Page 15 - Jairam Ramesh

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

'PM crossed all limits of cowardice': Congress on Modi's Newsweek interview

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an opportunity to send a strong message to China, but his weak response will encourage China further

PM Modi's response on China 'ineffective, feeble', says Jairam Ramesh

The Congress on Thursday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "ineffective and feeble" response to China for its border transgressions, and demanded that he apologises to 140 crore Indians for his June 2020 statement that no one has entered India nor has anyone occupied any post. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that in his interview to Newsweek magazine, "the Prime Minister was at his cowardly worst". In a post on X, he said the PM's only comment on China's repeated infringements on Indian sovereignty was that the India-China border situation needs to be addressed urgently to resolve the "abnormality" in the bilateral interactions. "The prime minister had a chance to send a powerful message to China. However, his ineffective and feeble response is likely to only encourage China further in asserting its claim on Indian territory," Ramesh said. "The prime minister's reaction to the China issue is not only disgraceful but also disrespectful to our martyrs who ma

Electoral bond scheme 'muddied waters' of political donations: Congress

The Congress on Wednesday cited a media report which claimed that at least 20 newly incorporated firms purchased electoral bonds worth about Rs 103 crore, as it alleged that the Narendra Modi government's scheme deliberately "muddied the waters" of corporate political donations. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh cited a report by The Hindu, which said that despite companies in existence for less than three years not being allowed to make political contributions, data shows that at least 20 such newly incorporated firms purchased poll bonds worth about Rs 103 crore. Ramesh alleged there are four primary channels of corruption in the "electoral bond scam" and everyday a new dimension emerges to the "PayPM Scam", "confirming the shocking reality of the corruption which has engulfed this country through Narendra Modi's encouragement". "An update on the 'Farzi Companies' who have been donating chanda to political parties - 1.Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo. 2.Theka Lo, Rishvat Do 3.Hafta .

Congress stands committed to unity, BJP wants artificial uniformity: Jairam

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said that the party is committed to "unity" while the BJP wants "artificial uniformity". Addressing media persons here at Congress Bhavan in Dimapur, the AICC general secretary, who arrived in the state during the day to campaign for Congress candidate S Supongmeren Jamir, said the 2024 elections will be the most important one for the people of the country as it will be a "battle between unity and uniformity". The Congress wants to strengthen unity by celebrating the country's diversity while the BJP and its allies want to impose artificial uniformity, he said. Article 371 (A) was included in the Constitution of India in 1963 when the state of Nagaland was formed, he said, adding that the Article that provides special provisions for Nagaland will "come under attack as the BJP had removed Article 370 from the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The framework agreement was signed between the Government of India a

Youth taken for ride by BJP's double-engine govt in UP, alleges Congress

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the youth have been "taken for a ride" by the BJP's "double engine" government in Uttar Pradesh and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to answer to their "woes" in the state. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh attacked Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rally in Pilibhit and posed questions to him on key issues in the state . "Today, the PM is in Uttar Pradesh, a state where the youth have been taken for a ride by the BJP's 'Double-Engine' Sarkar. Perhaps the PM can use some of his time to answer for the woes of UP's youth," Ramesh said in a post on X. He said that last year, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath promised that he would create two crore new jobs in the state over the next three-four years. "Remember this is the same promise that the Prime Minister had once made in 2014 before he came to office. We know what followed - years of record unemployment and slow growth. What have the Prime Minister and his acolytes done over the last decad

Modi govt meting out injustice to sanitation workers, says Jairam Ramesh

The Congress on Sunday accused the Modi government of meting out "injustice" to sanitation workers and asserted that if voted to power, it will end the evil practice of manual scavenging, re-skilling all those engaged in it for some other work and provide them jobs. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on X on the death of a sanitation worker due to gas leakage after he descended into a sewer without equipment. "On April 5 2024, a sanitation worker in the Prime Minister's own Lok Sabha constituency died due to gas leakage after descending into a sewer without equipment. This is not a new issue in Banaras (Varanasi) - during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, we were told that in the last ten years, more than 25 deaths have occurred in Banaras due to entering into sewers," he said in a post in Hindi on X. On one hand, the Modi government is doing such "injustice" towards the sanitation workers and on the other hand, the Congress has made promises for them in its ..

LS polls 'not fair' but despite that, INDIA bloc will get majority: Ramesh

The Lok Sabha polls are "not fair" with opposition parties being targeted but despite that, the INDIA bloc will get a clear majority in the elections due to the public response to its "five nyay, 25 guarantees", senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Saturday. He also said the people of the country will "decisively reject" all attempts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make the elections "unfree and unfair". There is a strong undercurrent of "enough of das saal anyay kaal" (10 years of injustice), the Congress general secretary said. Ramesh also hit out at Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh over their recent remarks about the country being a "new India", which strikes inside enemy territory, saying these are "diversionary tactics" aimed at taking the focus away from the Congress' "real narrative" of "paanch nyay, pachees guarantees" and the manifesto. Asked about the fairness of the polls, Ramesh said, "This election is not fair with action being taken against opposition

Nation paid price for BJP's compulsion to get 'chanda' at all costs: Cong

The Congress on Thursday alleged that the BJP's compulsion to get donations at all costs saw it go ahead with the electoral bonds scheme without heeding RBI's astute advice, as it claimed that over Rs 430 crore was donated to the ruling party by 33 companies that had negative or near zero profit. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on X which claimed that 33 loss-making firms donated electoral bonds worth Rs 582 crore with 75 per cent going to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "There are four primary channels of corruption in the Electoral Bond Scam, and with each passing day, more examples emerge to confirm the shocking reality of the corruption which has engulfed this country through Narendra Modi's encouragement," Ramesh alleged. "An update on the latest revelations on the 'Farzi Companies' who have been donating chanda to the BJP Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo; Theka Lo, Rishvat Do; Hafta Vasuli; Farzi Companies," he said in a post on X. Ramesh claimed that Rs