Page 65 - Indian National Congress

INDIA bloc leaders attend virtual meeting, focus on seat-sharing agenda

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar attended the meeting of INDIA bloc leaders via video conferencing in Mumbai

Cong's Nyay Yatra to begin from Manipur, focus on bread-and-butter issues

The Congress will begin the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from the violence-hit Manipur on Sunday, in what is being seen as the party's bid to set the narrative in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls and put the spotlight on issues such as unemployment, price rise and social justice. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will travel through 100 Lok Sabha segments in 15 states and the party believes it will prove to be as "transformative" as Gandhi's earlier cross-country march. The Congress has said that it is taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as the government did not give it a chance to raise people's issues in Parliament and the initiative is aimed at re-establishing the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution. Though the Congress has stressed that this is not an electoral yatra, it comes at a crucial juncture as the party seeks to revive its fortunes after a poor showing in the last round of assembly elections. With the BJP focusin

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to join Rahul's Nyay Yatra in Manipur on Jan 14

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who is currently in the national capital, is expected to join Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra that will be flagged off in Manipur on January 14. According to official sources, Reddy may meet AICC leader Sonia Gandhi in Delhi today. On Sunday morning, Revanth Reddy will leave for Manipur. After participating in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on its first day, he will return to Delhi and depart for Davos to attend the World Economic Forum summit, sources said. Reddy is also likely to discuss the issue of nominations for two MLC seats that fell vacant after the resignation of BRS MLAs Kadiyam Srihari and Kaushik Reddy following their election to legislative assembly last month. The CM will be accompanied by IT and Industries minister D Sridhar Babu and senior officials will be meeting several industry leaders and pitch Telangana as an ideal investment destination.

K'taka's clearance committee approves 73 projects worth over Rs 3,900 crore

The State-Level Single Window Clearance Committee headed by Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Friday approved 73 projects worth Rs 3,935.52 crore. The projects are expected to generate employment for nearly 15,000 people, according to a statement. Proposals submitted by Bengaluru-based companies -- ETL Secure Space Limited, and DhaSH PV Technologies Private Limited -- which are going to invest Rs 490.5 crore and Rs 346.35 crore respectively were among the marquis projects greenlighted by the panel. Patil, the minister for Large and Medium Industries, and Infrastructure Development said the projects that received a nod would ensure equitable investment across the diverse regions of the state. Many of the projects approved by the SLSWCC would be implemented in the districts of North Karnataka, he added.

Youth Congress workers must fight fearlessly against injustice: Rahul

Every worker of the Indian Youth Congress will have to fight "fearlessly against the injustice" happening across the country, party leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday. Addressing the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers at their national executive meeting, he alleged that the BJP and RSS are "diverting" people's attention from the real issues. "Youth Congress workers will have to fight against the injustice happening across the country and keep in mind, 'saho mat, daro mat' (don't tolerate, don't be afraid). The BJP and the RSS are diverting people's attention from the real issues and deceiving the citizens," Gandhi alleged. The Congress leader said the youth has been "suffering under the burden of unemployment". "The youth is suffering under the burden of unemployment and inflation, but the government is celebrating by calling it 'Amrit Kaal'," he alleged. Gandhi also launched an initiative called 'Rozgaar Do, Nyay Do' (Give employment, give justice) at the IYC national executive

LS committee likely to recommend revocation of 3 Cong MP's suspension

The privileges committee of the Lok Sabha is likely to recommend revoking the suspension of three Congress MPs after they expressed regret on Friday for their conduct during Parliament's winter session, when they had barged up to the speaker's podium amid protests by opposition members. Congress members Abdul Khaleque, J Jayakumar and Vijaykumar Vasanth were suspended from the Lok Sabha during the winter session and the matter was referred to the privileges committee. Sources said all three of them appeared before the committee headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sunil Kumar Singh on Friday and expressed regret for their behaviour. "They admitted to their mistake and expressed regret. All members present in the meeting believed that the matter should end with them expressing regret. We will recommend to the House the revocation of their suspension," a source said. This will pave the way for the three Congress MPs to attend the budget session starting from January 31. During

Karti Chidambaram appears before ED third time in less than one month

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram appeared before the Enforcement Directorate here on Friday, his third deposition in less than a month, for questioning in a money laundering case linked to alleged issuance of visas to some Chinese nationals in 2011, sources said. The 52-year-old legislator from Sivaganga Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu was questioned in this case on December 23 last year and January 2 and the central agency recorded his statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Karti went to the ED headquarters in Delhi for the third time on Friday morning. It is understood that his deposition was in connection with the Chinese visa linked PMLA case this time too. The MP had called the summons in this case a "routine affair and things that happen routinely especially when elections come near". "These are all exercises in futility. We will go through them," he had told reporters while deposing earlier this month. The money laundering case, filed un

Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to begin from pvt ground in Manipur's Thoubal

The Congress on Friday said that the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will be flagged off from a private ground in Manipur's Thoubal district on January 14, instead of state capital Imphal. Congress's Manipur president Keisham Meghachandra said that permission was sought to begin the yatra from the Hapta Kangjeibung ground in Imphal but the state government gave the go-ahead with certain conditions, forcing to change the venue at the last moment. "We had proposed to the state government on January 2 that Hapta Kangjeibung public ground in Imphal be allowed for flagging off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. We had also announced that the Yatra will start from Imphal, and culminate in Mumbai," he said. "We met Chief Minister N Biren Singh in this regard on January 10 but were told that the permission will not be given. Later that night, an order was issued which gave permission for Hapta Kangjeibung ground but with a limited number of participants," he added. Meghachandra said that

'TMC not to hold meet with Cong alliance panel for seat-sharing in Bengal'

The Trinamool Congress will not send its representatives for any meeting with the Congress' national alliance committee on seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha elections as it has already conveyed its position to the grand old party, TMC sources said on Thursday. The Congress panel has been holding seat-sharing talks with Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partners from different states. TMC sources said the Congress contacted party leaders for such a meeting and has been conveyed that they are not keen on sending any representative for talks. They said the Trinamool Congress has offered two seats to the Congress -- the ones it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. West Bengal has 42 parliamentary constituencies. The Congress has said the offer is too low and difficult to accept. Any change in the offer can only be made by Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, they said. The TMC is also looking at fighting from one seat in Meghal

Ram Mandir inauguration: Sonia, Kharge, Adhir Ranjan decline invitation

Ram Mandir: Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have declined the invitation, calling the Ram mandir inauguration a 'RSS/BJP event' organised for 'electoral gain'

Manipur denies permission to Congress to launch Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

'Unfavourable situation' in Manipur were cited as the reason for the rejection of Congress rally ahead of the Lok Sabha elections

LIVE: UP declares Jan 22 as dry day; schools, colleges to remain close

Catch all the latest updates from around the world here

I was misinterpreted, says BJP veteran hours after praising Shashi Tharoor

Hours after he praised MP Shashi Tharoor and said it would be difficult to defeat the Congress leader from the state capital in the near future, veteran BJP leader O Rajagopal on Monday clarified that his words were misinterpreted and claimed that the saffron party will win from Thiruvananthapuram constituency in the Lok Sabha polls. Rajagopal, the former union minister who lost to Tharoor in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram, had at a function here on Monday evening said the Congress MP's ability to sway people's minds was the reason for his repeated wins from the constituency. "That is why he is able to win again and again from Thiruvananthapuram. I doubt that anyone else will get an opportunity to win (from Thiruvananthapuram) in the near future," he had said while speaking at the N Ramachandran Foundation award ceremony. Tharoor had touched Rajagopal's feet and hugged him after his speech. However, hours later, in a late night Facebook post, the veteran BJP ..

Cong to hold meeting with AAP; seat-sharing formula for LS polls on agenda

Earlier on Sunday, Congress held a National Alliance Committee (NAC) meeting to discuss the seat-sharing formula in Bihar in the national capital

Former-Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel's father dies at a pvt hospital at 89

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel's father Nand Kumar Baghel died at a hospital here on Monday morning, a Congress leader said. He was 89. The former CM's father breathed his last at around 6 am at a private hospital in Raipur, where he was admitted for the last few days, state Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla said without elaborating on the cause of the death. Bhupesh Baghel will reach Raipur from Delhi in the afternoon, he said. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the demise of Nand Kumar Baghel. In a condolence message to the bereaved family members, Sai prayed for the departed soul to rest in peace. In a post on X, Bhupesh Baghel said, "Babuji Shri Nand Kumar Baghel ji passed away this morning. His mortal remains have been kept at Patan Sadan (in Raipur). His last rites will be held on January 10 in our home village Kuruddih (Durg district), after my younger sister returns from abroad." He also shared a picture

Congress deplores arrest of 2 editors in Manipur, demands their release

The Congress on Sunday strongly deplored the reported arrest of two editors of vernacular newspapers in Manipur and demanded their immediate release, alleging a "double engine assault" by the Modi government and the Manipur dispensation on the state. In a statement, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said that in yet another crackdown on press freedom, two editors from two language newspapers have been arrested by the Manipur government. On December 31, 2023, the BJP-controlled police arrested Wangkhemcha Shyamjai, the editor of vernacular daily Kangleipaki Meira, for allegedly publishing "provocative news", Khera said. On January 5, the Manipur Police also arrested Meitei language newspaper Hueiyen Lanpao's editor Dhanabir Maibam for "promoting enmity on the ground of religion and race", the Congress leader said. In a joint statement, the All-Manipur Journalists' Union, of which Shyamjai was a former chief, and the Editors Guild Manipur (EGM) condemned his .

Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Amit Shah: Special court defers hearing to Jan 18

An MP-MLA court here on Saturday postponed to January 18 the hearing in a case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Union minister Amit Shah as advocates were occupied with a judicial workshop. The case stems from a lawsuit filed on August 4, 2018, by BJP leader Vijay Mishra, who accused Gandhi of making the remarks. Mishra's lawyer Santosh Pandey said advocates were unavailable owing to a judicial workshop in the court for junior advocates. He said the court had summoned Gandhi on December 16 in the case, but he did not appear. The court then summoned the Congress leader on January 6. Earlier on November 18 last year, judge Yogesh Yadav had reserved the verdict after arguments, posted the matter for the next hearing on November 27 and summoned Gandhi to appear on December 16. Mishra, a former chairman of a cooperative bank, is a resident of Hanumanganj.

Cong unveils logo, slogan of 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'; to be led by Rahul

The Congress on Saturday unveiled the logo and slogan of the party's upcoming 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' which will be led by party leader Rahul Gandhi

'Open heart' for Cong, but ready to go solo in Bengal if needed: TMC

The Trinamool Congress on Saturday said it has an "open heart" for the Congress regarding seat-sharing in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha elections, but it was also prepared to go solo if the talks fail. Speaking to PTI, TMC's leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay said what local Congress leaders are thinking about the sharing of seats is immaterial as the final decision will be taken by the top brass of the two parties. "Our leader Mamata Banerjee has already said that we have an open heart for the Congress. Now, what they will do is up to them. Whether there will be an in West Bengal will be decided by Sonia Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee. What local Congress leaders think is immaterial," he said. The comment comes two days after state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said his party won't beg for seats from the TMC. Another senior TMC leader, who refused to be named as he is not authorised to speak on the issue, said the party was open to having an alliance in West Bengal but

Nyay Yatra required as govt didn't allow us to speak in Parl: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said his party is taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as the government did not give it a chance to raise issues in Parliament. The Rahul Gandhi-led Manipur-to-Maharashtra yatra, which will begin on January 14, will cover 6,713 km and its participants will travel on buses and foot. "The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will focus on basic social, political and economic issues of the country," Kharge told a press conference here. He added that INDIA bloc leaders and members of the civil society have also been invited to join the march along its route. The Congress had earlier said that the east-to-west Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would prove to be as impactful and transformative as the earlier south-to-north Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. The Congress is taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as "the government did not give us the chance to raise our issues in Parliament", Kharge said and added that "we will listen to people throu