Page 24 - Indian National Congress

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

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

Delhi High Court seeks Centre's response on Rahul Gandhi citizenship plea

Subramanian Swamy's petition alleges that Gandhi violated Article 9 of the Indian Constitution by 'voluntarily disclosing' to the British authorities that he held British citizenship

Not only India but idea of Nehru itself needs to be defended: Jairam Ramesh

Both detractors and admirers of Jawaharlal Nehru are living in his shadow and, since 2014, the story is one of governance through maximum criticism of the country's first prime minister, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday. Speaking at the launch of writer-scholar Aditya Mukherjee's "Nehru's India", the Congress general secretary said one of the biggest takeaways from the book was that "not only the idea of India but the idea of Nehru itself needs to be defended". "...needs to be defended from its old critics, from its new critics, and it has to be reinterpreted for a changing India. I just want to say that we all live in the shadow of Nehru. Many of us have assimilated Nehru and many of us contest Nehru. And even those who contest Nehru cannot run away from the shadow of Nehru," the Rajya Sabha MP said. The book, published by Penguin, focuses on Nehru's understanding of history and India's cultural past while offering a window into his understanding of communalis

'Ready to visit Sambhal alone with police, but not allowed': Rahul Gandhi

Congress leaders condemned the restrictions imposed by Uttar Pradesh authorities that blocked their delegation at Ghazipur border, calling it an abuse of power. It was a legitimate right, they argued

Cong accuses coverup, urges Sebi to take strict action on Adani group

The Congress Wednesday said a "cover-up" is in the making after reports claimed entities connected to the Adani Group have approached the SEBI seeking settlement in a case that alleges violations of public shareholding norms through unfair practices. It asserted the "scam" requires serious punitive action, including arrests and raids by investigative agencies. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said a token settlement would make Indian institutions a laughing stock whose reputation has already been tarnished by the actions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "his cronies". His remarks come amid reports that several entities connected to Adani Group have approached the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) seeking settlement in a case that alleges violations of public shareholding norms through unfair practices at four listed companies of the infrastructure conglomerate. "A cover-up is in the making. Reports that opaque offshore entities and ..

Cong MP calls for law to ensure fair wages, job security for gig workers

Congress MP B Mannickam Tagore Wednesday called for legislation to protect gig economy workers by ensuring fair wages, job security and social benefits for them. He raised the issue during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, highlighting the plight of gig economy workers, which he termed a human rights issue rather than a labour issue. "I want to bring your attention to the plight of gig economy workers particularly those at Amazon India, including the warehouse staff and delivery persons who are protesting against unfair wages and unsafe working conditions. These workers earn less than Rs 10,000 a month while enduring long hours and immense pressure. "Amazon claims to offer PF and insurance but the reality is far from these promises. The ongoing protest during the Black Friday event underscores the inequality in our economy and exploitation faced by these workers," he said. The MP from Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu said it is "our duty to stand with our workers and push for a meaningful ...

Cyclone Fengal: Rahul asks Cong workers to help administration in aid work

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday termed "devastating" the damage caused by Cyclone Fengal in Tamil Nadu and urged Congress workers in the state to help the administration in relief efforts wherever possible. Cyclone Fengal emerged as a low-pressure area on November 23 and caused unprecedented devastation across 14 districts of Tamil Nadu. "Devastating news of Cyclone Fengal in Tamil Nadu. My heartfelt condolences to those who have lost loved ones during this tragedy. My thoughts are also with those whose homes and property have been damaged," Gandhi said on X. "I urge all Congress workers in the state to step forward and help the administration in relief efforts wherever possible," the former Congress chief said. Initially, the cyclone brought heavy rainfall to the districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai. Subsequently, districts such as Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, and Villupuram experienced extremely hea

INDIA bloc floor leaders meet at Kharge's office ahead of Parl session

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was also present in this meeting along with other party leaders

Congress MP Manickam Tagore moves adjournment notice to discuss Adani issue

Tagore, the whip of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, accused the Union government of not initiating an investigation into the Adani Group despite evidence and international scrutiny

Maha poll verdict murder of democracy; govt, EC should clear doubts: Patole

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Saturday claimed that the results of the assembly elections reflect lack of transparency, and said the government and the Election Commission need to clear people's doubts they have raised over the poll process. He termed the verdict of the Maharashtra polls a "murder of democracy". In a post on X, the Congress leader said he spoke to social activist Baba Adhav, who has been protesting in Pune against the alleged misuse of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the recently-held Maharashtra elections. Adhav, who is in his 90s, began his three-day protest at Phule Wada, the residence of social reformer Jyotiba Phule, in the city on Thursday. "There is a lack of transparency in the Maharashtra assembly election results. Our stand is that this verdict is a murder of democracy. When people are questioning the fairness of poll process, it is the responsibility of the Election Commission and the government to clear their doubts," Patole said on

Followed poll processes transparently, will review concerns: EC to Cong

The Election Commission on Saturday asserted that all poll procedures it followed in Maharashtra were transparent and assured that it would review all legitimate concerns flagged by the Congress, which alleged serious inconsistencies. In its interim response to the party, the poll authority invited a Congress delegation on December 3 to discuss concerns expressed by it. The Congress on Friday raised with the Election Commission "serious and grave inconsistencies" which it said were being revealed in the data relating to the polling and counting processes for the recently-concluded Maharashtra Assembly polls and sought an in-person hearing to present relevant evidence. In the response, the EC reiterated that the process was transparent with the involvement of candidates or their agents at every stage. The commission also assured of a review of the Congress' legitimate concerns and a written response after hearing the party's delegation in person. It asserted that a transparent ...

Cong to back Hemant Soren's cabinet expansion decision: Rajesh Thakur

While speaking to reporters, the Jharkhand CM assured Agniveers in the state that the JMM-led government would support the families of those who had lost their lives

Congress leadership expected losses in Maharashtra but underestimated scale

The Congress was aware that the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition was struggling to sustain its Lok Sabha gains, as revealed by data from an internal survey presented to the party leadership

Congress questions govt's silence on repeated parliament adjournments

With Parliament facing repeated adjournments, the Congress on Friday said the big mystery is why the government is not resisting the interruptions and instead facilitating the aggression of the INDIA parties especially on the Adani issue. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the government has much to feel defensive and apologetic about. "Yet another day of a washout in the Parliament on the Modani issue. Both Houses adjourned today after only a few minutes. The big mystery is why the government is not resisting the adjournments," Ramesh said in a post on X. "On the contrary, the government is facilitating the aggression of the INDIA parties on Modani especially - as also on Manipur, Sambhal, and Delhi's law and order. Clearly it has much to feel defensive and apologetic about," the Congress leader said. His remarks came soon after Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Friday as opposition MPs protested the rejection of adjournment

Congress slams govt over ILO report findings, calls out wage inequality

The Congress on Friday slammed the government over an International Labour Organisation report pointing to wage inequality in India, claiming this is a direct consequence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "pakoda-nomics" which is about 'pakodas' for the masses and 'halwa' for the chosen few. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the International Labour Organisation's just released Global Wage Report 2024-2025 has some concerning findings about wage inequality in India. Citing the report, he said the top 10 percentile of India's income-earners earn 6.8 times more than the bottom 10 percentile. "This is significantly more unequal than nearly every country in our neighourhood, including Pakistan, Bangaldesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar," Ramesh said in a post on X. He further cited the report to state that India has one of the lowest share of wage-workers among all lower-middle-income countries. Most workers are engaged in self-employment which is ...

Congress files adjournment notice in LS to discuss Adani indictment issue

Congress MPs have continuously sought to discuss the Adani indictment in the Lok Sabha since the start of the winter session on November 25

Priyanka Gandhi will raise issues relating to women, youth: Sachin Pilot

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra secured the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat with a margin of 4,10,931 votes, defeating Sathyan Mokeri of the Communist Party of India (CPI)

Cong leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra takes oath as Lok Sabha MP today

Priyanka Gandhi took the plunge into active politics in 2019 and was later appointed Congress general secretary

Shashi Tharoor expresses happiness after Priyanka Gandhi takes oath in LS

Earlier today, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra entered the Lok Sabha, marking the beginning of her journey as a Member of Parliament. Gandhi was seen wearing a Kerala Kasavu saree