Page 74 - Congress

Cong leaders hold strategy meet to discuss Adani, Soros, Dhankhar issues

Top Congress leaders held a meeting at party chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence on Monday evening and are learnt to have discussed the strategy to move forward on the Adani and George Soros issues and a notice for the removal of Jagdeep Dhankhar as the Vice President of India. The turbulent relations between Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and the INDIA bloc came to a head on Monday, with opposition camp sources saying they are considering submitting a notice "very soon" for moving a resolution to remove the vice president from his office. Sources said though the Congress has spearheaded the move for bringing in a motion to remove Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and has brought several opposition leaders of the INDIA bloc on board, it is yet to finalise whether to move forward with it or not. No decision was taken on the move after discussions within, they said, adding another meeting would take place on Tuesday morning. Top Congress leaders, includ

News updates: One nation, one election Bill likely in this session of Parliament

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PM should visit Manipur, HM Shah resign on moral grounds: INDIA bloc

Opposition INDIA bloc leaders on Monday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should visit Manipur, as they held a sit-in at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the situation in the north-eastern state that has been reeling from ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 2023. Leaders from Congress, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation and AIFB were among those who participated in the protest "for an immediate restoration of peace and normalcy" in Manipur. In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should urgently visit Manipur and Home Minister Amit Shah should resign on "moral grounds" over the situation in the state. The opposition parties also demanded Chief Minister N Biren Singh's sacking as they attacked the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state. Former chief minister of Manipur O Ibobi Singh, Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, former Union minister Shashi ..

Jharkhand CM Soren, ministers take oath as members of Legislative Assembly

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday took oath as a member of the Jharkhand Assembly on the first day of the four-day session of the House. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Deepak Birua and Labour Minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav were among the ministers in the Hemant Soren cabinet who also took oath as members of the assembly. The CM and the ministers were among 80 elected representatives who were administered the oath as MLAs by the assembly's pro-tem Speaker Stephen Marandi soon after the proceedings of the House began at 11 am. The House was adjourned till 11 am on Tuesday after the oath-taking ceremony. "All MLAs and ministers took oath today. We will move for next proceedings tomorrow," the CM later told reporters. The Speaker's election is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, an assembly official said. Kishore said Nala MLA Rabindra Nath Mahato is likely to be elected as Speaker of the House unopposed as all members,

Rahul takes dig at Modi, Adani; conducts mock interview in Parliament

Leaders of some INDIA bloc parties on Monday protested in Parliament complex over the Adani row, with Rahul Gandhi conducting a mock 'interview' over the issue with Congress members wearing masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani Standing outside the Makar Dwar of Parliament, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with MPs of other opposition parties raised slogans of "Modi, Adani ek hain" and "we want justice". After sloganeering, Rahul Gandhi conducted the mock 'interview' with Congress leaders wearing masks of Modi and Adani. Gandhi asked the party member sporting mask of Adani why Parliament was not being allowed to function to which the Congress MP (posing as Adani) said "we'll have to ask Amit bhai...that man is missing". Asked by Gandhi about the relationship between the two, the Congress MP said, "We are together". The Congress leader sporting mask of Adani also said, "He does whatever

Cong trashes BJP's 'Soros allegations', says govt only wants to save Adani

Dismissing the BJP's allegations of its leaders colluding with US investor George Soros, the Congress on Monday said the real conspiracy unravelling during the Parliament's Winter session is that the government would even put at stake India's ties with another country just to save Gautam Adani. The opposition party alleged that Gautam Adani has been extended 'M (Modi)' security and to breach that one would have to cross the "dead body" of democracy. "Since Parliament session began, we have been trying to raise issues but there is one issue the prime minister cannot tolerate and when that issue is raised, he loses self control. That one name is Adani. As soon as that name is taken, the PM gets rattled," Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said. "No one has the right to stake our ties with a nation for one person. Those countries that help that industrialist, even if they enter our borders, they are given a clean chit and those countries that get a probe done on

Farmers pleading for justice as Modi govt betrayed them repeatedly: Kharge

Slamming the Centre, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said farmers are pleading for justice because the Modi government "betrayed them again and again", and asserted that the tillers' right to raise their voice should not be taken away from them. Kharge asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why farmers have to come to Delhi's doorstep again and again for justice. "Today, when you will be on a tour to Haryana and Rajasthan, I hope that you will definitely try to understand the struggle of the farmer who provides food to the nation. Farmers are pleading for justice because your government has betrayed them again and again," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X. "The betrayal of not doubling farmers' income by 2022, the betrayal of not implementing Input Cost + 50% MSP as per the Swaminathan report, and the betrayal of forming a committee to give legal status to MSP but not acting on it," he said, slamming the Modi government. Kharge claimed that there was neither ..

CPI(M) offices can be demolished overnight, warns Cong's Kerala chief

A day after a Congress office was allegedly vandalised in this Kerala district, the party's state chief K Sudhakaran on Sunday warned that CPI(M) offices could be demolished overnight. Addressing party workers at the inauguration of a new Congress office in Venduttayi, which had allegedly been vandalised by unidentified people on Saturday, Sudhakaran claimed it would only take 10 Congress workers to "bring down" CPI(M) offices in a single night. "We do not promote violence but, if you say it is required, we will retaliate in the same way," he said. "Ten Congress workers will be sent at night and they are enough to demolish CPI(M) offices," Sudhakaran told the party workers. Late on Saturday, a new Congress booth committee office at Venduttayi, near Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's hometown of Pinarayi, was allegedly vandalised. The Congress has accused the CPI(M) of orchestrating the vandalism. Sudhakaran also took a dig at Vijayan and urged him to uphold the dignity expected of

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Stop misleading people about EVMs, accept poll mandate: Shinde to Oppn

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday hit out at the opposition, accusing it of misleading people about electronic voting machines and not accepting their mandate. Talking to reporters, Shinde said the ruling Mahayuti alliance won the November 20 assembly polls because of its work, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi must accept the people's mandate and support the government in development works. The Mahayuti combine of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP swept the recently held polls, winning 230 out of 288 seats, while the opposition bloc of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) managed just 46 seats. The opposition parties have alleged irregularities with EVMs for its poll losses and demanded the use of ballot papers. Slamming the opposition, the Shiv Sena chief said, "When you win, there is no EVM scam, but the machine becomes bad when you lose. This is not the right approach." He said the opposition must accept the people's mandate that they have been decisively

Congress demands debate in Parliament on full gamut of India-China ties

Attacking the government over its statement in Parliament on India-China ties, the Congress on Sunday asked whether the Modi government has agreed to a "new normal" over the "old normal" prevailing prior to April 2020 and demanded that Parliament must be given an opportunity to debate the full gamut of the relationship between the two countries. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said a discussion in Parliament on India-China relationship should focus on both strategic and economic policy, especially since our dependence on China has increased economically, even as it unilaterally changed the status quo on our borders over four years back. In a statement, Ramesh said the Congress has studied the recent suo motu statement made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in both Houses of Parliament titled "Recent Developments in India's Relations with China". It is unfortunate, but typical of the Modi government, that MPs were not permitted to seek any ..

Will question in LS: Nishikant Dubey targets Rahul over George Soros link

Notwithstanding the US' dismissal of BJP's allegations that it is backing attempts to destabilise India, party MP Nishikant Dubey on Sunday said he will ask Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi 10 questions in the Lok Sabha on the issue. In a post on X, Dubey alleged that media portal Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Hungarian-American businessman George Soros have colluded with the opposition to ruin India's economy and defame the Modi government. The US on Saturday rejected BJP's allegations that organisations funded by its State Department and elements in the American "deep state" were behind attempts to destabilise India through targeted attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani. A spokesperson at the US embassy described the allegations as "disappointing" and asserted that the US government has been a champion of media freedom around the world. Reacting to the US embassy's statement, Dubey said, "Yesterday I read the ...

Oppn mislead people on EVMs instead of accepting defeat: Mahayuti leaders

The ruling Mahayuti alliance on Sunday accused leaders of the opposition parties of misleading people about electronic voting machines (EVMs) instead of accepting the losses it faced in the Maharashtra assembly elections. The November 20 elections saw the Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP achieve a landslide victory by clinching 230 out of 288 assembly seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), managed just 46 seats. The opposition bloc has since claimed irregularities in the EVMs and demanded the use of ballot papers. Speaking to reporters, Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant slammed the opposition for indulging in double standards. "It is because of the MVA's double standards that the Samajwadi Party has parted from the alliance. Yesterday, they boycotted the oath-taking ceremony, and today, they will hopefully take oath as members, which will again highlight their double standards," he said. He claimed the opposition

Tharoor slams BJP, says 'attack-dog' behaviour embarrassment to India

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday slammed the BJP after the US rejected the ruling party's allegations that elements in the American "deep state" were behind attempts to destabilise India and said this "attack-dog" behaviour is an embarrassment to India. The US on Saturday rejected the BJP's allegations that organisations funded by the US State Department and elements in the American "deep state" were behind attempts to destabilise India through targeted attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani. A spokesperson at the US embassy described the allegations as "disappointing" and asserted that the US government has been a champion of media freedom around the world. The BJP alleged on Thursday that the US deep state colluded with the media portal OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to "damage" India's image. In a post in X, Tharoor said, "It's clear the BJP neither understands democracy n

Rahul to attend Netrutva Sangam Leadership Training Camp in Jaipur today

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra and state LoP Tika Ram Jully welcomed him upon his arrival at Jaipur airport

Differences among partners coming to fore; INDIA bloc's future in question

Questions are being raised on the future of the INDIA opposition bloc as differences among several of its constituents are now coming to the fore and voices emerging for serious introspection by the Congress. The latest point of friction has come from Maharashtra, where the Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced quitting the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) after a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader hailed the Babri masjid's demolition. The SP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were also not seen with their other INDIA bloc partners during protests on the Adani issue. There are differences among the partners on other issues both inside and outside Parliament. Parties are now flexing their muscles within the bloc, especially after the shocking defeat of the Congress in the Haryana and Maharashtra elections. With a "weak" Congress after a poor poll show, some opposition parties feel that it should introspect and be accommodative towards others. They are also speaking out against the "dominance" of the Congres

Kerala govt hiked power tariffs to benefit Adani, alleges Opposition

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday accused the Kerala government of hiking the electricity tariff "to benefit ports-to-energy conglomerate Adani" by bringing it into the power purchase system in the state. Chennithala alleged that the long term power purchase agreement signed during the UDF administration in 2016 to buy electricity at rates below Rs 5 per unit was cancelled during the LDF rule to facilitate the entry of Adani into this system. The Kerala government had on Friday announced a 16 paise per unit increase in electricity tariffs for the 2024-25 financial year, effective from December 5. An additional hike of 12 paise per unit is set to follow in the 2025-26 financial year. The Congress leader said this move of the government makes it clear that it was hand-in-glove with the power producing companies, especially Adani. "Adani is the biggest beneficiary of this move. This decision of the government is aimed at bringing Adani into the power purchasing sys

MVA members decide against taking oath as MLAs to protest EVM 'misuse'

Opposition Maha Vikas Agahdi (MVA) members in Maharashtra on Saturday decided not to take oath as MLAs on the first day of the special three-day assembly session, alleging misuse of EVMs in the recently-held state polls. The special session of the Lower House of the state legislature began here at 11 am. Several members belonging to the ruling parties, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, took oath as members of the assembly. However, members from the opposition parties - Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) - decided not to take oath. Talking to reporters on the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said, "The MVA has decided not to take oath as members of the House today. When a government comes to power with such a thumping majority, there are celebrations. A question arises whether the mandate it received was given by the people or the EVM and Election Commission of India." The opposition i

Sam Pitroda's server hacked, hackers demand payment in cryptocurrency

The hackers have issued threats, demanding payment of tens of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency

Farmers' protests received booster dose from no less than VP: Cong

The Congress on Friday reiterated its support for farmers' demands and said their protests have received a "huge booster dose" from no less a person than Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. The opposition party's assertion came ahead of a scheduled march by a group of farmers to Delhi from their protest site at the Shambhu border on the Punjab and Haryana border. Also, the remarks comes days after Dhankhar, speaking at a ceremony to mark the centenary of ICAR-CIRCOT in Mumbai, said, "Agriculture minister, I request you to please tell me, what was promised to the farmer? Why was the promise not fulfilled? What should we do to fulfil the promise? There was a movement last year, there is a movement this year, too." Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh noted farmers are marching to Parliament Friday. "Their protests received a huge booster dose from no less a person than the Vice President and Hon'ble Chairman of the Rajya Sabha himself," Ramesh said in his po