Page 3 - Congress

Nefarious attempt to link delimitation to quota decisively defeated: Cong

The Congress on Friday said the "nefarious attempt" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to link their "dangerous delimitation proposals" to women's reservation has been decisively defeated in the Lok Sabha, and asserted that it was a win for democracy and the Constitution. The opposition party said the defeat also calls into question the legitimacy of "the non-biological, non-grihasthi PM." In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The nefarious and mischievous attempt of the PM and HM to link their dangerous delimitation proposals to women's reservation (that had already been settled) has been decisively defeated in the Lok Sabha." "This is a win for our democracy, our federalism, and the Constitution. This also calls into question the legitimacy of the non-biological, non-grihasthi PM," Ramesh said. The next steps for the Modi Government are clear -- they should implement 33 per cent reservation for wome

'An attempt to change electoral map': Rahul Gandhi on Delimitation bill

Rahul Gandhi alleged delimitation is an attempt to redraw India's electoral map, warns it could reduce representation of some states; govt hits back, calls remarks 'misleading'

SC denies relief to Cong leader Pawan Khera, asks him to move Assam court

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea of Congress leader Pawan Khera seeking protection against possible coercive action till April 20 in a case lodged against him for levelling allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife. The top court asked Khera to move a court of competent jurisdiction in Assam for anticipatory bail in the case. At a press conference on April 5, Khera alleged that the Assam CM's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, had multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in Sarma's election affidavit for the April 9 Assembly polls in that state. The CM and his wife rejected the allegations as false and fabricated. A bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar on Friday took note of the submissions of senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Khera, and asked the Assam court that will hear the Congress leader's plea to not consider adverse remarks, if any, made by the top court and the Telangan

Delimitation will turn out to be 'political demonetisation': Shashi Tharoor

Delimitation will turn out to be "political demonetisation", senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Friday while slamming the government for linking women's reservation with the expansion of Parliament. Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendments in the women's quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, Tharoor said linking women's reservation with delimitation is to hold the aspirations of Indian women hostage to "one of the most contentious and complex" administrative exercises in the country's history. "Today we stand at a threshold where there is near unanimous political consensus in favour of women's reservation. Every major party realises that the time for tokenism is over and the era of collective partnership must begin and yet I am finding myself deeply perturbed by the legislative exercise before us," he said. "The prime minister says he has brought 'nari shakti' the gift of justice but he has wrapped it in barbed

BJP president Nitin Nabin, 15 others take oath as Rajya Sabha MPs

BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Union minister Ram Nath Thakur and senior Congress leader Abhishek Sanghvi, along with 13 other newly elected Rajya Sabha MPs, took oath of office on Thursday. Vice-President of India and Chairman of Rajya Sabha C P Radhakrishnan administered the oath to the 16 newly elected/re-elected members of Rajya Sabha, representing Bihar, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana. Of the 16 MPs, eight are from the BJP and three from its allies. The other five MPs belong to Congress. After being elected as the BJP's national president, Nabin has moved to the Upper House following his resignation from the Bihar legislative assembly. He took the oath in Hindi amid the thumping of desks. Along with him, Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur also took the oath. He has been re-elected to the House from Bihar. Upendra Kushwaha (RLM) and Shivesh Kumar (BJP) also represent Bihar. Terash Gowalla (BJP), Jogen Mohan (BJP), and Pramod Boro (UPP-L)

Intent of govt's Bills 'mischievous', must be rejected completely: Congress

The Congress on Thursday said the true intent of the bills being brought by the government in the garb of implementing women's quota law is mischievous and they have to be rejected completely in their present shape and form. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the three bills are being taken up in Lok Sabha and the packaging and marketing is women's reservation but the fundamentals have to do with delimitation. "Many concerns have been raised from across the country regarding the delimitation proposals that privilege a few populous states where the BJP is strong now. The relative strength of a number of states in the Lok Sabha will actually decline," Ramesh said on X. The way delimitation has actually been done in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir shows how "diabolically the Modi-Shah duo work" he said. "The true intent of these Bills is mischievous, their content devious, and their damage enormous. They have to be rejected completely in their present .

Odisha Janata Congress launched as new regional alternative to BJP

Former Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim launches Odisha Janata Congress, positioning it as a youth-focused regional alternative amid criticism of BJP, BJD, and Congress

Will fight to defend Babasaheb's ideals 'until last breath': Rahul Gandhi

Certain forces are systematically engaged in undermining the legacy of BR Ambedkar and the Constitution, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday as he vowed to fight and defend the ideals of Babasaheb "until my very last breath". The Congress paid homage to Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge saying the Constitution faces a "conspiratorial attack" today and "we must rise to defend every principle he enshrined". "On the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Dr B. R. Ambedkar, we bow with deep reverence to the visionary who gave India its moral and Constitutional soul," Kharge said on X. Babasaheb was not just the architect of the Constitution of India, but a relentless warrior for liberty, equality, fraternity and justice, values that define the very idea of India, he said. "Today, when the Constitution faces a conspiratorial attack, his words and warnings echo with renewed urgency. This is a moment that calls for courage and conviction," the Congres

Congress slams Modi govt for not sharing Constitution amendment bills

The Congress on Tuesday lashed out at the government for not having shared with MPs the Constitution amendment bill or bills that would be brought in the special sitting of Parliament this week, saying this makes a "complete mockery of democracy" and reveals the "bulldozer mentality" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the "special session" of Parliament will begin on April 16, when the election campaign in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal will be at its peak. The Modi government has rejected the Opposition's perfectly reasonable and legitimate requests to convene an all-Party meeting after the elections are completed, fifteen days from today, he said in X. "Till this morning, the Modi government has NOT shared with MPs the Constitution Amendment Bill(s) they are supposed to be debating and voting upon," Ramesh said. "This makes a complete mockery of democracy and reveals the bulldozer mentality of the PM - who once clai

Assam elections 2026: BJP vs Congress showdown | Key names, seats to watch

Assam heads to the polls on April 9 with over 2.49 crore voters set to decide the fate of 722 candidates across 126 seats.

Congress demands PM Modi's apology over delay in women's reservation

The Congress on Friday alleged that the Modi government's "U-turn" on the implementation of the women's reservation law is aimed at covering up his "monumental failures" in governance and "severe setbacks" to foreign policy. The opposition party claimed that the PM owes an "apology" to the women of India as he did not accept the Congress' demand of implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, from the 2024 polls itself. "Actually he owes an apology to the women of India. When the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 was passed by Parliament in 2023 unanimously, the Indian National Congress had demanded its implementation from 2024 itself," Ramesh said on X. But this was not acceptable to the PM who made the reservation dependent on the delimitation and census exercises that he had failed to conduct and then dithered on for many years, the Congress leader said. Ramesh claimed that 30 months later, facing defeat in the assembly elections, in spite of the Election Commission ..

Congress not to contest Baramati bypoll for Ajit Pawar: Chennithala

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday said his party will not contest the bypoll to the Baramati assembly seat, from where Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is seeking an election following the death of her husband Ajit Pawar. Talking to PTI, the AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra said he has asked the Congress' state unit to withdraw its candidate from the poll fray. Today is the last day of withdrawal of nomination. "The Baramati bypoll was necessitated due to the tragic death of Ajit Pawar. As a mark of respect for him, Congress will not contest the by-election," he said. Congress's Akash More had filed his nomination for the April 23 bypoll. Top leaders from the ruling Mahayuti as well as opposition NCP (SP) had been appealing the Congress to withdraw its candidate for an unopposed election in Baramati. Earlier in the day, NCP (SP) leaders, including party chief Sharad Pawar, MP Supriya Sule and MLA Rohit Pawar, again urged the grand old party n

Congress will dismantle 'discriminatory system' if it comes to power: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said when his party comes to power, it will dismantle the "discriminatory system" under which Central Armed Police Forces personnel are denied opportunities for leadership, and ensure that they are granted their rights and privileges. On the Valour Day of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Gandhi said the Congress and he hold CAPF personnel in the highest esteem and firmly believe that advancement within their own Force, access to top leadership roles, and due respect are their rightful entitlements. "On CRPF Valour Day, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and pay my respectful homage to the courageous and brave soldiers of our Force," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X. "Your courage and sacrifice safeguard our nation every single day.Stationed at our borders, you keep the country secure; you confront the threats of terrorism and Naxalism; and you ensure that the greatest festival of democracy -- our elections remains peaceful and .

Former Union minister Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury dies at 89 in Kolkata

Former Union minister Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury died in Kolkata due to age-related ailments, his family said. Choudhury, popularly known as Dalu, was 89. He is survived by wife and a son, Congress's Malda Dakshin MP Isha Khan Choudhury. His death marks the end of an era in the politics of Malda district, where he remained a key figure for decades. Choudhury, a veteran Congressman, had been suffering from multiple age-related complications. He died at a private hospital in Kolkata late on Wednesday, his family said. The last rites will be performed in Malda on Thursday. Born on January 12, 1938, into the prominent Khan Choudhury family of Malda, Dalu Choudhury entered politics under the guidance of his elder brother, the venerable ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, also a former Union minister. After his brother's demise, he emerged as the principal political figure in the family and played a crucial role in maintaining the Congress's hold over the district. He served as an MLA of the Kali

Bengal: Congress replaces 7 candidates for second phase of Assembly polls

The party has nominated Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Baharampur, Pradip Prasad from Bhabanipur, while Mausam Noor, who recently joined the Congress, will contest from Malatipur

'Exposed': Congress takes dig at PM over Pak role in US-Iran ceasefire

Taking a swipe at the government, the Congress on Wednesday said the role played by Pakistan in bringing about the ceasefire between the US and Iran is a "severe setback" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "highly personalised diplomacy" and "the self-styled Vishwaguru stands thoroughly exposed". The opposition party also said Prime Minister Modi's "cowardice is demonstrated by his silence not only on Israel's belligerence, but on the completely unacceptable and disgraceful language being used by his good friend in the White House". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the entire world will cautiously welcome the two-week ceasefire in the West Asia conflict between the US and Israel on the one side and Iran on the other. "The conflict had begun on February 28th with the targeted assassinations of the topmost echelons of the regime in Iran. These had started just two days after Prime Minister Modi had completed his much-trumpeted visit to Israel, a ..

Ex-Union minister, veteran Congress leader Mohsina Kidwai passes away at 94

Veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Mohsina Kidwai passed away on Wednesday, her family said. She was 94. Kidwai passed away at Noida's Metro Hospital early in the morning. She was suffering from age-related ailments, her son-in-law Razi Ur Rehman Kidwai said. She will be cremated at the graveyard in Nizamuddin around 5 pm, he said. Kidwai is a former Union minister who held important portfolios in the Rajiv Gandhi government. She has been a member of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha at various points in time. Kidwai has also served as a member of the Congress Working Committee and the party's Central Election Committee in the past.

Kerala Assembly elections 2026: Make or break for Left and Congress

For the CPI(M), a victory is essential to preserve its last bastion in the country. The CPI(M) has remained relevant in Kerala even as it was voted out of power in West Bengal and Tripura

From Congress bastion to BJP stronghold: How Assam's politics has evolved

Assam is set to vote on April 9 in a closely watched election, with the BJP aiming to retain power and the Congress hoping to regain ground in a state shaped by identity politics and alliances

BJP slams Congress chief Kharge over 'illiterate' remark, seeks apology

The BJP on Tuesday demanded an apology from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his alleged remarks on the people of Gujarat and some other states, saying that the comment was "shameless, demeaning and utterly despicable." Addressing a press conference here, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to clarify whether they agreed with Kharge's statement. At an election rally in Kerala's Idukki district on Sunday, Kharge had said the people of the state were "educated and clever" and cannot be misled, unlike those who were "illiterate" in Gujarat and some other places. "Do they agree with this statement? If Rahul Gandhi has any sense, he should distance himself from this remark, condemn it, and demand an apology," Prasad said. The former Union minister further said Kharge "does not deserve to remain Congress president" for making such comments, and questioned if he had "abandoned