Page 40 - Indian National Congress

On calling Indira Gandhi 'mother' of India, Union min Gopi now takes U-turn

While retracting his earlier statement, Suresh Gopi continued to praise Indira Gandhi, labelling the former Prime Minister as the "real architect" of India post-independence

Political uproar over EVM 'unlocking'; Elon Musk joins debate. Key points

After claims that a relative of a Shiv Sena candidate used a phone to 'unlock' an EVM during vote counting, the poll body denied the allegations. Elon Musk's tweet on EVM hacking sparked a debate

EVMs in India are 'black box', nobody allowed to scrutinise them: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said EVMs in India are a "black box" which nobody is allowed to scrutinise, and asserted that "serious concerns" are being raised about transparency in India's electoral process. "Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability," Gandhi said and tagged a media report which claimed that a relative of Shiv Sena's candidate, who won the polls from Mumbai's north west by 48 votes, had a phone that unlocks an EVM. The former Congress president also tagged the post on X by Elon Musk in which he talked about eliminating EVMs. "We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high," Musk had said in his post. The opposition parties have been raising concerns over EVMs for some time now and had demanded a 100 per cent count of the VVPAT slips which was not allowed.

Delhi water crisis: AAP MLAs write to Jal Shakti Min, urge intervention

The AAP MLAs have written a letter to Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil urging his intervention to solve the water crisis faced by the national capital amid the prevailing intense heatwave. Calling the situation "very critical", AAP's chief whip in Delhi Assembly Dilip Pandey on Saturday said the Yamuna water issue was an inter-state issue that required coordination of the Jal Shakti Ministry. Pandey said that in the letter from the AAP MLAs, time has been sought to meet the minister for a discussion on the matter. The AAP leader also said that instead of indulging in politics, all parties should work for a solution to resolve the water crisis and provide respite to the people of Delhi. "The entire matter is related to intervene state coordination and without Centre's intervention no solution will come out," Pandey told a press conference. The ruling AAP has accused the BJP ruled Haryana of stopping Delhi's share of Yamuna Water. Delhi's Water Minister Atishi has claimed that wa

Delhi water crisis: Congres organises 'matka phod' protests in Delhi

Amid a water crisis in the national capital, the Delhi Congress held 'matka phod' protests across the city on Saturday with its members smashing earthen pots to the ground. The protests began around 10 am in all 280 blocks in Delhi. Carrying earthen pots on their heads and Congress flags, the protesters raised slogans against the Delhi government and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Later, they threw the pots on the ground. Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav, who also joined the protests, demanded a special session of the assembly to discuss the issue. He had alleged on Friday that the Delhi government had not taken effective steps to address the water shortage in the city due to which, people had to run after water tankers. Water Minister Atishi had said on Friday that water production in Delhi was decreasing continuously as less water was reaching the Yamuna river here. The AAP government has been accusing BJP-ruled Haryana of not releasing Delhi's share of water. Sharing data

Govt must ensure corp takeovers are fair, monopolies not created: Cong

The Congress on Saturday said it is the government's responsibility to ensure that competition among corporates is not stifled, oligopolies or monopolies do not emerge and corporate takeovers are free and fair. It is also the government's responsibility to ensure that undue advantage arising out of access to political power is not exercised, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said. His comments came after the Adani Group acquired Penna Cements while strengthening its share in the cement sector in southern India. "Aap chronology samajhiye (understand the chronology): September 2022: Adani acquires Ambuja Cements and ACC, to become country's second largest cement player. August 2023: Adani acquires Sanghi Industries, India's largest single-location cement unit. June 2024: Adani acquires Penna Cements, giving it substantial market share even in the last remaining region of South India." he said. "Upcoming: Adani is exploring the acquisition of Saurashtra Cement, Vadraj Cement, and

Former PM Indira Gandhi 'mother of India': Union Minister Suresh Gopi

Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Wednesday described former PM Indira Gandhi as the "mother of India" and late Congress Chief Minister K Karunakaran as a "courageous administrator". The BJP leader also called Karnuakaran and Marxist veteran E K Nayanar as his "political gurus". Gopi was speaking to reporters after visiting the memorial of Karunakaran, "Murali Mandiram" located in Punkunnam here. Interestingly, Suresh Gopi had won Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency by dashing the hopes of Karunakaran's son and Congress leader K Muraleedharan who finished third in a triangular contest in the April 26 polls. Urging mediapersons not to add any political connotation to his visit to Karunakaran memorial, the BJP leader said he came here to pay his respects to his "guru". He said like Nayanar and his wife Sarada Teacher, he had close relations with Karunakaran and his wife Kalyanikutty Amma also. He had visited Nayanar's home in Kannur and renewed his relationship with his family members on .

BJP attacking dreams of youth, alleges Priyanka on NEET 'irregularities'

Priyanka Gandhi asserted that the government's responsibility is to look into the complaints seriously and take action instead of ignoring the students and parents

Will Priyanka Gandhi mark her electoral debut from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat?

In the Lok Sabha elections 2024, Rahul Gandhi contested and won both Wayanad and Raebareli constituency, however, will have to give up one of the seats as per the rules

BJP leader seeks Maha minister's expulsion, claims he backed Cong candidate

A BJP leader has demanded the expulsion of Maharashtra Minister Abdul Sattar, alleging that he had supported the Congress candidate in the Jalna seat in the recently held Lok Sabha elections. In a letter to BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday, the party's Sillod city unit chief Kamlesh Katariya alleged that Shiv Sena leader Sattar and his supporters had helped Congress candidate Kalyan Kale, who defeated former Union Minister Raosaheb Danve by a margin of over one lakh votes in Jalna. The ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the NCP headed by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. Katariya claimed that Sattar, who represents Sillod in the state assembly, had worked against (the BJP candidate) in his segment, which is part of Jalna Lok Sabha constituency. "The BJP has a voter base in Sillod, and Sattar is trying to finish off the party here. False cases are registered against party workers," he alleged in the ...

Himachal bypoll: Cong fully prepared for elections, says HPCC leader Kimta

HPCC General Secretary Rajneesh Kimta on Thursday said the party is fully prepared for the upcoming assembly by-elections in the state and will face the money power with unity. In a statement released here, he informed that the Congress has appointed three ministers as in-charges for by-election to Dehra, Nalagarh and Hamirpur assembly seats. The three Independent MLAs -- Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur), Hoshiyar Singh (Dehra) and KL Thakur (Nalagarh) -- resigned from the assembly on March 22 and joined the BJP the following day. The by-elections will be held on July 10. Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar has been appointed incharge of Dehra assembly seat, Education Minister Rohit Thakur for Nalagarh and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani for Hamirpur. The Congress leaders have been alleging that nine MLAs, including six Congress rebels, and the three Independents who voted in favour of the BJP in Rajya Sabha polls on February 27 and BJP tried to topple the government by using

Congress to kick off 'Dhanyawad Yatra' in UP after Lok Sabha poll victory

The Congress made a major comeback in Uttar Pradesh by winning six of the 17 seats it contested in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections

Nehru's idealism, Ambedkar's social justice: Yogendra Yadav on Rahul Gandhi

Political commentator Yogendra Yadav analyses the Congress' performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, noting that Rahul Gandhi believes in 'socialist principles of economic equality'

New updates: Sonia Gandhi unanimously elected as Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson

Catch all the latest updates from around the world here

'INDIA bloc not invited to Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony': Congress

Narendra Modi is scheduled to be sworn in as the PM of India for the third consecutive term on June 9 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi

Congress reviews scorecard, future of INDIA after Lok Sabha polls

To review its Lok Sabha polls performance, the Congress' top decision-making body - the Congress Working Committee (CWC) - held its key meeting in New Delhi

NEET-UG 2024 row explained: 6 students from same exam centre get top rank

NEET result controversy: Several candidates alleged that the inflation of marks has resulted in 67 candidates securing the top rank. Six of these candidates are from the same exam centre in Haryana

Poll results 'moral defeat' for Modi, 'morale booster' for Cong: Ramesh

The Congress on Saturday claimed the mandate of the Lok Sabha polls has been a "moral, political and personal" defeat for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said efforts were now being made to justify his "pathetic" electoral performance. The BJP has won 240 seats in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, falling short of the halfway mark in the 543-member House, but the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) together won 293 seats. The Congress has won 99 seats. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the drumbeat to find silver linings in the mandate that has been a "moral, political and personal" defeat for Modi has started. "It is being propagated that Mr. Narendra Modi is the first to receive a mandate thrice in a row after Jawaharlal Nehru. How leading a party to 240 seats and becoming an 'one-third' Pradhan Mantri is a mandate is not explained," the Congress leader said. "Nehru, on the other hand, got 364 seats in 1952, 371 seats in 1957, and 361 seats in 1962 - a 2/3rd majorit

Senior Congress leaders begin deliberations on poll results at CWC meet

The Congress' top leadership on Saturday began crucial deliberations on the Lok Sabha election results to chalk out its future strategy at a meeting of the party's working committee here. The extended meeting of the party's top decision-making body -- the Congress Working Committee (CWC) -- started at Hotel Ashok here. Senior party leaders and members of the CWC, along with Congress Legislature Party leaders and Pradesh Congress Committee presidents from various states, will analyse the party's performance and suggest measures to strengthen the organisation. The Congress' top brass, including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, besides other leaders will participate in the deliberations. Kharge, who has convened the meeting, will also host a dinner for all extended CWC members and party MPs at the hotel. A meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party comprising all newly-elected MPs of the Lok Sabha and those of the Rajya Sabha will

Lok Sabha will now have over 500 crorepatis, up from 88% in 2019: ADR

This time, the average assets of winners are Rs 46.3 crore, compared to Rs 14.7 crore in 2014