Page 166 - Congress

Oppn concern is 'Hindi, Hindutva, Hindustan' agenda, won't support: Tharoor

With BJP leader Jyoti Mirdha issuing a clarification over her "samvidhanik badlav" remark, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said the opposition's concern stems from the "Hindi, Hindutva, Hindustan" agenda of the proponents of Hindu Rashtra. The Congress had on Tuesday said that after Anantkumar Hegde, another leader of the ruling BJP, Jyoti Mirdha, openly said that the party's aim is to change the Constitution The Congress said the remark exposed the "deliberate strategy" of the BJP. Tharoor on X shared an undated video of Mirdha, the BJP candidate from Rajasthan's Nagaur in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, showing her purportedly talking about the need for the saffron party to secure a majority in both houses of Parliament to be able to make constitutional amendments. Mirdha later in a post issued a clarification saying that she made the comment in a public meeting on March 31, and that it was "unnecessarily blown out of proportion by some honourable leaders of the ...

Cong leaders' lack of faith in Rahul Gandhi forcing them to defect: BJP

Congress leaders are getting "disillusioned" due to Rahul Gandhi's failure in convincing them with his political thoughts, the BJP said on Thursday, after Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh quit the party, saying he was not willing to either raise anti-Sanatan slogans or abuse "wealth creators" day in and day out. In his resignation letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, which he shared on social media platform X, Vallabh said he did not feel comfortable with the directionless way the party was operating. Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters, party national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said Vallabh's concerns were an echo of what was originally said by a Congress leader AK Antony, who, heading a committee formed in the party's 2014 debacle, had warned against leaning too much in favour of one religion. "AK Antony, a senior most leader of the Congress who headed the committee, had given the conclusion that the major cause of the disastrous defeat

Gourav Vallabh joins BJP hours after quitting 'directionless' Congress

'I can neither raise anti-Sanatan slogans nor abuse wealth creators day in and day out,' Gourav Vallabh wrote in his resignation letter

Nation paid price for BJP's compulsion to get 'chanda' at all costs: Cong

The Congress on Thursday alleged that the BJP's compulsion to get donations at all costs saw it go ahead with the electoral bonds scheme without heeding RBI's astute advice, as it claimed that over Rs 430 crore was donated to the ruling party by 33 companies that had negative or near zero profit. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on X which claimed that 33 loss-making firms donated electoral bonds worth Rs 582 crore with 75 per cent going to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "There are four primary channels of corruption in the Electoral Bond Scam, and with each passing day, more examples emerge to confirm the shocking reality of the corruption which has engulfed this country through Narendra Modi's encouragement," Ramesh alleged. "An update on the latest revelations on the 'Farzi Companies' who have been donating chanda to the BJP Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo; Theka Lo, Rishvat Do; Hafta Vasuli; Farzi Companies," he said in a post on X. Ramesh claimed that Rs

Cong leader Sonia Gandhi takes oath as Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan

Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has decided to forgo contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections after holding Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli seats for nearly two decades

Voters won't repeat mistake of electing Cong in Maha's Chandrapur: BJP

Maharashtra minister and BJP's Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat candidate Sudhir Mungantiwar has said voters made a "mistake" once of giving a chance to the Congress from the constituency but they would not do it again. In an interview with PTI, Mungantiwar, the MLA from Chandrapur, said he has carried out 300 development works in the area and asked the Congress to spell out even two such initiatives taken by it in the last five years. He also ruled out any sympathy votes going in favour of his Congress opponent. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Suresh alias Balu Dhanorkar who was the lone Congress MP elected in Maharashtra from Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat. He died in May last year. To a query on whether aiming for 400 Lok Sabha seats is realistic for the BJP, Mungantiwar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "divya drishti" and the target will be achieved under his leadership. Mungantiwar, who is currently Maharashtra's forest and culture, is locked in a direct fight with Congress candidate .

Congress's Gourav Vallabh quits 'directionless' party ahead of LS polls

In his resignation letter, Congress leader Gourav Vallabh cited the party's caste census promise, the decision to skip the Ram temple ceremony, and other reasons

Cong questions PM Modi over stance on Mahagathbandhan govt's caste survey

The Congress on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi what he thinks of the caste census conducted by his "old new ally" Nitish Kumar in Bihar, saying he should break his "silence" on the issue. Ahead of the prime minister's rally in Bihar's Jamui, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions for the prime minister "The Prime Minister is in Jamui, Bihar today. It is unlikely to ever figure in his propaganda-laden speeches, but these are the issues that the people of Bihar want to hear from him about: Bihar was the first state to abolish the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act in 2006. APMCs ensure farmers get MSP for their produce. Removing them has spelled disaster for farmers in Bihar, 97% of whom have small or marginal landholdings." Despite the failure of this policy decision, the Modi government first attempted to scrap APMCs nationwide through the "three black farm laws", and now continues to deny farmers guaranteed MSPs, he said. Can the prime

Expulsion action taken after Cong received my resignation letter: Nirupam

Former MP Sanjay Nirupam on Thursday took a swipe at the Congress leadership over his expulsion, claiming it was done after he sent his resignation letter to the party. Taking note of complaints of indiscipline and anti-party statements, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge late Wednesday evening approved Nirupam's expulsion from the party for six years with immediate effect. On Thursday morning, former Mumbai Congress chief Nirupam in a post on X said, "Looks like, immediately after the party received my resignation letter last night, they decided to issue my expulsion. Good to see such promptness." In the letter to Kharge, Nirupam said, "I have finally decided to fulfil your much awaited desire and hereby announce that I chose to resign from the primary membership of the All India Congress Committee." Nirupam, who was eyeing the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, was miffed with the party for allowing the Shiv Sena (UBT) to take the seat for the upcoming parliamentary ..

Cong confident of good show in Gujarat bypolls, yet to announce candidates

The Congress has expressed confidence about winning all the five vacant assembly seats in Gujarat where bypolls will be held along with the Lok Sabha elections on May 7 though it is yet to announce its candidates. Along with voting for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat on May 7, bypolls to five out of six assembly seats which fell vacant after the resignation of sitting MLAs, including four of the Congress and one independent, will be held the same day. While the ruling BJP has already given tickets to four Congress turncoat MLAs, including former state Congress chief Arjun Modhwadia and an independent legislator who joined the party after quitting his assembly membership, the opposition party has not yet announced its candidates for the bypolls. Though results of the bypolls will not alter the state assembly power structure as the BJP enjoys a huge majority in the House, the outcome will be crucial for the Congress's future in Gujarat, a state which was once its stronghold and wher

'Modi ki guarantee' unsuccessful, does not reach people: Mallikarjun Kharge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about "Modi Ki guarantee" but it is "unsuccessful" and does not reach people, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge alleged on Wednesday as he launched his party's "Ghar Ghar Guarantee" initiative under which it aims to reach out to eight crore households across the country. Kharge launched the initiative from Usmanpur, Kaithwada in the North East Delhi parliamentary constituency and distributed pamphlets on the Congress's "Paanch Nyay Pachees Guarantee". Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said it is important to note that the "Ghar Ghar Guarantee" initiative is being launched from a place from where, in 1978, the Congress used the "hand" symbol for the first time. Interestingly, this time the Congress's campaign tagline is also centred around its poll symbol -- "Haath Badlega Halaat". Kharge hit out at Modi, saying, "We give a guarantee that our government has always worked for people and will always do so. The prime minister talks about Modi ki ..

Highlights of the day: Sanjay Singh released; supporters gather outside Tihar Jail in Delhi

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

Manmohan Singh bows out of politics after serving over 3 decades in Parl

"Let the whole world hear it loud and clear," Singh said in his maiden budget speech. "India is now wide awake. We shall prevail. We shall overcome"

Lok Sabha elections Highlights: Maharashtra unit of Congress passes resolution against Sanjay Nirupam

General Elections 2024 highlights: Catch all the latest updates on the announcements related to General Elections here

Cash-starved Congress shouldn't waste energy on me, says Sanjay Nirupam

Former MP mocks party after not getting a chance to contest election in coveted Mumbai seat

Congress seeks action against BJP, Gadkari 'for violating' poll rules

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee says the BJP and the union minister used school students 'in election-related activities'

Tharoor files nomination from Thiruvananthapuram for 4th bid in LS polls

Senior Congress leader and three-time Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor filed his nomination on Wednesday from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency for the fourth consecutive time in the Lok Sabha elections. Tharoor arrived at the district collectorate in the afternoon along with senior party leaders, including MLA M Vincent, former minister V S Sivakumar, and Thiruvananthapuram DCC president Palode Ravi, along with other workers. He shook hands with people and exchanged pleasantries while proceeding to the Collectorate complex. Some party activists draped shawls around him and expressed their support. Before filing his nomination, Tharoor offered prayers at famed shrines in the constituency, including Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and Pazhavangadi Ganapathi Temple. With senior CPI leader and former Thiruvananthapuram MP Pannian Raveendran and BJP leader and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar as Tharoor's challengers in the fray, the high-profile Thiruvananthapuram constituency is set for

LS polls: SP, Congress didn't want Ram temple in Ayodhya, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the Samajwadi Party and the Congress were not in favour of the Ram temple being constructed in Ayodhya. Addressing a public meeting in Muzaffarnagar to seek votes for BJP candidate Sanjeev Baliyan ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Shah said it was the Narendra Modi government that honoured people's sentiment and built the temple. He also said that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has stopped the migration of people from western Uttar Pradesh by improving the law and order situation and it is the criminals who are now leaving the state. "Akhilesh Yadav ji's party (SP) and the Congress never wanted the Ram temple to be built in Ayodhya. The Congress kept the issue of Ram Janmabhoomi stuck for 70 years but Modi ji won the case, performed bhoomi pujan and also the consecration of Ramlalla," Shah said. Criticising the INDIA bloc, he said, all those who were part of the opposition alliance were involved in scams. "Those part of the arro

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress launches 'Ghar Ghar Guarantee' campaign

The Congress party will distribute guarantee cards to 80 million families, ahead of the general elections

Alternative to PM a group of experienced leaders not driven by ego: Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said the question of who could be an alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "irrelevant" as in a parliamentary system people are not electing an individual but a party or a coalition of parties. He said the alternative to Prime Minister Modi is a group of experienced, capable and diverse leaders who will be responsive to people's problems and not driven by individual ego. In a post on X, Tharoor said, "Yet again a journalist has asked me to identify an individual who is the alternative to Mr Modi. The question is irrelevant in the Parliamentary system." "We are not electing an individual (as in a presidential system), but a party, or coalition of parties, that represents a set of principles and convictions that are invaluable to preserve India's diversity, pluralism and inclusive growth," the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said. "The alternative to Mr Modi is a group of experienced, capable and diverse Indian leaders who will b