Page 160 - Congress

In Lok Sabha election campaigning, political parties put AI to test

Technology is being used to translate speeches instantly, create digital anchors and in one case make videos of a long-dead leader

Congress 'sultan of tukde, tukde gang': PM Modi at Karnataka election rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called the Congress "the sultan of tukde tukde gang", as he accused the opposition party of having the dangerous intention to "divide, break and weaken" the country. He was addressing a mega public meeting at Maharaja's college ground here aimed at drumming up support for BJP and JD(S) candidates from Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Hassan Lok Sabha constituencies. "This is a land where mothers dream about sending their children to armed forces in the service of the nation. On the other hand, there is a Congress party which is going around becoming the 'Sultan of tukde tukde gang'. The dangerous intention of Congress to divide, break and weaken the country is still the same," Modi claimed. JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda was among those who shared the dais with Modi in a show of strength by the NDA. The JD(S) joined the NDA in September last year. Of the total 28 seats in Karnataka, BJP is contesting in 25 and the .

Cong raises issues of Mahakal Lok corruption, crimes against dalits in MP

On a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress on Sunday posed several questions to him asking why the probe into Mahakal Lok corruption "disappeared" and why the BJP-ruled state has the "highest" crime rate against Dalits. Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh also questioned the prime minister about his party's track record in "providing justice" to tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh. "Today's questions for PM Modi as he heads to MP: Why has the Mahakal Lok corruption probe disappeared? MP has the highest crime rate against Dalits. "Why is it increasing? Why is the MP State Government so firm on denying Adivasi communities justice," Ramesh asked in a post on X. The Congress leader said Modi inaugurated the Rs 850-crore Mahakal Lok Corridor on October 11, 2022. Despite the hefty price tag, all it took was one storm in May 2023 to destroy six of the seven "mega statues" of the saptarishis within minutes, he alleged. While the

All eyes on Nagpur, former Cong bastion, due to 'development man' Gadkari

The battle for Nagpur Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra is among the most watched in the country due to the presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, a hardcore RSS loyalist who has a legion of admirers for his development work as well as the penchant for talking straight. In 2014, he had defeated seven time MP Vilas Muttemwar by a margin of 2.84 lakh votes and retained the seat in 2019 by defeating current Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole by 2.16 lakh votes. Nagpur, with 22,18,259 voters comprising 11,10,840 males, 11,07,197 females and 222 third gender persons, is Vidarbha's largest city and has connection to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mentor of the BJP, as well as Ambedkarism on the other end of the spectrum, since the legendary social reformer converted to Buddhism here. The seat was a bastion of the Congress, which has won it 13 out of 17 times. "Gadkari is part of the RSS ecosystem and is very close to the organisation. He is widely seen as an ...

PM Modi cut off from citizens, their issues, says Priyanka Gandhi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, claiming that he is completely cut off from people and their issues. The Congress leader also claimed that Modi enjoys so much power that those around him are scared to tell him the truth. "Your biggest problem is inflation. I believe that Modiji is not able to understand that. When there is too much power, people do not tell the truth. Officers and colleagues are scared of telling him about the reality and then the individual gets cut off from people," Gandhi told a public meeting in Rajasthan's Jalore. The rally was organised to garner support for Vaibhav Gehlot, the son of former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and the Congress candidate from Jalore in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. "I really feel that Modi is now completely cut off from the people of the country," Gandhi said. She said the rising inflation and unemployment are the two biggest problems facing the country right now but

Sanjay Singh meets Kharge, pitches for common minimum programme for 'INDIA'

AAP leader Sanjay Singh met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence here on Sunday and urged him to come up with a common minimum programme for the INDIA bloc in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Singh said he sought Kharge's support after he was released from jail and also told the Congress president how Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is being treated in prison. Kejriwal is lodged in Tihar Jail after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged liquor scam in Delhi. The Rajya Sabha MP of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said as the leader of opposition in the Upper House of Parliament, Kharge "has been supportive of us and so I wanted to meet him after getting released from jail". "During the meeting, several issues were discussed. We discussed the issue of the (BJP-led) government misusing central agencies and the manner in which opposition leaders are being targeted. "I also informed him about how Kejriwal is being ..

Cong always insulted Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, we honoured him, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Congress always insulted Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, but his government has honoured him. Addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad, Modi also said the Congress never recognised the contribution of adivasis (tribals), but the BJP government has honoured them. "The Congress always insulted Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, we have honoured him," Modi said on the birth anniversary of the architect of India's Constitution. Because of the Constitution given by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, a tribal woman became the President of India, he said, referring to Droupadi Murmu's election to the country's top constitutional post. "The Congress is saying that if I become prime minister for the third time, the country will be in flames," Modi said targeting the opposition party. "The (opposition) INDI alliance is unable to decide in which direction the country should move," he said. The slogan of "Phir ek baar, Modi sarkar" is resonating across the country, t

Oppn lost power due to disunity; Congress need remedying: Amartya Sen

Noting that the Opposition in India has lost much of its power due to disunity, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said the Congress has many organisational problems that need remedying. In an interview with PTI, Sen said that a caste census might be an exercise to consider, but India needs greater empowerment for the underprivileged through better education, healthcare, and gender equity. The noted economist said he is "enormously proud" to be a citizen of a democratic country like India, but there is a need to "work harder to enhance the nation's democratic nature". Sen said the opposition bloc INDIA failed to gain much traction, with its important allies such as JD(U) and RLD walking out. When asked what the Opposition lacks in taking on the BJP, he said, "The Opposition in India lost a lot of its power due to its disunity. Unity would have given it much more strength." "Congress has many organisational problems that need remedying. The party's great past should inspire it," he said.

Promises made by BJP remained promises only: Gehlot on its LS manifesto

Ashok Gehlot also claimed that the BJP will be changing the Constitution once it comes to power and this has created a sense of tension and fear in the country

LS polls: Cong picks ex-Gujarat Oppn leader Dhanani against BJP's Rupala

The Congress has fielded former opposition leader Paresh Dhanani, a Patidar, against Union minister Parshottam Rupala, who is facing the ire of Kshatriya community, from Rajkot Lok Sabha seat as the party has released names of its four remaining candidates in Gujarat. The candidates comprise a former president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), a senior spokesperson and two former legislators, including Dhanani. In its latest list released on Saturday night, Congress also declared the names of candidates for bypolls to five assembly constituencies of Vijapur, Porbandar, Manavadar, Khambhat and Vaghodia in Gujarat. With this, the Congress has declared the names of candidates for 24 constituencies it will contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat. Two other constituencies - Bharuch and Bhavnagar - are allotted to the Aam Aadmi Party under a seat-sharing agreement as part of the opposition INDIA alliance. Apart from Dhanani, three other candidates decla

LS elections: BJP, Cong workers clash during TV channel debate in MP

Workers and leaders of Congress and BJP allegedly attacked each other with sticks and plastic chairs, leaving some of them injured, during a poll debate organised by a news channel in a public park in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur on Saturday night. Videos of two groups throwing plastic chairs and using sticks are doing rounds on social media. City Superintendent of Police Pankaj Mishra confirmed the incident. "One person was injured in this incident and hospitalised. Some activists have also suffered injuries," he said, adding that the process of filing FIRs by both sides is underway. The incident occurred when a TV news channel had organised a debate at Bhawartal Park in the evening. The BJP and the opposition Congress traded charges over violence. BJP MLA Abhilash Pandey claimed Congress leaders passed certain remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which were opposed by saffron workers. "During the heated exchange, former Congress MLA Vinay Saxena and his supporters attack

It's 'King' versus 'Queen' in Mandi as Cong fields royal against Kangana

The stage is set for a battle royale in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi Lok Sabha seat as the Congress on Saturday pitted state minister Vikramaditya Singh, the titular king of the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr, against BJP candidate and actor Kangana Ranaut. Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh is the son of six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh and Pratibha Singh, the sitting MP from Mandi and the Congress' state unit president. Historically, the Mandi constituency has favoured scions of erstwhile princely states, electing royals in 13 out of 19 elections, including two bypolls since 1952. Vikramaditya Singh, the two-time MLA from the Shimla (rural) assembly segment, is not new in the parliamentary constituency as his father and mother each won the seat thrice. In the 2021 Lok Sabha bypoll to the seat, Singh had campaigned extensively for his mother. Even before his candidature was announced, Vikramaditya Singh was involved in a spat with the actor-politician of ...

LS polls: Congress fields sitting Punjab MP Manish Tewari from Chandigarh

The Congress on Saturday fielded two-time MP from Punjab Manish Tewari as its candidate from the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat. Veteran party leader and former MP Pawan Kumar Bansal was also in the reckoning for the seat. Tewari's candidature, along with 15 other candidates, was announced during a meeting of the Congress' central election committee in Delhi. A sitting MP from the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab, Tewari is a former union minister. He was elected as MP from Ludhiana in 2009. The names of Tewari, Bansal and Chandigarh Congress president Harmohinder Singh Lucky were doing rounds for candidature from the Chandigarh parliamentary constituency, currently held by BJP MP Kirron Kher. Tewari will face BJP candidate Sanjay Tandon in the electoral contest. The BJP on Wednesday named Tandon, the former Chandigarh BJP president, as its candidate, replacing incumbent MP Kher. Tewari won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the Anandpur Sahib seat, defeating Shiromani Akal

Cong names 16 more LS candidates, fields Vikramaditya against Kangana

The Congress on Saturday announced a list of 16 more candidates for the Lok Sabha polls and fielded former Union minister Manish Tewari from the Chandigarh parliamentary constituency. The party also pitted Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh against BJP candidate and Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut in the state's Mandi Lok Sabha seat. Vikramaditya Singh is the son of the Congress' Himachal Pradesh unit chief Pratibha Singh. The candidates were announced during a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee here on Saturday evening.

BJP supports reservations, Congress spreading lies: Amit Shah in Rajasthan

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday accused the Congress of spreading misconception that BJP wants to abolish quota for Dalits, tribals, and the Other Backward Castes. "I want to make one thing clear. Congress party is spreading misconception, especially among Dalit and tribal brothers, that BJP is going to abolish reservation," Shah said while addressing an election meeting in Harsoli (Alwar) in support of Alwar Lok Sabha candidate Bhupender Yadav. "Listen to me carefully. Be it reservation for Dalits, tribals or backward classes, BJP supports it. We will neither end the reservation nor allow anyone to do it," he said. "(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi himself is the biggest supporter of reservation," he said and accused the Congress of being anti-OBC and cold shelving key reports on the issue of reservation. "Congress party is an anti-OBC party. The Congress Party did injustice to the backward classes for years. kept the Kaka Kalelkar report suppressed. Kept the Mandal ...

BJP to release its poll manifesto on Sunday, PM Modi to be present

The BJP will release its manifesto -Sankalp Patra - for the Lok Sabha polls on Sunday, with its planks of welfare and development besides a roadmap for 'viksit Bharat' expected to figure prominently in its election agenda. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders of the party are expected to attend the unveiling of the manifesto at the party headquarters that coincides with the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, a towering leader from the Dalit community and an architect of the Indian Constitution. As the BJP government has fulfilled most of its core ideological promises, including the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the repeal of Article 370, all eyes will be on how the ruling party's larger cultural and Hindutva agenda figures in the manifesto. Party sources said measures for the youth, women, farmers and the poor -- four "castes" Modi has often spoken about -- will be among the highlights of its poll pledges. The BJP had appointed a manifesto committee

Farmers' loans will be waived after Cong comes to power, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said loans of farmers will be waived if his party comes to power at the Centre. Addressing a rally in Sakoli in Maharashtra's Bhandara district, he said the main issues plaguing the people of the country were unemployment and inflation, though these were ignored by the media. "Loans of farmers will be waived if the Congress comes to power. People are distressed due to unemployment and inflation. The situation is such that people earning just thousands and those making crores are paying the same GST," he said while attacking the NDA government at the Centre. Gandhi said his party would conduct a caste census after attaining power since it is important for the future of the country. Slamming the Centre's Agnipath programme, in which soldiers called 'Agniveers' are recruited for four years, Gandhi said it would be scrapped since "the Army was not in its favour". Attacking Modi, he said the prime minister, who calls himself an OBC, must tell ..

EAM Jaishankar's remark on China akin to giving it clean chit: Congress

The Congress on Saturday hit out at the Narendra Modi government on the issue of Chinese transgressions and said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's reported remark that "China has not occupied any of our land" is akin to giving another free pass to the neighbouring country. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the EAM's statement is a "copy-paste" of Modi's clean chit to China after the Galwan skirmish in 2020, when 20 Indian soldiers were killed. Kharge responded to the remark in a post on X, "Wearing '56-inch' long Chinese Blinkers, on the 'Laal Aankh,' Modi Government has given a free pass to the Chinese, twice in a week's time." He added, "First, @narendramodi ji's interview in foreign press where he failed to put forth India's case strongly at the global stage. Now, his Foreign Minister, handing over another Clean Chit to expansionist China." Kharge hit out at the Modi government alleging it was yet to come out clean on the Chinese transgressions at borders and ask

LS polls: Kashmiri Pandit outfit AIKHF merges itself with Congress in Jammu

A Kashmiri Pandit outfit, All India Kashmiri Hindu Forum (AIKHF), merged with the Congress at the party headquarters here on Saturday. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani welcomed AIKHF chairman Rattan Lal Bhan and other office bearers into the party fold. The AIKHF was formed in 1998. Hundreds of its members joining the Congress is a big boost for the party, Wani told reporters. He also called on all Kashmiri Pandit organisations to join the party and accused the BJP-led central government of "fooling" the community for the past 10 years. "The BJP sold (their plight) across the country to come to power and assured the community that they will do a lot for their rehabilitation, giving them hope. "The BJP has been in power for the last 10 years but failed to do any work worth even 10 paise for them," Wani said. "I appeal to other Kashmiri Pandit groups to come back to the Congress as the BJP is only fooling them for the last 10 years. The Nehru

Congress to conduct caste census if voted to power: Rahul in Chhattisgarh

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said if his party is voted to power at the Centre, it will immediately conduct a caste census in the country. Addressing an election rally at Bastar village Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, he described the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as a fight between two ideologies involving those seeking to protect the Constitution and those out to destroy it. He also attacked the Narendra Modi-led government and said President Droupadi Murmu was prevented from attending the consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya as she is a tribal, and it reflects the Bharatiya Janata Party's mentality. The rally was held in support of Congress' candidate from Scheduled Tribe-reserved Bastar Lok Sabha seat Kawasi Lakhma. "Modi ji has been trying to change the word 'adivasi'. We call you (tribals) adivasi, but they use the term 'vanvasi'. There is a huge difference between vanvasi and adivasi terms'," he said. The word 'adivasi' has a deep meaning. The word expresses ...