Page 394 - Congress

Congress to hold protest rally against inflation at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan

Congress will hold a 'Mehngai par halla bol' protest rally today at the Ramlila Maidan in the national capital against price rise and policies of the central government

Only BJP has future in India; Cong, Communist party declining: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said only the BJP has a future in the country while both the Congress and the Communist party are in the process of decline

Congress has got corruption in legacy: BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra

BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra slammed Congress over the claims made in the autobiography of late Congress leader Chandra Bhanu Gupta

BJP non-existent in Kerala, no harm in dreaming about power: Tariq Anwar

Slamming Amit Shah's remarks of BJP as the future of Kerala, AICC general secretary in-charge of Kerala Tariq Anwar said BJP has no existence in he state

Elections not held in BJP, leaders only wear 'mask of democracy': Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday attacked the BJP over inner party democracy, saying elections are not held in the BJP as its leaders are "fascists" and only wear a "mask of democracy". Gehlot, who is in the national capital for the "Mehngai par halla bol" rally at the Ramlila Maidan here on Sunday, also called on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. Asked about Congress president polls, he told reporters, "In Congress, elections were held during the time of Narasimha Rao ji, Sitaram Kesri ji and when Sonia Gandhi ji became the president, elections were held. But have you ever heard that elections are held in the BJP?" Attacking the BJP, the senior Congress leader said, it is not discussed when Rajnath Singh becomes the president of the BJP and when he steps down, when Amit Shah becomes president, when he steps down from the post, and when JP Nadda becomes the party president. "The people of BJP are fascists, they only wear the mask of ...

Security arrangements in place for Congress rally at Ramlila Maidan: Police

Adequate security arrangements have been made in and around the Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi in view of the Congress' protest on Sunday, officials said. The Delhi Police has also issued a traffic advisory on its official Twitter handle, alerting the commuters about road closures on Sunday. According to police, paramilitary forces will be deployed along with the local police at the venue for the rally and metal detectors will also be placed at the entry points of the ground. "Due to a protest call by the Indian National congress at Ramlila Maidan tomorrow, some stretches around the venue shall observe road closure," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted on Saturday. It advised commuters to avoid some stretches that will remain closed due to the rally. Ranjeet Singh Flyover from Barakhamba Road to Guru Nanak Chowk, Vivekanand Marg (both sides), JLN Marg (Delhi Gate to Guru Nanak Chowk), round about Kamla Market to Guru Nanak Chowk, Chaman Lal Marg, Ajmeri Gate towards Asaf Ali Road an

Amit Shah says BJP is Kerala's future, Congress heading towards extinction

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday took a jibe at the Congress and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party would be the future of Kerala

Congress, communist parties did nothing for Dalit communities: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday attacked the Congress and the Communist parties by saying they never worked for the welfare of the Scheduled Tribes and treated the Dalit communities only as a votebank. The senior BJP leader, while speaking at a Scheduled Caste conference organised by the saffron party, said the Congress was disappearing while the Communist party was on the verge of extinction. "Congress is disappearing from India while the Communist party is on the verge of extinction from the world. In Kerala, only the BJP has a future. The Congress party and the Communists never worked for the welfare of the Scheduled Tribes. They treated them as mere votebanks," Shah said. He asked whether the Congress party ever had a single Minister from the SC/ST community. He said when BJP had majority in Parliament to elect the Rashtrapathi, they selected a person from the Dalit community - Ram Nath Kovind. "On our second chance, we selected an ST community leader Draupadi Murmu,"

Govt insensitive to pain of common people, alleges Congress ahead of rally

The Congress on Saturday accused the Centre of being "insensitive" to the pain of the common people due to rising prices and said it will continue fighting for their cause on the streets as the principal opposition. Speaking with the media ahead of the 'Mehngai par halla bol' rally of the party at the Ramlila Maidan here on Sunday, General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal hit out at the Modi government for its "wrong policies" and alleged it was busy "buying MLAs" and toppling Opposition governments. "This government is totally insensitive. You can compare the prices, from 2014 to 2022, how the prices of essential commodities have shot up," said Venugopal, flanked by Congress general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken at the Ramlila Maidan here. The Congress has been raising the issue on the streets, protested with a Black Day in August when several leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, courted arrest, and also pressed for a debate in Parliament on t

All set for Azad's first public rally in Jammu since leaving Congress

Ghulam Nabi Azad, who recently broke his five-decade-long association with the Congress, will begin his fresh political journey Sunday from Jammu where he would set up the first unit of his own party. All preparations have been completed for Azad's first public rally in Jammu, a close aide of the former chief minister said on the eve of the public meeting. Azad would be accorded a grand reception on his arrival from Delhi Sunday morning, and a procession would accompany him to the venue of the public meeting at the Sainik Colony, former minister G M Saroori said. Saroori is among over two dozen prominent legislators who resigned from the Congress in support of Azad. The 73-year-old Azad is likely to announce the formation of his own political party. Azad, 73, ended his five-decade association with the Congress on August 26, terming the party "comprehensively destroyed". He also lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for "demolishing" the party's entire consultative mechanism. Since Azad's ..

Dynasty politics by Congress caused great loss to country: Javadekar

Former Union minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar on Saturday targeted the Congress, saying the dynasty politics by it has caused a great loss to the country. In an apparent reference to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, he said both mother-son duo has been running the party. "Have there been elections held," he asked raising a question over the selection of the party president. "Look at our party, be it PM Modi and other leaders Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, J P Nadda or Amit Shah, from where did they come," he asked at a programme here. "They came from ordinary families with no political background, muscle or money power," he added. Javadekar also hit back at former Rajasthan deputy CM and Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who recently raised a question of the election of the BJP chief. The dynasty politics of the Congress has caused a great loss to the country, he said. "This cannot happen anywhere else," he added attacking the Congress, whi

Congress welcomes grant of interim bail to Setalvad in Gujarat riots case

The Congress on Friday welcomed the grant of interim bail to Teesta Setalvad by the Supreme Court and said many other dissenters of the Narendra Modi government deserve such relief. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed cases have been foisted against many activists who are critics of the present dispensation. "The grant of interim bail to Teesta Setalvad by the Supreme Court is welcome. There are a number of other activists, dissenters and critics of the Modi Sarkar who are deserving of such relief from foisted cases," he tweeted. Granting the relief to Setalvad, arrested on June 25 for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame "innocent people" in the 2002 Gujarat riots cases, the apex court said the high court should have considered releasing her on interim bail during the pendency of her case. A day after taking a serious view of delayed listing of Setalvad's regular bail plea in the Gujarat High Court, a bench headed by Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit considered facts

Tharoor seeks publication of electoral roll for Congress presidential polls

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has written to the party's central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry, seeking the publication of electoral roll for the upcoming poll to the post of AICC president, sources said on Friday. Assam MP Pradyut Bordoloi too has reportedly written to Mistry, asking him to make the electoral roll public. Their letters come as voices demanding the publication of the electors' list grow louder by the day and a debate within the party intensifies. Tharoor, who is contemplating throwing his hat in the ring, has written to Mistry and sought the publication of the electoral roll, the sources said. The nomination process includes 10 proposers who are Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates. According to the sources, the senior leader has said it is important to know about these delegates as papers can get rejected if their names do not feature in the the final list. Asked about the letters written by the leaders and the voices seeking publica

First keep your flock together, then talk of Bharat Jodo: Nadda to Congress

Making an unsparing attack on the Congress that has seen an exit of many senior leaders in recent times, BJP chief J P Nadda on Friday mocked the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra, telling it to first keep its flock together. Taking a dig at the Congress during a rally in Haryana's Kaithal, he also accused it of being a family-centric party. "The Congress is now neither a party of ideology nor a national party, nor even a regional party. It has been reduced to a brother-sister party," Nadda said apparently referring to former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi. Referring to senior Congress Ghulam Nabi Azad's exit from the party, he said the people who spent 50 years for it and gave their blood and sweat are deserting it. "Did you ever think why are they leaving," the BJP chief asked, adding that senior leaders are quitting with a message that the party first needs to keep its flock together. "Now, they are talking of Bharat Jodo, Bharat Jodo, 'arrey pehle party toh

INS Vikrant collective efforts of past govts; Cong accuses PM of hypocrisy

The Congress on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking credit for the commissioning of India's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and accused him of "hypocrisy" for not recognising the contributions made by earlier governments. Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh also shared a video of former defence minister A K Antony launching INS Vikrant in August 2013 and said it just happens that the Modi government is in power when the aircraft carrier is being commissioned. "The Modi government has nothing to do with this. The Modi government just happens to be in power when it is being commissioned. In fact, INS Vikrant was launched years ago by Mr A K Antony when he was the defence minister. It has taken 22 years to design, manufacture, test, launch and finally be commissioned today. All that the Modi government has done is commissioning of the vessel and he is taking credit for it," Ramesh told PTI. "So this is hypocrisy, which is typical of

Modi govt destroying economy with its cluelessness, incompetence: Congress

The Congress on Friday hit out at the Union government alleging India's growth story is being pushed back due to the inept handling of the economy and cluelessness on the part of the Modi government. It also asked the government whether it will now go back on its promises of making the country a USD 5 trillion economy, doubling farmers' income, and providing pucca houses to all by 2022. "It is evident now that the BJP government due to its inept handling of the economy, no focus, and cluelessness, is pushing the Indian growth story back," Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said at a press conference. Citing the GDP growth numbers, he said India has seen a growth of only 3 per cent in the last three years and accused the government of "destroying" the Indian economy. "These are highly worrying numbers, with prospects not looking very bright due to inaction by the Modi government. Even SBI had a downward growth forecast for FY23 from 7.5 percent to 6.8 percent," he said, noting tha

'Economy grew by 1% annually in 3 yrs': Cong slams govt over GDP numbers

The Congress hit out at the Narendra Modi government on Thursday over the latest GDP numbers, saying the country's economy has grown by a meagre 1 per cent annually in the last three years. "While the Modi Government ministers are congratulating each other over the 13.5 per cent GDP growth, the real truth is that the Indian economy has grown only 3.3 per cent in last 3 years. From Rs 35.67 trillion in Q1 FY20 to Rs 36.85 trillion in Q1 FY23. This is an annual growth rate of around 1 per cent," Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge wrote on Twitter. The Congress also said on its official Twitter handle that the GDP growth in the first quarter of 2022-23 was 13.5 per cent, but the reality is horrifying. "The reality is horrifying. Not only GDP growth, GDP itself decreased. 2019-20 Q1 GDP: Rs 35.49 lakh crore. 2020-21 Q1 GDP: Rs 27.04 lakh crore. 2021-22 Q1 GDP: Rs 32.46 lakh crore. 2022-23 Q1 GDP: Rs 36.85 lakh crore. "Only 3.8 per cent GDP growth in 3 years. ...

Congress' Shashi Tharoor to tell Ambedkar's story in upcoming biography

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will come out with a biography of BR Ambedkar next month in which he will provide insights into his life and also highlight the disputes the latter had with other political and intellectual giants of his era, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. In "Ambedkar: A Life", Tharoor will also seek to answer the question whether Ambedkar was the greatest Indian of modern times. The Congress MP traces the arc of Ambedkar's life from his birth into a family of Mahars in the Bombay Presidency on April 14, 1891 to his death in Delhi on December 6, 1956. He also describes the many "humiliations and hurdles" Ambedkar had to overcome in a society that stigmatised the community he was born into, and the single-minded determination with which he overcame every obstacle he encountered, a statement by publisher Aleph said. "We are given insights into the various battles Ambedkar fought to make untouchability illegal, his disputes with the other political and

Chidambaram offers help to Assam Congress in CAA case in Supreme Court

Former union minister and eminent lawyer P Chidambaram offered assistance in the case filed by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) at Supreme Court against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), a party spokesperson said here on Wednesday. The APCC has also initiated talks with a top law firm in Delhi to take forward its case before the apex court with more vigour, he said. Our senior leader, eminent lawyer and former union minister P Chidambaram has consented to lend us all help in our case against CAA at the Supreme Court, APCC chief spokesperson Manjit Mahanta said here. If necessary, he will also assist during the argument stage in the apex court, he added. The APCC had moved the Supreme Court against the CAA in 2019. Mahanta said APCC president Bhupen Borah had met former additional advocate general of Assam Krishna Sarma in New Delhi and discussed with her the current status of the case filed by the party's state unit before the top court. He had entrusted Corporate Law

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's mother Paola Maino passes away in Italy

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's mother Paola Maino passed away at her home in Italy on Saturday and her funeral took place on Sunday, the Congress said here. The Congress president had left on August 23 to visit her ailing mother, who was in her 90s. "Smt. Sonia Gandhi's mother, Mrs. Paola Maino passed away at her home in Italy on Saturday the 27th August 2022. The funeral took place yesterday," AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter. Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are already abroad and visited her hometown.