Page 199 - Congress

Panel for 'one nation, one election' should be dissolved: Cong Prez Kharge

The Congress on Friday strongly opposed the "undemocratic" idea of holding simultaneous elections in the country and said it goes against the guarantees of federalism and the basic structure of the Constitution. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also demanded that the idea be abandoned and the high-powered committee formed to study it be dissolved. In a letter to the secretary of the committee on one nation, one election, he requested former president Ram Nath Kovind, who heads the panel, "not to allow his persona and the office of the former president of India to be abused by the Union government to subvert the constitution and parliamentary democracy in this country". "The Indian National Congress is strongly opposed to the very idea of 'One Nation, One Election'. For the sake of maintaining a thriving and a robust democracy, it is imperative that the entire idea must be abandoned and the high-powered committee dissolved," Kharge said in his letter to Niten Chandra, the secretary

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Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: BJP, RSS favour ruling from Delhi, says Rahul

He said during his interactions with the youth in the state, they lamented lack of employment opportunities in spite of being well-educated

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SC rejects plea seeking quashing of order on Rahul Gandhi's LS membership

The Supreme Court on Friday took a stern view on the filing of "frivolous" petitions and dismissed with a cost of Rs 1 lakh a plea seeking the quashing of an August 7, 2023, notification that restored the Lok Sabha membership of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The Lok Sabha notification restored the membership of Rahul Gandhi following an apex court order staying his conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his 'Modi' surname remark. The top court had on August 4, 2023, stayed his conviction in the defamation case. Gandhi represents Wayanad in the Lower House of Parliament. The plea filed by Lucknow-based Ashok Pandey came up for hearing before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta. The bench observed that Pandey had not appeared before it despite the matter being called twice for hearing. It also referred to two previous orders passed by the court on separate petitions filed by the petitioner. The bench noted that the top court had dismissed those petitions with costs o

BJP wants to confine tribal people to forests, deprive them: Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that the BJP wants to confine tribal people to forests and deprive them of education and other opportunities. Addressing his first public meeting in Assam as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Gandhi claimed the Congress recognises the rights of 'adivasis' over resources as first dwellers. "We call you advisasi which means the first dwellers. The BJP calls you vanvasi, which means people who live in forests," Gandhi said. He alleged the BJP, which leads a coalition government in the state, wants to confine the tribals to the forests, and deprive their children of the opportunities to go to schools and universities, learn English and run businesses. "We want what is yours should be returned to you. Your water, land, forest should be yours," Gandhi said, addressing the gathering of predominantly tribal people in the island district of Majuli. The Yatra, led by Gandhi, commenced from Manipur on January 14 and will culminate on March 20 or 2

Ram Temple event: NDA plans celebrations in Rahul's Wayanad constituency

The BJP-led NDA is planning to celebrate the Ram Temple consecration ceremony, being organised in Ayodhya, in a grand manner in Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, represented by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Prakash Javadekar will join NDA leaders at a Lord Ram Temple in the hill district to attend the ceremony being organised in Ayodhya, which will be telecast live on January 22, party sources said here on Friday. They will watch the live telecast of the Ayodhya ceremony at the Ponkuzhi Sree Rama Temple. Besides Javadekar and local BJP leaders, the event will be attended by NDA state convenor Thushar Vellappally, a BJP source told PTI. Vellappally, son of Eazhava community leader and SNDP yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, was the NDA candidate in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency when Gandhi contested the 2019 election. He is the leader of the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), an ally of the BJP in Kerala. BJP sources highlight

More than 'Amrit Kaal', we need 'Shiksha Kaal' for India: Cong Prez Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday hit out at the Modi government over the state of education in the country, and said India shall ensure justice for its students in 2024. "More than 'Amrit Kaal', we need 'Shiksha Kaal' for India," he said in a post on X. "In 2024, India shall ensure NYAY for our students from the Modi Government, for its report card on 'Education' is marked with gross Failure," he said citing the Annual State of Education Report (ASER). Quoting from the report, he said "56.7 percent of 14 to 18-year-old students in rural India can't do class 3 math and 26.5 percent of this age group still cannot read a class 2 level text fluently in their regional language". He also noted that 25 percent of youth in the 17-18 age group have discontinued education, mostly due to "lack of interest". Kharge also posted a 35-second video along with his post that alleged that the "BJP is destroying the future of our young.

Assam govt, CM most corrupt in India: Rahul during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

Kickstarting the Assam leg of 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed the state perhaps has the "most corrupt government" and the "most corrupt CM" in the country. Addressing a public gathering at Haloating in Sivasagar district, where the march entered Assam from Nagaland, Gandhi slammed the ruling BJP and its ideologue Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for "spreading hatred and looting public money". "Perhaps, the most corrupt government in India is in Assam. You know what is happening here. We will raise the issues of Assam during the Yatra," he said. In the afternoon, Gandhi addressed a street meeting at Deberapar in Nakachari of Jorhat district and alleged that a lot of injustices are being done against tribals, tea workers and other indigenous communities of Assam by the BJP-led government. "Corruption is rampant in Assam. We all know that perhaps the most corrupt CM in India is the Assam chief minister," he added. Talking about Manipur, fr

Ram temple LIVE: Ram Lalla idol placed in 'Garbha Griha' in Ayodhya

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Haryana AAP leader Ashok Tanwar quits, cites party's 'alignment' with Cong

In a setback to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Haryana, senior leader Ashok Tanwar quit the party on Thursday, expressing displeasure with its alignment with the Congress. In a letter to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Tanwar wrote, "In view of the current political scenario and your alignment with the Indian National Congress, my ethics won't allow me to continue as chairman, Election Campaign Committee, Aam Aadmi Party Haryana." "Therefore, kindly accept my resignation from primary membership and all other responsibilities of the Aam Aadmi Party," he added. Tanwar further said that he would continue to work for the betterment of the state of Haryana, "Bharat" and its people. "As a responsible citizen of this country and being into active politics since my student days, I have always believed in our Constitution, the country and its people first," he added. Tanwar's resignation came as another setback to the AAP in Haryana as two of its senior leaders, former minister Nirmal

36 legislators, 39 Cong workers to be appointed to key positions in boards

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said 36 legislators and 39 Congress workers will be appointed to key positions in state-run boards and corporations. He said the list would be released "any moment". 36 legislators and 39 party workers have been accommodated in the appointments to boards and corporations. The party leaders and workers have brought the party to power in the state and they have been rewarded suitably, Shivakumar, who is also Karnataka Congress unit president, told reporters here. Meanwhile, he said a meeting of the party's Lok Sabha election committee would be held here on Friday. We will have the first round of meeting tomorrow. Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi (who joined the Congress from the BJP before the Assembly elections in May last year) have also been invited to the meeting. District in-charge ministers have collected opinions from all the constituencies and it will be discussed in tomorrow's meeting, Shivakumar said. On some ...

Cong turns to civil groups to train cadre; allies hesitant to join Rahul

The BJA, a union of activists and civil society outfits, is currently assisting the Congress in organising the Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

Ayodhya Ram Mandir Highlights: PM will be main 'yajman' of consecration

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Cong launches website to seek people's suggestions for LS poll manifesto

The Congress launched a website and an email ID on Wednesday, inviting suggestions from the public for its manifesto for this year's Lok Sabha polls. Addressing a press conference here, P Chidambaram, who heads the Manifesto Committee of the Congress, said the party is holding consultations and seeking suggestions from the public for the manifesto. He said the manifesto for the Lok Sabha election will be a "people's manifesto". "The present exercise is to receive suggestions from the members of the public. This will be a people's manifesto. So it is important to gather as many suggestions as possible in the few weeks available to us," Chidambaram said. "We want to involve the people of India in making the manifesto. We hope people from every walk of life will give their suggestions. We appeal and invite you to give suggestions you would like to be incorporated in the manifesto to make it a people's manifesto," he added. The former Union minister said at least one consultation will

Rahul, Congress cannot understand soul of India: Ram temple trust member

The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust member's remarks come at a time when the political discourse around the Ram temple and its consecration continues to be a focal point

Cong accuses Centre of surrendering Rs 1 trn agri-budget in 5 years

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday that there is no proposal to lift export restrictions on wheat, rice, and sugar

Presenting alternative vision with Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Rahul Gandhi

The Congress leader said said that the idea of his Yatra is to make sure that even if people are from a small state, they should feel equal to all people in the country

YS Sharmila appointed Andhra Congress Chief after G Rudra Raju quits post

The Congress on Tuesday appointed Y S Sharmila, the daughter of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, as the new president of the party's Andhra Pradesh unit. Sharmila, the sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, had joined the Congress on January 4 in Delhi in the presence of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. "Congress president has appointed Y S Sharmila Reddy as the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect," an official announcement by the party said. "Congress president has also appointed Shri Gidugu Rudra Raju, the outgoing PCC president, as special invitee to the Congress Working Committee. The party appreciates the contributions of Gidugu Rudra Raju in his role as PCC president," the Congress said. Sharmila while thanking the Congress leadership for her appointment said she would work faithfully towards restoring the past glory of the party in the state with total commitment and integrity. "I tha

Y S Sharmila joins Congress, calls it largest secular party in India

Y S Sharmila, the daughter of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and founder of YSR Telangana Party, joined the Congress here on Thursday. She also announced the merger of her YSR Telangana Congress with the Congress, and said she would fulfil any responsibility given to her. Sharmila joined the Congress in the presence of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former party president Rahul Gandhi. Lauding the Congress, she said it is the largest secular party in the country as it unwaveringly serves all communities and unites all sections of people. After chairing her party meeting on Tuesday in Hyderabad, Sharmila had said she and other leaders will meet the top leadership of the Congress, including Kharge, and make a "crucial" announcement in Delhi. Sharmila is the younger sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. She said it was her father's dream to see Rahul Gandhi as prime minister and she would be happy to contribute to it. Sharmil