Page 177 - Congress

BJP wants to convert India into dictatorship by amending Constitution: Cong

The Congress on Monday slammed the BJP over its MP Anantkumar Hegde's remarks about amending the Constitution, alleging that the Constitution is inconvenient for the BJP's "autocratic plans" and that is why it's aiming for 400-plus seats to "officially convert India into a dictatorship". In a post on X, Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal also alleged that the BJP has a "forked tongue" with which it conveys two messages -- one for public decorum and the other its "Mann Ki Baat". "What Anantkumar Hegde said about altering the Constitution is their Mann Ki Baat. In their heart, they have never stood for the Constitution or the core values it espouses," he alleged. The BJP believes in imposing duties on citizens, while snatching away their fundamental rights, Venugopal said. "Its parent organisation has wished for reservations to be done away with. And we are all witness to how constitutional institutions like the ECI or the judiciary are being compromised, while .

Won't leave Chhindwara: Kamal Nath on contesting LS poll from Jabalpur

Congress veteran Kamal Nath on Monday ruled out the possibility of contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha poll from Jabalpur and said he will not leave Chhindwara, his political stronghold in Madhya Pradesh. The Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat is currently represented by his son Nakul Nath. Kamal Nath has represented Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency nine times. He is currently an MLA from Chhindwara assembly seat. Asked if he will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Jabalpur, a prominent parliamentary segment in Mahakoshal region of MP, Kamal Nath said, "There is no plan. I will not leave Chhindwara in any case." He was talking to reporters in Chhindwara. The former CM had on earlier occasions said his son will contest from Chhindwara. Asked about Congress leaders switching sides in Madhya Pradesh, he said, "Suresh Pachouri (former Union minister) joined the BJP. It was his wish." Veteran leader Pachouri had joined the ruling BJP on Saturday. On Monday, two other former Congress

Lok Sabha polls: Two former Congress MLAs join BJP in Madhya Pradesh

Two former Congress MLAs joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Janata Party (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh on Monday. The political development comes two days after former Union minister Suresh Pachouri bid adieu to his five-decade allegiance with the Congress, and joined the BJP. Former Congress legislators Arunoday Choubey and Shivdayal Bagri joined the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and MP party president VD Sharma at the state BJP headquarters in Bhopal. Choubey was elected as MLA from Khurai seat in Sagar district in 2008, while Bagri represented Gunnaur assembly seat in Panna district in 2018. There was speculation that Congress leader and former MLA Deepak Joshi, son of BJP stalwart and ex-chief minister Kailash Joshi, might also join the ruling party along with Choubey and Bagri. But Joshi did not join the BJP on Monday. Asked about the speculation, BJP state president VD Sharma said, "People will keep coming to the Bharatiya Janata Party and the family will keep

Congress leader moves SC seeking to restrain govt from appointing new ECs

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the Centre from appointing new election commissioners as per a 2023 law, the provisions of which have been challenged in the apex court. Two vacancies of election commissioners have arisen following the resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel and Anup Chandra Pandey's retirement. The plea has been filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur, who has challenged the provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and terms of office) Act, 2023. In her application, Thakur informed the court that during the pendency of her plea, in which a notice was issued on January 12, "one member of Election Commission namely Arun Goel gave resignation on March 9, 2024, which has been accepted by the President". "That petitioner most respectfully submitted that in view of facts that election for Lok Sabha Election 2024 may be announced shortly, therefore appointment of .

Amending Constitution as BJP wants will be end of democracy: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday claimed that if the Constitution is amended according to the BJP-RSS agenda, it will be the end of parliamentary democracy, federalism, rights of the minorities, and English being one of the two official languages. Chidambaram's remarks came over BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde's statement that his party needs a two-thirds majority to amend the Constitution. In a post on X, Chidambaram said, "The BJP's intention to amend the Constitution was never a secret. Dozens of BJP leaders in private conversations have said that India must be a Hindu Rashtra, that Hindi must be the sole official language of India and the central government must be strong and prevail over the state governments." Sometimes, members like Hegde spill the beans, and quickly deny their words, the former Union minister said, adding that "this is an old ploy". The purpose is achieved and the RSS/BJP cadres are enthused that the BJP continues to nurture the idea of amending the .

Congress moves Delhi HC challenging dismissal of plea in tax penalty case

The Congress on Monday moved the Delhi High Court challenging the dismissal of its plea by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) against the imposition of penalties for discrepancies in certain tax returns. The matter was mentioned by senior advocate Vivek Tankha before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela. Tankha said it was an urgent matter as the accounts of the political party have been frozen. Acting Chief Justice Manmohan agreed to list the case for hearing during the day if the petition is in order. Last week, the ITAT had dismissed the Congress' appeal against the imposition of penalties for discrepancies in tax returns for previous years. The party has earlier said the I-T tribunal order freezing its funds was "an attack on democracy" as it had come ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. According to sources, the tribunal had dismissed the Congress' appeal against the imposition of penalties amounting to Rs 210 crore by the Income Tax departme

Will unemployment be an issue for young voters?

Youth unemployment is set to be a major issue in the Congress' campaign for the general election, but a lot will also depend on how effectively the party can take its campaign to the young

LS polls: Cong CEC meet to finalise candidates for remaining seats today

Earlier, Congress released its first list of candidates for 39 Lok Sabha constituencies on March 8

The North-South divide: The 'fiscal injustice' rhetoric is biased

It should not be forgotten that in the 1950s and 1960s, the North Indian states subsidised Southern and Western India as part of the cooperative model of nation-building

Kharge as PM candidate: A pre-election gambit

Umbrella parties with no fundamental commitment to OBC or Dalit politics are not known to have gained electorally from such opportunistic pivoting

LS polls: Will do away with 'secular' in Preamble, says Karnataka BJP MP

Six years since Anantkumar Hegde said the BJP would change the Constitution to do away with the word "secular" in its preamble, the BJP MP on Sunday reiterated it, exhorting the public to ensure two-thirds majority for the saffron party in Lok Sabha to amend the country's founding document. The BJP needs a two-thirds majority in both houses of Parliament to amend the Constitution and "set right distortions and unnecessary additions made to it by the Congress", Hedge said, addressing a gathering here, going on to explain the numbers required to amend the preamble of the Constitution. The party would also need to come to power in more than 20 States for this, the six-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka said. "If the Constitution has to be amended -- the Congress fundamentally distorted the Constitution by forcefully filling unnecessary things in it, especially by bringing in laws that were aimed at suppressing the Hindu society -- if all of this has to be changed it is not possible with

Brijendra Singh quits BJP, joins Cong citing 'compelling political reasons'

BJP MP from Hisar Brijendra Singh on Sunday said he has resigned from the party's primary membership due to "compelling political reasons". Brijendra Singh, the son of BJP leader Birender Singh, announced his resignation on X. "I have resigned from the primary membership of BJP due to compelling political reasons. I extend gratitude to the party, National President Sh. J P Nadda, Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi, & Sh Amit Shah for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Member of Parliament for Hisar," Brijendra Singh said in his post. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the bureaucrat-turned-politician had defeated JJP's Dushyant Chautala and Bhavya Bishnoi, who was then with the Congress, to win Hisar Lok Sabha seat.

Highlights: Make life simpler for Indian innovators, says Anand Mahindra

Latest LIVE: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, TMC has announced to go solo in West Bengal, Assam.

Uddhav, Sharad Pawar factions slam govt over Arun Goel's resignation

A day after Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed the Election Commission of India is no longer an autonomous watchdog, but works as an extended branch of the ruling BJP. The opposition NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar said Goel's sudden resignation ahead of the Lok Sabha polls appeared suspicious. Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar's retirement in February next year. "Whether the ECI exists or not, it has no meaning especially after how it has given orders under BJP's pressure in the cases of Shiv Sena and NCP splits, completely in violation of the 10th schedule," Raut claimed while talking to reporters. "The ECI is not the autonomous watchdog it used to be in the time of TN Seshan, but works as an ..

'A sinking ship': Expelled Cong leader tears into party, calls Rahul 'mad'

"The only person responsible for the prevailing ruinous state of the Congress is Rahul Gandhi. As long as Rahul Gandhi is in the Congress, there is no saving the Congress," he added.

Former Cong ministers, ex-MLAs join BJP in Rajasthan ahead of LS polls

Several Congress leaders in Rajasthan, including former ministers Rajendra Yadav and Lal Chand Kataria, joined the BJP here on Sunday ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Former Congress MLAs Richpal Mirdha, Vijaypal Mirdha, Khiladi Bairwa, former independent MLA Alok Beniwal, former state party chief Seva Dal Suresh Chaudhary, Rampal Sharma and Riju Jhunjhunwala among other leaders also joined the ruling party in the state. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, state BJP president C P Joshi and Union minister Bhupendra Yadav welcomed them into the party at its state headquarters here.

Rahul's Bharat Jodo Yatra to pass through Surat, Tapi on last day in Guj

The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi entered the last leg of its Gujarat journey on Sunday as it headed for Bardoli in Surat where the Congress leader will visit the historic Swaraj Ashram. The ashram was built in 1922 by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as his residence and served as a centre for planning and executing the Bardoli Satyagrah -- a farmers' agitation and nationalist movement against increased taxation of cultivators by the then British colonial government. Mahatma Gandhi also stayed at the ashram for a month in 1936 and 1941. "Today is the 57th day of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and the last day in Gujarat. We will be passing through Surat and Tapi districts. The highlight today is that around 10.30 am, Rahul Gandhi will visit the Swaraj Ashram," senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. In a post on X, Ramesh said that on Sunday morning, the yatra visited Wadhwana Reservoir near Vadodara in Gujarat, a century old tank built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in

LS polls: If Congress wins it might align with BJP, says Kerala CM Vijayan

Addressing the event, the Chief Minister said, "If the BJP wins, the party will remain. However, if Congress wins, tomorrow they might align with the BJP"

Cong expresses 'deep concern' over election commissioner Goel's resignation

The Congress on Saturday expressed "deep concern" over Election Commissioner Arun Goel's resignation, alleging that there is absolutely "no transparency" in how a constitutional institution like the Election Commission has been functioning and the manner in which the government "pressures" it. Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar retired in February next year. Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal said in a post on X, "It is deeply concerning for the health of the world's largest democracy that Election Commissioner Mr. Arun Goel has resigned on the cusp of the Lok Sabha elections." There is absolutely "no transparency" in how a constitutional institution like the ECI has been functioning and the manner in which the government pressures it, he said. During the 2019

Disqualified MLAs moved like they are being shepherded: Himachal CM Sukhu

Firing a fresh salvo at the six disqualified Congress MLAs, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday said they are being driven from one place to other like a shepherd herds a flock. Six Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs who voted against party nominee Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha elections, along with three Independent lawmakers, have shifted to a hotel in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand amid an ongoing rebellion against Sukhu. Addressing a public meeting at in Mandi, Sukhu said the BJP is shepherding the six disqualified Congress MLAs, who betrayed the party, from one place to another, according to a statement. He also asked why the BJP kept the rebels MLAs in a hotel in Haryana's Panchkula before flying them to Dehradun in a chartered plane and lodging them in a seven-star hotel in Rishikesh. "These MLAs breached the trust of the people of their constituencies and the party by not listening to the call of conscience," he said. Sukhu added that the publi