Page 18 - Congress

If elected, INDIA bloc to restore Old Pension Scheme in Bihar: Himachal CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said if the INDIA bloc forms the government in Bihar, it will reintroduce the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) on the lines of his state. Talking to reporters here, Sukhu said, "There has been no sign of development in the 20 years of NDA rule in Bihar. This is evident from the fact that 64 per cent of people in Bihar live on Rs 66 per day." He asserted that there was a need to "change for good" in the state, adding that Bihar, which could have emerged as a major tourism hub, "has been left in a dismal state by the NDA government". Sukhu said the OPS was restored in Himachal Pradesh in the first cabinet meeting of his government, resulting in a tenfold increase in the pension amount for state employees. "Nearly 1.36 lakh government employees have benefitted from the scheme," he claimed. The chief minister clarified that the move was made as part of Rahul Gandhi's commitment to fulfil the Congress' promises, and not for ...

If NDA comes to power in Bihar, there will be no migration: PM Modi

Bihar Assembly elections 2025: At a rally in Muzaffarpur, PM Modi said the NDA aims to stop migration from the state, ensure jobs, and promote Bihar's pride and development

Assam CM orders police action after Bangladesh anthem sung at Congress meet

This is a blatant insult to the people of India and aligns with recent assertions by certain Bangladesh citizens that the North-East will eventually belong to Bangladesh, Sarma said

Amit Shah accuses RJD, Congress of pushing dynastic politics in Bihar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday attacked the INDIA bloc, alleging that RJD supremo Lalu Prasad wants to make his son Tejashwi the chief minister of Bihar and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi her son Rahul the PM, while asserting that "both posts were not vacant". Addressing a rally in Darbhanga district of Bihar, Shah termed the Mahagathbandhan as 'thug bandhan', alleging that Lalu Prasad is involved in fodder, bitumen and land-for-jobs scams, while Congress was involved in corruption cases worth Rs 12 lakh crore. Shah said that the Centre has put a ban on radical outfit PFI and arrested its members, asserting that the NDA will not let them come out of prison. "Do you think RJD will let PFI members remain in prison if they come to power in Bihar?" he questioned. Shah said that the NDA government provides free ration to 8.52 crore people of Bihar, constituted Makhana Board, and provides 125 units of free power to domestic consumers. "Darbhanga will get a metro rail soon... a

'Tejashwi Pran': INDIA bloc promises jobs, free power in poll manifesto

The INDIA bloc's Bihar election manifesto promises jobs for every family, free electricity, revival of the old pension scheme, higher welfare payouts for women, and protection of minority rights

LIVE news updates: Rain lashes Andhra coast as Cyclone Montha nears landfall

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'Specious argument': Congress slams Shah's defence of Great Nicobar project

The Congress on Tuesday slammed as "specious argument Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks that the Great Nicobar Island Development Project will increase the country's maritime trade multiple times. Congress general secretary in-charge communications and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh asserted that the project's devastating ecological and social impacts are beyond doubt. The opposition party's attack on the government came a day after over 70 scientists, environmentalists and former bureaucrats urged the government to reconsider the Great Nicobar Island project, claiming that it is "an exploitative commercial proposal" being "wrongly portrayed as a strategic defence project". "The Union Home Minister (Amit Shah) has unsurprisingly got involved in the debate on the Great Nicobar mega infrastructure project saying that it will boost India's maritime trade. As several experts on this issue have identified, this is a specious argument," Ramesh said. Moreover, the Home Minister

Highlights: SIR exercise to be conducted in 12 states after Bihar, announces CEC Kumar

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Kharge, Rahul, Priyanka among Cong's 40 star campaigners for Bihar polls

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Kanhaiya Kumar and Independent MP Pappu Yadav are among the party's 40 star campaigners for the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls. AICC in-charge of Bihar Krishna Allavaru, Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram, Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal, Bhupesh Baghel, Sachin Pilot, Randeep Surjewala and Syed Naseer Hussain, as well as senior leaders Ashok Gehlot, Tariq Anwar, Gaurav Gogoi, Mohammad Jawed and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, are also on the list. The Bihar polls will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, and results will be announced on November 14. The opposition INDIA bloc, which has RJD, Congress and Left parties as the main constituents, on Thursday declared RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav its chief ministerial candidate for the Bihar polls. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, senior leaders Digvijaya Singh, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, Meira Kumar

Congress to launch Bihar poll campaign after Chhath; Rahul to lead

The Congress's poll campaign in Bihar will kick off soon after Chhath Puja with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi canvassing for the INDIA bloc, senior party leader KC Venugopal said on Sunday. Venugopal, the Congress national general secretary (organisation), said that other party leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and national president Mallikarjun Kharge, will also campaign in the state, where the Voter Adhikar Yatra in August gave the party the much-needed momentum. "Our campaign will kick off soon after Chhath Puja. I think Rahul Gandhi will be here on October 29 and 30. Tours of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge are also on the cards," he told PTI video. Venugopal, who is a close aide of Gandhi, is among a number of senior Congress leaders who are camping in the poll-bound state to fine-tune the party's strategy, besides diffusing the crisis in its rank and file, which has come to the fore with many workers alleging that tickets were "put up for sale". Wh

India's air pollution crisis full-blown assault on brains, bodies: Congress

The Congress on Sunday said India's air pollution crisis is no longer just a respiratory issue but a full-blown assault on our brains and bodies, as it called for radically revising the National Clean Air Programme and urgently updating the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh asserted that air pollution is a public health catastrophe and a national security threat to our society, healthcare system, and future workforce. "India's air pollution crisis is no longer just a respiratory issue. It's now a full-blown assault on our brains and bodies," the former environment minister said on X. In 2023, approximately 2 million deaths in India were linked to air pollution - a 43% jump since 2000, Ramesh pointed out. Nearly 9 in 10 of these deaths were attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes and now even dementia, he said India records around 186 air-pollution deaths per

Not just CPI, entire Kerala kept in dark on PM SHRI MoU: Congress leader

Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan on Saturday said that the CPI(M) and Chief Minister Pinarayi VIjayan kept the whole of Kerala, and not just its ally CPI, in the dark while signing the PM SHRI Schools MoU and alleged that there was some "conspiracy" behind it. Congress leader Satheesan claimed that the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme MoU was signed on October 16, less than a week after the CM met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 10, but was not informed to the state cabinet when it met on October 22. He said that Vijayan needs to disclose what alleged pressure or blackmailing from the Centre forced them to sign the MoU so "secretively". "The MoU was signed secretively without any information to its allies or the state cabinet. Even CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby and LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan were unaware," the opposition leader claimed. Satheesan said that all this indicated that the CM and state General Education ...

Kesri and Karpoori: Congress, BJP spar over two Bihar icons ahead of polls

Rahul Gandhi leads tributes to Sitaram Kesri as PM Modi honours Karpoori Thakur, signalling both parties' attempts to appeal to Bihar's backward class voters

NDA to break electoral records under Nitish: PM sounds poll bugle in Bihar

PM Modi showered praises on Nitish Kumar, the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] supremo, who is seeking a fifth consecutive term in office

Jan Sangh toppled Karpoori govt over OBC quota in Bihar: Congress jabs PM

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the birthplace of socialist icon Karpoori Thakur, the Congress on Friday took a swipe at the PM and asked whether it is not an acknowledged fact that the Jan Sangh brought down Thakur's government in Bihar in April 1979 when the-then CM introduced reservation for OBCs. The opposition party also asked whether it is not a fact that the PM and his "trouble-engine sarkar" in the state did nothing to provide protection to Bihar's 65% reservation law for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and EBCs under the Constitution. The attack came ahead of PM Modi addressing two poll rallies in Samastipur and Begusarai districts. Before addressing the public rally in Samastipur, the PM will visit Karpurigram, the birthplace of socialist icon and former Bihar CM late Karpoori Thakur, who was conferred the Bharat Ratna last year by the NDA government. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the PM and

News highlights: Train services hit after IED blast damages track in Assam's Kokrajhar

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Congress claims PM Modi not going to ASEAN summit to avoid meeting Trump

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi unlikely to travel to Malaysia for the ASEAN summit, the Congress on Thursday claimed that the reason for his not going was that the PM doesn't want to be cornered by US President Donald Trump. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said posting messages in praise of President Trump on social media is one thing, but to be seen hobnobbing physically with the man who has claimed 53 times that he stopped Operation Sindoor and has claimed five times that India has promised to stop buying oil from Russia is far too risky for him. "For days the speculation has been - will He or won't He? Will Mr. Modi go to Kuala Lumpur for the Summit or not?" Ramesh said on X. "Now it appears certain that the PM will not go. It means the loss of so many opportunities to hug and get photo ops with world leaders or to flaunt himself as the self-styled Vishwaguru," the Congress leader said. "The reason why Mr. Modi is not going is simple. He jus

US lawmakers urge Trump to scrap $100K H-1B visa fee hurting startups

The Congress members warned that the move could especially harm small and early-stage companies that depend on global talent to grow

'All is well': Ashok Gehlot as INDIA braces for 'friendly fights' in Bihar

Congress leader Ashok Gehlot was in Patna, reportedly to resolve the issue of 'friendly fight' over eight Assembly seats where both the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal have fielded their candidates

LIVE news updates: Belgian court rejects Mehul Choksi's plea against extradition

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