Page 29 - Congress

Telangana to amend law to provide 42% quota for BCs in local body polls

Telangana cabinet on Thursday decided to issue an ordinance facilitating 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in local body polls by amending an Act that was passed by the State Assembly in 2018, Revenue Minister P Srinivasa Reddy said. In a media briefing after the cabinet meeting here, he said the state government is committed to implement the reservation for BCs as promised by the Congress party earlier. "In order to implement the 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes in local body elections, an ordinance will be issued to amend an Act passed by the Assembly in 2018," Reddy said. On June 25, the Telangana High Court directed the state government to hold elections for local bodies within three months. The minister further said Telangana Advocate General was invited for the cabinet meeting and sought his legal opinion on the issue of ordinance. Reddy said the State Assembly had already passed a bill providing 42 per cent reservation to BCs, and it was sent to the Ce

Tharoor slams Emergency; Manickam asks if 'bird is becoming a parrot'

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has criticised the Emergency declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 as a "dark chapter" in India's history and asserted that the people of the country responded clearly to the excesses of that period by voting her party out of power by a large margin. In an article published in the Malayalam daily 'Deepika' on Thursday, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) member also mentioned Indira Gandhi's son Sanjay Gandhi's notorious acts, including forced sterilisation campaigns and the merciless demolition of slums in New Delhi. Recalling the dark era of the Emergency declared between June 25, 1975, and March 21, 1977, Tharoor said Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was seen as having endorsed harsh actions. "Some may argue that the Emergency brought about a temporary order and offered brief relief from the disorder of democratic politics. However, these violations were the result of unchecked power turning into authoritarianism. Whatever order may .

Tharoor recalls Sanjay Gandhi's role in Emergency; calls it a dark era

In a Malayalam daily article, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said democracy is a precious legacy that must be nurtured, adding that today's India is very different from that of 1975

Siddaramaiah denies exit talk, says he'll serve full term as Karnataka CM

Siddaramaiah rules out midterm exit, says Congress has made no move to replace him as Karnataka CM despite DK Shivakumar's acknowledged ambition

Cong slams BJP over Gujarat bridge collapse, says party busy in speeches

The Congress on Thursday slammed the BJP over the bridge collapse in Gujarat, saying the party's leadership and government have crossed all limits of indifference as they remain busy in making speeches and issuing advertisements in the name of "governance". The opposition party also alleged that there was a leadership crisis, corruption all around and incompetence prevailing under the BJP rule, and asserted that the people would give a befitting reply when the time comes. Thirteen people were killed as several vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar river after a portion of a four-decade-old bridge collapsed in Gujarat's Vadodara district on Wednesday morning, officials said. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Accidents have become a common thing in the country. Sometimes a train accident, sometimes a bridge developing cracks soon after inauguration. The country has not yet recovered from the plane crash and yesterday the news of a bridge collapse came from Gujarat," he said

Congress takes swipe at PM Modi after he returns from five-nation visit

The Congress on Thursday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he returned home from his five-nation visit, saying that now that he is back, he could find time to visit Manipur, review why the Pahalgam terrorists are yet to be brought to justice and reflect on infrastructure collapses in his home state. The opposition party also said the PM could also, for a change, chair an all-party meeting to firm up the agenda for the forthcoming Monsoon session of Parliament. Prime Minister Modi returned to India this morning after his visit to five nations -Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia. During the trip, Modi also attended the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "India welcomes back its Super Premium Frequent Flier PM who is expected to be in the country for perhaps three weeks before jetting around again." "Now that he is here, he could find the time to visit Manipur wher

Tharoor shares survey showing public support for him as UDF''s CM face

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday shared a survey indicating that he is the most preferred choice for Chief Minister among leaders of the party-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala. The survey, reportedly conducted by private agency called Kerala Vote Vibe, found that 28.3 per cent of respondents believe Tharoor is best suited to lead the state. He shared a news post about the survey on the social media platform X, adding a folded hands emoji in response. The Thiruvananthapuram MP's move comes at a time when his recent positions post Pahalgam terror attack have invited sharp criticism within the Congress, with some of his comments seen as putting the party on the defensive. Kerala is scheduled to go to the Assembly polls in April next year, as the five-year term of the second LDF government led by CPI(M) veteran Pinarayi Vijayan comes to an end.

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Maharashtra polls were 'rigged', Bihar won't be, claims Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi earlier alleged large-scale irregularities in the 2024 Maharashtra polls, calling the BJP-led alliance's win 'industrial-scale rigging'

Workers of oppn parties disrupt rail, road traffic to enforce 'Bihar Bandh'

Rail and road traffic were disrupted in parts of Bihar on Wednesday as workers of opposition parties hit the streets to enforce a statewide bandh called by the Mahagathbandhan to protest the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls before the assembly polls. Opposition leaders, including Congress' Rahul Gandhi, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and several others of the INDIA bloc, will lead a march to the Election Commission's office in Patna. A large number of Opposition party leaders blocked the movement of road traffic on Patna's Mahatma Gandhi Setu by burning tyres. Independent Lok Sabha MP from Purnea, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, along with his supporters, reached Sachiwalay Halt railway station and tried to disrupt the movement of railway traffic. Yadav's supporters blocked rail and road traffic in several parts of Patna as well as in other parts of the state, including Araria, Purnea, Katihar and Muzaffarpur. Speaking to reporters in Patna, he said, "The Electio

Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar's proposed meet with Kharge, Rahul raises eyebrows

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar's proposed meeting with the party high command has raised eyebrows in the political circle. The two leaders are likely to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday evening, sources said. Though Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have said that their Delhi visit pertained to their official work, their meeting with the top leaders assumes significance in the wake of ministers and MLAs indicating leadership change in the state and dissidence in the party. The Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala is camping in Bengaluru and has been holding meetings with the ministers and MLAs to resolve their issues. Surjewala on Tuesday declined to comment on the ongoing discussions regarding the leadership change in the state, suggesting that it is no longer pertinent and also indicated that such decisions rest with the party high

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Kharge used 'objectionable' words against Prez Murmu, Kovind, alleges BJP

The BJP on Tuesday accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge of insulting President Droupadi Murmu and her predecessor Ram Nath Kovind by using certain "objectionable" words against them, and demanded a public apology from him and his party. This came a day after Kharge, while speaking at an event in Chhattisgarh, reportedly mispronounced the names of President Murmu and her predecessor Kovind but quickly corrected himself. Addressing a public rally in Raipur on Monday, the Congress president also said that "The BJP always speaks about making (Droupadi) Murmu ji and (Ram Nath) Kovind ji presidents of the country but did the party do all this to snatch our assets, forests, water and land". At a press conference here, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia charged that Kharge used "objectionable words for President Droupadi Murmu ji and former President Ram Nath Kovind ji. This shows the "anti-Dalit, anti-Adivasi and anti-Constitution" mindset of the Congress in its DNA, he ...

Karnataka transporters strike over late dues; Anna Bhagya food supply hit

Transporters halt foodgrain movement across Karnataka over unpaid dues spanning six months; halting delivery of govt food scheme

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Industry's share in GDP declining, but big business growing: Cong

The Congress on Monday accused the Modi government of focussing on big businesses and alleged that the growth of such business groups is not accelerating economic growth. In a post on X, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the industry's share in GDP has been declining, just as concentration in the industry is increasing and this, in turn, is one of the main causes of inflation due to rising prices. "While tall claims continue to be made by the PM and his drumbeaters on industrial growth, three facts are incontrovertible - Industry's share in GDP has been declining, just as concentration in industry has been increasing. This has raised prices for consumers and is one of the main sources of inflation," he claimed in his post. Ramesh said within the 'G25' in Indian business, there is a 'G5' whose increasing share is coming at the expense of the remaining 'G20'. "Big business groups are growing even bigger but that is not acclerating economic growth-- in fac

Rahul questions BJP's silence on F&O manipulation, says making rich richer

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the Modi government of making the rich richer and pushing ordinary investors to the brink of ruin by being silent on 'manipulation' by big players in the F&O market. Gandhi, in a post on X, said that he had predicted the loopholes in the Futures and Options (F&O) markets. "I clearly stated in 2024 - the F&O market has become a playground for 'big players,' and small investors' pockets are continuously being drained. "Now SEBI itself is admitting that Jane Street manipulated thousands of crores. Why did SEBI remain silent for so long?" he asked in his post in Hindi. The Congress leader accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre of turning a blind eye to the revelation and wondered if there were more players rigging the market. "At whose behest was the Modi government sitting with its eyes shut? And how many more big sharks are still shorting retail investors?" he said. "In every case, it is clear - the ...

Rahul Gandhi to visit Patna, join protests against electoral rolls revision

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be in Patna on Wednesday for a "chakka jam" against the new labour code and special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, leaders of the INDIA bloc said. The announcement was made on Monday at a press conference, which was attended by Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Tejashwi Yadav, state Congress president Rajesh Kumar, AICC in charge for Bihar Krishna Allavaru, and leaders of Left parties. Kumar said Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, will join the protesters in the state capital, where a march has been proposed to the office of the Election Commission. Yadav said, "We will be with Gandhi in Patna, but the stir will be held across Bihar. We are extending support to the chakka jam against the labour code which is as much an assault on democracy as the revision of electoral rolls." He also alleged that the special intensive revision, which will be complete in less than a month from now, has so far been mired in ...

Congress slams govt assertion on India being among 'most equal' countries

The Congress on Monday termed as "fraudulent" and "intellectually dishonest" the government's assertion that India is among the world's most equal countries, and said the Modi government cannot simply wish away the stark reality of deepening inequalities by "doctoring data". The opposition party's attack came after an official release, citing World Bank data, said inequality in India has come down significantly between 2011-12 and 2022-23, making it the fourth-most equal country globally. The Congress demanded that the Press Information Bureau (PIB) must clarify as to the origins of this press release and retract it immediately. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Aap chronology samajhiye. The World Bank released its Poverty and Equity Brief for India in April 2025. Immediately after, the Congress released a statement identifying the several warning signs that the World Bank had flashed for poverty and inequality in India - including warnings abo

When people rise, BJP backtracks: Kharge on revision of electoral rolls

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP on Sunday of conspiring to deprive the people of Bihar of their voter rights through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and said the voters of the state would teach the saffron party a lesson for its attack on democracy and the Constitution. He cited a new advertisement issued by the Election Commission (EC), urging the voters of Bihar to only fill a form under the SIR, and alleged that "when people rise, BJP backtracks". "With the support of the Election Commission, the master plan that the BJP had devised to deprive crores of people in Bihar of their voting rights now seems to be ensnaring the BJP itself," Kharge alleged in a post in Hindi on X. He said from the very first day, the Congress has been raising its voice against the SIR. "Why are people who have been voting election after election being asked to show their documents for voting? "Forcibly depriving the poor, weak, deprived, Dalits, oppressed a