Page 342 - Congress

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Assam Police to follow case against Pawan Khera to logical end: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Friday said that the state police will follow the case against senior Congress leader Pawan Khera for allegedly using "uncivilised language" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi to its "logical end". The chief minister who also holds the home portfolio, however, did not elaborate on the next course of action by the Assam police to bring the case to a logical end. ''We hope that keeping sanctity of public spaces, no one will use uncivilised language in political discourse hereafter. @assampolice will follow the matter to its logical end'', the Chief Minister tweeted. A police case was registered against Khera at Haflong police station in Assam's Dima Hasao district of Assam for his alleged remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The majesty of law shall always prevail. The accused has tendered an unconditional apology (para 7),'' he further posted on the micro-blogging site quoting the Supreme Court. He also attached the apex court .

Cong Plenary Session: Steering Committee meet today, Gandhis might skip it

Ahead of the Congress plenary session in Chhattisgarh, speculations remain on whether there will be elections for the Congress Working Committee as there was to elect the party's president last year

Cong's plenary session to begin today, all eyes on decision on CWC polls

The Congress' 85th plenary session will begin on Friday with a meeting of the party's steering committee during which the crucial decision on holding CWC polls would be taken. The party is expected to take key decisions during the three-day session that would lay out a clear roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and finalize the strategy on forging poll tie-ups with like-minded parties to take on the BJP. The Congress top brass will be in attendance at the plenary session that will primarily endorse the presidentship of Mallikarjun Kharge and pave the way for the new working committee led by him. The session, which comes in the backdrop of the Bharat Jodo Yatra that has been touted as a success by the party, will be attended by around 15,000 delegates. On the first day of the three-day session, the steering committee, which is playing the role of the Working Committee (the previous one was dissolved until a new CWC is formed), will meet at 10 AM this morning and decide on whethe

Supreme Court grants interim bail to detained Congress leader Pawan Khera

SC came to Congress spokesperson's rescue after he was taken away by Assam Police for allegedly making derogatory remarks against PM

Has India become a banana republic: Venugopal on Khera deplaning row

Terming the arrest and deplaning of his colleague Pawan Khera from a Raipur flight condemnable, Congress leader K C Venugopal on Thursday accused the BJP of attempting to "derail" the party's plenary session and asked if India has become a banana republic. Khera was detained by the Delhi Police and subsequently arrested by the Assam Police in connection with his alleged remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a senior police officer said. The action against the Congress' media department head began with him being deplaned from a New Delhi-Raipur flight, leading to extraordinary scenes of protest at the tarmac by Congress leaders. "It is totally condemnable the way they are doing these things. We are all going to Raipur for the plenary session, Pawan Khera was also travelling with us, suddenly they deplaned Pawan Khera without any valid reason," Venugopal told PTI at the tarmac. "After half an hour, Delhi Police comes and says they have to hand him (Khera) over to Assam Police

Pawan Khera arrest: 2nd oppn leader held in Assam for remarks against PM

In the second arrest by Assam police of an Opposition spokesperson for his alleged remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Pawan Khera was Thursday arrested at the airport in New Delhi before being released on interim bail by the Supreme Court. Khera was on his way to Raipur for the Congress plenary session when he was arrested by the police who deplaned him and took him away. "He was detained by the Delhi Police on a request by the Assam Police. We were just extending support to them. The arrest has been made by them," a senior Delhi Police officer said. The Supreme Court later in the day heard a plea on Khera's behalf and ordered that the Congress spokesperson be released on interim bail till February 28. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said that upon being produced before the competent magistrate in Delhi, Khera would be released on interim bail. Before Khera, TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale was similarly arrested from Jaipur by

Corruption of NPP-led govt in Meghalaya encouraged by BJP: Congress

Accepting Union Home Minister Amit Shah's accusation that the Meghalaya government is "one of the most corrupt" in the country, the Congress alleged that the BJP has encouraged such a state of affairs in the northeastern state. The ruling NPP has been riddled with corruption charges by its former allies, including the BJP, as also by opponents such as the Congress and the Trinamool Congress. Meghalaya's state Congress President Vincent Pala told PTI in an interview that he agreed that Union Minister Amit Shah was correct in saying that the Meghalaya government is one of the most corrupt in the country. Pala went on to claim that this has been encouraged by the BJP. The BJP was in the NPP-led coalition from its beginning in 2018, he pointed out. Addressing a poll rally in North Tura constituency, Shah had on February 16, said the BJP broke its alliance with the NPP before the elections in Meghalaya so that it can contest all 60 assembly seats and emerge stronger. Pala also claime

Has India become a banana republic? Venugopal after Khera deplaning row

Terming the arrest and deplaning of his colleague Pawan Khera from a Raipur flight condemnable, Congress leader K C Venugopal on Thursday accused the BJP of targeting the party's plenary session and asked if India has become a banana republic. Khera was detained by Delhi Police and subsequently arrested by Assam Police in connection with his alleged remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a senior police officer said. The action against the Congress' media department head began with him being deplaned from a New Delhi-Raipur flight, leading to extraordinary scenes of protest at the tarmac by Congress leaders. "It is totally condemnable the way they are doing these things. We are all going to Raipur for the plenary session, Pawan Khera was also travelling with us, suddenly they deplaned Pawan Khera without any valid reason," Venugopal told PTI at the tarmac. "After half an hour, Delhi Police comes and says they have to hand him (Khera) over to Assam Police. We asked if there is

Pawan Khera detained at airport after being deplaned, says Congress

Congress leader Pawan Khera was detained by police on Thursday after being deplaned from a flight to Raipur in connection with his alleged remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party said. Khera, against whom a case has been registered in Assam, was asked by the Delhi Police to deplane. Congress leaders sat on dharna at the tarmac in protest and did not allow him to be taken away without an arrest warrant. Senior Delhi Police officials later handed over a document from Assam Police seeking their help in the detention of Khera. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala accompanied Khera to a police station at the airport where there was a huge deployment of CISF. A case has been registered at Haflong police station in Assam against Khera under various sections of the IPC for his alleged remarks against the prime minister. Earlier several party leaders got off the plane after Khera was deboarded and staged a dharna on the tarmac. Khera was on his way to Raipur for the Congress .

Congress claims Khera deplaned from Raipur flight, stages dharna on tarmac

The Congress on Thursday claimed its leader Pawan Khera was deplaned from a flight to Raipur, where he was going to attend the party's plenary session. Several party leaders got off the plane after Khera was deboarded and staged a dharna on the tarmac. As drama escalated at terminal one of the domestic airport here, flight staff told Congress leaders there was confusion with Khera's bags. They said police was on its way and would explain the reason to him. Several Congress leaders raised slogans against the government while on the tarmac. "We are all on the @IndiGo6E flight 6E 204 to Raipur and all of a sudden my colleague @Pawankhera has been asked to deplane," Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, who was also on the flight, said on Twitter. "What sort of high handedness is this? Is there any rule of law? On what grounds is this being done and under whose order?" she said. The flight was delayed.

Central agencies being used as weapon for vendetta politics: Bhupesh Baghel

"Are the public not seeing this? They have understood how you are torturing industrialists, businessmen, and public and party workers. The more they use such tactics, it will boost our confidence

Ahead of Cong's plenary session, election for Priyanka, fee hike on charts

The major shift for increasing membership fees and conducting elections is a direct outcome of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Rahul Gandhi has been keen that leaders must reconnect with workers

Himachal Pradesh government dissolves state staff selection commission

The Congress government on Tuesday disbanded the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission whose functioning was suspended after a paper leak was detected in December last year. The reports of departmental inquiry and vigilance bureau pointed out irregularities and papers were being leaked and sold to selective people for the past three years following which the state government has decided to dissolve the commission with immediate effect, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. He said complaints were also received regarding the papers held recently by the HPSSC, headquartered in Hamirpur. The ongoing recruitment process from HPSSC has been transferred to Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC), Shimla, for the convenience of candidates till further alternative arrangements are made or a testing agency is constituted, he said while interacting with media persons. All examinations would be conducted by HPPSC, he said and added that the employees of the Staff Select

ED raids Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, party claims vendetta politics

The Enforcement Directorate(ED) on Monday conducted raids at over a dozen locations in Chhattisgarh including at premises linked to state Congress leaders as part of an ongoing probe into the alleged coal levy scam, officials said. The raids that were underway over 12 hours after they were launched early this morning come days before the start of the three-day plenary session of the Congress party which is in power in the state. The three-day session begins on February 24 in Raipur. The Congress and state Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel cried foul over the raids calling it "vendetta politics" by the Centre, a charge rejected by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The Congress also raised questions over the timing of the raids. The Congress described the searches as an example of "third-rate politics" of "vendetta, vengeance and harassment", and asserted that the party will not be intimidated by such "tactics". Hitting back, Sitharaman said the Congress should not speak on corruption

ED's raids in Chhattisgarh part of its probe in corruption case: BJP

The BJP on Monday slammed the Congress for its criticism of the ED's raids on multiple locations in Chhattisgarh as part of its probe in a corruption case, claiming that this hints at the opposition party's link with the graft as it has always stood with the corrupt. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also alleged that the Congress government in Chhattisgarh is treating the state like a party ATM while ignoring people's welfare. "The probe agency is doing it works and digging up fresh revelations. And it is the Congress, the ring leader of the corrupt cabal, which is in pain. Its leaders are holding press conferences in the state and in Delhi to extend solidarity with the corrupt. This conclusion can be drawn that the Congress is linked to this corruption," Bhatia told reporters. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at multiple locations in Chhattisgarh, including at premises linked to Congress party leaders, as part of an ongoing investigation into the coal levy money ..

Half of CWC should be elected as per Cong constitution: Chidambaram

Days ahead of the Congress' crucial plenary session, senior leader P Chidambaram on Monday said half of the CWC members should be elected as per the AICC constitution and batted for younger leaders' inclusion in the party's top decision-making body. In an exclusive interview with PTI, Chidambaram said he has learnt that there are issues about the strength of the electoral college that will elect the Congress Working Committee (CWC) which must be resolved by the party's poll panel. The former Union minister asserted that an objective analysis of the political situation will lead to the conclusion that the Congress has to be the "pole" around which Opposition unity in the 2024 Lok Sabha election can be built. Asked whether he believes that elections to the party's highest decision-making body CWC were essential, Chidambaram said, "My personal view is that one-half of the CWC should be elected as per the Constitution of the party." "However, I learn there are issues about the strength

Rahul Gandhi to campaign in Meghalaya, Kharge in Nagaland for elections

Kharge will campaign in Nagaland on Tuesday and Gandhi will be in Meghalaya on Wednesday - in his first visit of Rahul Gandhi in the election

Enforcement Directorate raids premises of 7 Cong leaders in Chhattisgarh

Party convention in Raipur in 4 days, searches a bid to divert attention: Baghel

Cong to contest MP Assembly polls on Kamal Nath's face: Digvijaya Singh

Singh said the party will contest the elections under Kamal Nath's leadership, and therefore, 'he will be the face'