Page 25 - Congress

'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

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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

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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

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PM Modi touts bullish economy, ignores farmers' woes, says Congress

The Congress on Wednesday said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his colleagues are trying to manufacture a bullish sentiment on the economy, they are simply running away from the "bearish reality" facing farmers who are getting prices below MSP. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh claimed that the market prices for various crops like maize, soybean and moong are currently well below their minimum support prices (MSPs). "The PM and his colleagues are trying to manufacture a bullish sentiment on the economy. They are simply running away from the bearish reality that stares farmers across the country," he said in a post on X. Market prices for maize, soybean, moong, arhar, cotton, and bajra are well below the corresponding MSP, Ramesh said. He also shared a chart elucidating his point. "This is why farmers' organisations have been demanding a legal guarantee for MSP -- something the ousted Vice President of India had also strongly supported,"

While Modi conceals, Trump reveals: Cong after US Prez repeats oil claims

The Congress on Wednesday took a swipe at the government after US President Donald Trump repeated his claim that India is "not going to buy much oil from Russia" and, said this is the fourth time in six days that the American leader has announced India's policy. The opposition party also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying what he conceals, "Trump reveals". The attack came after Trump spoke with Modi and greeted him on Diwali. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The PM has finally acknowledged publicly that President Trump called him up and that the two spoke to each other. But all that the PM has said is that the US President extended Diwali greetings. But while Mr. Modi conceals, Mr. Trump reveals." "On his part, the US President has said that in addition to extending Diwali greetings, he spoke of India's oil imports from Russia and that he had been assured that these imports will be stopped. This is the 4th time in 6 days that

Former Union minister and Congress leader Yogendra Makwana dies at 92

Former Union minister and Congress leader Yogendra Makwana passed away in Ahmedabad on Tuesday due to age-related issues at the age of 92, a party spokesperson said. Makwana had served as a Rajya Sabha member from 1973 to 1989. He was deputy chief whip and secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Rajya Sabha, said Congress spokesperson Hiren Banker. He breathed his last this morning. Makwana was a member of the Union cabinets under Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi between 1980 and 1988, according to a release issued by the Congress party. He handled portfolios including Home Affairs, Planning, Communications, Steel and Mines, Health, and Agriculture. Born on October 23, 1933, in Sojitra village of Anand district in Gujarat, Makwana began his political journey as the general secretary of the Kheda District Praja Samajwadi Party before joining the Congress at the invitation of Indira Gandhi. He held degrees of B.A., LL.B., and Ph.D. In 2006, Makwana was .

Upset JMM exits Bihar race; INDIA bloc faces 'friendly fights' ahead

JMM withdraws from the Bihar Assembly polls after a seat-sharing row with RJD, as the INDIA bloc braces for friendly fights in nearly a dozen constituencies