Page 4 - Congress

Sonia Gandhi admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for chronic cough

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here, sources said on Tuesday. She is doing fine and has been kept under observation of a chest physician, they said. It is a routine admission, but she has this problem of chronic cough, and she keeps coming for check-ups, especially with this pollution in the city, a hospital source told PTI, adding that she was admitted on Monday evening. Gandhi had turned 79 in December 2025.

Happy that Siddaramaiah becomes Karnataka's longest-serving CM: Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has congratulated Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as he is about to complete a record tenure, saying it is a proud moment and that the veteran Congress leader will continue to remain in the history books. "This is a happy moment. I wish him well. Everyone has an ambition to achieve in life. He has been in the history books in the past, and he will be (there) in the future too," Shivakumar told reporters, referring to Siddaramaiah surpassing the record of Devaraj Urs on Wednesday and becoming the longest-serving chief minister of Karnataka. On speculation about his own political future, Shivakumar said he has risen from a village background to his present position and asked reporters not to put words in his mouth. There was a stiff power tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar over the top post in the southern state. It intensified in mid-November, after the Congress government touched the halfway mark in its tenure. Amid the heightened

Suresh Kalmadi dies at 81: How CWG scam overshadowed his political legacy

A four-time MP and former Railways minister, Kalmadi was a key powerbroker in Pune and sports bodies, with his long career ultimately defined by the Commonwealth Games scandal

Former Union minister, Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi passes away at 81

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Suresh Kalmadi passed away in Pune early Tuesday following a prolonged illness, family sources said. He was 81. Kalmad breathed his last at around 3.30 am, the sources said. He had served as Union Minister of State for Railways and was a former president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Kalmadi, a prominent political figure from Pune, represented the city multiple times in the Lok Sabha. He held several key positions during his political career and was associated with sports administration at the national level for many years. Leaders cutting across party lines expressed grief over his demise and paid tribute to his contribution to public life. Kalmadi is survived by his wife, son and daughter-in-law, two married daughters and a son-in-law, as well as grandchildren. His mortal remains will be kept at Kalmadi House in the Erandwane area here till 2 pm, the sources said. The cremation will be held at Vaikunth crematorium in

Congress MP Selja asks Centre to start train on Sirsa-Delhi route

Congress MP from Sirsa Kumari Selja on Monday urged the Railway Ministry to immediately start an Intercity Express or Vande Bharat train on the Sirsa-?Delhi rail route. AICC general secretary Selja said the new rail section was formally inaugurated in 2013 during the Congress government, keeping in mind future regional needs, trade activities and passenger convenience. Now that the railway line has been fully constructed and is ready, passenger train services should be started without any delay, she added. She said traders, salaried employees and students from Sirsa, Hisar and nearby areas have long been demanding a train service that would allow them to travel to Delhi in the morning and return the same evening. The timings of the existing trains do not suit the daily needs of passengers, she said. Selja said that if a fast, modern and time-bound train like an Intercity Express or Vande Bharat is operated on this route, it would not only make travel easier but also strengthen ...

BJP asks Congress to apologise after SC denies bail to Umar, Sharjeel

The BJP on Monday said the Supreme Court order denying bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots case is a "big slap" on the Congress' face and demanded that the opposition party apologise for supporting the "tukde-tukde gang". Calling Khalid and Imam the "poster boys" of divisive forces in India, the BJP claimed that the Congress ecosystem was projecting them as "innocent victims" to protect them. The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant bail to Khalid and Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, saying there was a prima facie case against them under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria, however, granted bail to activists Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad in the case. Reacting to the Supreme Court decision, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla wrote on X, "Satyameva Jayate (truth alone triumphs)". "The Supreme Court has denied bai

Former Kerala minister sentenced to three years' jail in 1990 drug case

A court here on Saturday sentenced former Kerala transport minister Antony Raju and a court official to imprisonment for tampering with evidence in a 1990 drug seizure case. Raju, a serving MLA of the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress and an LDF ally, was convicted by the Nedumangad Judicial First Class Magistrate Ruby Ismail in connection with tampering with evidence related to the seizure of 61.5 grams of hashish from an Australian national at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in 1990. The court also convicted K S Jose, a former clerk of a court in Thiruvananthapuram, in the case. Both were found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 193 (giving false evidence), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 465 (forgery) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). Raju was sentenced to six months' imprisonment under Section 120B, three .

Congress to launch nationwide 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram' from Jan 10

The Congress on Saturday announced a nationwide 'MGNREGA Bachao Sangram' from January 10 to February 25 to demand the withdrawal of the VB G-RAM-G Act, and restoration of MGNREGA as a rights-based law, the right to work, and the authority of panchayats. Addressing a joint press conference, Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh said through the new VBG RAM G Act, the Centre has ensured complete centralisation as employment will no longer be a right under the new Act, which will be challenged in court. On whether the states ruled by the INDIA bloc constituents would not implement the new Act or oppose it, Venugopal said the Congress would hold consultations with all the alliance partners on the way forward. The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Bill, or VB-G RAM G, was passed with a voice vote amid protests in the Rajya Sabha on December 18, hours after the Lok Sabha cleared it. On December 21, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to t

Digvijaya Singh and the Congress' unfinished ideological argument

There's more to Digvijaya Singh than just a closet Hindutva-vadi at best and a rabid anti-RSS politician at worst

Security beefed up in Karnataka's Ballari after political clash over banner

Security was beefed up in Ballari on Friday, even as the situation remained peaceful, a day after clashes allegedly broke out between supporters of BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy and Congress MLA Bharath Reddy over the installation of banners, police said. One person was killed during the incident on Thursday, they said. "The situation was brought under control and additional security has been deployed. At present, the situation remains peaceful and all precautionary measures have been taken to ensure that no untoward incident occurs," a senior police officer said. Videos circulating on social media showed a private gunman allegedly firing shots into the air as tension gripped the area. The confrontation occurred ahead of a Valmiki statue unveiling programme scheduled to be held in the city on January 3. According to police, supporters of Bharath Reddy were attempting to install banners in front of Janardhana Reddy's residence in the Avambhavi area, which was opposed by the latter's ...

China's war mediation claim concerning, PM Modi must respond: Congress

The Congress on Wednesday termed Chinese claims of mediation between India and Pakistan concerning and said the people of India need clarity on the issue. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the claim, which he said seemed to make a joke of the country's national security. "President Trump has long claimed that he personally intervened to halt Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025. He has done so on 65 different occasions in various forums in at least seven different countries. The Prime Minister has never broken his silence on these claims made by his so-called good friend," Ramesh said in a post on X. "Now the Chinese Foreign Minister makes a similar claim and says China also mediated. On July 4, 2025, the Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Rahul Singh had publicly stated that during Operation Sindoor, India was actually confronting and combating China. "Given that China was decisively aligned with Pakistan, Chinese clai

Only lows for Congress in 2025 as party suffers poll routs, infighting

Repeated electoral disappointments also exposed the strategic and ideological crisis and gave rise to voices of dissent within the party

Real estate development by Rajasthan govt to hurt Aravallis more: Congress

The Congress on Monday claimed that not just mining, but the real estate development that is being opened up by the double-engine government in Rajasthan will cause further havoc in an "already devastated" ecosystem of the Aravallis. Congress general secretary and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh said this is being done against the recommendations of the Forest Survey of India. "As the nation awaits the Supreme Court's latest directives on the Aravallis, here is more evidence of how the new definition of the Aravallis will cause further havoc in an already devastated ecosystem. "It is not just mining but real estate development that is being opened up by the double-engine sarkar in New Delhi-Jaipur against the recommendations of the Forest Survey of India," Ramesh said in a post on X. The Congress has been strongly opposed to the redefinition of the Aravallis and has raised concerns over it, claiming that this will lead to destroying the hills by opening them to mining, re

Mumbai civic polls: Shiv Sena-BJP talks near final; Congress-VBA join hands

With only two days left before the nominations process for the civic polls in Maharashtra closes, the ruling and opposition camps are rushing against time to form alliances and finalise seat-sharing agreements amid the shifting political dynamics. In a crucial development, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday announced an alliance between his NCP, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti combine, and the NCP (SP), led by his uncle Sharad Pawar, for the Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls, saying the parivar (family) has come together. "For the sake of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections, the clock' and the tutari' have united. The parivar has come together, he said. Pawar urged party workers to work hard and refrain from making any controversial comments during rallies. "We are the ones who work for development. We will edge out those who tried to put this municipal corporation in debt," he said. Meanwhile, talks between the two parties are underway for a tie-up for th

Centre 'attempting to dilute' MGNREGA, alleges Congress veteran A K Antony

Veteran Congress leader A K Antony on Sunday accused the Centre of "attempting to dilute" the basic principles of MGNREGA and gradually dismantle the programme. He alleged that it is a clear evidence of an attack on social justice, and called for a strong protest through Gandhian methods against such moves. Antony was speaking after hoisting the party flag at the KPCC office here and receiving a guard of honour from Seva Dal volunteers as part of the celebrations marking the 141st foundation day of the Indian National Congress. According to the former Defence Minister, the present situation in the country is not conducive to celebrate the Congress foundation day, and it is time to reflect on Gandhian methods of struggle to strongly protest nationwide and to protect India. Those at the Centre are attempting to glorify Godse instead of Gandhiji and are dividing the people instead of following the Gandhian path. He further alleged that a regime which considers Savarkar as a national

Congress Foundation Day: Kharge, Rahul Gandhi attend flag hoisting ceremony

The Indian National Congress was founded on December 28, 1885, in Bombay (Mumbai) in the presence of 72 delegates at the Das Tejpal Sanskrit College

Jairam Ramesh questions environment minister over Aravalli redefinition

Jairam Ramesh, in a letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, asked if the redefinition would result in the loss of several small hillocks and undermine the geographical integrity

Pitroda exposed Cong's link to anti-India global nexus: BJP on Rahul's trip

The BJP on Saturday alleged that Sam Pitroda has "inadvertently" exposed the real face of the Congress by "revealing" that it is part of an "anti-India" global alliance and Rahul Gandhi often visits abroad to participate in their events, hoping his party would return to power at the Centre with their support. Referring to Pitroda's remarks in his latest interview with a news channel, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged that the Congress overseas department chairperson revealed that the party holds an "official position" in the Global Progressive Alliance (GPA) with Gandhi being part of its presidium. "Rahul Gandhi's traditional family advisor and architect of his mindset and psychology, Sam Pitroda, in an interview yesterday, inadvertently exposed the real face of the Congress. He said the Congress is a part of the Global Progressive Alliance and Rahul Gandhi had recently visited Germany to take part in its meeting," the BJP Rajya Sabha MP told a press conference at .

Congress to launch 'MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan' from Jan 5, says Kharge

A nationwide campaign was needed against the repeal of the rural employment scheme MGNREGA, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday, pointing to the three farm laws that the government was eventually forced to repeal following strong opposition against it. Speaking at the Congress Working Committee meeting here, Kharge also said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was a "well-planned conspiracy" to limit democratic rights. He said the meeting was being held at a time when the democracy, Constitution and citizen's rights were under serious threat. He said the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was a visionary legislation of the UPA government, which was appreciated across the world. The scheme was named after Mahatma Gandhi due to the impact it had, Kharge said. "The Modi government has, without any study, evaluation or consultation with states and political parties, repealed the law. This is just as they did with

Cong leaders attend CWC meet to discuss political situation, G RAM G law

Top Congress leaders on Saturday are attending a crucial meeting of the working committee, the party's highest decision-making body. They are deliberating on the current political situation in the country and the party's further action against the government after it replaced the UPA-era rural employment scheme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) with the new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM G). The extended meeting of the Congress Working Committee is being attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and former party president Rahul Gandhi, besides chief ministers of the Congress-ruled states of Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh. Presidents of Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC) are also present at the meeting. The meeting comes ahead of next year's assembly polls in Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tam