Page 287 - Congress

Next Oppn meeting in Bengaluru, not Shimla on July 13-14: Sharad Pawar

A total of 32 leaders from various parties attended the first meeting hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at his residence in Patna

Damage control won't save Cong from defeat in Chhattisgarh: BJP, AAP

The BJP and the AAP on Thursday took a dig at the Congress over T S Singh Deo's appointment as Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister and asked if he will be the party's chief ministerial face in the upcoming elections since people have lost faith in the incumbent CM, Bhupesh Baghel. A scion of the erstwhile Sarguja royal family, Singh Deo is currently holding Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, Twenty Point Implementation and Commercial Tax (GST) portfolios in the state government. The ruling Congress announced on Wednesday that party president Mallikarjun Kharge had approved the proposal for his appointment as the deputy chief minister. Reacting to the development, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said Congress president Kharge appointing Singh Deo as deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh is deeply problematic as it usurps Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's constitutional mandate. "Before Karnataka, Baghel used to fund the Congress, but soon after winning Karnataka, once an

Rahul Gandhi returns to Imphal after being stuck for hours at Bishnupur

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday returned to Imphal after remaining stuck for hours at Bishnupur, and is likely to take a helicopter to Churachandpur. Gandhi had to stop at Bishnupur after police halted his convoy fearing attacks on it. Tear gas was used by the local police on demonstrators - some of whom wanted him to proceed to Churanchandpur, while others opposed his visit. Gandhi's convoy was travelling to Churachandpur to visit relief camps in the area.

Shatters democratic norms: Cong on Rahul's convoy being stopped in Manipur

The Congress on Thursday hit out at the government after Rahul Gandhi's convoy was stopped by the police near Bishnupur in Manipur and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using "autocratic methods" to stall his "compassionate outreach" to the people hit by ethnic violence. The government action is "totally unacceptable and shatters all constitutional and democratic norms," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said. Gandhi was stopped on his way to Churachandpur to visit relief camps with police officials saying it was a precautionary measure to prevent recurrence of violence. In a tweet, Kharge said, "Gandhi's convoy in Manipur has been stopped by the police near Bishnupur. He is going there to meet the people suffering in relief camps and to provide a healing touch in the strife-torn state. PM Modi has not bothered to break his silence on Manipur. He has left the state to fend for itself." "Now, his double engine disastrous governments are using autocratic methods to stall a

Manipur police stops Rahul Gandhi's convoy at Bishnupur, 20 kms from Imphal

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's convoy was on Thursday stopped by the Manipur police at Bishnupur, about 20 kilometres from Imphal, officials said. After arriving at Imphal, he was travelling in a convoy to Churachandpur to visit relief camps in the area. Police officials said the convoy was stopped fearing violence along the route. They said that tyres were burnt on the highway near Utlou village in Bishnupur district and a few stones were thrown at the convoy. "We fear repetition of such events and hence as a precaution, requested the convoy to halt at Bishnupur," a police officer told PTI. Congress office bearers are speaking with the police and army authorities to ensure safe passage for their party leader. More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far. Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei ...

Chhattisgarh appoints tribal leader Nand Sai as industrial body chairman

Veteran tribal leader Nand Kumar Sai, who joined the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh after quitting the BJP last month, was on Thursday appointed chairman of the Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation, a cabinet-rank post, officials said. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's office posted the information about his appointment on its Twitter handle and congratulated him. The state government has accorded the cabinet minister rank to Sai following his appointment as the chairman of CSIDC, it said. The Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh are due this year-end. On April 30 this year, Sai (77), a former three-term Lok Sabha MP and three-time MLA, quit the BJP, claiming the party leaders were trying to tarnish his image by hatching conspiracies and leveling false allegations against him. He joined the Congress on May 1 and since then he was expected to get a bigger responsibility in the government. In the past, Sai served as the BJP's state president in both Chhattisgarh and .

Rahul Gandhi arrives in Imphal for 2-day visit to violence-hit Manipur

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived at Imphal for a two-day visit to strife-torn Manipur on Thursday. He left for Churachandpur district where he will visit relief camps to meet people displaced by ethnic strife that rocked the northeastern state since early last month. Around 50,000 people are now staying in over 300 relief camps across the state since ethnic strife started in May this year. On Friday, Gandhi is scheduled to visit relief camps in Imphal and hold talks with certain civil society organisations, Congress sources said. More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far. Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- ...

Kharge extends Eid al-Adha greetings, wishes to build a peaceful society

He also said that the festival epitomizes the noble values of sacrifice, trust, and forgiveness

Never spoke about rotational CM post, buzz created by media: TS Singh Deo

A day after the Congress's move to appoint T S Singh Deo as the deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh, the state minister said he had never spoken of an "agreement" over rotation of the chief ministerial post and claimed it was a buzz created by the media. After arriving at the Raipur airport from New Delhi on Thursday morning, Singh Deo expressed gratitude to the party for the announcement of his elevation and said "der aaye durust aaye" (better late than never). A Congress statement on Wednesday said party president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the appointment of Singh Deo as the deputy chief minister in Chhattisgarh. The decision to appoint him as the deputy CM came just a few months ahead of state Assembly elections due this year-end, but Singh Deo said the responsibility given even for a day is crucial. He was accorded a warm welcome on Thursday by a huge crowd of supporters at the airport who raised slogans of "TS Baba zindabad" . Asked about the two-and-

Karnataka HC refuses to reject FIR against Rahul Gandhi over KGF copyright

The complaint alleged that the party had posted two videos during the Bharat Jodo Yatra with songs from the movie without permission, in violation of the Copyright Act

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to visit violence-hit Manipur today: AICC

The Congress has been making scathing attacks against the BJP governments, both at the Centre and in the state of Manipur, over their handling of the violence

T S Singh Deo's appointment as Chhattisgarh dy CM is his 'insult': BJP

BJP's Chhattisgarh unit chief Arun Sao on Wednesday termed state minister T S Singh Deo's appointment as the state deputy chief minister as his insult, and said the decision will not save the Congress from being defeated in the upcoming assembly elections in the state. Talking to reporters, Sao said, the move is just an attempt to settle differences within the ruling party in the state. The Congress - the ruling party in Chhattisgarh - said in a statement on Wednesday night that party president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal to appoint Singh Deo as the deputy chief minister in Chhattisgarh. When asked about the development, Sao told reporters in Bilaspur, "Congress party does not have the right to appoint a deputy CM. It is the right of the CM and Governor." "The other thing is that the Congress party, which had promised Singh Deo to make him CM for two-and-a-half-years, has done injustice to him by making him deputy CM for just four months. It is an insult to Singh .

Scams part of Congress DNA, it sees corruption everywhere, says BJP

The BJP on Wednesday hit back at the Congress for raising questions on the India-US drone deal, saying doing scams in defence deals has become a part of the opposition party's DNA and it cannot see beyond corruption in defence purchases. Party chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said defence and strategic experts have unanimously welcomed the decision to purchase predator drones during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to the US. The Congress is so addicted to engaging in corruption in defence deals when in power and opposing them at the cost of the nation's security and soldiers' safety when in opposition that it has become a part of its DNA, he said. "While benefits of the purchase are visible to the world, the question is why is the Congress criticising the agreement? The reason is that a habitual thief sees a thief in others," he said. From the alleged jeep scam of 1952 to the suspected corruption in the purchase of Bofors guns, submarines and the ...

Ahead of polls, T S Singh Deo to be Chhattisgarh CM Baghel's deputy

Chhattisgarh minister T S Singh Deo will be the deputy chief minister with the ruling Congress on Wednesday clearing his appointment months ahead of the assembly elections. According to a party statement issued here, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the appointment of Singh Deo as the deputy chief minister in Chhattisgarh. Assembly elections in the state are due later this year. Singh Deo and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel have been at loggerheads since the party came to power in the state in 2018.

Remind Manipur CM of his 'Raj Dharma', Assam Cong leader urges Modi

Alleging that political campaigns have taken precedence over Constitutional duties in ethnic strife-torn Manipur, senior Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remind N Biren Singh, the chief minister of that state, of his 'Raj Dharma'. Elected officials need to carry out their responsibilities, Saikia who is the Leader of the Opposition in Assam Assembly said in a letter to Modi. "I urge you to remind the Chief Minister of Manipur, Biren Singh, to observe the principles of Raj Dharma, just as you were reminded by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji over two decades ago," the Congress leader said in the letter. In 2002, Vajpayee had famously asked Modi, who was the chief minister of Gujarat then, to maintain his 'Raj Dharma' in order to control the riots in the western state. Saikia stated that it was disheartening to witness "political campaigns taking precedence over constitutional duties". "It is crucial for elected

HC refuses to quash FIR against Rahul, others over KGF song copyright

The High Court of Karnataka has refused to quash the FIR against Congress party leaders Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh and Supriya Shrinate for the alleged copyright violation of music from the hit film KGF Chapter-2. The single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna pronounced the judgment on Wednesday, dismissing the petition filed by the three Congress leaders. M Naveen Kumar of MRT Music, a sister concern of Lahari Music, had filed the complaint at Yeshwantpur police station in Bengaluru alleging that the music from the film, to which it has the copyright, was used by the Congress party in a promotional video of 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'. The HC in its order dismissing the petition said, "The petitioners appear to have tampered with source code without permission, which would undoubtedly amount to infringement of the copyright of the company. The petitioners seem to have taken the copyright of the company for granted. Therefore prima facie all these as a matter of evidence has to be trash

FIR against Malviya shows how far Gandhi family can go to hide truth: BJP

The BJP on Wednesday launched a scathing counterattack on the Congress over the registration of an FIR against its IT department head Amit Malviya in Karnataka, claiming that the Gandhi family has again given a proof of how far it can go to suppress the truth if it gets power. Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani reiterated her party's allegations against Rahul Gandhi that he "hobnobbed" with people with suspicious credentials, including those close to billionaire investor George Soros who wants to "destabilise" the democratically elected Indian government, during his recent visit to the US. She also attacked Gandhi for the involvement of Tanzeem Ansari of the Islamic Circle of North America in hosting a programme of the Indian diaspora during his visit, saying Ansari has an organisational link with the Jamaat-e-Islami. A House of Representatives resolution in the US had earlier expressed concern about the threat posed to democracy by theocratic groups operating in south Asia,

Congress-affiliated DU teachers to boycott PM Modi's June 30 visit

A section of teachers affiliated with the Congress on Wednesday announced they will boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Delhi University on June 30 over his "silence" on the Manipur issue. Prime Minister Modi will be the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the Delhi University's (DU) centenary celebrations on Friday. In a statement, the Indian National Teachers' Congress (INTEC) said PM Modi has not uttered a single word on Manipur which has witnessed on and off violence for close to two months now. "The INTEC has decided to boycott the Prime Minister's visit to protest against the apathetic attitude of the Indian government towards the Manipur crises and problems of teachers and students of the University of Delhi," the group said. Many students and teachers from Manipur are mentally disturbed by the ongoing crisis and the DU administration is watching as a silent spectator like others, the group alleged. "Not even a single word has been uttered by our Prime Minist

Does Congress stand with UCC or 'communal conspiracy' against it: Naqvi

BJP leader and former Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi took a swipe at opposition parties on Wednesday and said the time has come to make the Uniform Civil Code free of these "communal crafters" as it is not for any particular community but for the entire society. Talking to reporters, he said the Congress should clarify whether it stands with the constitutional commitment to the UCC or is a part of "communal conspiracy" against its implementation. Naqvi said from the constituent assembly to Parliament, from the streets to civil society and the Supreme Court, the demand and need for the UCC was raised on several occasions. However, "communal confusion" created over it hijacked the constitutional commitment and instead of becoming a part of the Constitution, the UCC remained a part of its directive principles, he added. He said with the fresh commencement of much needed national debate on the UCC, "political vendors of communal votes" have again started their prejudiced propaganda

FIR against Amit Malviya to intimidate, silence him: BJP slams Congress

The BJP on Wednesday described the lodging of an FIR against its IT department head Amit Malviya in Congress-ruled Karnataka as "pathetic" and alleged that it was done to intimidate and silence him. Karnataka police has filed an FIR against the BJP's Amit Malviya for alleged defamation and instigating people against the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. Reacting to the development, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to Twitter to slam the Congress and alleged, "The FIR against Amit Malviya is nothing but a malicious use of provisions of law to silence, intimidate." "At best, if Rahul Gandhi was aggrieved by any tweet, he could have filed a defamation case in court," he said. "Using the state machinery to settle scores only shows that Congress' own communication and social media paraphernalia is supremely incompetent and hence needs a state police to fight its battles! Pathetic. See you in court," Poonawalla said. The FIR was lodged based on a complaint by Karnataka Pradesh