Page 14 - Jairam Ramesh

Congress provided quotas to minorities but not on basis of religion: Jairam

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday asserted that reservations have been provided to certain sections of minority communities, in states ruled by it, "on the ground of social and economic backwardness". Addressing a press conference at the Sadaqat Ashram here, the BPCC headquarters, Ramesh clarified that no quotas have been provided "on the basis of religion" in states like Karnataka. "We abide by the Constitution which does not allow grant of reservations and citizenship on the basis of religion. It is the BJP which has violated the Constitution through CAA, which is nothing but grant of citizenship along religious lines. The law has, therefore, been challenged in court", the AICC general secretary said. Ramesh was responding to queries on allegations by BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that Congress was snatching away quotas meant for OBCs and Dalits and diverting these to its own "vote bank" of Muslims. Ramesh alleged that Modi was "making one false ...

'Bhrasht Janata Party' sought to dilute Adivasi rights, says Jairam

The Congress on Sunday claimed that the Modi government's Forest Conservation Amendment Act had "undid" the progress of the historic Forest Rights Act of 2006 and accused the BJP of diluting tribal rights. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his rally in Jharkhand's Jamshedpur. "Why do the people of Jamshedpur still suffer from poor connectivity? Why is it that the 2As and their tempo-loads of black money roam free, while Jharkhand's Adivasi CM was put in jail? Why is the Adityapur Industrial Area still waiting for environmental clearance? Why has the PM denied Adivasis their religious identity and refused to recognize the Sarna code?" Ramesh said. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", he said Jamshedpur, despite being an industrial hub, has poor transport connectivity. The number of trains running to key cities such as Bhagalpur, Bengaluru, and Delhi are inadequate, he said. The city had a functional airp

LS polls: BJP wiped out from south India, halved elsewhere, says Ramesh

Calling Narendra Modi the "outgoing prime minister", Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday claimed the polling held so far clearly indicates that the BJP has been "wiped out" from south India and reduced to half in the rest of the country. Addressing a press conference in Ranchi, Ramesh alleged that the PM polarised voters on religious lines, and was now "lying" that he "never did Hindu-Muslim" politics. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an outgoing prime minister, and his desperation after the initial phases of the elections says this. Amit Shah is an outgoing home minister. We will get rid of the pandemic of lies after June 4," he said. Ramesh claimed the INDIA bloc would form the government at the Centre and would ensure a nationwide caste census. Alleging that the BJP-led government "badly misused" ED, CBI and IT Department, Ramesh said that if voted to power, the Congress would ensure that powers given to these agencies are revisited. He accused the BJP-led ...

Highlights of the day: Delhi CM Kejriwal to hold meeting with AAP leaders on Sunday

From Jairam Ramesh hitting out at the BJP for giving a ticket to Brij Bhushan's SAon to the damage done by the dust storm in national capital on Friday, catch all the news from around the world here

What is stopping govt from cancelling Revanna's passport, asks Congress

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday asked the government what is stopping it from cancelling the diplomatic passport of suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is accused of sexual abuse. The 33-year-old Hassan MP reportedly flew to Germany soon after the Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to order a probe into the sexual allegations against him after scores of explicit videos and pictures went viral on social media. In a post on X, Ramesh questioned how Prajwal was allowed to escape. "What is stopping the PM from having the diplomatic passport to Prajwal Revanna cancelled? How and why was he allowed to flee the country like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi were?" the Congress leader asked. Prajwal, the grandson of Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, has been accused of sexual assault after several videos allegedly featuring him with multiple wome

PM Modi, Odisha CM Patnaik two sides of same coin, says Jairam Ramesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik are "two sides of the same coin", Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Saturday, accusing the BJP and the BJD of being "in cahoots" with each other. Modi is on a two-day poll campaign tour of Odisha and will address three rallies in the state on Saturday. Lok Sabha and assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha. Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Ramesh said the Odisha party has bailed out the Modi government on a number of occasions in Parliament. "Na-veen and Na-rendra are two sides of the same coin. Why is the PM lying about his party's 'relationship status' with the BJD?" Ramesh said in a statement which he shared on X. He said the seat-sharing talks between the BJP and the BJD earlier this year only confirmed what was already known. "Despite officially claiming to be in opposition, the two parties are in cahoots with each other," Ramesh ...

LS polls: Sack Brij Bhushan, withdraw his son's ticket, says Jairam Ramesh

The Congress on Friday demanded the BJP sack former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh after a Delhi court ordered framing of sexual harassment and other charges against him. It also demanded the Lok Sabha ticket given to his son be withdrawn. In a post on X, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said the BJP has tried to "hide behind the fig leaf" by giving a ticket to his son from the Kaiserganj seat, which is presently represented by Brij Bhushan in Lok Sabha. "Today, a Delhi court has ordered the framing of charges against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the BJP's goonda-MP who has been accused of sexually harassing five women wrestlers, including a minor," Ramesh said. "Remember, this is the same Brij Bhushan who had called for the dilution of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) law. Brij Bhushan, who abused his position as head of the Wrestling Federation of India to sexually assault women. Brij Bhushan, also accused in terror-linked TADA and murder ...

BJP govt has made Gujarat hub for drug traffickers from Pak, alleges Cong

The Congress on Thursday alleged that the BJP government has made Gujarat a hub for drug traffickers from Pakistan and asked what is Prime Minister Narendra Modi doing to confront the rise of drug smuggling in the state. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rallies in Gujarat. "Who is the PM protecting in the rampant drug smuggling trade into Gujarat? Who is responsible for the lakhs of families affected by inaccurate land records? Why is Gujarat still suffering from water shortage after all these years of BJP rule?" Ramesh said in a post on X. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", Ramesh alleged that the BJP government has made Gujarat a hub for drug traffickers from Pakistan. "Just a few days ago, the Indian Coast Guard, Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad, and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized a Pakistani boat carrying 86 kg of heroin (worth Rs 600 crore) off the coast of Gujarat. Two days prior, mephedrone val

Cong promise of Rs 400/day national minimum wage is real '400 paar': Ramesh

The Congress on Wednesday reiterated its 'Shramik Nyay' guarantees on International Labour Day, and said its promise of Rs 400 per day national minimum wage is the real '400 paar'. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh listed the party's guarantees for labourers and alleged that the past 10 years have been of 'anyay kaal' for them. On the occasion of International Labour Day it is most appropriate to recall the 'Shramik Nyay' guarantees in the Congress Nyay Patra for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said. Elaborating on the guarantees, Ramesh said the Congress has promised 'Shram ka Samman' (Dignity for Labour)' with Rs 400 per day national minimum wage, including for MGNREGA. "This is the real '400 paar'," Ramesh said at a press conference here, taking a jibe at the BJP's '400 paar' slogan of securing over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls for the NDA. Ramesh alleged that the BJP's call of '400 paar' is aimed at changing the Constitution. Holding a copy of the Constitution, Ra

Why has PM ignored plight of Marathwada's farmers: Cong slams Modi

The Congress on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ignoring the plight of farmers in Marathwada, and also asked what is his vision to address water scarcity in that region. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the prime minister ahead of his rallies in Marathwada region of Maharashtra. "Why has the PM ignored the plight of Marathwada's farmers? What is the PM's vision to address water scarcity in Marathwada? Why has the export ban only been lifted on Gujarat's white onions?" Ramesh said in a post on X. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla" details, Ramesh said that in the first half of 2023, the Marathwada region accounted for the highest number of farmer suicides in Mahrashtra. "As many as 685 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada and the State Agriculture Minister's home district, Beed, reported the highest number of deaths at 186. Now, after suffering from drought conditions for the last four months, the Marathwada region has been hit

PM Modi invoking Goebbels while speaking about Cong Nyay Patra: Ramesh

The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking inspiration from Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels while speaking about the party's Nyay Patra for the Lok Sabha elections. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "For his MA in Entire Political Science, Mr. Narendra Modi must definitely have read Joseph Goebbels on the value of propaganda and taken inspiration from him." He noted that Goebbels had stated that "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." Ramesh said he also wrote in 1941 that "The English follow the principle that when one lies, one should lie big and stick to it." Goebbels was the propaganda minister of German ruler Adolf Hitler. "In his latest interview to a TV channel, which is being headlined, the outgoing PM has yet again blatantly, brazenly and shamelessly lied about the Congress's Nyay Patra. It once again proves that Mr.Modi's motto has always been 'Asatyameva Jayate.' Tr

Modi govt used privatisation as weapon to weaken reservations: Ramesh

The Congress on Sunday attacked the BJP over Home Minister Amit Shah's quota remarks in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that the Modi government has used privatization as a "weapon" to weaken reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs in the last 10 years. The opposition party also claimed that the secret behind the BJP's '400 paar' slogan is that they will openly try to end reservation this time. The Congress' attack came after Shah, speaking at a UP rally, said the BJP will neither remove reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs nor will it allow anyone to do so, calling it a "Modi guarantee". Responding to Shah's remarks, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Mr. Home Minister when airports were handed over to the prime minister's best friend in various cities, wasn't reservation finished there? When Air India was sold, wasn't the reservation finished there? When you were going to sell steel plants and oil refineries, wouldn't that have ended reservation there?" "Earlier IPCL, BSNL, Ashoka

After LS polls phase II washout, desperate PM 'fear-mongering'?: Congress

The Congress on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is indulging in "fear mongering" as he is "desperate" after facing a "washout" in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions for the prime minister ahead of his rallies in Karnataka. "After the Phase II washout, a desperate PM is on a spree of Karnataka rallies today. Instead of lying and fear mongering, these are the questions he should answer," Ramesh said, listing his posers. "Why have BJP MPs performed so poorly as the people's representatives? After a 7-month delay, why has the Centre released less than 20% of drought relief funds? Why is the Centre holding up the Upper Bhadra and Mahadayi projects?" the Congress leader said on X. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", Ramesh asked where have BJP MPs been while the Modi government has been "unleashing its vengeance" on Karnataka. Citing the latest data from the Parliamentary Research Service (PRS)

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

BJP govt in Rajasthan rolling back Cong's pro-people schemes: Jairam Ramesh

The Congress on Tuesday said its previous government in Rajasthan introduced schemes that provided crucial protection to vulnerable populations of the state and asked why the current BJP dispensation is "rolling back" those "pro-people" measures. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his election rally in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur. "Questions for the PM as he heads to Tonk-Sawai Madhopur today: Why is the BJP scaling back INC's pro-people schemes? How much corruption has the BJP committed in the ERCP? How long will families displaced by the Isarda Dam be denied compensation by the BJP? Ramesh said in a post on X. Elaborating on what he said were jumla details, Ramesh said when the Congress party was in power in Rajasthan, it passed a series of "visionary" laws that would meaningfully improve the quality of life of thousands in the state. "The Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Act, the addition of 25 extra days for MGNREGA (Rur

PM resorted to 'hate speech' after disappointment in first phase: Congress

Congress accuses Prime Minister Modi of using 'poisonous language' to divert attention from real issues, intensifying attacks after his controversial wealth redistribution remarks

FRA implementation stalled due to state govt's failure, alleges Congress

The Congress on Thursday claimed that implementation of the Forest Rights Act has been stalled through a combination of state governments failing to implement it and the BJP-led Centre's legislation to "dilute it", as the party promised that if it is voted to power a national mission will be focused on implementing the Act across India. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that among the transformative 'Paanch NYAY Pachees Guarantee' of the party, one of the most important for tribal brothers and sisters is the guarantee on the Forest Rights Act (FRA). A historic legislation passed by the UPA in December 2006, the FRA empowers forest-dwelling communities to manage their forests - as they have for generations - and harvest forest produce for economic benefit, the former environment minister said on a post on X. "Unfortunately, through a combination of state governments failing to implement the FRA and the Modi Sarkar's legislation to dilute it, FRA implementation has been ..

LS polls: 'Modi govt gave Bihar raw deal,' says Congress' Jairam Ramesh

The Congress attacked the Modi government on Tuesday over key issues of Bihar, and asked why has the state not been granted special category status as promised. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh hit out at the prime minister ahead of his poll rallies in Bihar. "Today's questions for PM Modi as he heads to Bihar: Why hasn't Bihar been granted Special Category Status as the PM had promised?" Ramesh said on X. When will the Modi government address the flooding of the Kosi river and what happened to the airports that the PM promised, he asked. "Jumla details below: After 10 years in power at the Centre, and 15 years in power in Bihar, why has the Modi Sarkar failed to deliver Special Category Status in the state? As per the Centre's own Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report, Bihar ranked as the poorest state in India, and 52% of the state's population lacks access to requisite health, education and living standards," Ramesh said. In 2013, the Raghuram Rajan Committee ...

PM abandoned responsibility for BJP-manufactured crisis in Manipur: Cong

The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of abandoning all responsibility for the "BJP-manufactured crisis" in Manipur and asked why is he "protecting" Chief Minister N Biren Singh. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh attacked the BJP ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah's poll campaign engagements in the violence-hit state. "The Prime Minister has abandoned all responsibility for the BJP-manufactured crisis in Manipur. However, his Home Minister has found the time to campaign in the state today, and we hope he takes the initiative to answer a few questions on behalf of the PM," Ramesh said in a post on X. Since May 3, 2023, when large-scale violence broke out in Manipur, the prime minister has not visited the state even once, he said. "He (Modi) has not even given an appointment to, or taken a call from, the Chief Ministers, MLAs, or any other political representatives of the state. In fact, he has barely even acknowledged the crisis, barring a three-minute sp

When will Assembly polls be held in J-K, Jairam Ramesh asks PM Modi

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur, the Congress accused the BJP-led Centre on Friday of suspending democracy in the Union Territory and asked it when would the Assembly polls be held there. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said while the prime minister was in Udhampur, in its attempt to retain power in the erstwhile state, the BJP-led government has suspended almost all tiers of democracy and refuses to hold fresh elections. "PM Modi must answer for his suspension of democracy," Ramesh said while posing several questions to the prime minister. He said the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has been under the Centre's direct rule ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew support to the Mehbooba Mufti-led government in 2018, citing a "deteriorating security situation". "The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been left without an elected government since then. Four seats in the Rajya Sabha also remai