Page 47 - Indian National Congress

Cong attacks BJP on 2G spectrum, says BJP's 'hypocrisy knows no bounds'

The Congress on Saturday said the BJP's "hypocrisy knows no bounds" and alleged that while it called the administrative allocation of 2G spectrum under the UPA a "scam", the Narendra Modi government was now seeking permission from the Supreme Court to "give away spectrum" without an auction. The opposition party's attack came after the Centre on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking modification of its verdict in the 2G spectrum case which said the State was duty bound to adopt the auction route while transferring or alienating the country's natural resources. A top source, however, later said the government is not seeking to change the 2012 Supreme Court judgement that backed auction as the preferred mode of allocating telecom spectrum except for narrowly defined sectors such as satellite communication and defence where auction is not feasible. Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The hypocrisy of the 'Modi Sarkar' and 'Bhrash

Cong accuses CPI(M) of hijacking poll machinery to discourage voters

A day after polling concluded for the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the Congress on Saturday alleged that voters were harassed and the election machinery was hijacked by the ruling CPI(M) in the state with an aim to bring down the turnout percentage. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said the alleged hijacking of the election machinery by the ruling CPI(M) was one of the reasons for the decrease in polling percentage this year as compared to the turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Despite heightened political fervour and anticipation about the general elections for the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the process concluded with a notable decrease in voter turnout, as the figure stood at 70.22 per cent at 8pm yesterday. This figure, while significant, was quite a drop from the polling percentage of 77.84 per cent registered in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Venugopal claimed that there were glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs) in three to five per cent of the polling booths in

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Some of the most keenly watched contests

The once-in-five-year festival of democracy in the world's most populous nation has actors, sport stars and millionaires battling it out alongside the career politicians

Cong will continue the campaign on greater use of VVPATs: Jairam Ramesh

The Congress will continue with its political campaign on greater use of VVPATs to increase public trust in the electoral process, the party said on Friday after the Supreme Court rejected pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs. The Congress was not a party, directly or indirectly, to the petition on VVPATs rejected by the Supreme Court today, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said. "We have taken note of the verdict of the 2-judge bench and our political campaign on the greater use of VVPATs to increase public trust in the electoral process will continue," Ramesh said in a post on X. The Supreme Court has rejected pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with a Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and said "blindly distrusting" any aspect of the system can breed unwarranted scepticism. Maintaining that "democracy is all about striving to build harmony and trust between all institutions", a bench of Justices Sanjiv Kha

LS polls Highlights: Nearly 61% turnout recorded in 2nd phase of elections

Eighty-eight Lok Sabha seats (including parts of the outer Manipur seat), across 13 states and Union Territories, are set to vote today

Cong conspiring to transfer OBC, SC, ST rights to Muslims: Keshav Maurya

The Congress has "conspired" to snatch the rights of OBCs, SCs and STs, who are in "majority" in the country, and give these to Muslims, senior BJP leader Keshav Prasad Maurya alleged on Friday. The Congress' "dangerous thinking" of taking away the rights of Dalits, the backwards and adivasis (tribals) and hand them over to "intruders" is clear from its Lok Sabha poll manifesto, Maurya told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here. "They (the Congress) have clearly said in their manifesto that if given a chance, they will finish majoritarianism (in the country). The OBCs (Other Backward Classes), SCs (Scheduled Castes) and STs (Scheduled Tribes) are majority in the country," the Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister said. The Congress will be punished in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for the "social injustice" it has done with the country's Dalits, backwards and adivasis for 70 years, he said. Maurya said the Congress has "conspired to snatch the rights of ?OBCs, SCs and STs ?a

Cong seeks to give Muslims quota meant for SCs, OBCs: BJP Chief Nadda

BJP president J P Nadda on Friday accused the Congress of seeking to snatch the rights of SCs, STs and OBCs to benefit Muslims, alleging that it is the hidden agenda of the opposition party. Continuing with the BJP's attempts to project the Congress as a party championing interests of Muslims at the cost of traditionally deprived Hindu groups, Nadda said the opposition party has long been making the grounds for the minority community to be declared as SCs and give them reservation. He issued a video statement as the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls got underway. Nadda cited the then prime minister Manmohan Singh's 2006 statement of minorities, especially Muslims, having the first rights on the country's resources and added that he made similar comments in April 2009. The Congress has accused the BJP of selectively quoting Singh and claimed that the ruling party has resorted to spreading falsehoods and communal division for polarisation during the elections due to a lack of publi

Decoded: The history and political relevance of inheritance tax in India

The BJP is attempting to corner the Congress on wealth redistribution after Sam Pitroda's statement, yet veteran party leader Arun Jaitley had also hinted at supporting an inheritance tax in 2017

Cong will steal from OBC quota to give religion-based reservation: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said his government was working to end "appeasement" while charging that the Congress was determined to steal from the OBC quota to provide reservation based on religion. Addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Agra, Modi also targeted the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance in the state, saying it was based on "politics of appeasement". "They have their eyes on women's property, I am here as the chowkidar' (watchman)," Modi said. "Indian Constitution doesn't allow reservation on the basis of religion but the Congress insults the constitution by advocating this. The Congress is determined to steal from the OBC quota to provide reservation based on religion," Modi said. "The policy of appeasement divided the country but we are ending 'tushtikaran' (appeasement) and working for 'santushtikaran' (satisfying people)," he added. "The friendship between two boys in UP is based on politics of appeasement," the prime minister said attacking t

LS polls: Elections have slipped out of Modi's hands, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed the difference between his party's guarantees and 'Modi Ki Guarantee' is clear and added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi knows that the elections have "slipped out of his hands". In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said the Congress guarantees a "government of Indians". Listing some promises made by the Congress, Gandhi said women will get Rs 8,500 per month, youth will get a job that pays Rs 1 lakh per year, recruitment will be carried out for 30 lakh vacancies and legal MSP will be provided to farmers. "Modi's guarantee: Adanis' government - The country's wealth in the pockets of billionaires; donation business extortion gang; Constitution and democracy are over; farmers facing a paucity of finances; the difference is clear!" the former Congress chief said. "Congress will create crores of millionaires in India and Modi ji knows that the election has slipped out of his hands," he said. Addressing a rally in Amravati, Gandhi on Wedne

LS polls: Rahul, Tharoor in fray; Hema Malini, Om Birla seek hat-trick

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, and actor-turned-politician Arun Govil are among the key candidates in the fray for the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls with BJP's Hema Malini, Om Birla and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat seeking a hat-trick of wins from their respective constituencies. Staggered over seven stages, the first phase of the elections held last Friday for 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories saw a voter turnout of around 65.5 per cent. In the second phase of Lok Sabha polls on Friday, polling is scheduled in all 20 seats of Kerala, 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, eight seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, seven in Madhya Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, three seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one seat each in Manipur, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir. Gandhi is the sitting MP from Wayanad in Kerala and is seeking re-election. He is pitted against CPI's Annie Raja and BJP's K Surendran. In the 201

Cong, BJP lock horns again within a year as stage set for voting in K'taka

The Congress and BJP will lock horns on the electoral battleground again, in less than a year, in Karnataka as the stage is set for voting in the first phase in 14 Lok Sabha seats on Friday. It's going to be a straight fight between the ruling Congress and the BJP-JD(S) combine unlike the Assembly elections in May last year which witnessed a triangular contest among the three parties. The state has a total of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies. The second phase of polling in the remaining 14 seats is on May seven. A total of 247 candidates -- 226 men and 21 women -- are in the fray for the first phase in most of the southern and coastal districts. More than 2.88 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 30,602 polling stations where polling will take place between 7 am to 6 pm. While the Congress is contesting in all 14 seats, BJP has fielded nominees in 11 and its alliance partner JD(S), which joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in three -- Hassan, Mandya and ..

BJP resorting to lies after 'Modi Ki Guarantee' lost traction: Chidambaram

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday said the "manufactured" controversies on 'redistribution of wealth' and 'inheritance tax' showed that fear has gripped the BJP, which has fallen back on distortion, falsehoods and abuse" as 'Modi ki Guarantee' has vanished without a trace. Chidambaram, who was the chairman of the committee that drafted the Congress manifesto, asserted that the document is religion-neutral and promises justice for all sections of the people. "It is obvious that the BJP is rattled by the Congress' election manifesto 2024. The manifesto has left a deep impression in the minds of the people, especially the poor and the middle class," Chidambaram said in a statement. The former Union minister said the manifesto gives new hope to the SCs, STs and OBCs, youth and women. "The latest manufactured controversy on 'redistribution of wealth' and 'inheritance tax' is a good indicator of the fear that has gripped the BJP. The manifesto does not have a word on the so-calle

Cong hates India's Constitution, has no idea of country's values: PM Modi

He said that Congress was working against the Constitution by giving religion-based reservation

CM Siddaramaiah slams PM Modi, defends 4% Muslim quota in Karnataka

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that the Congress had transferred the reservation quota from backward classes to Muslims is a blatant lie. He also defended 4 per cent reservation for Muslims under the backward classes category in Karnataka. It stems from ignorance but also indicative of his desperation born from a fear of defeat. No leader in the history of our country has ever demeaned the office of the prime minister to such a low level, Siddaramaiah said in a post on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that the Congress has transferred the reservation quota from backward classes and Dalits to Muslims is a blatant lie, he said. Being in a position of responsibility, Prime Minister Modi should either substantiate these irresponsible allegations with evidence or apologise to the nation, Siddaramaiah said. In an election rally in Rajasthan's Tonk on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi said the Congress has tried to extend ..

Priyanka Gandhi accuses BJP, PM of diverting attention from real issues

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged on Wednesday the prices of essential commodities are rising under BJP rule, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the saffron party are diverting attention from real issues even during the election campaign. Launching a scathing attack on the BJP and the Prime Minister at a corner meeting in Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency where her brother Rahul Gandhi is seeking re-election, she said the BJP government led by Modi failed to address issues like price rise and unemployment. She said the Lok Sabha election is an opportunity to "protect democracy and the Constitution of India." Priyanka alleged the prices of petrol, diesel and other essential commodities have risen "exponentially" in the last 10 years of BJP rule. Similarly, she stated the unemployment rate has increased. However, she alleged the Prime Minister and BJP leaders will not address these problems. "They will not speak about development; they will not speak about real issues," t

Cong wants to implement religion-based quota to preserve vote bank: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at the Congress, saying the "vote bank hungry" party wanted to implement reservation on the basis of religion. Addressing a poll rally in Ambikapur, the headquarters of Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, PM Modi also said the Congress wanted to impose inheritance tax in the country and snatch the rights of people's children. Some forces want a "weak" government of the Congress and "INDI" alliance in the country as they thought that if India becomes 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant), their shops will be shut, he said. "Today when I have come to Surguja, I want to present the Muslim League thinking of the Congress in front of the country. When their manifesto was released, on the same day I had said, and saying today also that the Congress manifesto has the imprint of Muslim League," Modi said. When the Constitution was being drafted, it was decided under the leadership of Babasaheb Ambedkar that there would be no reservation on the basis o

LS polls: War of words between Cong, BJP leaders intensifies in Kolhapur

Congress leader Satej Patil and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik engaged in a war of words in Kolhapur in western Maharashtra on Tuesday after Patil warned the opposition not to obstruct his party's workers while they campaigned. If opponents created obstructions, he will confront them with a stick, Patil reportedly said. Mahadik responded by asking whether Patil wanted start riots by using such language. "I want to tell the opponents not to mess with us while we campaign. You do your campaign but do not try to mess with us," the Congress leader said. Mahadik told reporters that nobody was obstructing people from other parties. "Using the language of stick, does he want to start riots here," the BJP MP asked, claiming that Patil was already sensing defeat of his party. In Kolhapur, Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj of Congress is pitted against Shiv Sena's current MP Sanjay Mandlik.

PM Modi's 'infiltrators' remark: What did ex-PM Manmohan Singh say in 2006?

Lok Sabha elections 2024: During a rally in Rajasthan, PM Narendra Modi claimed that former PM Manmohan Singh believed that Muslims had 'first claim on resources' and wealth of the nation

Highlights of the day: Delhi records maximum temperature of 37.2 degrees Celsius

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