Page 363 - Congress

Cong blaming EVMs indicates it has accepted defeat in Gujarat polls: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Congress alleging tampering of Electronic Voting Machines is an indication that it has already accepted defeat in the Gujarat Assembly elections. Voting for 89 seats in the first phase of the Gujarat elections took place on Thursday. "The way Congress has started blaming EVMs after yesterday's voting in Kutch, Saurashtra and south Gujarat, it is evident the opposition party has conceded defeat and has accepted that the BJP will win the election. Alleging EVM tampering is an indication the Congress is on its way out," said Modi. He was speaking at an election rally in Patan town of north Gujarat where voting will be held along with remaining 92 seats on December 5. "The Congress knows only two things, abuse Modi ahead of polls to please the voters and then blame EVMs after voting. This proves the Congress has accepted defeat," the prime minister said. He also slammed past Congress governments for 'widening' the rift between the rich a

Congress likely to conclude Bharat Jodo Yatra on Republic Day: Report

In view of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections and state assembly elections, the Congress party has taken a big decision for the selection of a special day for Bharat Jodo Yatra.According to sources, in this context, the Congress has decided that the Bharat Jodo Padyatra, which started from Kanyakumari on September 7, will conclude on January 26 in Kashmir covering a distance of about 3500 km."In fact, the Congress was going to end this yatra by hoisting the tricolour in Srinagar on February 20, but now under the new strategy, Rahul Gandhi will conclude his yatra by hoisting the tricolour in Srinagar on Republic Day," said sources.According to Congress sources, after January 26, a plenary session of the Congress will also be held before February 7, in which the name of Congress Party President Mallikarjun Kharge will be approved, after which the new Congress Working Committee will be formed.Immediately after that major changes will also be made in the Congress organisation which ...

Congress only believes in stalling, delaying and misleading, alleges Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that the Congress only believed in 'atkana, latkana aur bhatkana' (stalling, delaying and misleading), and said those who looted poor people in the country were now abusing him for putting an end to corruption. He also alleged that the previous Congress governments never showed any interest in bringing the Narmada river water to the parched regions of Gujarat as the party was only interested in doing those works where there was scope to indulge in corruption. Modi was addressing a rally in Kankrej village of Banaskantha district, where voting for the second phase of Gujarat Assembly polls will be held on December 5. "Congress only believed in 'atkana', 'latkana' and 'bhatkana'. Elderly people from this region would tell you how Congress governments used to talk about bringing Narmada water in this parched region, but nothing was done on that front during their rule," he said. The prime minister accused the Congress of trying to stall t

BJP, Cong leaders claim to 'form' govt in Gujarat after 1st phase poll

A day after the first phase of voting in Saurashtra, Kutch and South Gujarat region ended, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that the BJP was retaining power

BJP, Congress MLAs accuse Odisha govt of 'hiding' Covid death figure

Opposition BJP and Congress MLAs on Thursday accused the BJD government in Odisha of 'hiding' the actual COVID death figure. The opposition members made the allegation after a written reply by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Pramila Mallick to a question of BJP MLA Naba Charan Majhi in the assembly. The minister, in her statement, mentioned that 20,000 people have died due to the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and so far in 2022. BJP's chief whip Mohan Majhi said the state government's health department dashboard showed that a total of 9,204 people in Odisha have lost their lives due to the pandemic till December 1 this year, while 53 people died due to reasons other than COVID. This two data show how the government is hiding facts. There were gross irregularities in the COVID-19 management for which so many people died," Majhi said, adding that the actual death toll could be more than the figure stated by the minister. Congress member SS Saluja said there is no doubt no

Swara Bhasker joins BJY; BJP calls her person with 'anti-national mindset'

Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker on Thursday joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Madhya Pradesh which invoked a strong reaction from the ruling BJP which accused her of having "anti-national mindset". Bhasker joined the foot-march in two stretches and walked with Gandhi for almost 15-20 km, a Congress leader said. The actor, who is vocal about her political and social views, was seen talking with Gandhi as they talked. Uttarakhand's former chief minister Harish Rawat, Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh, ex-parliamentarian Prem Chand Guddu and All India Mahila Congress's former president Shobha Oza followed Gandhi as the march resumed from Ujjain early in the morning. "Joined @bharatjodo yatra today & walked with @RahulGandhi. The energy, commitment & love is inspiring! The participation & warmth of common people, enthusiasm of Congress workers & RG's attention & care toward everyone & everything around him is astounding! @INCIndia," ...

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BJP's loot continues even when crude prices fall: Cong on high fuel rates

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at the government over high prices of petrol and diesel in the country and said the BJP's "loot" continues even when global crude oil prices were down in the last few months. "On May 16, 2014 (Delhi) - Crude per barrel was USD 107.09. Petrol - Rs 71.51. Diesel - Rs 57.28. On December 1, 2022 - Crude per barrel is USD 87.55. Petrol - Rs 96.72. Diesel - Rs 89.62. Crude is 10-month low, But BJP's Loot remains high!" Kharge said on Twitter. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said while global crude oil rates have come down by 25 per cent but the government has not reduced a single rupee in petrol and diesel prices in the country. He alleged that while the people are suffering from high inflation, the prime minister is busy in recovering money from taxes. "In the last 6 months, crude oil has become cheaper by more than 25 per cent. Petrol and diesel prices in the country can be reduced by more t

Treasury complies with court order on releasing Trump's tax returns

The Treasury Department said on Wednesday it has complied with a court order to make former President Donald Trump's tax returns available to a congressional committee. The Supreme Court last week rejected Trump's request for an order that would have prevented the Treasury Department from giving six years of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses to the Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee. The court, without dissent, cleared the legal obstacle to disclosure of Trump's tax returns. A department spokesperson said Treasury has complied with last week's court decision but declined to say whether the committee had accessed the documents. The spokesperson declined to be identified by name because of privacy constraints. Trump refused to release his tax returns during his 2016 presidential campaign or his four years in the White House. After the Supreme Court action, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., said in a statement that since the Mag

Cong raised 'Garibi Hatao' slogan, but poverty increased under its rule: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took a swipe at the Congress over its past 'Garibi Hatao' campaign, claiming that poverty actually increased under the grand old party's rule as it only raised slogans and misguided people instead of doing any concrete work for them. He was addressing a rally in Bodeli town of Chhotaudepur district in Gujarat, where Assembly elections will be held in its second phase on December 5. "For decades, Congress has been saying only one thing - Garibi Hatao (eliminate poverty). People gave you power to do that, but you were asking people to remove poverty. The only thing they did was to raise slogans, give promises and misguide people. That was the reason why poverty actually increased during its regime," Modi alleged. Due to the previous Congress-led government's policies, poor citizens could not play an active role in the economy, he said, adding that although banks were nationalised under the Congress rule, the poor could not open their bank ...

BJY resumes from Ujjain; ex-CM Harish Rawat, actor Swara Bhaskar join Rahul

The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi resumed from Ujjain on Thursday morning after a day's break and headed for Agar Malwa, the last district of its Madhya Pradesh leg. Uttarakhand's former chief minister Harish Rawat, Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh, ex-parliamentarian Prem Chand Guddu, All India Mahila Congress's former president Shobha Oza and actor Swara Bhaskar were seen walking briskly with Gandhi. The foot march, a mass contact programme of the Congress, started from R D Gardi Medical College on the outskirts of Ujjain at around 6 am.. The yatra will stop for the morning break in Nazarpur village around 10 am. It will resume in the afternoon from Ghaatiya bus stand. The foot march participants will stay overnight in Jhalara village, party sources said. The yatra is scheduled to cover a distance of 380 km in the politically crucial Malwa-Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh within 12 days. The Assembly elections in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-rul

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Climate for investment vitiated, appetite for investment poor: Congress

The Congress on Wednesday attacked the Centre over India's economy slowing down to 6.3 per cent in the July-September quarter of this fiscal, saying it is a pity that the government is helpless against external factors and in denial about internal factors. Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram alleged that the climate for investment is "vitiated" and the appetite for investment is "poor". India's economic growth slowed down to 6.3 per cent in the July-September quarter of this fiscal, dragged down mainly by the poor performance of manufacturing and mining sectors, official data showed on Wednesday. However, India remained the fastest-growing major economy as China registered an economic growth of 3.9 per cent between July and September 2022. "As expected (except by the government), GDP growth rate in Q2 has come down from 13.5 per cent to 6.3 per cent. I am afraid it may be lower in Q3. There are both external factors and internal factors that have pulled

PM Modi took steps to preserve tribal glory, pride; Congress failed: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the Congress of not doing anything to preserve the glorious history of tribals, and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi took concrete steps in that direction. Shah was addressing a public rally at Kadana village in Mahisagar district in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections. Voting in Mahisagar district will be held in the second phase of the elections on December 5. "Post-Independence, it was PM Narendra Modi who worked for preserving the pride and legacy of tribals. It was PM Modi who had in 2021 declared that tribal freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Muda's anniversary will be celebrated as Adivasi Gaurav Diwas," Shah said. He said though Munda and many other tribals had played a crucial role in the freedom struggle, they were not given their due credit under the Congress rule. "Till the Congress was in power, it did not work for preserving the glorious history of tribals. As soo

Cong asks EC to take action against channels airing 'sponsored' polls

The Congress has urged the Election Commission to take strict action against the alleged airing of "sponsored" opinion polls on the Gujarat assembly election ahead of voting in the first phase on Thursday and claimed it was a brazen attempt to influence the electorate. A delegation of Congress leaders led by AICC legal cell head Vivek Tankha met the Election Commission and apprised the poll body of the "violations by media". The opposition party urged the EC to take action against news channels violating directions issued by it in respect of programmes related to the dissemination of election results. They alleged that the media channels were predicting the poll outcome in a bid to influence the voters and this was a serious issue. Tankha also claimed that they have information concerning the "safety of the ballot boxes" and urged the Commission to ensure there is no tampering. The Congress said it has observed that certain news channels have been publishing/publicising programmes

Bharat Jodo Yatra raises Cong supporters' hopes year ahead of MP elections

The Congress has been claiming that Rahul Gandhi's ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra has nothing to do with electoral politics, but it has raised hopes of the party's cadres and supporters ahead of the next year's Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. The cross-country march led by Gandhi is currently passing through the state. After winning a slim majority in 2018, the Congress formed government in Madhya Pradesh by taking along some independents, dethroning the BJP which was in power for more than a decade. But the Kamal Nath government collapsed in March 2020 after 22 legislators from Jyotiraditya Scindia's camp resigned, paving the way for the BJP's return to power. We have been with the Congress for three generations. I gave up a day's wages to join the Yatra. It will lead to a change of power in the state, said Parasram Adhya (40), who got the opportunity to interact with Rahul Gandhi at Khargone. The state BJP pooh-poohed the Yatra's supposed impact on the Grand Old Party's ...

Congress created maximum credibility crisis in Indian politics: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said the Congress has created the "maximum credibility crisis" in Indian politics as there is a vast difference between the promises made by the party and their implementation. Addressing a press conference here ahead of the first phase of polling for Gujarat Assembly elections on December 1, Singh said while Congress is fighting the elections for its existence, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is in the fray to register its presence. "But it is the BJP which will win more than two-thirds of 182 seats in Gujarat as predicted by many political analysts. The trust of people in BJP increased over years and the saffron party will break all the previous records (of victory in Gujarat) and retain power," he said. Singh said India would have become the world's strongest country many years ago had the Congress delivered on the promises it made to the people while in power. "Everyone knows if there is a political party which has created the maximum amoun

Congress takes dig at PM Modi over deaths due to Covid-19 vaccines

The Congress on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "shrugging away" from its responsibility, a day after the government told the Supreme Court that it cannot be held liable to compensate for the deaths post administration of Covid vaccines. "First: No deaths due to oxygen shortage. Then: No aid to Covid victims. Now: No accountability for vaccine-related deaths. "Prime Minister Modi really knows how to shrug away responsibility. A true event manager!" the Congress said on its Twitter handle. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also took a dig, saying this government is never responsible for anything. "If there is death due to the side effects of Covid vaccine anywhere in the country, then the government is not responsible for it people are getting it as per their wish. This is Modi government's affidavit in the Supreme Court. (Well this government is never responsible for anything)," she said in a tweet in Hindi. In another tweet, she said, "Thank you M

Congress issues strict warning to warring Raj leaders Gehlot and Pilot

Congress high command has ordered a ceasefire between the warring camps of Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in view of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, which enters Rajasthan in first week of December

BJP got Rs 614.53 cr as contributions, Congress Rs 95.46 cr: EC data

The ruling BJP received Rs 614.53 crore as contributions, more than six times the funds garnered by the opposition Congress during fiscal year 2021-22. The Congress received funds to the tune of Rs 95.46 crore, according to Election Commission data. The Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, received Rs 43 lakh as contributions during the period while the CPI-M, which is in government in Kerala, received funds of Rs 10.05 crore. The West Bengal assembly polls were held in March-April, 2021. In Kerala too, assembly election were conducted in April, 2021. The four national parties had recently filed their latest contributions reports to the Election Commission which made the documents public on Tuesday. The Representation of the People Act stipulates that parties submit an annual report of contributions of over Rs 20,000 received from individual donors and entities. Besides individuals and entities, electoral trusts also contribute to parties' kitty. Electoral trus