Page 53 - Congress

K'taka demonstrating how growth, sustainability can go together: Ramesh

Hailing the Karnataka government's decision to declare its lands in the Yelahanka taluk of Bengaluru Urban district as the Greater Hesaraghatta Grassland Conservation Reserve, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday said the Siddaramaiah-led dispensation was demonstrating how economic growth, social development and ecological sustainability could go hand-in-hand. The Karnataka government on Monday notified 5,678 acres and 32 guntas of land in the Yelahanka taluk as the Greater Hesaraghatta Grassland Conservation Reserve. The notification came after the state Cabinet last month decided to declare the grassland as a conservation reserve. Reacting to the development, former Union environment minister Ramesh said the Karnataka government had been attracting very many new investments since May 2023. It has also been implementing historic income support, food security and other guarantees, he added. "Now, it has taken a bold decision to finally declare about 5,700 acres of government

Kejriwal to enter Rajya Sabha? AAP fields MP for Ludhiana West bypoll

AAP nominates Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora for Ludhiana West bypoll as Congress' Partap Singh Bajwa claims Kejriwal's Rajya Sabha entry is certain after dropping Punjab seat bid

Preity Zinta's loan not in probe: Mumbai Police debunks write-off claim

Mumbai Police has confirmed that Preity Zinta's loan is not under probe and has dismissed loan write-off claims amid an online row with Kerala Congress over fake news allegations

Why hasn't Bihar been given Special Category Status as promised: Cong to PM

The Congress on Monday posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Bihar, asking why hasn't the state been granted Special Category Status as promised and why are so many essential projects lying incomplete there. Ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit to Bihar, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posed four questions for him. "Where are the promised airports for Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, and Purnea," Ramesh asked in his post on X. "The PM promised an airport in Purnea on 18th August, 2015. Six years and three Nitish Kumar U-turns later, his government is yet to fulfil the promise," Ramesh said. In a 2019 rally, Modi promised to open Patahi Airport in Muzaffarpur and in 2023, Home Minister Amit Shah also pledged to kickstart operations at the Patahi airport, while the BJP promised a fully operational airport by Diwali 2023, he said. "However, an AAI ground team from March 2024 found that the land plot has broken boundary walls, and buffaloes roam t

Cong slams BJP after FinMin says USAID projects not linked to voter turnout

Amid the ongoing row over USAID funding, the Congress on Monday claimed that the Union finance ministry has "thoroughly exposed" the BJP's "lies" with its annual report for 2023-24 stating that the US agency is currently implementing seven projects in collaboration with the Government of India and none of them has anything to do with voter turnout. The BJP has also rejected allegations of the Congress and accused Rahul Gandhi as well as the party of colluding with foreign forces in a bid to weaken India. The latest annual report of the finance ministry has disclosed that the agency funded seven projects worth USD 750 million in 2023-24. "Currently, seven projects worth a total budget of USD 750 million (approx) are being implemented by USAID in partnership with the Government of India," as per the finance ministry's annual report for 2023-24. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "None other than the Union Finance Ministry has thoroughly exposed th

Cong to hold AICC session in Ahmedabad on April 8-9 to tackle BJP policies

The Congress on Sunday announced that it will hold its AICC session in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on April 8 and 9 to deliberate on the challenges posed by the BJP's "anti-people" policies, its alleged attack on the Constitution and charting the party's future road map. In a statement, Congress general secretary, in-charge organisation, K C Venugopal, said the upcoming session will serve not only as a platform for crucial deliberations but also as a reaffirmation of the Congress party's collective resolve to address the concerns of the common people and present a strong alternative vision for the nation. "This significant gathering will bring together AICC delegates from across the nation to deliberate on the challenges posed by the anti-people policies and the relentless attack on the Constitution and its values by the BJP, while charting the party's future course of action," Venugopal said. The session will commence on April 8 with an extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, ..

Shashi Tharoor flags 'leadership void' in Kerala Cong amid LDF praise row

Facing flak over his praise for LDF government, Shashi Tharoor rejected rumours about him switching parties ahead of 2026 Kerala Assembly polls

Govt looking into it, facts will come out: Jaishankar on USAID funding row

Amid a row over USAID funding for certain activities in the country, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the information put out by Trump administration people is "concerning" and that the government is looking into it. During an interaction at an event here late evening, he also said USAID was allowed in India "in good faith, to do good faith activities", and suggestions are being made out of America that "there are activities which are in bad faith". "So, it surely warrants a look. And, if there is something to it, I think the country should know who are the people involved in the bad faith activities," the external affairs minister said. Jaishankar during the discussion also asserted that "our idea of security actually has to expand in a tech world". Besides, armed forces, civilian police ensuring law enforcement, security is also about "how your thought processes are influenced, how narratives are set, how facts are presented to you, how your mind moulded ..

News updates: Delhi MLAs to take oath on Feb 24, CAG report on AAP spending to be tabled next day

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Centre must accept problem of inflation, take steps to provide relief: Cong

Slamming the Centre over the rising prices of certain food items, the Congress on Saturday said if the Narendra Modi government cares even a little about people, it should first accept the problem of inflation and take necessary steps to provide relief to them. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh cited a media report, which said the average inflation rate has come down due to the fall in the prices of vegetables, but the prices of some food items are constantly increasing, especially those of pulses. "The people of the country are troubled by the inflation under the Modi government. It is becoming difficult for the poor to even arrange two meals a day. Inflation is skyrocketing in everything," Ramesh said in a post in Hindi on X. "No matter how much the Modi government denies the talk of inflation and unemployment, its own reports are bringing out the truth from time to time," he said. Now, the monthly report of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has ...

Congress' Udit Raj alleges death threats from BSP workers, files complaint

Congress leader Udit Raj on Saturday filed a complaint alleging that the BSP workers have been threatening to kill him on the directions of their party supremo Mayawati. Raj posted a picture of the complaint on X and said that he has been receiving death threats since February 18, after his remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati. On February 17, Raj launched a scathing attack on BSP chief Mayawati and said that she had "strangled the social movement" and now the time has come to strangle her. He later clarified that he meant that people should recognise her patterns and leave her. In the complaint, he claimed that the callers have been threatening to kill him if speaks against Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati. The conversations have been recorded and were submitted as evidence, he said. "These callers not only extended direct threats but also posted/circulated and broadcasted the same on social media, after having recorded their act of extending threats and abusin

PM Modi should pay heed to Trump's remarks on paper-ballot voting: Congress

The Congress on Saturday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to heed to his friend, US President Donald Trump, for using paper ballots and not machines for voting to address the concerns of the entire country on the integrity of India's electoral process. Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal wondered why the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is feigning ignorance to what the entire world is saying and why is its government running away from transparency. "Will PM Modi pay heed to his best friend Donald Trump's message on ballot papers and same day voting, and address the concerns of the whole nation about the integrity of our electoral process?" Venugopal asked in a post on X. "I'm sure his best friend will also be appalled at the abnormal increase of lakhs of voters in Maharashtra, or the surgical deletions of opposition votes," he said, citing Trump's remarks at a governors' meeting. At the meeting, Trump was heard urging governors to switch to paper ballots a

Suspended Cong leaders camp out in Rajasthan Assembly over 'dadi' remark

Congress MLAs staged an overnight protest in Rajasthan Assembly after six leaders were suspended over uproar against a BJP minister's remark on Indira Gandhi

News Highlights: G20 calls for UN reforms, overhaul of Security Council

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Trump again slams $21 mn USAID funding for India, calls it kickback scheme

Speaking at the Republican Governors Association meeting in Washington DC, US President Donald Trump questioned the rationale behind the expenditure

Cong, AAP didn't address issues of Delhi, we did so on day one: Rekha Gupta

The Congress ruled Delhi for 15 years and the AAP after that but both never addressed the issues of the people of Delhi, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday while stressing that her government passed the Ayushman Bharat scheme on its first day in office. The BJP leader was sworn in on Thursday along with six other ministers, bringing the party back to power in the city after more than 26 years. Gupta alleged that both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party had deprived the people of Delhi of their rights and only raised slogans without taking any real action. "Congress ruled Delhi for 15 years and after that it was the AAP... yet, they never addressed the issues of the people of Delhi. And now, just one day after we took office, they have started questioning our government," Gupta told reporters. Highlighting her party's swift decision making, she stated, "We are the ones who passed the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme in our very first cabinet meeting. We took oath and

LIVE news: NITI Aayog CEO Subrahmanyam gets one year extension

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Who is Veena Reddy? Ex-USAID India director faces heat over $21 mn funding

The BJP, and the Congress clash over Trump's $21 million voter turnout funding claim; records show the amount was sanctioned for Bangladesh in 2022, not India

Congress approves appointment of Presidents for Mahila units in 6 states

The appointments have been approved by the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge

Rae Bareli only constituency with two MPs, me and Priyanka: Rahul Gandhi

Reflecting on the Gandhi family's ties with Raebareli, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi remarked that it might be the only Lok Sabha seat in the country with "two MPs" -- himself and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Speaking at an event in the Unchahar area, Gandhi thanked party workers and the people of Rae Bareli for their support in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "Rae Bareli might be the only constituency in India with two MPs -- one is me and the other is Priyanka. Invite her (here) too sometimes. She calls me to Wayanad and I go. She is also an MP from Rae Bareli, so you should call her here as well," he added. Gandhi contested Rae Bareli and Wayanad seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. After winning both, he chose to retain Rae Bareli and vacate Wayanad from where his sister later won in a bypoll. Before him, their mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi represented Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha. Their grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi won the seat in