Page 31 - Congress

Trump's tariffs hurting India, people losing jobs: Shashi Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said the tariffs imposed by the US has impacted India with people already losing jobs, even as he lashed out at American President Donald Trump for being "mercurial" in nature and not honouring conventional standards of diplomatic behaviour. US has imposed a 50 per cent tariff, including 25 per cent as penalty for buying Russian oil, on shipments from India. India needs to diversify export markets to mitigate the impact of tariffs, Tharoor said, adding that 1.35 lakh people have lost jobs in gems and jewelery business in Surat and in seafood and manufacturing sectors. "Mr Trump is a very mercurial individual, and the American system gives the President an amazing amount of leeway," Tharoor said while replying to a query related to Indo-US relationship and imposition of tariffs, at a conference organised by CREDAI, India's apex industry body for real estate sector. Continuing with his opinion about Trump, Tharoor said, "Even though the

PM's Manipur visit 'merely symbolic', not aimed at bringing peace: Congress

Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra on Friday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the ethnic violence-hit state is "merely symbolic", and "not aimed at bringing peace and ensuring justice". Modi is scheduled to set foot in Manipur on Saturday, over two years after a deadly ethnic violence swept the northeastern state, and unveil projects to the tune of Rs 8,500 crore, Meghachandra, in a video message, claimed, "I take the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as merely symbolic and a show-off. The people, who have been suffering for months, including internally displaced persons staying in relief camps, had expected a concrete roadmap for peace, rehabilitation, and justice." The state Congress chief also alleged that Modi's visit is hollow. "It would have been better if they had let it be known that the visit is related to bringing peace and justice. Very upset with the absence of discussions with all stakeholders," the Wangkhem legislator said. The ..

Congress alleges FRA violations in Adani coal mine project in MP

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday alleged that the Adani Group has begun cutting trees on government and forest land for its coal mine project in Madhya Pradesh's Dhirauli in "blatant violation" of the Forest Rights Act. The former environment minister also claimed that the Modi government imposed this allotment from above in 2019, and is now rushing ahead with it in 2025 without the essential legal clearances. "This is simply because Modani is a (f)law unto itself," he said on X. There was no immediate reaction from the Adani Group or the Centre to the charges made by the Congress. "In Dhirauli, Madhya Pradesh, Modani has begun cutting trees on government and forest land for its coal mine - without Stage-II forest clearance and in blatant violation of FRA, 2006 & PESA, 1996. Villagers, mostly Scheduled Tribe communities and even a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), are rightly protesting," he said. The coal block falls in a Fifth Schedule Area, where tribal rights

'Rahul Gandhi breaching security protocol': CRPF flags movements to Kharge

The CRPF has raised concerns over Rahul Gandhi's unscheduled movements during domestic and foreign trips, reminding him and his staff to follow VIP security rules at all times

Foreign Secy assured safe return of 1,000 Indians stuck in Nepal: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said he has spoken to India's foreign secretary about the violence in Nepal and he has assured the safe return of around 1,000 Indian citizens stranded in the neighbouring country. He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the Congress party's 10-day training camp organised here. Nepal descended into chaos after deadly anti-government demonstrations rocked capital Kathmandu and other cities of the Himalayan nation this week, forcing Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to resign on Tuesday. Kharge said, "The government should protect the Indian tourists who are stranded in Nepal. Many people are at the airport, many are on roads and in hotels. I spoke to the foreign secretary yesterday, and he said that around 1,000 Indians stranded there will be brought back soon." At least 25 people, including three policemen, were killed during the violent anti-government protests led by the 'Gen Z' group in the last two days in Nepal. The Nepal

Our slogan 'Vote chor, gaddi chhod' proved across country: Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the slogan 'vote chor, gaddi chhod' (vote thief, vacate your seat of power) has proved across the country and the party will establish it in "more dramatic ways". Gandhi is in Uttar Pradesh for a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Raebareli. He reached Lucknow's Chowdhury Charan Singh airport earlier in the day where he was received by Congress state president Ajai Rai and other senior leaders. Talking to reporters before entering an event venue, Gandhi said, "The main slogan is 'vote chor, gaddi chhod' and that is being proved across the country. We will prove it again and again in more and more dramatic ways." During his visit, Gandhi will attend several programmes and review developmental projects, party leaders said. Posters with pictures of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Gandhi and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav were put up in Raebareli saying: "India ki antim aasha, kalyug ke "Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh" (India's last hope, Kalyug's ..

Cong takes dig at PM Modi, reminds of Trump's ceasefire claims '35 times'

The Congress on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks describing India and the US as "natural partners", asking whether they are so natural that President Donald Trump has declared on "over 35 different occasions" that he brought about the India-Pakistan "ceasefire" using trade as the instrument of leverage. The opposition party's dig came after Prime Minister Modi reacted warmly to US President Trump's positive assessment of trade talks between the two countries, expressing confidence that the ongoing negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the partnership between them. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Prime Minister Modi has told President Trump that India and the US are 'natural partners.' The question is now this: Are they so natural that President Trump has declared on over 35 different occasions that he brought about the India-Pakistan ceasefire on the evening of May 10th

Cong extends wishes to VP-elect Radhakrishnan with 'impartiality' reminder

The Congress on Wednesday extended best wishes to vice president-elect C P Radhakrishnan and recalled first vice president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's words in the Rajya Sabha in 1952 that a democracy is likely to "degenerate into a tyranny if it does not allow the opposition groups to criticise fairly, freely, and frankly the policies of the government". The opposition party asserted that Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan practised what he preached, both in letter and spirit. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "While extending its best wishes to Shri C P Radhakrishnan, the newly-elected Vice President of India who will also be the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Indian National Congress recalls the wise words of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the very first Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha." "On the opening day of the Rajya Sabha on May 16, 1952, the very eminent philosopher-educationist-author-diplomat had said: 'I belong to no party, and .

Tharoor lauds Sudarshan Reddy after V-P poll loss, says fight is for ideals

Soon after Opposition candidate B Sudarshan Reddy's defeat in the vice presidential polls, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday hailed the former Supreme Court judge and said that sometimes the fight is not about winning or losing but about standing up for one's convictions. His remarks came after NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan was elected the next vice president of India, bagging 452 votes against the opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy's 300. "Sometimes the fight is not about winning or losing but about standing up for your convictions. Pranaams Sudershan Reddy ji," Tharoor said on X. After the results were announced, the Congress said, "The BJP's 'arithmetical' victory in the vice presidential election is both a 'moral and political defeat' for the ruling party. The Congress also asserted that the Opposition stood united in the election with "most respectable" performance." Announcing the result of the vice presidential election this evening, Rajya Sabha Secretar

BJP's arithmetic victory a moral, political defeat: Congress on VP poll

Soon after NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan won the vice presidential polls, the Congress on Tuesday said the Opposition stood united for the election with a "most respectable" performance and claimed that the BJP's arithmetical victory is both "moral and political defeat". Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge extended best wishes to Radhakrishnan on securing victory in the election, while also expressing sincere gratitude to B Sudershan Reddy for being the "united Opposition's joint candidate" and for his spirited and principled fight. "This was more than an election; it was a battle of ideology, reaffirming that governments with authoritarian tendencies must be checked to protect our Constitution and democracy," Kharge said on X. "We hope the new Vice President-elect will uphold the highest ethos of Parliamentary traditions, ensuring equal space and dignity for the Opposition, and not succumb to pressures of the ruling dispensation," the Congress chief said. The vice president,

Congress top brass strategises with Bihar leaders for Assembly polls

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi deliberated with party leaders from Bihar here on Tuesday amid ongoing seat-sharing talks among "mahagathbandhan" allies ahead of the Assembly polls in the state. Besides Kharge and Gandhi, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal, Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram, AICC in-charge of the state Krishna Allavaru, party treasurer Ajay Maken, MPs Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Ranjeet Ranjan, Tariq Anwar and Mohammed Javed, as well as Independent MP from Purnea Pappu Yadav, participated in the meeting at the Congress president's residence here. The feedback from the Voter Adhikar Yatra, seat sharing among allies and the party's strategy for the Bihar polls were deliberated upon, sources said. The deliberations came days after INDIA bloc leaders in the state attended a meeting hosted by Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) Tejashwi Yadav, who heads the coordination committee for the opposition coalition. Talk

Nation continues to wait for Dhankar to speak out, says Jairam Ramesh

Opposition has time and again claimed that Dhankar has been "silenced" and has enquired about his whereabouts. It was Dhankar's registration that triggered the race for the Vice Presidential elections

Vice President polls on September 9: How Parliament numbers stack up

The election for the Vice Presidential was called after Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation; NDA's CP Radhakrishnan and INDIA bloc's Sudershan Reddy are in the fray

Trai refutes Congress claim of blocking SMS on Maharashtra poll fraud

TRAI on Monday said it did not receive any application that pertained to sending SMS to a political party's Maharashtra cadre on how the 2024 Assembly election was allegedly 'stolen', as the regulator asserted that it doesn't even approve individual SMS templates. TRAI's rebuttal came after Congress on Sunday claimed that the TRAI rejected its application for sending out SMSes to its Maharashtra cadre with the link of a documentary on how Maharashtra assembly elections were allegedly "stolen" on the grounds that it is "content related to protest". Without naming Congress, TRAI in a post on X said, "No application was received by #TRAI for sending SMS to a political party's Maharashtra cadre on how the 2024 Assembly election was stolen'". TRAI pointed out that the said application was submitted to one of the service providers, who rejected it. "TRAI was at no stage involved in this process. In fact, TRAI does not deal with approval of individual message templates," the regulator ...

Cong mocked farmers' pain, PM Modi delivered: Amit Malviya slams Kharge

Malviya praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for helping farmers by doubling their incomes and embracing modern farming techniques

Cong mocked farmers' pain, PM Modi delivered: Amit Malviya slams Kharge

Malviya praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for helping farmers by doubling their incomes and embracing modern farming techniques

Planned misadventure, risks tribes: Sonia Gandhi slams Nicobar project

Terming the Great Nicobar infrastructure project a "planned misadventure", Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday said it poses an existential danger to the island's indigenous tribal communities and is being insensitively pushed through, making a "mockery of all legal and deliberative processes". The collective conscience cannot, and must not, stay silent when the very survival of the Shompen and Nicobarese tribes is at stake, Gandhi said in an article published in 'The Hindu'. "Our commitment to future generations cannot permit this large-scale destruction of a most unique ecosystem. We must raise our voice against this travesty of justice and this betrayal of our national values," she said in her article titled 'The making of an ecological disaster in the Nicobar'. Hitting out at the Modi government, the former Congress president said there has been no shortage of "half-baked and ill-conceived policymaking" in the last 11 years. "The latest in this serie

Much fairer system, better for everyone: Tharoor welcomes GST reforms

Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that US President Donald Trump's "pressure is mounting" and claimed the Union government implemented the GST reforms with elections approaching

Shashi Tharoor calls EC's SIR exercise 'essential', urges transparency

Tharoor stressed that maintaining the credibility of the Election Commission was crucial and that any legitimate concerns raised by the opposition should be addressed fairly

Govt must introduce law for Article 15(5) in Winter Session: Congress

The Congress on Friday demanded that the government must introduce a law for implementing Article 15(5), which pertains to reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in private educational institutions, in Parliament's next session. To buttress its argument, the opposition party cited a parliamentary committee report which stated that the SC, ST, and OBC community students are underrepresented in private universities. Addressing a joint press conference along with Adivasi Congress chief Vikrant Bhuria and party's OBC department head Anil Jaihind, Congress' SC Department chief Rajendra Pal Gautam said the number of private educational institutions in the country has been continuously increasing, but due to the non-implementation of reservations there and lack of money, children from SC, ST, OBC categories could not get access to them. "Due to this, during the Congress government, a law was made, in which provision was made for reservation for SC, ST, OBC categories in private higher education