Page 289 - Congress

Congress claims corruption in purchase of laptops under Safe Kerala project

After raising allegations of large-scale corruption by the ruling Left government in the state in the procurement and installation of artificial intelligence (AI) cameras under the Safe Kerala initiative, the opposition Congress on Monday claimed irregularities in purchase of laptops under the same project. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who had first raised the issue of corruption in connection with the AI cameras, claimed that laptops for the project were purchased for more than three times what they would have actually cost. Chennithala claimed that laptops with specifications stipulated under the project contract would have cost only around Rs 57,000 per machine. However, the 358 laptops required for the project were bought for Rs 1.48 lakh per machine for a total of over Rs five crore, he contended while speaking to reporters here. The Congress leader also alleged that the same private company which was involved in the installation of the AI cameras was the one beh

Probe into 17-yr-old bank 'scam' under BJP rule resumes: Chhattisgarh CM

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday said police have resumed probe into a 17-year-old "scam" in the Indira Priyadarshini Mahila Nagrik Sahakari Bank after a court in Raipur gave the go-ahead. The alleged irregularities of Rs 22 crore were unearthed in 2006 when the Bharatiya Janata Party was in power and 11 persons were arrested at the time, as per police. Promising stern action against those who had embezzled hard-earned money of account holders, the CM said, "The court has ordered for further investigation into it. Our police officials have been looking into case related files and will take further action accordingly. "The important thing is that labourers, farmers, small businessmen who had lost their hard earned money should get it back.The entire embezzled money will be recovered and returned to account holders," he added. The irregularities were unearthed when Raman Singh was chief minister and a narco test was also conducted on the accused but the probe did

Yediyurappa's protest on poll guarantee implementation a gimmick: K'taka CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa has "no moral rights" to call for protests demanding that the Congress government implement its poll guarantees and termed it as a "political gimmick". Noting that the Congress has fulfilled the poll promises while in power in the past, he said, this time too it has already taken a decision to implement five "guarantees" announced in the election manifesto. "What moral right he (Yediyurappa) has? He was the President of the party, then he became the Chief Minister, did he implement the promises made in the (BJP) manifesto? No, when such being the case, what moral right does he have? He has no moral rights," Siddaramaiah said. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "as far as the Congress party is concerned, we have implemented all the promises we had made in the 2013 manifesto (while in power from 2013-18), now we have made a promise to implement five guarantees, we have already taken a decision to

What is YSRTP and how relevant it is in regional politics of Telangana

The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Telangana Party (YSRTP) is currently making news as it appears the party is set to merge with the Indian National Congress in Telangana

Eshwarappa displeased over indiscipline in BJP, blames Cong turncoats

With statements from some Karnataka BJP leaders that adjustment politics contributed to the party's rout in the Assembly elections sparking off a political debate, veteran leader K S Eshwarappa on Monday expressed displeasure about party discipline being "flouted", and urged the state president to take necessary steps to curb it. Accepting that there is some amount of indiscipline in the BJP, the former deputy chief minister, while blaming the Congress' "influence" on a few in the party for it, said that the party high command is strong and will take action at an appropriate time to control it. "It is unfortunate that such discussions are happening openly in the BJP. If such things have happened, it should have been discussed sitting inside four walls. I have spoken to our state president and have requested him to call those who were speaking openly, and talk to them and end the issue," Eshwarappa said. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I will also request those who are making .

Trying Oppn unity but Cong, CPI(M) singing different tunes in WB: Mamata

Days after the mega opposition meeting in Patna, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the role of CPI (M) and Congress, saying despite her efforts to form a grand opposition alliance against the BJP at the Centre, their actions as playing second fiddle to the saffron camp in the state are throwing a spanner in the efforts. Drawing the battle lines, opposition parties on Friday resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at a crucial meeting, even as fissures emerged with the AAP asserting that it would be difficult for it to be part of any such gathering in future till the Congress publicly supports it on the ordinance issues. Over 32 leaders, including Banerjee, of more than a dozen political parties, had attended the meeting hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna. "We are trying to form a grand alliance (Mahajot) against the BJP at the Centre. But the CPI (M) and Congress are trying to work with the BJP in Bengal. I will brea

Vigilance wing intensifies probe against K Sudhakaran in graft complaint

The Vigilance Wing of the Kerala Police has intensified its probe against KPCC chief K Sudhakaran on a complaint of graft and misappropriation of funds filed by his former driver two years ago. As part of its investigation, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has sought the details of the income sources of his wife. In a notice dated June 15, the VACB Kozhikode unit sought the service particulars and salary details of Smitha Sudhakaran from the school authorities where she was working. The Vigilance bureau has sought details like the net salary, including Pay/DA, leave surrender, and other details, for a period starting in 2001. According to the complaint lodged by his former driver, Prashanth Babu, in 2021, Sudhakaran allegedly siphoned off Rs 32 crore from the funds received by the K Karunakaran Trust for building a memorial to Congress stalwart and former Kerala chief minister Karunakaran-- a project that never took off. The complaint also alleges that the KPCC ...

No discussion on PM post during opposition meet in Patna, says Sharad Pawar

Over 32 leaders of opposition parties held a meeting in Patna on Friday and resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

'Standing on shoulders of UPA': Chidambaram's takes a dig at Modi govt

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday took on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over her listing the Centre's achievements, saying that if the Modi government stands tall in some areas, it is because it is standing on the shoulders of its predecessor UPA. Chidambaram countered Sitharaman's comments made in an article about the achievements of the Modi government in the last nine years. "The Hon'ble Finance Minister has penned an article on the achievements of the Modi Government. Many examples she has cited are true as would be true of EVERY government that has ruled for 5 or 10 years," the former finance minister said on Twitter. The finance minister has cited five examples of the Opposition taking the government to court and losing the case, Chidambaram noted. "She is wrong at least in three: The SC had declared triple talaq illegal even before Parliament passed a law. The Article 370 case has not yet been heard by the Court. Numerous cases under the GST laws are ...

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on 3-day tour, set to visit different districts

Gehlot will be on a tour of Bundi and Kota districts on Wednesday, will participate in various programs, and will address public meetings

Opposition unity: Is well begun, half done?

Previous experiments with Opposition unity have shown that forming an alliance does not ensure electoral victory by itself. Public perception of the incumbent leader and the govt also has to change

Oppn wants to protect families instead of helping people: Bhupendra Yadav

Union minister Bhupendra Yadav on Sunday claimed the agenda of the parties that came forward in the name of protecting democracy is to save their families but they will bite the dust in Bihar and other states in elections. Yadav was referring to the meeting of the Opposition parties, including Congress, held in Patna on Friday. The Minister of State for Environment spoke at a public function organised in Mumbai by the Bharatiya Janata Party to condemn the 48th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975. He alleged these family-centric parties want to protect their families first instead of helping people. "Those people who are hatching a conspiracy against democracy and trying to protect their families first will not only lose general elections in various states but will be wiped out also in Bihar, which has always been a contributor to our democratic processes, the minister said. He claimed these parties have come forward in the name of ...

Adhir Ranjan requests security for media during Bengal panchayat polls

Choudhury reminded the Governor that in the past, many media persons wore injured and killed in the incidents of violence

Cong imposed Emergency, now accusing BJP of suppressing democracy: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the Congress which imposed the Emergency was now falsely accusing the BJP government of suppressing democracy. Singh addressed two rallies in Agra in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday and trained his gun on the Congress. Describing the Emergency, which was imposed on this day in 1975 by the Indira Gandhi government, as "the dark phase of Indian democracy", the senior BJP leader said, "I was jailed for 16 months and kept in isolation for about two-and-half months during the Emergency.... Many innocents were kept in jails." "But today the Congress party is falsely accusing the BJP government of suppressing democracy...if the BJP was strangulating democracy then how was it possible for the Congress to form governments in states like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan," he said. He said the Congress and other opposition parties are coming together with the singular motive of defeating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and grabbing ...

Greed for power characteristic of Congress: Piyush Goyal on Emergency

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday recalled the imposition of Emergency by the then Indira Gandhi government, saying greed for power is a characteristic of the Congress party. Goyal, who interacted with a group of intellectuals here, said the Emergency was imposed as the court declared the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government a corrupt one and said that she could not hold any post for six years. He claimed the Congress always wants to remain in power and this greed for power is a characteristic of the party. On June 25, 1975, the Indira Gandhi government imposed Emergency, which lasted for the next 21 months, during which fundamental rights of the people were provisionally suspended and curbs were put on the press. The commerce and industries minister was here as part of the BJP's campaign for highlighting the nine-year rule of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. Talking about the Emergency era, he said the day is observed as a black day in independent India. He said

Will continue as KPCC chief, file defamation case on Govindan: Sudhakaran

KPCC chief K Sudhakaran on Sunday said he would continue to lead the state Congress unit as desired by the party's senior leadership and high command. In the wake of his arrest in a cheating case, in which controversial self styled antiques dealer Monson Mavunkal is the prime accused, Sudhakaran had offered to quit as the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). Addressing reporters here today, he said both the party's senior leadership and the high command rejected his offer and said that he should continue in the position. "Hence, I have decided to abide by their wishes," he said. After being arrested on Friday, he was released on bail the same day in accordance with orders of the Kerala High Court. Sudhakaran also said that he would be filing defamation cases against CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan and the Left party's mouthpiece Deshabhimani for the allegations by them against him in connection with a POCSO case in which Mavunkal was sentenced to life in

Oppn meet attendees disagree with AAP's charge against Cong on ordinance

The Aam Aadmi Party's shrill indictment of the Congress over alleged apathy towards the central ordinance issue seemed to have few takers among those present at the recent opposition meeting in Patna. At least five leaders, who represented their respective parties at Friday's meeting hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, appeared unimpressed with the AAP going into a sulk over the ordinance, which seeks to curtail the powers of the Delhi government. It is very unfortunate that the AAP seems to be looking at the issue through the prism of rivalry with Congress in Delhi and Punjab, said CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar. He asserted that it was wrong on AAP's part to say in an official statement that the Congress refused to oppose the ordinance at the meeting, despite being asked to do so by many parties. All parties were unanimous in the condemnation of the ordinance. But the AAP leadership must place the issue in a broader context. It is about the attacks on the

Wolves hunt in packs but they can't hunt lion: Smriti Irani on Oppn meeting

Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani on Saturday took a jibe at the meeting of opposition parties held in Patna, saying wolves hunt in packs but they do not know that they cannot hunt a lion. She also alleged that the target of Friday's opposition conclave was not Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "but the people of the country and the exchequer". "As soon as I came to Indore, the media asked me what my reaction was to the Opposition's gathering in Patna yesterday," Irani said addressing a public gathering organised here to mark the completion of the Modi government's nine years in power. There is a saying in English that wolves hunt in packs but they do not know that they can't hunt a lion," Irani said. She also spoke at an event organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party to mark the completion of nine years of the Modi government. Prominent women from Indore were invited to this programme. "There has been a gathering (of Opposition parties), but its target was not Modi, but you

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Even God not spared in MP, says Digvijaya as Congress holds protests

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday said corruption was rampant in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, and even God has not been spared. During the day, the Congress staged protests in 51 districts of the state against corruption, highlighting the May 28 incident where six idols installed at Ujjain's Mahakal Lok Corridor collapsed due to the high winds, the June 12 fire at Satpura Bhawan in Bhopal where government offices are housed, and rising inflation. We could not hold protest in two districts -- Indore and Jhabua -- due to inclement weather, chairman of the MP Congress media cell K K Mishra told PTI. Elections are due in MP by year-end. When Kamal Nath was chief minister, he had sanctioned Rs 300-350 crore for the renovation of the Mahakaleshwar temple at Ujjain. A contractor from Gujarat assured that the idols installed there would remain intact for a century. But they tumbled in the light wind within just one year," Singh said at the meeting here. They are not sparing .