Page 16 - Jairam Ramesh

Electoral bonds data exposes BJP's 'corrupt tactics', says Congress

The Congress on Friday alleged that the electoral bonds data has exposed "corrupt tactics" of the BJP such as quid pro quo, seeking donations for the company's protection, kickbacks and money laundering through shell companies. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also said the party continues to demand unique bond ID numbers, so that it can precisely match donors to recipients. In a post on X, Ramesh put out a "quick first analysis" of the Electoral Bonds (EB)data disclosure that the SBI put out after weeks of "attempting to postpone it until after the election". "Over 1,300 companies and individuals have donated electoral bonds, including over 6,000 crore to the BJP since 2019," he said. So far, the electoral bonds data exposes at least four corrupt tactics of the BJP, Ramesh claimed. "Quid Pro Quo: There are many cases of companies that have donated electoral bonds, and immediately afterwards gotten huge benefits from the government: Megha Engineering & Infra has given over

Union govt has no intention of addressing farmers' concerns: Jairam Ramesh

He said that Prime Minister Modi will not break his silence on why, on the one hand, the government waives the loans of the industrialists but is not doing so with the farmers' loans

Govt notified CAA rules a month before LS polls to polarise voters: Cong

On March 11, the Union Home Ministry notified rules for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)

Will PM act against Hegde to show commitment to Constitution, asks Congress

The Congress on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Anantkumar Hegde's remark about amending the Constitution, asking whether he would take action against the BJP MP to demonstrate his commitment to the Constitution. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh hit out at the prime minister who is on a visit to Gujarat and Rajasthan and posed five questions to Modi. "The prime minister is in Ahmedabad for the Sabarmati Ashram Memorial Project. While the prime minister is embracing the Mahatma for his political gains, will he commit to Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of non-violence, inclusivity, and equality?" he said in a post on X. The Congress leader also asked whether PM Modi would take action against Anantkumar Hegde, the BJP MP from Karnataka, to demonstrate his personal commitment to the Constitution that he swore an oath to bear true faith and allegiance to. Hegde, at a gathering at Karwar in Karnataka on Saturday, had said the BJP needed a two-third majority in both Hou

Rahul pays tributes to Sardar Patel on last day of his yatra in Gujarat

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the Swaraj Ashram in Surat on Sunday and paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel during the last leg of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Gujarat. After covering seven districts of Gujarat in four days, the yatra ended in the state and it will resume from Maharashtra's Nandurbar district on Tuesday after a one-day pause, senior leader Jairam Ramesh told reporters here. Gandhi visited the Swaraj Ashram at Bardoli in Surat district and offered tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. "For a few minutes, he went to the Swaraj Nivas which was set up by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1922. It was a moment of inspiration for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra amid injustice being meted out to farmers from different states gathered at Delhi-Haryana border," Ramesh said. Gandhi later left for New Delhi from Vyara in Tapi district after completing the Gujarat leg of the yatra, a mass outreach programme ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, covering more than 400 kilometres in

Rahul's Bharat Jodo Yatra to pass through Surat, Tapi on last day in Guj

The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi entered the last leg of its Gujarat journey on Sunday as it headed for Bardoli in Surat where the Congress leader will visit the historic Swaraj Ashram. The ashram was built in 1922 by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as his residence and served as a centre for planning and executing the Bardoli Satyagrah -- a farmers' agitation and nationalist movement against increased taxation of cultivators by the then British colonial government. Mahatma Gandhi also stayed at the ashram for a month in 1936 and 1941. "Today is the 57th day of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and the last day in Gujarat. We will be passing through Surat and Tapi districts. The highlight today is that around 10.30 am, Rahul Gandhi will visit the Swaraj Ashram," senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. In a post on X, Ramesh said that on Sunday morning, the yatra visited Wadhwana Reservoir near Vadodara in Gujarat, a century old tank built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh praises strong first list for Lok Sabha polls

Congress released its first list of 39 candidates for Lok Sabha elections on Friday with party General Secretary KC Venugopal asserting that his party's priority is to win maximum number of seats

Committed to nationwide caste census, BJP should clear stand, says Congress

The Congress on Wednesday reiterated its commitment to conducting a nationwide socio-economic caste census as part of its participatory justice agenda and asked the BJP to clear its stand on the issue. Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Bihar's Bettiah on Wednesday, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh claimed that there would be a "barrage of lies and statements" and urged the prime minister to speak on the issue of cast census. Ramesh said the people of the country have four main questions for Modi, including why his government is not conducting the regular census that takes place every 10 years. "This was to happen in 2021 itself but has not been conducted till now. The census will provide a complete picture of the population of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and linguistic and religious minorities, apart from other data," he said in a post in Hindi on X. Why has the Modi government not released the caste-related data under the .

Rahul Gandhi is continuously speaking about Nyay: Jairam Ramesh

Rahul Gandhi is continuously speaking about Nyay (justice) which is Nari Nyay, Yuva Nyay, Kisan Nyay, Shramik Nyay, and Hissedari Nyay.

Highlights of the day: 400 farmer unions to be at 'Mahapanchayat' in Delhi

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Gadkari sends legal notice to Kharge, Ramesh for sharing 'misleading' news

Union minister Nitin Gadkari sent legal notices to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Friday for allegedly sharing misleading and defamatory news contents about him on X. Gadkari's lawyer, Balendu Shekhar, said his client was shocked to know about, hear and see the contents and posts from the official handle of the Congress on the microblogging platform. Kharge and Ramesh deliberately posted a 19-second video clip of Gadkari's interview given to "The Lallantop" web portal, concealing the contextual intent and meaning of his words, the lawyer said. The notice said a sinister act has been committed with the sole intent and ulterior motive to fan and create confusion, sensation and disrepute to Gadkari in the eyes of public. It said it was also a futile endeavour to create rifts in the solidarity of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is poised to win the trust of people in the upcoming general election under the leadership of Prime Ministe

Anyay kaal caused real economic distress in India's rural areas: Congress

The Congress on Tuesday claimed that there is "real economic distress" in India's rural areas and asserted that the single most important policy response to the "crisis" is to kick start the agriculture sector with "adequate and predictable" MSPs for agricultural produce. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "guarantees", saying he had made a promise in 2017 to double farmers' income by 2022. "A quick look at how the rural economy is performing: For the first time in over 50 years, real rural consumption expenditure fell by 8.8 per cent between 2011-12 and 2017-18. Between 2019-20 and 2023-24, the annual growth rate of real rural wages was negative for both agricultural (-0.6 per cent) and non-agricultural (-1.4 per cent) work. "Tractor sales in India, a proxy for rural economic health, have seen a steep decline in key states in the west and south in the first 9 months of this fiscal year, dragging overall sales down 4 per cent. Tract

Probe agencies misused to extort donations for BJP, SC probe needed: Cong

The Congress on Friday alleged that probe agencies were "misused" to extort donations for the BJP from private companies and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter. Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh alleged that at least 30 companies, which donated a total of nearly Rs 335 crore to the BJP between financial years 2018-19 and 2022-23, faced action by central agencies during that period. Ramesh said Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal on Friday wrote to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the issue. Ramesh also asked if the government would come up with a "white paper" on the BJP's finances, not just the sources, but how corporate firms were "coerced" to donate, by misusing investigative agencies against them. "If you have nothing to hide, then are you willing to present a point-by-point rebuttal on the 'chronology' of events which led to the filling of BJP's treasury," h

PM Modi, Rahul, Kharge condole death of legal doyen Fali S Nariman

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday condoled legal doyen Fali S Nariman's death and said he had devoted his life to making justice accessible to common citizens. Legal doyen and veteran advocate Nariman died here on Wednesday at the age of 95. He was suffering from multiple ailments, including cardiac issues. In a post on X, Modi said: "Shri Fali Nariman Ji was among the most outstanding legal minds and intellectuals. He devoted his life to making justice accessible to common citizens." "I am pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. May his soul rest in peace," the prime minister said. In his long and illustrious legal career, Nariman argued in several landmark cases, including the famous case of the National Judicial Appointments Commission, which was struck down by the Supreme Court. Born on January 10, 1929, Nariman served as the additional solicitor general between 1972 and 1975. He resigned from the post during Emergency. Nariman receiv

Rahul to deliver 2 lectures at Cambridge University; Nyay yatra on break

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will take a break from February 26 to March 1 to enable Rahul Gandhi to deliver two special lectures at his alma mater, Cambridge University, and attend important meetings in New Delhi, the Congress said on Wednesday. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also said February 22 and 23 will be rest days for the yatra after its Kanpur leg on Wednesday. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will resume on the morning of February 24 from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh and thereafter, cover Sambhal, Aligarh, Hathras and Agra districts, before arriving in Rajasthan's Dholpur, Ramesh said. "February 26th to March 1st will be break days to enable Rahul Gandhi to fulfil his long-standing commitment to deliver two special lectures at his alma mater Cambridge University (UK) on February 27th and February 28th and also to enable him to attend other important meetings in New Delhi," Ramesh said in a post on X. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will once again res

Thousands of wetlands under severe threat, their protection vital: Jairam

Congress leader and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said thousands of wetlands across the country are under severe threat daily and asserted that their protection is vital as they are of great ecological significance. In a post on X, Ramesh said the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the Caspian Sea in February 1971. The then prime minister Indira Gandhi had sent India's greatest ornithologist, Salim Ali, as India's delegate. "How this happened has been described in my book, 'Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature'. It was Salim Ali who, more than anybody else, awakened the nation's conscience to the protection of wetlands," Ramesh said. There are now 80 Ramsar sites across the country, with the maximum of 16 in Tamil Nadu and 10 in Uttar Pradesh, he pointed out. Chilika in Odisha was the first wetland to be designated as a Ramsar site on October 1, 1981, he noted. Ramesh said the pause of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on Tuesday

Nyay Yatra will not be derailed: Jairam on Rahul's appearance before court

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered its 38th day on Tuesday. The yatra will start from Fursantganj in Amethi district and will move towards Raebareli and Lucknow today

Rahul to appear before court on Feb 20; Yatra to be paused: Jairam Ramesh

The complaint was filed by the then BJP District Vice President, Vijay Mishra

SP chief Akhilesh likely to join Rahul's Yatra in Amethi: Jairam Ramesh

'I expect that he will join the Yatra tomorrow. Earlier, Apna Dal leader Pallavi Patel also joined the yatra,' Congress leader Ramesh said

Central govt doing injustice to farmers: Cong leader Jairam Ramesh

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over farmers' protest, alleging that the Center is doing injustice to them. Interacting with media persons in Rohtas, Ramesh said, When the Modi government brought three black laws, the farmers sat on strike for almost a year. After that, the government withdrew the laws and made many promises to the farmers. These promises have not been fulfilled till date. He was referring to three laws that the Modi government had passed in June 2020, stating that those would bring reforms to the farm sector. However, cultivators started protesting against the legislations in November and ended their agitation after Parliament repealed the three laws in the same month next year. Now, when the farmers are coming to Delhi again, the Central government is raining tear gas shells on them and spreading nails on their path. The Modi government is committing huge atrocities on them and doing injusti