Page 14 - Jairam Ramesh

Gandhi, Ambedkar, Shivaji statues shifted within Parliament; Cong unhappy

Statues of Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar and Chhatrapati Shivaji, among others, have been relocated within the Parliament premises as part of a landscaping exercise, a move that drew sharp criticism from the Congress on Thursday. The statues of tribal leader Birsa Munda and Maharana Pratap have also been shifted to a lawn between old Parliament building and the Parliament library. All statues are now in the same place. Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X, "Statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Gandhi, and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar have just been removed from their places of prominence in front of the Parliament House. This is atrocious." Attacking the BJP, Congress's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said when Maharashtra voters did not vote for BJP, the statues of Shivaji and Ambedkar were removed from their original place in Parliament. When they did not get clean sweep in Gujarat, they removed the statue of Mahatma

India deserves faster, ecologically sustainable economic growth: Ramesh

India deserves faster economic growth that is socially just and ecologically sustainable, former environment minister and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday. On World Environment Day, Ramesh called for enforcement of laws and regulations, without fear or favour and strengthening of institutions. In a post on X, Ramesh said, "June 5th is celebrated as World Environment Day to mark the opening of the first-ever UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972." It was in this assembly that Indira Gandhi had made her historic speech on June 14, he said. "India deserves faster economic growth that is, at the same time, socially just and ecologically sustainable. This is not an impossible trinity. It is both doable and essential," Ramesh said. "It demands enforcement of laws and regulations, without fear or favour, strengthening of institutions, and a deep understanding of and actions based on a fundamental truth that our ancient heritage teaches us," he

Financial markets were given artificial booster dose by exit polls: Cong

As financial markets went for a tumble on Tuesday after the trends of the Lok Sabha poll results showed that the BJP was not getting a majority on its own, the Congress said the markets were given an artificial booster dose by the exit polls and have now turned turbulent. The Congress also recalled the words of former prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2004 to say that the party is committed to an orderly and healthy development of the financial markets that reflect the fundamentals of the economy. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government provided a fear-free and intimidation-free 10-year period (2004-14) for the private sector that helped the country achieve its highest GDP growth. "Financial markets that were given an artificial booster dose by the exit polls are turbulent today. In this context, it is wise to recall the words of Dr Manmohan Singh on May 17th 2004, the last occasion on which the markets were faced with

Who ordered you to slow down Lok Sabha election results, Congress asks EC

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh questions Election Commission on delays in vote counting

PM Modi must take moral responsibility and resign: Congress on LS polls

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Jairam Ramesh said that the INDIA bloc's better-than-expected performance was a sign that it was time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resign from his post

EC asks Jairam Ramesh to share details of claim on Shah calling up DMs

The Election Commission on Sunday sought factual information from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on his claim that Home Minister Amit Shah has called up 150 district magistrates and collectors ahead of the June 4 counting of votes for the Lok sabha elections. In a letter to Ramesh, the poll panel has asked him to share details of his claim by 7 pm on Sunday. The EC referred to his post on X on June 1 in which he had claimed that "The outgoing Home Minister has been calling up DMs/Collectors. So far, he has spoken to 150 of them. This is blatant and brazen intimidation, showing how desperate the BJP is. Let it be very clear: the will of the people shall prevail, and on June 4th, Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah, and the BJP will exit, and the INDIA Janbandhan will be victorious. Officers should not get under any pressure and must uphold the Constitution. They are under watch.

Party with most seats 'natural claimant' to INDIA bloc leadership: Ramesh

Ramesh said an INDIA bloc government formed after getting the mandate from the people will be 'authoritative' but not 'authoritarian'

Modi govt repeatedly blocked farmers from making any profits, alleges Cong

The Congress on Thursday accused the Modi government of repeatedly blocking India's farmers from making any profits in the last 10 years and claimed that the pattern of policy making has been to not allow farmers to earn well when prices rise and leave them to fend for themselves when prices crash. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a day he held a rally in Hoshiarpur on the last day of campaigning. "After peddling lies about the Father of the Nation yesterday, the outgoing PM is in Hoshiarpur for his final campaign event. Our last set of questions to him before the people of India, that is Bharat, bid him a long-awaited farewell," Ramesh said in his post on X. "If not India's kisaans, will the outgoing PM guarantee MSP to Russia's farmers? Will the PM raise the 50% cap on reservations for Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs? Why does Adampur Airport offer only one flight route? Why has the Modi Sarkar failed to address the severe staff

Cong set narrative with sharp campaign, put PM Modi on backfoot: Ramesh

The Congress set the narrative during the Lok Sabha polls with a sharp campaign that was devoid of "agar-magar, kintu parantu" and pushed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the "back foot", senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday. In an interview with PTI on the last day of campaigning for the seven-phase elections, the Congress general secretary, in-charge communications, claimed that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will get a clear and decisive majority of the type it got in 2004. "After the first two phases, it had become clear to me and I am sure, clear to any unbiased, non-partisan observer, that winds of change are blowing. 'Dakshin mein BJP saaf, uttar mein BJP half' (wiped out in the south and reduced to half in the north)," Ramesh said. As the campaigning draws to a close, Ramesh said the first shot at creating a new narrative for the Congress was fired by Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The yatra was held between September 2022 a

Lok Sabha polls: Agnipath a national security threat, alleges Congress

Hitting out at the Modi government, the Congress on Tuesday claimed that the Agnipath military recruitment scheme is a "national security threat" and it has shrunk the stream of recruitment which can compromise the country's security for the next decade. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh's attack on the government came over a media report which claimed that the Department of Military Affairs is "actively" taking stock of the feedback on serving Agniveers from the services to analyse the effects of their induction to make the commensurate changes suitable for the Army, Air Force and the Navy. In a post on X, Ramesh claimed that Agnipath is a "national security threat". "The Indian Armed Forces need to maintain a dense/continuous deployment of personnel along Eastern Ladakh to protect against Chinese aggression," he said. "Agnipath has shrunk the stream of recruitment from 75,000 per year to 46,000 per year - the resulting shortfall of personnel can compromise our security for

BJP ignored plight of UP's once-thriving sugar industry, alleges Congress

The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP of ignoring the plight of Uttar Pradesh's once thriving sugar industry and neglecting farmers' frequent calls to increase the price of sugarcane. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his rallies in Shravasti and Basti. "Why does Shravasti has the highest infant mortality rate in UP? Why have 189 primary schools in Basti been declared unusable? Why has the BJP neglected Basti's sugarcane farmers and sugar mills?" Ramesh said on X. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", the Congress leader said Shravasti ranks among India's most underdeveloped districts on several parameters and 96 of every 1,000 children die within a year of being born, much more than the UP's shamefully high average of 68 deaths per 1000 births. "While there should be 36 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Shravasti, 1 for every 30,000 residents, the district only has 11 PHCs, which amounts to 1 PHC for mo

Rajiv's life was short but 'impactful', liberalisation his legacy: Ramesh

Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's political life was very short but "hugely impactful" and he left behind numerous legacies, including the 1991 manifesto which promised liberalisation, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday. Ramesh remembered the contributions made by Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary. "His political life was very short but hugely impactful. He left behind numerous legacies that we take for granted now," he said. "These include the right of 18 year olds to vote; Constitutional empowerment of panchayats and nagarpalikas, including reservations for women in elections to them; peace in Assam, Mizoram, Tripura and Punjab; India's entry into the IT, computer and telecom era as a major power; the use of science & technology to address societal concerns and challenges; strengthening of India's space and nuclear programmes. And much more," he said. One legacy, however, that is often overlooked is the Congress' 1991 manifesto that was released by him on April

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