Page 144 - Congress

PM Modi has ended rule of law, says Rahul on Dalit woman's death in MP

Hitting out at the BJP over the death of a slain Dalit youth's sister in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ended the rule of law and asserted that "we will create a system where even the weakest person will be able to raise his voice strongly against oppression". The woman, who had lodged a case last August claiming her brother, a Dalit, was beaten to death by some persons pressuring her for a compromise in a harassment case, died on Sunday after she fell from an ambulance carrying her uncle's body in Sagar. Notably, her uncle Rajendra Ahirwar was beaten to death on Saturday night by some persons over an old enmity, police sources said. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "Narendra Modi has ended the 'rule of law'. My heart is filled with pain and anger just thinking about what the BJP leaders have done to this Dalit family in Madhya Pradesh." It is a matter of shame that under the BJP rule, the governmen

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LS polls highlights: PM has developed strategies to distract people from 'real' issues, says Rahul

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Narrow escape for Rahul Gandhi: Stage collapses partially in Bihar rally

INDIA bloc rally in Bihar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi momentarily loses his balance as the stage almost collapsed during a rally in Bihar's Paliganj

'TMC unlikely to attend INDIA bloc meet on June 1 due to phase 7 polling'

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is unlikely to attend a meeting of the INDIA bloc on June 1, sources said, as it coincides with the last phase of voting in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. According to sources, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has convened a meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders on the afternoon of June 1, when the last phase of polling will be underway. Sources in the TMC said the voting will be done on nine seats, including two seats in Kolkata - Kolkata Dakshin, and Kolkata Uttar, in West Bengal on the day which are crucial for the party. Other constituencies that go to polls that day in the state include Jadavpur, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jayanagar, Mathurapur and Diamond Harbour. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other top leaders will be voting on the day and hence will be unable to attend the meeting, a source said, also pointing out that the party has so far attended all meetings of the opposition bloc. The sou

Modi 'playing with' national security by bringing in Agnipath scheme: Cong

The Congress on Monday accused the Modi government of "playing with" national security and the future of the youth, and asserted that the military recruitment scheme would be scrapped when it comes to power at the Centre. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Agnipath scheme is the contribution of the "outgoing prime minister". "This is playing with national security and the future of the youth. Before Agnipath, about 75,000 youth were recruited (annually) into the armed forces and now that has been reduced by one-fourth," Ramesh said in a video statement posted on X. He said that under the Agnipath scheme, training is given to the youth for six months and they are told to go and take on China and Pakistan at the borders. Ramesh recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's June 2020 statement, which the Congress describes as a "clean chit of China", and claimed that it had reduced India's negotiating power. "We should remember that the three chiefs of the army, navy and air

'PM Modi will use his biological story to evade ED', says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will use his cooked up 'biological story' when the ED questions him about Adani after the ongoing Lok Sabha polls

LS polls: INDIA govt to scrap Agnipath scheme if voted to power, says Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday claimed that the INDIA bloc, if voted to power, would scrap the Agnipath scheme of recruitment in defence services and deposit Rs 8,500 to every woman's account in each month. Addressing an election rally at Bakhtiyarpur in Bihar, he asserted that Narendra Modi will not be able to become the prime minister again, since there is a clear wave in favour of the INDIA bloc across the country. When the INDIA block will form the government, the Agnipath scheme will be withdrawn, Gandhi said. The scheme, announced by the Narendra Modi government in 2022, envisages recruiting young soldiers on a contractual basis for four years and retire 75 per cent of them without certain benefits enjoyed by those who were not employed under this programme. After the formation of the INDIA block government at the Centre, Gandhi said, From July, Rs 8,500 will be deposited in women's accounts every month. This will change the financial condition of every family. Takin

PM Modi used money power to topple Himachal's Congress govt, says Priyanka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made all-out efforts to topple Himachal Pradesh's democratically-elected Congress government by using money power, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged on Monday. The Congress general secretary, who was campaigning in Chamba for the party's Kangra Lok Sabha seat candidate Anand Sharma, also said the Congress was in power for 55 years but could not become the richest party. The BJP, on the other hand, has become the richest party in the world in just 10 years, she claimed. "Modi made all-out efforts to topple the democratically-elected Congress government in the state by indulging in corrupt practices and using money power," Priyanka Gandhi said during the rally. She also asked the crowd at the rally if they would want such a leader. Priyanka Gandhi claimed that the only purpose of BJP leaders, starting from Modi, is to grab power at any cost and they indulge in corrupt practices, use money power, bribe legislators and mislead people in the nam

Himachal Congress ex-MLAs contesting assembly bypolls on BJP ticket

Facing a barrage of criticism, dubbed "bike hue (sold out) mafia" by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the six disqualified Congress MLAs contesting the assembly bypolls on a BJP ticket have resolved to fight fire with fire. Not apologetic and in a mood to retaliate, they say it is the public who voted for them that comes first and not the party they belong to. Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur), Sudhir Sharma (Dharamshala), Ravi Thakur (Lahaul & Spiti), Inder Dutt Lakhanpal (Barsar), Chaitanya Sharma (Gagret) and Devinder Kumar Bhutto (Kutlehar), along with three Independent lawmakers, voted for Harsh Mahajan -- the BJP's nominee in the Rajya Sabha election on February 27. Two days later, the six Congress MLAs were disqualified from the assembly for defying a party whip to be present in the House and vote in favour of the government. They later joined the BJP and were fielded from their respective constituencies on a saffron party ticket. Ever since the cross-voting ..

10 years of Telangana: Is India's newest state limping or marching ahead?

Being revenue surplus, which indicates that the state exceeds its current receipts for its current expenditure, Telangana has been generous with its social welfare schemes

Rahul enjoys vacations abroad, PM Modi celebrates with jawans, says HM Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that the ongoing Lok Sabha polls were a choice between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who celebrated Diwali among Armymen, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who "rushes abroad for vacations whenever the weather becomes uncomfortable". Addressing a rally in Karakat Lok Sabha constituency of Bihar, Shah also dubbed the INDIA bloc as the one comprising "scamsters guilty of financial wrongdoings worth Rs 12 lakh crore" which was taking on Modi, "with an unblemished record during the 23 years he was CM (of Gujarat) and the PM". He also said that unlike Gandhi, who was "born with a silver spoon", Modi has worked hard to reach the top, coming from an "ati pichhda (extremely backward class) family" and selling tea at one point of time to make ends meet. The former BJP president slammed the Congress for being "scared of Pakistan's atomic bombs" and asserted that his government, which has scrapped Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, was resolved to

No progress taking place in lives of people under BJP govt, says Priyanka

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday lashed out at the BJP-led Centre, asking why there is no prosperity in the lives of people if the country's economy is growing at a rapid pace. Addressing her first poll rally in Punjab in favour of party candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib seat Amar Singh, she also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "speaking lies and making hollow promises with the public only to capture power." Attacking the Modi government, she said 70 crore youth are unemployed in the country and unemployment is the highest in 45 years. She said 30 lakh posts are vacant in the government sector under the Modi regime. "He (Modi) makes big claims that the economy is growing at a rapid pace. I want to ask if it is growing so fast then and if there is progress in the country then why there is no progress in your (people) lives. Why did your children not get employment? the Congress general secretary said. "And why inflation has gone up too much. If the country is ..

Cong alleges Kerala ministers lied about liquor policy, demands probe

The Congress on Sunday continued its attack against the Left government in Kerala over its liquor policy, accusing Excise Minister M B Rajesh and Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas of "lying" to the public by claiming that no discussion had taken place regarding the scrapping of the "dry day" norm. The opposition party questioned the silence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the issue and asked why a vigilance probe had not been ordered into the allegations despite receiving a complaint. The Congress also called for the government to announce a judicial probe into the allegations and to sack the excise minister. The criticism came after reports that the state government was considering scrapping the 'dry day' norm (which prohibits the sale of alcohol in the state on the first day of every calendar month), sparking a political storm in the state. While the Congress-led UDF has accused the LDF government of taking bribes to 'favour' bar owners, the Left claimed it has not yet he

'Pattern in creating false narratives': ECI amid voter turnout data row

The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday came out with the constituency-wise data on the number of votes cast in the first five phases of the Lok Sabha polls and said there is a pattern in creating false narratives and mischievous designs to vitiate the electoral process. It also asserted that any alteration in the number of the votes polled is not possible. The poll panel came out with the absolute number of voters on its own a day after the Supreme Court refused to issue directions to it on an NGO's plea for uploading the polling booth-wise voter turnout data on its website. The EC said it has decided to further expand the format of the turnout data to include the absolute number of voters in every constituency. The absolute numbers are discernable constituency-wise by all citizens by applying the turnout percentage to the total number of electors, both already made available in the public domain, the poll panel said. Electors are those on the electoral roll and eligible to vote

LS elections: PM Modi, BJP will change Constitution, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday lashed out at the BJP, alleging that it will change the Constitution if it wins the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing his first poll rally in Punjab in support of Amritsar candidate Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Gandhi said these elections are not ordinary. "In this election, Narendra Modi ji and BJP senior leaders are attacking the Constitution. For the first time in the history of independent India, their party leaders have openly said they will change, scrap, finish and throw the Constitution if they win the election," the former Congress president said. He said the elections are a battle between two ideologies. "On one side is Narendra Modi ji and BJP people who want to finish it (Constitution) and on the other hand is Congress which is protecting the Constitution," said Gandhi. He hit out at the BJP government at the Centre, alleging that in the last 10 years, PM Modi did nothing for the farmers of the country. "But you were attacked and they .

LS polls: Pink booths, creche facilities elevate voting experience in Delhi

The specially designed pink and model booths were a hit among the voters, who not only cast their votes with ease but also enjoyed clicking selfies on the polling day. The seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi went to polling in the sixth phase on Saturday. A vibrant effort to enhance the voting experience, the polling stations featured model encouragement facilities, including pink sofas, spacious waiting areas with water fans, pitcher water, colourful rangoli, beautiful hanging decorations, selfie booths, carpets and wheelchairs to help the disabled. Speaking about the pink booth arrangement, Priyanka Vajpayee, a voter, said, "I was surprised when I entered the booth because it was not like the last time. It was all decorated with flowers and balloons." The pink booth was managed by female staff and it was decorated with lots of cutouts, motivational quotes and beautification work to enthuse people. Talking about the decoration, another voter Geeta said, "The booth is so colou

INDIA bloc crosses halfway mark, on track for over 350 seats: Congress

As the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls concluded on Saturday, the Congress claimed the BJP's fate is "all but sealed" with the INDIA bloc having already crossed the halfway mark of 272 seats and is on course for a tally of over 350 seats in total. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also claimed the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) is set to sweep the NDA away. "With six phases of the elections now concluded, voting for 486 seats is over. As the outgoing PM starts figuring out his retirement plans, here's the round-up of the campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections: The BJP's fate is all but sealed. It has become clear that they are South mein Saaf, aur North, West, and East mein Half," Ramesh said in a post on X. He claimed the INDIA bloc has grown from strength to strength since Phase 1 and after polling in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and now Delhi, "we are seeing the incredible chemistry that has been built between coalition partners". "Th

Modi should maintain dignity of PM post, says Priyanka on 'mujra' remark

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Saturday hit out PM Narendra Modi for his "mujra" remark to target the INDIA bloc, and said no prime minister has ever used such words for opposition leaders in the history of the country. She said the entire country respects the post of prime minister and it his responsibility to maintain the dignity of the post. The prime minister has become nervous and has forgotten he is a representative of the country and of people, and such words should not have come out of his mouth, Vadra said here. Earlier in the day, addressing rallies in neighbouring Bihar, Modi asserted he will foil opposition INDIA bloc's "plans" to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of their quota and divert these to Muslims. "They (the opposition bloc) may remain enslaved and perform 'mujra' to please their vote bank," the PM said. Vadra responded to his statement at a joint election rally with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Gorakhpur in support of INDIA bloc candidate Kajal Nishad and

Congress didn't allow OROP, it got implemented by Modi govt: PM in UP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, accusing the party of not allowing the soldiers to get 'One Rank, One Pension'. At an election rally in Ghazipur, he said, "The Congress had the expertise of delaying works and snatching rights. They did not allow our jawans get 'One Rank, One Pension'. It was implemented when Modi came (to power)." Asserting that Ghazipur tells the tales of valour and bravery, Modi said, "Ghazipur and Gamhar village -- the names are enough as brave soldiers emerge from every house. Has any place other than Ghazipur have this honour? The entire country is indebted to this land." Attacking the opposition, the prime minister said, "Leaders of the 'parivarvadi' (dynastic) parties kept on building palace after palace. But, the poor, farmers, labourers and Dalits were deprived and they struggled to meet their small needs." Taking a dig at Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Modi said, "SP's 'shahzade' (prince)