Page 282 - Congress

Modi surname remark: Complainant files caveat in Rahul's defamation case

BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, the complainant in the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court seeking that he be heard if the Congress leader moves a plea challenging the high court verdict refusing to stay his conviction in the Modi surname remark case. A single judge bench of the Gujarat High Court had on July 7 dismissed Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the defamation case. According to the apex court website, Purnesh Modi filed the caveat on the same day in the top court through his lawyer P S Sudheer. A caveat is filed in an appellate court by a litigant seeking an opportunity of being heard if any order is passed on the appeal of an opponent challenging the order or judgement of the court below. In a setback to 53-year-old Gandhi, Justice Hemant Prachchhak of the high court had dismissed the appeal of Gandhi saying "it is now the need of the hour to have purity in politics. It also noted that the representatives of people should

Karnataka CM, leaders protest against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar along with a host of ministers, legislators and Congress top leaders in the state on Wednesday staged a "silent protest" here against the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Parliament and the "politics of vendetta" unleashed by the Centre. This comes days after the party stated it would move the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court refused to stay Gandhi's conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his "Modi surname remarks. The protestors tied a black ribbon on their mouth to symbolically convey that the freedom of speech was in danger and anyone speaking against the Central government would face backlash. Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and others held placards at the Freedom Park here with the photograph of Rahul Gandhi and a message that the "roar of the truth must prevail". Alleging that the BJP deployed "dirty tricks" to disqualify Rahul Gandhi from Parliament, the All India Congress Committe

BJP can stop Rahul in Parliament but people will not tolerate it: Randhawa

Senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Wednesday said the BJP tried to suppress the voice of party leader Rahul Gandhi and ended up losing in the Himachal Pradesh and the Karnataka assembly elections. The same will repeat in the upcoming state elections as well, the in-charge for the Congress in Rajasthan said here. "The BJP can stop Rahul Gandhi from speaking in Parliament but party workers and people of the country will not tolerate this," Randhawa told reporters here. "You have seen the result of silencing (Gandhi) in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka assembly elections. The result was given by the people and wherever there are elections, the result will be the same," he said, exuding confidence in the Congress' victory in the 2024-Lok Sabha elections. Randhawa was speaking to the media before the Congress' day-long "Maun Vrat" demonstration at the Shaheed Smarak in Jaipur in solidarity with Gandhi. Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Swarnim Chatur

Kapil Sibal attacks Amit Shah on 'who is ED director not important' remark

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday took a swipe at Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks that it is not important who the director of the Enforcement Directorate is, asking why did the government then give a third extension to the probe agency's chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra. Sibal's remarks came a day after the Supreme Court held as "illegal" two successive extensions of one year each granted to Enforcement Directorate chief Mishra, ruling that the Centre's orders were in "breach" of its mandamus in its 2021 verdict that the IRS officer should not be given further term. After the Supreme Court ruling, Shah said who the ED director is not important because whoever assumes this role will take note of the rampant corruption of a cozy club of entitled dynasts who have an anti-development mindset. In a tweet, Sibal said, "Sanjay Mishra (ED) Chief. Supreme Court held extension till November invalid. Amit Shah: 'ED is an institution which rises beyond any one individual...' Then why d

Eye on 2024 polls, Congress to hold foot march, bus rallies in Maharashtra

Senior leaders of the Maharashtra Congress on Tuesday met the party's national leadership here in New Delhi and discussed strategies to strengthen the party's roots in the state

Sheila Dikshit's 3BHK flat in South Delhi may be Rahul Gandhi's new address

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi may move into a three-BHK house in Nizamuddin East that belongs to former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit's family

Congress leaders deliberate on post-NCP split situation in Maharashtra

Senior Congress leaders from Maharashtra on Tuesday held a meeting with the party leadership here to discuss the political situation in the state in the wake of the split in the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. The Congress has now emerged as the largest opposition party in Maharashtra and has staked claim to the post of Leader of Opposition in the state assembly. The deliberations come after a faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar switched over to join hands with the NDA. Congress leaders are discussing the aftermath of the NCP split and how it will affect the party's prospects in the state ahead of Lok Sabha elections. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi were present during the meeting at the AICC headquarters here. AICC in-charge for Maharashtra H K Patil and PCC chief Nana Patole were also present at the meet, besides senior party leaders Sushilkumar Shinde, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan. The NCP, founded by Sharad P

Unreasonable restrictions placed on sale of rice under OMSS misfired: Cong

The "unreasonable restrictions" placed on sale of rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme has "misfired" badly, the Congress said on Tuesday and slammed the Centre for discontinuing the sale of foodgrains from its pool to state governments as a "political decision" aimed at "sabotaging" the Karnataka government's 'Anna Bhagya' scheme. On June 13, the Centre discontinued the sale of rice and wheat from the buffer stock to state governments under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) officially due to inflationary pressure and concerns over monsoon. The Congress has alleged that the move was aimed at scuttling the Karnataka government's Anna Bhagya scheme. In a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Modi government tries to be clever but ends up becoming too clever by half. "The unreasonable restrictions placed on sale of rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme(OMSS) at Rs. 34/ kg has misfired badly with the extremely low offtake of rice," he claimed. Surplus food stock

WB Panchayat elections: Counting begins at 696 booths after re-polling

All counting venues will be manned by armed state police personnel and central forces, with prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC being imposed outside the venue to avoid any untoward incidents

Never trust manufactured headlines: Congress on Foxconn's withdrawal

As Foxconn decided to pull out of the semi-conductor joint venture with Indian conglomerate Vedanta, the Congress took a swipe at the BJP saying "whether Gujarat Model or New India' never trust the manufactured headlines". The Opposition party's swipe came after Foxconn announced the break-up and said it is "working to remove the Foxconn name from what now is a fully-owned entity of Vedanta". Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Remember the publicity at the time of announcing the project? Gujarat CM even claimed 1 lakh jobs will be created! This has been the fate of many MOUs signed in Vibrant Gujarat summits year after year, and will be the fate in other such copycat summits like Global Investor Summits in UP." "Whether Gujarat Model or New India' never trust the manufactured headlines," the Congress leader said. In a tweet, Congress leader and former Union minister Milind Deora said, "Bad news for India's chipmaking plans first the $20 ..

Sariska tigers relocation success story started before 2014: Jairam Ramesh

Former environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Monday said that 15 years ago, the tiger population in the Sariska Tiger Reserve had been reduced to zero, but the relocation of the big cats from Ranthambore and elsewhere to that reserve proved to be a "remarkable success story that started much before 2014". His remarks came over a media report that said the tiger population at Sariska hit its highest mark in three decades at 30, with the birth of two cubs. According to the report, the cubs were born to ST-19 and the trio was captured on camera in the buffer zone of the park near Alwar on July 6. Tagging the report, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Just 15 years ago the tiger population in the sprawling Sariska Tiger Reserve had been completely wiped out. It had reduced to precisely ZERO." Relocation was then considered to revive Sariska but it faced great opposition including from some tiger experts, he said. "However, relocation from Ranthambore and elsewhere began an

Rahul Gandhi running 'mall of hatred', not 'mohabbat ki dukan': Nadda

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi's slogan of 'Mohabbat Ki Dukan' (shop of love), Bharatiya Janata Party president J P Nadda on Monday claimed the Congress leader was actually running a "mega mall of hatred". Nadda accused Gandhi and other Congress leaders of spewing hate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a rally in Godhra town of Panchmahal district following the completion of nine years of the Modi government, Nadda also accused the opposition parties of turning into "family-centric parties" which were not concerned about the welfare of citizens. "The Congress people get upset whenever Modiji receives accolades at the global stage. While trying to oppose our PM, Congress leaders have started opposing our country," he said. "Rahul Gandhi went all the way to Britain to say that democracy is in danger. It was his grandmother (former prime minister Indira Gandhi) who had imposed Emergency in the country in 1975 and imprisoned 1.5 lakh people, and now he is talking about ...

Free rice scheme: Cong says K'taka has given befitting reply to Modi govt

The Congress on Monday lashed out at the Modi government, accusing it of playing "petty and vindictive" politics on the issue of food security and sabotaging the Karnataka Congress' guarantee of providing free rice to the poor. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh asserted that the Congress Government in Karnataka will not be shaken in its resolve to implement its guarantee. Therefore for the time being, it is launching a scheme today that will transfer Rs. 170 every month to each of the 4.42 crore persons in the state covered by ration cards, he said in a statement. This transfer is equivalent to the amount the state government would have paid the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had the Modi Government not intervened at the last minute and stopped the sale of rice even though there are ample buffer stocks available, the Congress leader said. "The cash transfer scheme launched today by the Congress Government in Karnataka is a befitting reply to the Modi Government's vindictive

Cong moves HC over panchayat poll violence, seeks compensation for victims

The Calcutta High Court on Monday allowed senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to file a petition seeking compensation to victims of panchayat poll violence in West Bengal and an investigation into it by an independent agency. Submitting personally before the bench presided by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, Chowdhury, the state Congress president, alleged that entire West Bengal was ravaged by unprecedented violence during the elections held on July 8. Claiming that most of the deceased belonged to the poor, vulnerable and underprivileged sections of society, he prayed before the court that the next of kin of the deceased and the injured be given monetary compensation. He also sought an investigation into the incidents of violence, including killings and use of firearms and crude bombs, by an independent agency. The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, granted leave to him to file the petition. Chowdhury prayed for granting some pecuniary benefit so that t

Derek O'Brien, Saket Gokhale among 6 candidates named by TMC for RS polls

The Trinamool Congress on Monday announced its candidates for the six Rajya Sabha seats in West Bengal that will go to polls later this month. Among these candidates were Derek O'Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Dola Sen. O'Brien, an MP since 2011, is the TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha, while Ray who was first sent to the Upper House of Parliament in 2012 is the deputy chief whip, and Sen, a senior leader and trade unionist, became an MP in 2017. The newcomers on the list were Bangla Sanskriti Mancha president Samirul Islam, TMC's Alipurduar district president Prakash Chik Baraik, and RTI activist and TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale. Besides O'Brien, Ray and Sen, the tenures of Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya, TMC's Assam leader Sushmita Dev and its Darjeeling leader Shanta Chhetri's ended, following which these six seats fell vacant. A seventh Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal is also vacant after former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro resigned as a TMC MP in April. A bypoll will be

The political impact of Rahul Gandhi's legal woes

Going to jail is a rite of passage for politicians, and they tend to emerge stronger if the punishment is seen to be unfair

Fight is against unemployment, price rise, crime in Haryana: Hooda

Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday said that their fight is against unemployment, price rise, crime, drug addiction in Haryana. Addressing a 'Vipak Aapke Samaksh' outreach programme at Bhiwani, the former chief minister expressed his anguish over the "decline of Haryana from the number one state in the country in 2014 in per capita income, investment, job creation, law and order, and sports to topping now in unemployment, inflation and crime.." "My aim is not to become chief minister, but is to end unemployment, inflation, crime, drug addiction from Haryana," Hooda, who is Leader of the Opposition asserted. He said today every section is "troubled and unhappy" with this government. He said the BJP-led government had promised to double the income of the farmers but doubled the input costs instead. "During our government, there was no tax on fertilizers, no tax on pesticides, no tax on tractor parts. Today, there is no compensation for crop failure. Yesterday Rahul Gand

Shaping political alliances

Opposition unity has suffered a setback

2.2 mn BPL families may not get DBT benefit under Anna Bhagya scheme

As Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is set to launch Direct Benefit Transfer under the Anna Bhagya scheme on Monday, about 22 lakh families living Below Poverty Line (BPL) may not get the assistance immediately as they do not have bank accounts. Karnataka has 1.28 crore ration card of Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Households and 99 per cent of these cards are seeded with Aadhaar numbers. Among them, 82 per cent comprising 1.06 crore of these cards are linked with active bank accounts. The cash will be transfered to those card holders. The remaining card holders will be intimated to open new accounts," an official statement said on Sunday. A total of 1.27 crore ration cards have one member designated as Head of the Households (HoH). "Cash will be transferred to the bank accounts of these HoH. Of them 94 per cent are women and five per cent are men," it said. The Congress had promised to give 10 kg rice to each BPL family member in the state under the Anna Bhagya scheme if

Bengal SEC orders repolling on July 10 in booths where voting declared void

The West Bengal State Election Commission announced that repolling will be held on Monday in all booths where voting for the rural elections has been declared void. The SEC, which held a meeting on Sunday evening, went through reports of vote-tampering and violence which affected polling in many places, and passed the order, an official said. Among districts where repolling was announced, Murshidabad has the highest number of booths at 175, followed by Malda with 112. Violence-hit Nadia will see repolling in 89 booths, while North and South 24 Parganas districts will witness repolling in 46 and 36 booths respectively.