Page 94 - Indian National Congress

Farmers being cornered, says Rahul Gandhi as he takes on BJP govt

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday slammed the BJP-led government for "cornering" the farming community with the rising fuel and fertiliser prices, saying that the farmers need to be protected. The backbone of the country, which is feeding people, is being targeted, he was addressing a press conference at Samana, near here. "Farmer is being cornered from every side. He is being directly hit by fuel prices, he is not getting insurance claims for vagaries of weather. He is being directly hit by urea prices," he said. The Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, a foot march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir is currently in the second phase of its Haryana leg. "The three farm laws (now-repealed) were not the farm laws. They were weapons to hit them (farmers), like demonetisation and wrong Goods and Services Tax (GST) were weapons to hit small traders," he said. They need to be protected, Gandhi said. "We know farmers are being attacked. I can guarantee one thing if Congress party comes to power .

Ex-Army chief, retired officers of defence services join Bharat Jodo Yatra

Former Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor and many retired top officers of the defence services joined the Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' on Sunday which is passing through Haryana. Amid severe cold and fog, the march resumed in the morning from Dodwa in Karnal's Nilokheri region and entered the Kurukshetra district later in the day. Scores of people joined the Yatra as it passed through Karnal in the morning, which is also the home constituency of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Senior party leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Kumari Selja are part of the Yatra in its Haryana leg. "Ex-COAS (chief of Army staff) Gen Deepak Kapoor, Lt Gen R K Hooda, Lt Gen VK Narula, AM (air marshal) PS Bhangu, Maj Gen Satbir Singh Chaudhary, Maj Gen Dharmender Singh, Col Jitender Gill, Col Pushpender Singh, Lt Gen DDS Sandhu, Maj Gen Bishamber Dayal, Col Rohit Chaudhry join @RahulGandhi at the Bharat Jodo Yatra," the Congress tweeted. Notably, Gen Deepak Kapoor (retd) had

Imbalanced regional representation in new Himachal cabinet: Jai Ram Thakur

The Congress government has failed to give adequate representation to various regions in the cabinet expansion on Sunday, Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jai Ram Thakur alleged here. The BJP leader and former chief minister also criticised the government over the appointment of six chief parliamentary secretaries, saying it would put a burden of crores of rupees on the state exchequer. Out of the 13 appointments made by the Congress government, eight MLAs have been appointed from Shimla parliamentary constituency while the rest of the three parliamentary constituencies have not been given adequate share, Thakur said in a statement here. Taking a dig at the Congress government, he said during the three days of assembly session that concluded recently, the Congress leaders talked about reducing the expenditure in Himachal but now they have appointed six CPS and put additional burden on the state exchequer. He said that as of now Himachal is under a debt of Rs 74,622

Congress says confident of forming govt in Nagaland over anti-incumbency

The Congress is confident of forming the next government in Nagaland as there is an anti-incumbency in the state, a senior leader said on Saturday. The ruling BJP-NDPP combine is exposed through their deliberate non-implementation of the Naga political solution, said Congress's in-charge of Nagaland Ranajit Mukherjee. "There is an anti-incumbency across the state and we are confident that Congress will form the next government," he said. Asserting that the Congress stands for an immediate solution to the Naga political issue, he claimed, "Being the only party opposing the BJP and NDPP in the state, we are sure that the electorate will grant their votes to us." Asked if the Congress will contest all the 60 seats, Mukherjee said his party has floated the vision of a secular alliance to all other like-minded parties to contest all the seats. He said the party's leadership will hold a crucial meeting with state Congress office-bearers on January 10 in Dimapur to formulate an electoral

'Bade log hain': Prashant Kishor on Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' on Saturday won grudging praise, couched in sarcasm, from political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor. The IPAC founder, who is on a padayatra in his home state Bihar, was asked by journalists in Motihari about parallels, if any, he saw between his own effort and the marathon march of Gandhi. "Bade log hain (they are big people). Compared with them, I am a nobody," said Kishor whose 'Jan Suraaj' campaign in Bihar came after a lengthy round of failed negotiations with the top leadership of the Congress, which he had wanted to join and was confident of reviving using his professional skills. "Rahul Gandhi is on a 3,500 km-long march. For me, kilometers do not matter. I have been walking non-stop since October. But I do not want to show it off as evidence of my physical fitness," Kishor remarked, with thinly veiled sarcasm. Dubbed an "opportunist" by the political mainstream in Bihar, the former strategist insisted that he ha

Bharat Jodo Yatra is not to project Rahul as PM candidate: Jairam Ramesh

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' was not an exercise to project Rahul Gandhi as a prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 general elections. "This Bharat Jodo Yatra is not to project Rahul Gandhi as a prime ministerial candidate. It is an ideological yatra of which the main face is Rahul Gandhi. It is not one individual's yatra," Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in-charge communications, said in response to a question here. He asserted that the 'Kanyakumari to Kashmir' foot march, which is currently passing through Karnal in Haryana, is not an election yatra. The senior party leader added that Gandhi has raised three big issues in the Yatra, namely economic inequality, social polarisation and political authoritarianism.

Congress party workers enter UP chanting the slogan 'Bharat Jodo'

The stretch leading towards Ghaziabad from Kashmiri Gate was decked with tricolours and balloons as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed on Tuesday from Delhi and entered Uttar Pradesh in the afternoon. Scores of Congress leaders and workers gathered at Hanuman Mandir in Yamuna Bazar, from where the Yatra resumed, holding flags, banners and chanting the slogan 'Bharat Jodo'. Party workers joined the Yatra amid singing of patriotic songs and beating of drums, as they proceeded towards Uttar Pradesh. Camps were set up by Congress workers and members at various points across the route towards Ghaziabad. Small cultural events were also organised at several points along the way. While many yatris were spotted wearing white T-shirts with picture of Rahul Gandhi on it, several others joined the Yatra wrapping tricolour scarf around their neck. Many citizens also gathered across the road and their terraces to catch a glimpse of the Yatra. A large number of police pers

LIVE: Oppn should work in a coordinated manner for 2024, says Rahul Gandhi

Live news updates: "My main focus right now is for a united India, we should fight against hatred. My focus is only to unite India," he said.

Congress' income through electoral trusts less than TRS, SP, AAP: Report

The BJP received Rs 351.50 crore or 72.17 per cent of the total donations made to political parties by Electoral Trusts in 2021-22, while the Congress received less than the TRS, Samajwadi Party, AAP and the YSR Congress, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms. Electoral trust is a non-profit organisation formed in India for orderly receiving of contributions from corporate entities and individuals to political parties. It aims at improving transparency in the usage of funds for election-related expenses. The BJP received nineteen times more donations than the Congress in 2021-22 from electoral trust, the ADR data showed. The total donations to the BJP were over 2.5 times of what went to the other nine parties. The Association for Democratic Reforms, in its analysis of Electoral Trusts, said Rs 351.50 crore or 72.17 per cent of the total donations received by all political partiesin 2021-22 went to the BJP. According to ADR, the Congress received Rs 18.44 crore from .

Congress invites Akhilesh, Mayawati to attend Bharat Jodo Yatra in UP

The Congress has invited several leaders of non-BJP parties, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, BSP supremo Mayawati and RLD's Jayant Chaudhary, to take part in the Uttar Pradesh leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. An exception is former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma who has been invited to the yatra in his capacity as a professor of Lucknow University. Another professor of the university, Ravikant, has also been invited. The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Uttar Pradesh on January 3 through Loni in Ghaziabad. It will then pass through Baghpat and Shamli to enter Haryana. Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh told PTI that the party has extended invitations to prominent opposition leaders in the state to attend the yatra. In the present times when people are not allowed to raise their views, this yatra is the only option to know people's minds, the spokesperson said. The entire opposition has almost the same view about this government so they have been .

Walk for an India where no one lives in fear, says Rahul Gandhi on BJY

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre and said that Bharat Jodo Yatra is a "walk for an India where no one lives in fear"

Rahul harbouring bitterness over loss of power: BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad charged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with harbouring talkhi' (bitterness) over loss of political power and speaking of mohabbat' (love) during the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' to hide the same. The former Union minister also made a veiled reference to leaders like Kanhaiya Kumar, saying people who have nafrat' (hatred) for India and shouted anti-national slogans in JNU had joined the mohabbat ka paigham' rhetoric. I have come to Patna in connection with the municipal polls scheduled next week. I am under instructions to reply to Gandhi's diatribe in Delhi, said Prasad. He accused the Congress leader of disrespect towards Hindu faith and sanatan chetna, tracing it back to Jawaharlal Nehru's "disapproval" of active involvement of Sardar Patel in the renovation of Somnath temple and inauguration of it by then President Rajendra Prasad. The BJP leader also bristled at Gandhi's repeated reference to the Chinese occupation of Indian territory and asked he wou

BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad slams Rahul Gandhi over remarks against Army

Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi over his recent statements on the Indian Army, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said that it is Congress' "strategy" to make "hateful remarks" about Army

LIVE: RT-PCR to be mandatory for passengers from China, Japan, S Korea, HK

Live news updates: Any passenger from these countries found symptomatic or testing positive for coronavirus would be quarantined, Mandaviya said

DMK leader Kanimozhi joins Congress's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Haryana

DMK MP Kanimozhi joined the Congress's "Bharat Jodo Yatra", led by party leader Rahul Gandhi, here on Friday and said she was delighted to be a part of the foot march that celebrates India's diversity. "I was delighted to take part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which celebrates our diversity, in Haryana today. Mr @RahulGandhi's vision of uniting India is an idea which will be taken forward by the people of India," the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader wrote on Twitter and posted pictures of her with the former Congress chief on the microblogging website. The yatra resumed on Friday from Kherli Lala in Gurugram's Sohna on the third and last day of its Haryana leg in the first phase, before entering Faridabad. The Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir yatra, a mass contact initiative of the Congress that started on September 7, has so far covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The first phase of the yatra in Haryana concludes on

Bharat Jodo Yatra resumes from Kherli Lala on last day of Haryana leg

The Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by party leader leader Rahul Gandhi, resumed on Friday from Kherli Lala in Sohna on the third and last day of its Haryana leg in the first phase. Senior Congress leaders from the state have been part of the foot march that entered Nuh in Haryana from Rajasthan on Wednesday. Braving the morning chill, among those who walked along with Gandhi were former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and senior leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Kumari Selja. The yatra will pass through Faridabad district, including Pakhal village, Pali Chowk and Gopal Garden, during the day. After entering Nuh on Wednesday, Gandhi had targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), suggesting that while the Congress gives voice to farmers and labourers, another ideology benefits only a select few. The former Congress chief had also slammed the ruling party over inflation and unemployment. On Thursday, Gandhi said the government is coming up with "excuses" to stop th

Delhi Police to issue advisory once Bharat Jodo Yatra's route finalised

The Delhi Police on Thursday said a traffic advisory in connection with the Bharat Jodo Yatra will be issued once its route is finalised. The Rahul Gandhi-led yatra will reach Delhi on Saturday at 6 am on its 108th day. A senior police officer said once the route gets finalised, the advisory will be issued accordingly. The march will enter the national capital from the Badarpur border and conclude at Lal Quila after covering a distance of 23 kilometres via Ashram Chowk. It entered Haryana from Rajasthan on Wednesday. A mass contact initiative of the Congress, the yatra began from Kanyakumari on September 7 and has covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan till now. After arriving in Delhi on December 24, it will take a break of about eight days before moving to Uttar Pradesh, Haryana (second phase), Punjab and finally, Jammu and Kashmir.

Cong will follow Covid guidelines, but Yatra will not be stopped: Khurshid

The Congress will follow all COVID-related guidelines, but the Bharat Jodo Yatra will not be stopped, senior party leader Salman Khurshid said on Thursday. His statement came after Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot asking them to consider suspending the march if COVID-19 protocols could not be followed. "The Congress will follow all the precautions related to the prevention of Covid, but the yatra will not stop, will not stop, will not stop," Kurshid, the yatra's coordination committee chairman in Uttar Pradesh, told reporters here. He was answering a question on whether the letter will affect the march. In a democratic system, every party and individual has the right to speak their mind, the former union minister said. "The government is scared of this Congress yatra, that is why various orders and letters are being issued," he said. He informed that Rahul Gandhi-led yatra will enter Uttar

Delhi CM Kejriwal should stop BJY over Covid scare: Swami Chakrapani

Swami Chakrapani Maharaj, National President of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, has asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to stop the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the wake of Covid scare

'Chronology Samajhiye': Congress' jibe at govt over PM's Covid meeting

"Understand the chronology," the Congress said on Thursday as it pointed out that the health minister wrote to Rahul Gandhi over Covid concerns and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reviewing the virus-related situation just days before the Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Delhi. The Congress' jibe came just hours before Prime Minister Modi was set to review the situation related to COVID-19 in the country at a high-level meeting Thursday afternoon. "4 cases of Omicron sub-variant driving Chinese surge were reported in Gujarat and Odisha in July, September & November," Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter. "Health Minister writes a letter to Rahul Gandhi yesterday. PM is reviewing situation today. Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Delhi day after. Ab Aap Chronology Samjhiye(now, understand the chronology)," he said. Accusing the government of selectively picking on the Bharat Jodo Yatra over Covid concerns, the Congress on Wednesday had pointed to ...