Page 321 - Congress

Cong's Randhawa asks ministers to strengthen party ahead of state polls

Amid rumblings in Rajasthan Congress, the party's in-charge for the state Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Saturday held separate meetings with the ministers and asked them to strengthen the organisation ahead of elections due later this year. He also held a meeting with Speaker C P Joshi. Prior to Randhawa, former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot also met Joshi. Pilot called it an informal meeting. After meeting the speaker, Randhawa told reporters that he has an old relationship with Joshi, whom he termed as an encyclopedia of the Congress. When asked about chances of cabinet reshuffle in the state ahead of the assembly elections, Randhawa said, "If everyone says then we will do but I think we do not have any such plan right now." Earlier, Randhawa held separate meetings with ministers. Randhawa said he was taking feedback from the ministers and asking them to strengthen the party organisation. "I have told the ministers that you should work for the organisation as well as the .

Cong blames BJP for violence in Manipur, accused it for 'bulldozing' rights

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday blamed the BJP for the violence in Manipur and accused the ruling party of "bulldozing" the rights of indigenous communities. "The situation in BJP-ruled Manipur is disturbing. Violence is no solution to any issue. Law and Order has been completely derailed in the state under the double-engine government," Kharge said on Twitter. "The BJP is hellbent to trample and bulldoze the rights of vulnerable indigenous communities. We strongly condemn it," the Congress chief also said. Fresh clashes erupted between demonstrators and police personnel in Churachandpur town on Friday night, with security forces using batons, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the mob. Locals claimed some people were killed and many injured in the police action, hours after a bandh called by Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) concluded. However, there was no official confirmation on casualties or injuries to people. Congress general secretary Jairam Ram

Congress has called Ambedkar 'dagaabaaz', Lingayats as thieves: PM

"Whoever you have humiliated have given befitting answers and Congress was nowhere to be seen"

Congress hurled different types of abuses at me 91 times: PM in Karnataka

Training guns on the Congress over its President M Mallikarjun Kharge's 'venomous snake' barb at him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said till now that party and its leaders have hurled at him different types of abuses 91 times. Accusing the Congress of also abusing the dominant Lingayat community in poll-bound Karnataka, the Prime Minister further said the grand old party had even abused Babasaheb Ambedkar and were engaged in abusing Veer Savarkar. Hitting out at the Congress, Modi -- on his first visit to the state for campaigning after elections were declared on March 29 -- said, people will respond to its abuses with votes, and as much mud they sling at BJP, the lotus will bloom. "The Congress hates everyone who speaks about the common man, who brings out their corruption, who attacks their politics of selfishness. Congress's hate against such people will become permanent. In this election too, the Congress once again has started abusing me," Modi said. Addressing a

A day in the life of a political negotiator

The path of a negotiator is studded with landmines, but when the principal negotiator becomes a political actor, problems can arise for the party

Bar Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath from campaigning in Karnataka: Cong to EC

The Congress on Friday requested the Election Commission to bar Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from campaigning for the May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka for their alleged statements against the minority community. A delegation of Congress leaders, including Abhishek Singhvi, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik, met the chief election commissioner and the election commissioners, and requested the poll body to ensure a level-playing field in the state. The delegation alleged that Shah and Adityanath made "false", "partisan" and "communal" statements during the poll campaign in Karnataka with a view to seek electoral gains, and demanded that they be not allowed to campaign in the state. They said the Election Commission should immediately take action against these leaders. Briefing reports outside the Election Commission office, Singhvi said, "We have just finished a very productive and important meeting with the EC. We complained ...

BJP urges EC to file criminal case against Kharge for poisonous snake barb

A BJP delegation on Friday met the Election Commission and requested the poll panel to register a criminal case against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and bar him from campaign in the Karnataka assembly polls over his "poisonous snake" barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Union minister Bhupender Yadav, who led the BJP delegation, told reporters that Kharge's comment was not merely a slip of the tongue but part of the Congress' "hate politics". BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh said Kharge is a "habitual offender". Yadav said the Congress has a history of launching personal attacks on Modi. The BJP has demanded registration of an FIR under IPC Sections 499 and 500, which deal with defamation, and Section 504, which deals with the offence of deliberate insults and provocation. The delegation also included BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni and party leader Om Pathak. Addressing a campaign rally for the May 10 Karnataka assembly polls, Kharge likened Modi to a poisonous sna

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Gujarat Cong to start 'Jan Manch' to connect to people to expose BJP govt

The Gujarat Congress will start a platform called 'Jan Manch' to allow people to voice their grievances, issues and expose corruption in the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state. Starting from May 1, which is also the state's Foundation Day, party leaders will visit talukas under the Jan Manch initiative, Gujarat Congress Legislative Party leader Amit Chavda said at a press conference here. "Jan Manch will give a platform to people to voice their concerns. The party will try to resolve them by raising it at appropriate forums, including the Assembly. Unemployed youth, farmers, tax payers, women, labourers etc are facing lots of problems but the BJP government does not have time for them," the senior MLA said. "The BJP government in the state is busy celebrating festivals. There is rampant corruption in government offices, farmers are not getting compensation for crop loss, law and order is deteriorating, there police inaction against anti-social elements and lack of ...

Ban Amit Shah from campaigning for Karnataka Assembly polls: Congress to EC

Congress' Karnataka unit on Thursday demanded the Election Commission to ban Union Home Minister Amit Shah from campaigning in the state for the Assembly polls, scheduled to be held on May 10

Congress questions Modi govt's 'silence' on Poonch attack, accuses Centre

The Congress on Thursday questioned the Modi government's "silence" on the Poonch attack and cited several terror assaults in Jammu and Kashmir recently to accuse the Centre of endangering national security. Five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured on April 20 after their vehicle caught fire following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress' media department head Pawan Khera said seven days have passed, but Prime Minster Narendra Modi has "not uttered a single word" of condolence on the Poonch terror attack for the five Indian Army soldiers but was seen cracking a rather crude joke about a "suicide of a girl" at a media event on Thursday. "PM Modi has not come out with any reaction condemning the terror attack, even as reports indicate a Taliban link in the same," Khera said. He said multiple media reports indicate that the highly penetrative and ricocheting 'steel core' bullets

Karnataka to guarantee end of BJP's 40% commission Sarkara on May 10: Cong

The Congress on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remark that the grand old party cannot give true guarantees, saying the people of Karnataka will guarantee the end of the "BJP's 40 per cent Commission Sarkara" on May 10 and all the promises of the Congress will be implemented. In a virtual address to BJP workers in Karnataka in the run up to the May 10 Assembly polls, Modi said what is the meaning of the Congress' guarantees when that party's warranty itself has expired. Hitting out at the prime minister for the remark, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter, "After Amit Shah and Yogi, now it's Modi's turn to make outrageous comments due to despair and desperation." "On May 10th, people of Karnataka will guarantee the end of the BJP 40% Commission Sarkara. A few days later Congress Guarantees will be implemented like we have in RJ, CH and HP," he said in a tweet and listed the policies implemented in Congress-ruled

Create awareness than ridicule: Cong slams PM Modi over 'suicide note' joke

The Congress on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a joke made by him involving a suicide note, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra saying that the PM and those laughing heartily at his joke ought to educate themselves better rather than "ridicule" mental health issues in an "insensitive" manner. Prime Minister Modi, while speaking at a media channel conclave on Wednesday, narrated a joke about a professor reading a suicide note by his daughter and remarking how she had got a spelling wrong despite his efforts for so many years. The joke was made by the prime minister while also remarking that the editor-in-chief of the channel had started speaking well in Hindi. In a tweet in Hindi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said thousands of families lose their children to suicide and "the prime minister should not make fun of them". Tagging the video of Modi's joke at the conclave, Priyanka Gandhi in a tweet said, "Depression and suicide, especially among the youth IS NOT a laughing

Belagavi's 18 seats face tough Cong-BJP contest; MES may play spoilsport

Belagavi district with second highest number of assembly seats after Bengaluru Urban -- is expected to face tough contest between the BJP and Congress as Lingayat politics surmounts the local issues, but the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) could play spoilsport in a few seats as it wants to keep the border issue alive. There are 18 assembly constituencies in the border district which is a Lingayat stronghold and has been a BJP bastion in the last two decades. As in the last three elections, it is likely to be a straight contest between the BJP and Congress in most of the assembly seats barring five where the Shiv Sena-NCP supported MES -- a vocal proponent of the inclusion of Belagavi and other Marathi-speaking areas in Maharashtra -- has fielded local candidates. The leadership vacuum in the Lingayat community after sidelining of stalwart leader B S Yediyurappa, demise of some prominent local Lingayat BJP leaders like Suresh Angadi and Umesh Katti and rising clout of politically

Advantage for BJP if Rahul, Priyanka campaign in Karnataka: CM Bommai

Bommai further said "the Congress leaders talk of social justice but the incumbent BJP government hiked the quota for the SC/ST communities as well as introduced internal reservations

Jharkhand Congress observes fast to protest against inflation, unemployment

The Jharkhand unit of Congress observed fast as part of its Jai Bharat Satyagraha' programme here on Wednesday to protest against inflation and unemployment in the country. State ministers Rameshwar Oraon, Badal Patralekh and Banna Gupta and many other Congress leaders assembled at Bapu Vatika at Morabadi ground in Ranchi, holding placards with Daro Mat' (Don't be afraid) written on these. Speaking on the occasion, Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur said their party leader Rahul Gandhi led a 4,000 kilometre-long yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to "protest against inflation, unemployment and hate spread by the BJP" across the country During the yatra, people told him about their sufferings. When our leader Rahul Gandhi raised questions over inflation, unemployment and the relationship between Adani group and the BJP government in view of Hindenburg Research allegations, his membership of Lok Sabha was cancelled, Thakur said. Gandhi, representing Wayanad parliamentary ...

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Congress used 'religion' to come to power: Rajnath Singh in Karnataka

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday came down heavily on the Congress alleging that it used mazhab' (meaning religion in Urdu) to come to power. Singh also slammed the party for having introduced four per cent reservation, in its earlier term, on religious lines in Karnataka, saying it had been done only to appease Muslims. If there is any political party in the history of India which took the support of dharma', or rather, 'mazhab' to come to power, then it is Congress, Singh said, addressing a public meeting at Kagwad in Belagavi district. Karnataka votes on May 10, with the results slated to be declared on May 13. The Congress does the "politics of Hindu, Muslim and Christians", Singh said. "Politics of this sort should never ever be done." Only to appease Muslims, the four per cent reservation was given on religious lines, he alleged. We will welcome if an economically-weaker Muslim or a Christian gets reservation benefits but the Constitution of India does not permit

Cong presses for JPC to probe Adani issue, present 'unvarnished truth'

A Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Adani issue is essential to present the "unvarnished truth" to the people, the Congress said on Wednesday after billionaire Gautam Adani's elder brother reportedly resigned as director of three companies. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that while the Congress awaits the report of the Supreme Court-appointed Expert Committee on the "Adani mega scam", it notes that its mandate is limited to violations of securities regulations and lacks formal judicial authority over various regulatory and investigative agencies. News reports suggest that Gautam Adani's elder brother Vinod has resigned as director of three companies closely connected to the Adani Group's Australia port and mining projects, Ramesh said in a statement. "Vinod Adani has previously been alleged to have engaged in 'brazen stock manipulation' and 'accounting fraud' via 'a vast labyrinth of offshore shell entities'," he alleged. "Likewise in Australia, Abbot Point Port .

Youth Cong chief files appeal in Gauhati HC to quash Dutta's complaint

Indian Youth Congress chief Srinivas B.V. filed an appeal on Wednesday in the Gauhati High Court to quash the complaint made by former Assam Congress leader Angkita Dutta