Page 383 - Congress

I believe in tapasya; want to share people's suffering while walking: Rahul

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he believes in "tapasya" and wants to talk to people on the ground and share their suffering while walking in the Bharat Jodo Yatra. At the end of the 31-day period of the yatra that started from Kanyakumari on September 7, he said it has been a wonderful and learning experience so far. "I believe in tapasya, have always been. That is my nature and that has been my family's nature. I wanted an element of suffering for myself. I didn't want the communication with people to be easy. So I thought what would be something that would make me suffer, so that while I talk to my people I can share in their suffering," he said. "I find that a little bit and that was the idea. I find that to be a very powerful experience. When you are walking on the road and you are speaking to your people after having suffered a little bit the communication is better," Gandhi said while sharing his experience so far during the yatra. He said after 31 da

Nitish says Prashant Kishor had asked him to merge JD(U) with Congress

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday claimed that poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor had asked him to merge his JD(U) with the Congress. Speaking to reporters in Sitab Diara, the birthplace of socialist icon Jayaprakash Narayan, Kumar claimed that Kishor was working for the BJP. "He came to meet me recently of his own accord. I did not invite him. He speaks so much but hides the fact that once he had asked me to merge my party with the Congress," said Kumar. The chief minister was responding to Kishor's claim that he spurned a recent request by by Kumar to lead the JD(U). "Let him speak whatever he wants. Whatever he says, does not make any sense. Four-five years ago, he had told me to merge with the Congress. Now, he is working for the BJP," said Kumar. Kishor had on Tuesday claimed that Kumar had called him to his residence about 10-15 days back and asked him to lead JD(U). "I said it is not possible. I cannot go back on the commitment I have made in ret

Congress urges EC to declare Himachal assembly schedule, accuses BJP

The Congress on Saturday urged the Election Commission to immediately declare the election schedule for Himachal Pradesh Assembly so that the model code of conduct comes into effect, as it accused the ruling BJP of misusing state funds and machinery. The state Congress also sought a ban on 'Amritmahotsav' functions in Himachal Pradesh. Just about two months are left for the tenure of the BJP government in the state but the BJP is openly misusing power and government machinery for political gains, Himachal Pradesh Congress President Pratibha Singh alleged in a statement. She alleged "crores of rupees" in government expenditure was being made for hosting BJP central ministers and leaders. The EC should take cognisance of this and immediately stop the misuse of government money and machinery, she said and urged the poll panel to declare the dates for Assembly elections in the state and implement the model code of conduct immediately. "The BJP in the state is openly using party banne

Both poll contenders people of stature, neither can be controlled: Rahul

As Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor fight it out for the Congress chief's post, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday described both as people of stature and understanding, and asserted that it was insulting to suggest that either of them can be remote-controlled by the Gandhi family as party president. Addressing a press conference here during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he said lakhs of people have joined the yatra as they are tired of the type of politics being done under the BJP and the prevailing unemployment, price rise and economic inequality. A day after Gautam Adani pledged huge investments in Rajasthan, Gandhi, who has often accused the Modi government of favouring the industrialist, said the Congress government in the state has not given any preferential treatment to the businessman, and asserted that he is not against corporates but monopolies. Asked about criticism from certain quarters that the next Congress president could be remote-controlled by the Gandhi family, the former part

BJP only ideology-based party, Congress lacks particular ideology: Nadda

The Congress does not have any particular ideology and the BJP is the only ideology-based and national party in India, said BJP president JP Nadda

Will implement Udaipur Declaration if I win, says Mallikarjun Kharge

Amid suggestions that Congress should be led by a young leader, AICC presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said he would implement the Udaipur Declaration's proposal of offering 50 per cent of party posts to those below 50 years of age if he wins the poll. "It's not for post in Congress. Many people who left, they left due to fear of ED, CBI, and income tax. For youngsters, as I said, in the Udaipur Declaration, we promised to give 50 per cent of seats to those below 50 years and I will do. When everyone is wanting to make me occupy this place, I thank them," he told reporters here. He was replying to a query about the argument that 80-year-old Kharge is replacing Sonia Gandhi, who is 75 years old, and that a young leader should lead the Congress. Kharge was in Hyderabad as part of his campaign for the AICC president's post. Asked about the ruling TRS in Telangana renaming itself as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and deciding to go national, he said several regional

North East joined the mainstream after BJP came to power, says Amit Shah

Taking a jibe at the Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that earlier Assam was only known for bandhs, protests and insurgency under the Congress regime

Thousands of crores spent on media to shape me wrong: Rahul Gandhi

While leading 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday stated that thousands of crores have been spent to shape him untruthful.

'Tharoor's appeal goes beyond Congress, party needs reformist thinking'

Voicing strong support for Shashi Tharoor in the Congress presidential poll, party MP Karti Chidambaram on Saturday said the former diplomat's pragmatic modernism coupled with his appeal beyond the party is crucial to fight against the BJP's "divisive politics". Chidambaram also asserted that business as usual will not help the Congress and there is an urgent need for reformist thinking in the party. "I support Shashi Tharoor for Congress President. His pragmatic modernism coupled with his appeal beyond the party, is crucial to fight BJP's divisive politics," the MP from Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga said. "Status quo and business as usual won't help our party. There's an urgent need for reformist thinking in our party," said Chidambaram, who was among those who signed Tharoor's nomination forms for the Congress presidential polls as proposers. Responding to a social media user who claimed that Tharoor is everything that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) propagates as "English-enabl

Calling Kharge or Tharoor remote control is insulting, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has countered BJP on party presidential polls and said that both the contestants have statures of their own

Tharoor dismisses talk of withdrawing from Congress president poll race

Congress presidential polls candidate Shashi Tharoor on Saturday dismissed talk of him withdrawing from the election, asserting that he never backs down from a challenge and "it is a fight to the finish". Tharoor, who has been aggressively campaigning in the polls, also asserted that it was a "friendly contest" within the party that was taking place and he is here to stay the course. Tharoor is set to take on Mallikarjun Kharge in the polls. "There are rumours going around attributed to sources in Delhi that I am withdrawing (from the polls) today. Let me assure you, I don't withdraw from a challenge, never have all my life, never will," the MP from Thiruvnathapuram said in a video message on Twitter. "This is a struggle, it is a friendly contest within the party, but it is a fight to the finish and I am here to stay the course. Please come and vote on October 17. For me, 'Think tomorrow, think Tharoor'," Tharoor said. His remarks come on the last date for the withdrawal of ...

Congress poll: Rahul to vote at Bharat Jodo Yatra campsite in Karnataka

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and 40 other leaders will vote in the party president's election at a Bharat Jodo Yatra campsite in Karnataka's Bellary on October 17. The day will be a rest day for the Bharat Jodo Yatra to enable those taking part in it to cast their vote in the election. AICC general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said the central election authority has decided to set up a polling booth at the camp site in Bellary where all delegates will cast their ballot. The PCC delegates of Karnataka will cast their vote in Bengaluru on October 17, he said. The yatra will move to Andhra Pradesh for three days on October 18 and cover a distance of 95 kilometres in the state. It will then return to Karnataka's Raichur. Thereafter, the yatra will move to Telangana, Ramesh said. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day. Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor are the two contenders vyin

LIVE news: Calling Kharge or Tharoor remote control insulting, says Rahul

Live news updates: She will also attend a civic reception to be hosted in her honour at Punjab Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh

No intention of making Hindi alone national language, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said there was no intention of making Hindi alone the national language and threaten the identity of regional languages like Kannada. Senior leader of the party and former Minister Priyank Kharge, who is also Congress's State media cell in-charge, was briefing reporters about Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra and the interaction with representatives of many educational institutions and teachers. "There was a discussion with Rahul Gandhi about the identity of Kannada. Then, he said everyone's mother tongue is important. We respect all languages. Everyone has a right in the Constitution," Kharge said. He said, "Therefore, he (Rahul Gandhi) clearly stated that there was no intention of making Hindi alone the national language and threatening the identity of your language (Kannada)." Kharge said those who participated in the interactions confirmed that they were not related to the Congress party, but were participating in the yatra to save the ..

Gave him much more than he deserved: Congres takes a swipe at Azad

The Congress on Friday took a dig at its former leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, saying the party gave him much more than he deserved. The attack on Azad came over remarks by Home Minister Amit Shah, who in an interview to Daily Excelsior, said, "Everyone has the right to contest, elections are to be fair and free but one thing is there Ghulam Nabi Azad is not among the three families." Tagging a tweet by a Youth Congress office bearer who claimed that Azad is the most trusted man of Nagpur in J&K currently, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted, "He is the beneficiary of the Congress Party which over 50 years gave him much more than he deserved and much more beyond his capability." Shah, at a public rally in Baramulla this week, had said that before delimitation, only the "three families" used to come to power, "but the delimitation by the Election Commission will result in your own representatives winning in the elections and then governing". "Mufti and company, Abdullah and .

Kharge rubbishes talk of him being 'Sonia's remote control', slams BJP

Senior Congress leader and candidate for the party's presidential polls Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said there is no such thing as "remote control" in his party unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party, where every president is selected through a "consensus". In the city to campaign for the election to the party's top post, Kharge asserted that if becomes the head of the grand old party, the remote control would be with him. He was replying to a query about the BJP's claim that he would act as the "remote control" and "proxy" of Sonia Gandhi after being elected to the post. "A lot of people say I am a remote control and work from behind. They say I will do what Sonia Gandhi will say. There is no such thing as remote control in Congress, people take decisions together. It is your thinking. A few people are creating this idea," Kharge said. Attacking the BJP, he said, "How many times has the prime minister held (party president's) election? All the presidents were selected through consensu

In election manifesto, Tharoor pitches for limiting state chiefs' term

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday favoured limiting the term of office for state presidents in the party and said Congress should be revived and re-energised to take on BJP in the 2024 general elections. Denying rumours that he may opt out of the presidential race due to meagre support, Tharoor said he was very much in the fray and has been receiving support from various quarters. "My message is revive the party, re-energise it, empower workers, decentralise authority and be in touch with the people. This, I believe will make Congress politically fit to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP in the 2024 (general) election," Tharoor said during his interaction with media persons at Sathyamurthy Bhavan, the Congress state headquarters. Stating that he has respect and great regards for party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge, Tharoor said the contest was friendly based on different approaches to face the BJP and not ideological, as both hailed from the same party. "We need

Govt must fix accountability: Anand Sharma on 'cough syrups-linked' deaths

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Friday hit out at the Centre over the deaths of children in Gambia allegedly due to the consumption of cough syrups manufactured by an Indian firm, and asked the government to fix accountability. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday warned that four "contaminated" and "substandard" cough syrups allegedly produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited based in Haryana's Sonepat could be the reason for the deaths in the West African nation. India's drug regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has already initiated a probe and sought further details from the WHO. In a statement on the issue, former commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma said the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia "due to consumption of Cough syrup made by an Indian company Maiden Phamaceuticals has shocked the word". "This is a monumental tragedy that raises serious concerns as conveyed by WHO and also questions which, must be answered. The bland ...

'Real' Rahul Gandhi emerging out of Bharat Jodo Yatra: Jairam Ramesh

The "real" Rahul Gandhi is emerging out of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which completed a month on Friday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said. In an interview to PTI during the yatra in Mandya district, Ramesh described the foot march as the longest-ever undertaken by anyone and said it will help the Congress strengthen itself psychologically. He also described the Congress president's election as a "side show" and the yatra as the main show. "It's a transformation of the Congress party and it shows the real Rahul Gandhi coming out. I would not say it is the new Rahul Gandhi but the real Rahul Gandhi that is being seen," Ramesh said. He said Gandhi's interactions with civil society, party workers and his super fitness are what comprises the "real Mr Rahul Gandhi". "The biggest achievement is psychological. It's all in the mind. I think what the yatra has done is to show to the Congress party that we can do it. "We are on the roads, on the streets, we are fighting the BJP. We

UP: Portion of Purvanchal Expressway caves in, Congress lashes out

Four people were injured after a portion of the newly constructed Purvanchal Expressway caved in following heavy rain here, officials said. The expressway, connecting Lucknow to Ghazipur district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2021, ahead of the Assembly elections in February-March. Four people travelling in a car suffered injuries in the accident, officials said. They have been hospitalised. Officials of the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) first stopped traffic on the highway before diverting it. District Magistrate Raveesh Gupta said, "A part of the expressway in Haliyapur police station limits caved in on Thursday night. The UPEIDA security officer reached the spot and set up a diversion. "Most of the repair and maintenance work was completed by Friday morning." Reacting to the expressway caving in, the Congress tweeted in Hindi, "UP's Purvanchal Expressway has caved in. Thousands of cro