the physical appearance of Indians from different parts of the country. The veteran leader was an advisor to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and has been closely associated w

Lok Sabha highlights: House adjourned after uproar over Birla's remarks on Emergency, Indira Gandhi

Lok Sabha Speaker news updates: NDA's candidate Om Birla has been elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker on Wednesday. The BJP leader will retain the Speaker's post

Defamation case: Rahul Gandhi summoned to appear before UP Court on July 2

Rahul Gandhi defamation case: The case was filed in 2018 for remarks made against then BJP President Amit Shah at a press conference in Bengaluru

Demand for 3 more Dy CMs in Karnataka: CM says Cong's decision final

With the demand to have three more Deputy Chief Ministers resurfacing in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the decision of the Congress high command is final. Some of the Ministers have been pitching for Deputy CM posts to be given to leaders from Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST and minority communities. Currently, D K Shivakumar from the Vokkaliga community is only the Deputy Chief Minister in the Siddaramaiah cabinet. "Whatever the high command decides is final," Siddaramaiah told reporters in response to a question. A section within the Congress is said to be of the opinion that statement by the Ministers seeking three more Deputy CMs, was part of a plan by Siddaramaiah's camp to keep Shivakumar in check, amid talks he might seek the CM post after two-and-half years of this government's tenure, and to counter his influence both in the government and party. Co-Operation Minister K N Rajanna, Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, Public Works Minister Satis

NDA candidate Om Birla elected as Lok Sabha Speaker for second time

'Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, congratulating Om Birla on his appointment, passed through voice votes

Appeal Congress to elect Lok Sabha Speaker unanimously: Kiren Rijiju

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday made a fresh appeal to the Congress for unanimous election of the Lok Sabha Speaker. The Congress has fielded eight-term Lok Sabha member Kodikunnil Suresh against BJP member Om Birla, who is the NDA nominee for the post. "It is better for all of us to elect the Speaker unanimously. I think we still have time and we will make one more appeal to the Congress party but if we are pushed into the election, we are prepared," Rijiju told reporters here. The election of the Lok Sabha Speaker is scheduled for Wednesday. "We all are colleagues in the House and we have to always work together. There is no doubt about that. When we make them (Opposition) an offer, we expect that the offer is accepted gracefully. That has not been done," the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said. Rijiju asserted that the ruling NDA has the numbers to elect its nominee as the Speaker. "It is my appeal to the Congress to give it a thought again and not to

News updates: CBI examines Kejriwal in Tihar Jail, court appearance tomorrow

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Lok Sabha highlights: Radical preacher Amritpal Singh fails to take oath as MP

Lok Sabha updates: As the 18th Lok Sabha began, Rahul Gandhi underscored that the Opposition-led INDIA bloc would not tolerate the alleged attacks on Constitution by PM Modi and Amit Shah

Kharge hits back at PM; says 'undeclared emergency' enforced in last 10 yrs

The Congress on Tuesday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his comments on the Emergency, and accused him of enforcing an "undeclared emergency" in the last 10 years. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the prime minister is raking up the past only to hide his failures. He also said that PM Modi talks of consensus and cooperation but does just the opposite. "Narendra Modi ji, the country is looking forward to the future but you keep scratching the past to hide your failures. In the last 10 years, you made 140 crore Indians realise what 'undeclared emergency' is, which caused a deep trauma to democracy and the Constitution," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X. "Breaking parties, toppling elected governments through the backdoor, misuse of agencies like ED, CBI, IT against 95 percent of opposition leaders, putting chief ministers in jail, and using the official machinery before elections and disturbing the level playing field, is this not undeclared emergency," he ..

Cong will reply to ministers pushing for 3 more DCMs in K'taka: Shivakumar

Seemingly expressing his displeasure against ministers demanding three more deputy chief minister posts in Karnataka, state Congress President D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said the party would respond to them appropriately. Currently, Shivakumar from the Vokkaliga community is the only DCM in the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet. Some of the ministers in the cabinet have been pitching for DCM posts to be given to leaders from Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST and minority communities. "You people (media) put in news if someone says something. Why should I say no to people who are happy (by appearing in news)... Let anyone make any demand, the party will respond to them appropriately. Simple," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question. Asked whether there is a plan in the party to have more deputy chief ministers, he said, "You please meet Mallikarjun Kharge (AICC president) and our in-charge general secretary or ask the chief minister." A section within the Congress is said to be of

BJP, Cong have made Constitution communal through amendments: Mayawati

BSP president Mayawati on Tuesday said BJP and Congress governments have made the Constitution "casteist, communal and capitalistic" to a large extent through various amendments. At a press conference here, Mayawati said both parties show copies of the Constitution inside and outside Parliament and appear to be chips of the same block. "Their thinking also seems to be similar and both of them have made this Constitution a casteist, communal and capitalist Constitution to a large extent through various amendments," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. It is no longer the egalitarian and secular Constitution of Bhimrao Ambedkar, she said. "The way these people are playing with the Indian Constitution for political gains is not at all appropriate," she added. Mayawati also said the BJP and Congress governments did not implement the Mandal Commission report providing reservation benefits to Other Backward Classes (OBCs).