Page 4 - Indian National Congress

Our slogan 'Vote chor, gaddi chhod' proved across country: Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the slogan 'vote chor, gaddi chhod' (vote thief, vacate your seat of power) has proved across the country and the party will establish it in "more dramatic ways". Gandhi is in Uttar Pradesh for a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Raebareli. He reached Lucknow's Chowdhury Charan Singh airport earlier in the day where he was received by Congress state president Ajai Rai and other senior leaders. Talking to reporters before entering an event venue, Gandhi said, "The main slogan is 'vote chor, gaddi chhod' and that is being proved across the country. We will prove it again and again in more and more dramatic ways." During his visit, Gandhi will attend several programmes and review developmental projects, party leaders said. Posters with pictures of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Gandhi and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav were put up in Raebareli saying: "India ki antim aasha, kalyug ke "Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh" (India's last hope, Kalyug's ..

Cong mocked farmers' pain, PM Modi delivered: Amit Malviya slams Kharge

Malviya praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for helping farmers by doubling their incomes and embracing modern farming techniques

Cong mocked farmers' pain, PM Modi delivered: Amit Malviya slams Kharge

Malviya praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for helping farmers by doubling their incomes and embracing modern farming techniques

Much fairer system, better for everyone: Tharoor welcomes GST reforms

Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that US President Donald Trump's "pressure is mounting" and claimed the Union government implemented the GST reforms with elections approaching

Shashi Tharoor calls EC's SIR exercise 'essential', urges transparency

Tharoor stressed that maintaining the credibility of the Election Commission was crucial and that any legitimate concerns raised by the opposition should be addressed fairly

Cong, farmers protest fertiliser crisis in MP's Mauganj; over 500 detained

More than 500 Congress workers and farmers staged a protest in Madhya Pradesh's Mauganj on Sunday, alleging fertiliser shortage and other issues, breaching a barricade erected by the police to prevent them from meeting Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. Protesters in vehicles led by former Congress MLA Sukhendra Singh Bana clashed with the police, climbing over barricades to reach the chief minister, who was at a function in the Deotalab area 16 km away. The police erected barricades at the Bahuti bypass near Mauganj police station, and the protesters were not allowed to move ahead. "We detained more than 500 protesters for a while, and freed them after the chief minister's function got over. The situation is peaceful," Mauganj additional superintendent of police Vikram Singh told PTI. During the protest, former MLA Singh Bana alleged that they were raising serious issues affecting farmers and poor people. He claimed that farmers were not getting fertilisers and were being unduly harasse

Congress seeks relief package, national calamity tag for J&K floods

The Congress on Sunday demanded that the Centre announce a comprehensive relief package for flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir and declare the devastation a national calamity. J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra also sought a judicial probe into the death of more than 100 pilgrims in the twin incidents of cloudburst and landslide on the routes leading to Machail Mata and Vaishno Devi shrines in Kishtwar and Reasi districts last month. Karra claimed that the recent visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to most devastated Jammu dashed the hopes of the affected population. Unfortunately, the hope of the 1.40 crore people were not fulfilled...the visit proved a casual approach. He (home minister) went to one of two places (in Jammu) just to show his presence and not bothered to speak about the pilgrims who lost their lives, the Congress leader said. He said the BJP-led central government failed to learn lessons from the past calamities and made no concrete effort to tackle natural ...

Rahul urges PM to announce special relief package for flood-affected states

In the wake of devastation due to floods, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately announce a special relief package for Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, as well as accelerate relief and rescue operations. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, "Modiji, floods have caused massive destruction in Punjab. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is also extremely worrying." "In such difficult times, your attention and the active help of the central government is extremely necessary. Thousands of families are struggling to save their homes, lives and loved ones," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X. "I urge that a special relief package be announced immediately for these states, especially for farmers - and relief and rescue operations be accelerated," the former Congress chief said. He also issued a video statement reiterating his demand of a special package for the ...

Sachin Pilot slams indecent language against PM, says Congress not involved

Meanwhile, the man accused of hurling abuses at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother during a political rally in Bihar was arrested

PM Modi's MEGA has become 'MAHA headache' for India: Cong on US tariffs

Taking a swipe at the government after the additional tariffs imposed by the US on India came into effect on Wednesday, the Congress said Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his supposedly winning formula of MAGA+MIGA=MEGA earlier this year but this Modi-made MEGA has now become a MAHA headache for India. Congress general secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, said the "Trump double tariff" has come into effect, which will undoubtedly hit India's labour-intensive exports to the US -- especially textiles, gems and jewellery, leather, marine products, and engineering. "Over the last twenty four hours, the US commerce secretary has also spoken out against the H1B visa system of which the biggest beneficiaries have been Indian IT professionals," Ramesh said on X. "This has been one of the key demands of the MAGA base of President (Donald) Trump, the same MAGA which Prime Minister Modi in February this year used in his supposedly winning formula MAGA+ MIGA= MEGA. This Modi-made

Congress suspends MLA Rahul Mamkootathil over sexual misconduct allegations

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday said MLA Rahul Mamkootathil was suspended from the primary membership of the party after it was satisfied that the information gathered about his "misconduct" towards women was correct. He also said that if Mamkootathil is innocent, he should prove it. A day after Mamkootathil, facing multiple sexual misconduct allegations, was suspended from the primary membership of the party on Monday, Chennithala said the Congress will not tolerate activities that hurt the dignity of women. "I don't know whether these allegations are correct or not, but the gathered information said this is correct. That is why we all advocated for strong action," Chennithala, who is abroad, told PTI in a telephonic interview. Describing the party's decision against Mamkootathil as "bold and idealistic", which will help uphold the dignity and rights of women, the senior leader said there was consensus among the party leaders on the necessity of stringent acti

Congress questions govt on nuclear energy reforms, private sector entry

The Congress on Tuesday questioned the government over its promise of amending two existing acts to allow private companies to establish and run nuclear power plants, and asked whether the bills will be introduced in Parliament's Winter session. The opposition party also asked the government -- what about a Bill to establish an independent regulatory body that is not part of the atomic energy establishment. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the 2025-26 Budget, grand promises were made to give a boost to nuclear energy by amending the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, and the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, to allow private companies to establish and run nuclear power plants. However, somewhat surprisingly, neither of these two Bills were even introduced in the recently-concluded session of Parliament, he said. "Will the Bills be introduced in the Winter session three months hence? ...

Kerala Cong leaders split in tone over allegations against MLA Mamkootathil

Senior Congress leaders in Kerala voiced differing tones on Saturday over allegations of misbehaviour against MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who resigned this week as state Youth Congress president. Amid mounting protests from the BJP and the CPI(M) seeking Mamkootathil's resignation as Palakkad MLA, Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said the party was examining the issue "very seriously" and would act if required. "Within 24 hours of the allegation, Mamkootathil resigned from his post. There is a procedure, and the party will examine the matter thoroughly," Satheesan told reporters in Kochi. He also cautioned party workers against vilifying the complainants. "Strict action will be taken against anyone running campaigns against the women who raised allegations. That is not Kerala's culture," he said. On whether Mamkootathil had resigned as Youth Congress chief voluntarily or was asked to, Satheesan remarked: "That is a technical question. The result is the same. He has the right to prove h

Cong MLA urges Centre to intervene after US halts truck drivers' visas

The reaction came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States would temporarily halt issuing worker visas to commercial truck drivers

MLA Rahul Mamkootathil quits as IYC Kerala president amid misconduct probe

Congress MLA from Kerala, Rahul Mamkootathil, who faces an internal party inquiry over a misbehaviour allegation by an actress, on Thursday announced his resignation as state Youth Congress president. He announced this while speaking to reporters at his residence in Adoor near here. After actress Rini Ann George accused "a young leader" of a well-known political party of misbehaviour, BJP and CPI(M) affiliated youth organisation DYFI were protesting against Mamkootathil and demanding his resignation as MLA. His decision to resign from the party post came soon after Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan asserted that nobody found guilty will be spared. The MLA began the press conference by saying that he had spoken to the opposition leader, as well as KPCC and AICC leaders, on Thursday morning. "They did not demand my resignation. The actress is my friend, and I don't believe the person she mentioned was me. She is my good friend and will rema

Want GST 2.0 to be Good and Simple Tax not Growth Suppressing Tax: Cong

The Congress Saturday demanded an official discussion paper on GST 2.0 soon for a wider debate on it and said the reform should be towards a "Good and Simple Tax" in letter, spirit, and compliance, and not the "Growth Suppressing Tax" it has become. The opposition party's assertion came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that GST rates will be lowered by Diwali, bringing down prices of everyday use items, as his government looks to reform the eight-year-old regime that has been plagued by litigation and evasion. Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said that for well over a year and a half at least, the party has been calling for a radically transformed GST 2.0. Noting that a transformed GST 2.0 was a key pledge in the Congress manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Ramesh on Friday said the prime minister seems to have finally woken up to the fact that economic growth will simply not accelerate unless this transformation takes

Cong slams PM Modi for praising RSS on Independence Day, calls it troubling

The Congress on Friday termed as "most troubling" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's praise for the RSS in his Independence Day speech, saying it is a "breach" of the spirit of constitutional and secular republic and a desperate attempt to appease the Sangh in the run-up to his 75th birthday. "The PM was tired today. Soon he will be retired," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said and slammed the prime minister's speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort as "stale, hypocritical, insipid", claiming he recycled his oft-repeated slogans of 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' with "little" to show as measurable outcomes. "The most troubling element of the PM's speech today was his name-checking of the RSS from the ramparts of the Red Fort - a blatant breach of the spirit of a constitutional, secular republic. "It is nothing but a desperate attempt to appease the organisation in the run-up to his 75th birthday next month," AICC general secretary, communications, Ramesh said in a post on X.

No decision yet on MVA fighting Maha local body polls together: Chennithala

Maharashtra Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala has said there has been no decision yet on whether constituents of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will contest the upcoming local body polls in the state together. Asked whether the MVA partners will contest these polls together, Chennithala on Tuesday said the Congress will deliberate on the issue and that the alliance "may or may not take place". He also said the Congress has no issues with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin and MNS head Raj Thackeray joining hands. The Congress leader was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a two-day workshop conducted here by the party for its workers and functionaries. Elections to various local and civic bodies in the state, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, are likely to be held later this year. The Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) contested the Lok Sabha and the state assembly polls last year together as part of the ...

Priyanka expresses solidarity for Palestine, calls govt's silence shameful

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday said the Israeli state is committing "genocide" and slammed the Indian government for standing "silent" as Israel "unleashes devastation" on the people of Palestine. The Congress general secretary said the "Israeli state murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children". "It has starved hundreds to death including many children and is threatening to starve millions," she said in a post on X. Enabling these crimes by silence and inaction is a crime in itself, Priyanka Gandhi asserted. "It is shameful that the Indian Government stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the people of Palestine," she said. In another post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said the "cold blooded murder" of five Al Jazeera journalists is another heinous crime committed on Palestinian soil, and asserted that the immeasurable courage of those who dare to stand for the truth will never be broken by the violence and hatred of the Israeli state. Al .

Cong has no issues with EC where it wins: Dilip Ghosh on 'vote theft' claim

On Monday, the INDIA bloc MPs took out a march from the Parliament to the EC in Delhi against the alleged irregularities in the 2024 general election and against the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar