Page 16 - Jairam Ramesh

Cong questions PM Modi over stance on Mahagathbandhan govt's caste survey

The Congress on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi what he thinks of the caste census conducted by his "old new ally" Nitish Kumar in Bihar, saying he should break his "silence" on the issue. Ahead of the prime minister's rally in Bihar's Jamui, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions for the prime minister "The Prime Minister is in Jamui, Bihar today. It is unlikely to ever figure in his propaganda-laden speeches, but these are the issues that the people of Bihar want to hear from him about: Bihar was the first state to abolish the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act in 2006. APMCs ensure farmers get MSP for their produce. Removing them has spelled disaster for farmers in Bihar, 97% of whom have small or marginal landholdings." Despite the failure of this policy decision, the Modi government first attempted to scrap APMCs nationwide through the "three black farm laws", and now continues to deny farmers guaranteed MSPs, he said. Can the prime

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress launches 'Ghar Ghar Guarantee' campaign

The Congress party will distribute guarantee cards to 80 million families, ahead of the general elections

Sebi should not become SBI, must complete Adani probe before polls: Cong

The Congress on Wednesday hoped that the SEBI tasked with probing charges of alleged stock manipulation by the Adani Group would not seek further extension for presenting its report in the Supreme Court to push the deadline past the election date. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) should not become another SBI, which is "too scared to touch the sacred". In a post on X, Ramesh said the Hindenburg Research had levelled grave allegations of stock manipulation and violation of securities laws on the Modani group last year. The Adani Group has dismissed the charges as lies, saying it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements. Ramesh said, "The SEBI was tasked with submitting a report on these allegations by 14th August, 2023. After it demanded repeated extensions, the Supreme Court gave SEBI time till today, April 3rd, 2024. "We look forward to the SEBI submitting its report to the Court today, and we hope it does

PM Modi maintaining studious silence on key issues affecting UP: Congress

The Congress on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of maintaining a "studious silence" on key issues affecting the people of Uttar Pradesh, as it alleged that he has "failed" women, farmers and youth. Ahead of the prime minister's rally in Meerut, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions for him on behalf of the people of Uttar Pradesh. To avoid having to come clean on his real intentions, he has maintained a "studious silence" on these key issues so far, Ramesh said and went on to list the issues which he claimed the people of Uttar Pradesh are hoping to hear from the PM on. "Publicly, PM Modi loves talking about women's empowerment and 'Nari Shakti' but he has repeatedly failed Indian women, even within his own party. Just two weeks ago, the BJP Mahila Morcha's National Vice President quit the party, citing that female party workers were being 'insulted' and 'treated harshly'," Ramesh said. "Another female leader, the President of the Mahila Morcha in UP'

LS polls: Cong slams BJP over setting up manifesto panel at 'last moment'

The Congress on Saturday announced that it will release its manifesto on April 5 and took a swipe at the BJP over it setting up a manifesto committee at the "last moment". The BJP on Saturday announced a 27-member committee, which included several Union ministers and chief ministers, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to prepare its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls. Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Congress released its 'Paanch Nyay', 'Pachees Guarantees' on March 16 and its 'Ghar Ghar Guarantee' campaign to distribute eight crore guarantee cards across the country will begin on April 3. The manifesto will be released on April 5, he said. "The BJP's manifesto, begun at this last moment, is merely an exercise in ticking boxes. It reflects the contempt with which the party sees the public," Ramesh alleged. The Congress manifesto was compiled after carrying out nationwide consultations and after receiving thousands of suggestions

Self-serving politics of BJP: Cong slams for withholding funds for K'taka

The Congress on Monday accused the Modi government of withholding funds that should "rightfully" go to Karnataka, saying the people of the state are being made to pay the price just because they exercised their democratic right to elect a Congress government. Congress general secretary in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is constantly trying to "throttle" the finances of India's states. His remarks came after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged in a post on X that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is consistently denying the written word. "The interim report of the 15 FC (Finance Commission) for 2020-21 sanctioned Rs 6764 crores for three states, viz Karnataka (Rs 5495 crores), Telangana (Rs 723 crores) & Mizoram (Rs 546 crores)," Siddaramaiah said. "These grants were recommended not because of any special love for these states. These were recommended to ensure that no state receives a lower share in devolution in ...

'INDIA' intact, will cross 272, PM's corruption pitch hollow: Jairam Ramesh

The INDIA bloc is intact despite Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's "somersault" and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee deciding to be Mamata Banerjee, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said, rejecting as "hollow" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pitch against the opposition on corruption. In an interaction with PTI editors at the news agency's headquarters here, Ramesh also said the opposition will unitedly cross the halfway mark of 272 in the elections and oust the BJP from power. He spoke on a range of issues including electoral bonds, the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and JMM leader Hemant Soren, who resigned as Jharkhand CM, and also addressed speculations around Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra potentially contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Amethi and Raebareli, respectively. "Look at the way the electoral bonds scheme has worked. Rs 4,000-crore of bonds are directly linked with Rs 4-lakh crore of contracts. There is a clear correlation between the ...

Opaque electoral bond scheme ensured bribes through banks, says Congress

Stepping up its attack on the BJP-led government over the electoral bonds issue, the Congress on Saturday said the "opaque scheme" ensured that prepaid, postpaid and even post-raid bribes could be routed through the banking channel. The opposition party also reiterated its demand that there should be a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the issue. At a press conference, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that this is the prime minister who gave a guarantee of 'bringing back black money' and instead "legalized corruption and is then desperately trying to hide it". The opposition party also released a "python code" due to which, it claimed, it took less than 15 seconds to match the donors with political parties, "exposing the brazen and ridiculous claim of the SBI that it would take months to provide the data asked by the Supreme Court". The Congress has highlighted four patterns of "blatant corruption" in the electoral bonds scam -? "Chanda Do, Dhanda Lo i.e. Prepaid

Cong like well-established firm with fluctuating mcap; BJP startup: Jairam

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh likened his party to a "well-established company" whose market capitalisation keeps fluctuating and asserted that it will stage a comeback. In an interaction at the PTI office here, Ramesh also dismissed suggestions that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charisma that was responsible for the BJP's electoral performance and stressed on the importance of organisational strength. The idea of a charismatic leader was a "dangerous concept" to believe in as one doing so, automatically believes in a "demagogue", the Congress general secretary in charge communications asserted. Talking about the need for bringing in new faces, Ramesh, however, noted that this was difficult in the Congress because people have been in the party for long. "It's easier for the BJP. Because, you know, the BJP is a startup in many states. You look upon the BJP as a startup. The Congress is not a startup. The Congress is a well-established ...

History of 2004 will repeat itself: Cong leader Jairam Ramesh on LS polls

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday rejected the BJP's claims that the 2024 poll results are a foregone conclusion, saying "tiger mein abhi bahut jaan hai" and the opposition bloc will repeat the history of 2004 when the saffron party was unseated from power despite its 'shining India' campaign. The Congress general secretary in-charge communications also said his party is going into the Lok Sabha polls with its "five nyays" and "25 guarantees", and has full confidence that the opposition INDIA bloc will get a clear mandate. In an interaction at the PTI office here, Ramesh also said the Congress' guarantee is not of one person but of the party and its "ghoshna patra (manifesto)" will be called the "nyay patra" which will focus on Yuva Nyay, Nari Nyay, Shramik Nyay, Kisaan Nyay and Hissedari Nyay and the 25 guarantees under these. Asked if the polls will be about "Modi ki Guarantee" versus the Congress' "nyay" guarantees, he said, "Our guarantee is not of one person. We ar

Congress slams PM Modi over promise of granting statehood to Ladakh

The Congress on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he has any intention of upholding his "guarantee" to the people of Ladakh on grant of statehood and self governance. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said "since the prime minister has put off his Bhutan photo-ops today, we hope he can devote some time to Ladakh". Modi's visit to Bhutan, which was scheduled for Thursday, has been rescheduled due to inclement weather conditions in the Himalayan nation. "Since February 3rd, when there was a complete shutdown of Ladakh by the locals, the people of Ladakh have been protesting in large numbers against the Modi Sarkar's heavy handed 'rule by bureaucracy,' which has made a mockery of local elected institutions," he said. The courageous environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk has brought the agony of the people of Ladakh to national and global attention, he noted. Posing a set of four questions the people of Ladakh have for the PM, the Congress leader sai

'Pradhan Mantri Hafta Vasuli Yojana': Cong's swipe over electoral bonds

Stepping up its attack on the Centre over the electoral bonds issue, the Congress on Monday accused the Modi government of "hafta vasuli" (extortion) and claimed that a total of 21 firms which have faced investigations from the CBI, ED, or IT, have donated through electoral bonds. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that with each passing day, more examples emerge on the true depths of the "electoral bond scam". "Today, we zoom in on the 'Pradhan Mantri Hafta Vasuli Yojana', the second of the four channels of corruption in the Electoral Bond Scam: 1.Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo 2.Hafta Vasuli," Ramesh said in a post on X. On November 10, 2022, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested P Sarath Chandra Reddy, the director of Aurobindo Pharma, in connection with its money laundering case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the Delhi government's liquor policy and five days later, on November 15, Aurobindo Pharma donated electoral bonds worth Rs 5 crore, he claimed. "Navayuga .

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 .