Page 20 - Jairam Ramesh

Govt making 'cheap attempt' of using Army for its publicity: Congress

The Congress on Monday accused the government of making a "cheap attempt" of using the Army for its political publicity and sought President Droupadi Murmu's immediate intervention in the matter. The party's remarks come in the wake of claims made in a media report that the Army would help publicise government schemes across the country. Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said the Army belongs to all and has never been made a part of the country's internal politics. "After facing failure on inflation, unemployment and all other fronts during the last nine and a half years, the Modi government is now making a very cheap attempt to get its political publicity from the army. This attempt to politicise the army is a very dangerous step," he said in a post in Hindi on X. "We request President Droupadi Murmu ji, the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, to intervene in this matter and direct the Modi government to immediately withdraw this wrong step," the

Hope SC will soon pronounce verdict on money bill issue: Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh Thursday expressed hope that the Supreme Court will soon pronounce a verdict on his pleas challenging the "unconstitutional manner" in which the government passed key legislations by declaring them money bills and said it will have far-reaching implications on Parliament's functioning. Ramesh's remarks came after last week the Supreme Court said it will constitute a seven-judge bench to consider the issue of the validity of passage of laws like the Aadhaar Act as a money bill. In a post on X, Ramesh said, "Finally, the Supreme Court has set up a seven-judge bench, headed by the CJI (Chief Justice of India) himself, to hear my petitions challenging the unconstitutional manner in which the (Narendra) Modi government has passed key bills by getting them declared as Money Bills." "I have repeatedly raised this issue in the Parliament and outside it through three petitions in the Supreme Court first one filed on April 6th, 2016, as it denies the Rajya Sabh

Cong attacks govt on transfer of officers involved in audit of Expressway

The Congress on Wednesday accused the government of intimidating officers of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), who had exposed "corruption" in various schemes, and demanded that their transfer orders be revoked. Citing a media report on the transfer of the officers, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh charged that it is the modus operandi of the Modi government to threaten and remove anyone who "exposes" them. "We demand that these transfer orders should be cancelled immediately, the officers return to the CAG and action must be taken on these mega scams relating to Dwarka Expressway, Bharatmala and Ayushman Bharat," he said in a post on X. The Congress leader charged that "the Modi government operates mafia style under a cloak of silence and intimidation. If anyone exposes its modus operandi of corruption, they are threatened or removed". The latest victims are three officers of the CAG, who exposed "massive scams" in government schemes in a report tabled during the

Rahul acted in consonance with people's sentiment on caste census: Congress

The Congress on Monday said Rahul Gandhi decided to take forward the demand for a caste census by the backward class people he met during the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the party leadership has endorsed this move. In a post in Hindi on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, there was one thing which almost all the backward class people of every state sought which was that there should be a caste census in the country. "Rahul ji acted in consonance with the sentiments of the people and the Congress leadership endorsed it," Ramesh said. His remarks came ahead of the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting here at the AICC headquarters. The Congress has taken a stand to push for the caste census. After Bihar released the findings of a caste census in the state, Congress-ruled Rajasthan issued orders on Saturday for holding a similar exercise. In Chhattisgarh too, the Congress has announced that it will conduct a caste survey if it is v

Many families facing true hardships from unabated increase in prices: Cong

Hitting out at the government, the Congress on Friday said concerns on inflation continue to be serious and claimed that crores of families were facing "true hardships" from "unabated increase" in prices of essential commodities. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh's attack on the government came after the Reserve Bank of India on Friday decided to keep the policy rate unchanged for the fourth time in a row. In a post on X, Ramesh said, "The RBI has maintained the Repo Rate the interest rate it charges for borrowings by commercial banks from it at 6.5%. This simply means that concerns on inflation continue to be serious." "For 47 months, the Consumer Price Index(CPI) has remained well over the RBI's own medium-term target of 4%. In August 2023, the CPI stood at 6.83%," the Congress general secretary in-charge communications said. "This of course masks the true hardships being faced by crores upon crores of families from unabated increase in prices of essential commodities,"

MPs raised concerns on climate change: Jairam Ramesh after House panel meet

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, Forests and Climate Change met on Tuesday with MPs raising concerns and questions about various issues, including implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, according to its chairperson Jairam Ramesh. Ramesh said that the Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change met to discuss the subject of Environment and Public Health in terms of morbidity and mortality. It met with both the Ministries of Environment, Forests and Climate Change as well as with the Ministry of Health together, which in itself was a "minor innovation" that hopefully will have major effects, Ramesh said. "Ministries made their presentations. MPs had many concerns and questions on pollution, contamination and climate change. One key concern remained implementation and enforcement of environmental laws," he said on X after the meeting. Future meetings on this very wide but crucial subject will be held in the n

'BJP rewards hate':Opposition slam BJP for giving Bidhuri poll duty in Tonk

Opposition leaders have criticised the ruling party for giving Ramesh Bidhuri poll duty in Tonk district of Rajasthan after he made offensive remarks against BSP MP Danish Ali in Parliament

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No right to insult new Parliament: BJP hits back at Congress' Jairam Ramesh

"The new Parliament building is made in India in the true sense...You have no right to insult the Parliament by saying all this...I condemn this statement on behalf of the party," Prasad said

Delimitation poor excuse for postponement of women's quota Bill: Jairam

Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh said the delimitation exercise and caste census "poor excuses for the postponement" of the Women's Reservation Bill

Women's reservation: What major political leaders have said on the Bill

Since the 1990s, governments have tried to push through legislation to provide reservation to women in the Parliament and state Assemblies

'It is ours', says Congress' Sonia Gandhi on Women's reservation bill

The Congress' parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said the women's reservation bill "is ours", amid speculation that the bill may be tabled in Parliament. The Congress on Monday said it welcomed the reported move as the party has been raising the demand for long. Asked about the bill when she was entering Parliament on Tuesday, Gandhi said, "It is ours, apna hai." In a post on 'X' a day back, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "We welcome the reported decision of the Union Cabinet and await the details of the Bill." "This could have very well been discussed in the all-party meeting before the Special Session, and consensus could have been built instead of operating under a veil of secrecy," he said. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said if the government introduces the women's reservation bill on Tuesday, it will be a "victory for the Congress and its allies in the UPA government". It was during the UPA government that the bill was passed in the Rajy

Parl panels reconstituted; Rahul remains member of Committee on Defence

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was reinstated as an MP after losing his membership of the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a criminal defamation case, remains a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence while fellow party colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh continues as the chairperson of the Committee on Science & Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, a month after hinting at resignation. A Lok Sabha bulletin on the members of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee was released on Saturday, two days ahead of the Special Session of Parliament from September 18 to 22.The newly formed department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee came into effect from September 13.According to the bulletin, the chairs of six major parliamentary committees - Home, IT, Defence, External Affairs, Finance and Health - are all with the BJP or its allies.Meanwhile, from the opposition, Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress has been ...

Adani scam exposed role of tax havens in hiding regulatory violations: Cong

The Congress on Thursday alleged that the "Adani scam" has exposed the role tax havens play in hiding large-scale violation of Indian laws, and said the issue should have discussed at the recent G20 Summit. It also said that if a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe is ordered into the allegations against the Adani Group, it will have to make sure that any loopholes for round-tripping and money-laundering are effectively shut. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the rise in Indian outward direct investment in the past 25 years has been a sign of deepening globalisation. "However, it is disturbing that offshore tax havens like Bermuda, Jersey and Cyprus rank among the top 10 destinations for Indian investment, according to the RBI," he said. This is in addition to Mauritius that has long been suspected as a preferred destination for Indian money-laundering and round-tripping, the Congress leader noted. "The Adani MegaScam has exposed the critical role

'One man, one govt, one business group': Cong's swipe over Adani issue

The Congress on Saturday attacked the government over the Adani issue, saying the G20 theme is 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' but Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to actually believe in "One Man, One Government, One Business Group". The Congress has been questioning the financial dealings of billionaire Gautam Adani's group after US research firm Hindenburg alleged "irregularities" and charged it with stock price manipulation. The Adani Group has denied all the allegations made in the Hindenburg report and claimed there had been no wrongdoing on its part. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a statement that as the 2023 G20 Summit begins in Delhi, it is worth recalling Modi's many exhortations at previous meetings of the grouping for the international community to crack down on corruption and money laundering. At the 2014 Brisbane G20 meeting, the prime minister called for global cooperation "to eliminate safe havens for economic offenders", to "track down and ...

Biden's team says India has not allowed media questions after meet: Cong

The Congress on Friday alleged that US President Joe Biden's team has said that despite multiple requests India has not allowed media to ask questions of him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their bilateral meeting here. President Biden is in Delhi to attend the G20 Summit on September 9 and 10. "President Biden's team says despite multiple requests India has not allowed media to ask questions of him and Prime Minister Modi after their bilateral meeting," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X. "President Biden will now take questions in Vietnam on Sept 11th from the media accompanying him. Not surprising at all. This is how democracy is done Modi-style," Ramesh said. Soon after his arrival this evening, Biden held a bilateral meeting with PM Modi at his residence. Biden and many other dignitaries from across the world are in New Delhi for the G20 Summit. India currently holds the presidency of G20.

Unprecedented failure of Modi govt not to come out with Census: Congress

The Congress slammed the Narendra Modi government on Friday for its failure to conduct the decadal Census due in 2021 and said as many as 14 crore Indians would be excluded from their food entitlements because of this. In a statement, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh dubbed the Modi government as "inept and incompetent", and said not conducting the Census is an unprecedented failure in the history of the country. Ramesh said even other developing countries in the G20 bloc, such as Indonesia, Brazil and South Africa, have conducted their Census despite COVID-19. The Congress demanded that the BJP-led Centre stop denying 14 crore Indians their basic rights under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and increase the beneficiary quota until the Census is carried out. It also sought the conduct of an updated national caste census and said efforts to oppose a state-level caste census should stop. "The start of the 18th G20 summit with India's rotational preside

IIT-Mandi director Behera not fit to hold the position: Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said IIT-Mandi Director Laxmidhar Behera is not fit to hold the position after he purportedly claimed that cloudbursts and landslides in Himachal Pradesh are happening because people eat meat. Sharing a news report on the statement made by Behera, Ramesh said on X that the longer he stays in office "more the damage he will do to the spirit of scientific temper". "The PM spoke of plastic surgery being known to our ancestors. He also told children climate has not changed, while we have. A senior Minister confused Newton and Einstein while another justified excluding Darwin from textbooks. "Now, this simply flabbergasting statement from the Director of a prestigious institution!!! He actually has shown he is not fit to hold the position. The longer he stays, more the damage he will do to the spirit of scientific temper," Ramesh posted. Science and spirituality is one thing, but science and crackpot theories that are put out by people in positi

Pralhad Joshi accuses Ramesh of twisting facts on constitutional provisions

Union minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday accused senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh of twisting facts about constitutional provisions and parliamentary procedures related to Parliament sessions. It is crucial to stop the spread of misinformation that scandalises Parliament and its procedures, the parliamentary affairs minister said in a rejoinder to Ramesh who had accused him of being "misleading" in his reply to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's letter to the prime minister. The Congress has been targeting the government for not disclosing the agenda of the five-day special session starting from September 18. Ramesh had claimed the agenda of every special session in the past was well known in advance and alleged that it was only the Modi government that "distorts" parliamentary conventions. Seeking to set the record straight, Joshi accused him of "falsely claiming" that the historic function in Parliament's Central Hall on June 30, 2017 for the GST roll out, was a Parliament ...

Bharat Jodo Yatra was opportunity to listen to Janta ki Chinta: Jairam

On the first anniversary of the launch of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress on Thursday said it was not a "Mann ki Baat" lecturing exercise for Rahul Gandhi but an opportunity to listen to "Janta ki Chinta" and it continues in different forms. Describing the yatra as a transformative event in Indian politics, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said it focused on "rising economic inequalities, increasing social polarisation and deepening political authoritarianism". In a post on X, he said today marks the first anniversary of the launch of the historic Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi. "It (yatra) was not a Mann ki Baat lecturing exercise for Rahul Gandhi but an opportunity to listen to Janta ki Chinta (concerns of the people)," Ramesh said. On this day in 2022, the Congress launched the yatra in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, the southern tip of the country. Ramesh said that "after paying tributes to his father at Sriperumbudur, he (Rahul Gandhi) .