Page 7 - Jairam Ramesh

Delhi poll results not vindication of PM, but referendum on Kejriwal: Cong

Results of the Delhi Assembly elections are not a vindication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies but a referendum on Arvind Kejriwal and AAP, the Congress said on Saturday as it vowed to bounce back from another whitewash. The Congress also asserted that it would form a government in the national capital in 2030. The BJP has returned to power in Delhi after more than 26 years, sweeping away the AAP from the national capital in another big win to extend its saffron footprint in the country. The Congress has drawn a blank in the polls once again after 2015 and 2020. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the assembly election results reflected nothing more than a referendum on Kejriwal and AAP. "After all, at the height of the prime minister's popularity in 2015 and 2020, AAP had won decisively in Delhi. This shows that, rather than being vindication of the policies of the prime minister, this vote is a rejection of Arvind Kejriwal's politics o

Jairam Ramesh calls Trump's Gaza plan 'bizarre' and 'unacceptable'

President Trump's loud thinking on the future of Gaza is bizarre, dangerous, and totally unacceptable, said Ramesh

Congress slams govt over 'thoughtless clearance for Teesta dam rebuild'

The Congress on Wednesday opposed the Centre's reported nod to building a dam for the Teesta III hydel project in place of the dam washed away in 2023's glacial lake flood, claiming it was a "thoughtless clearance" as the threat of disaster continued to persist at the dam site. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report that claimed the BJP's Sikkim unit chief would meet Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav later this month to raise its pitch over safety concerns surrounding the clearance to build a dam for the Teesta III hydel project. "The INC (Indian National Congress) also opposes this thoughtless clearance. The threat of disaster persists at the dam site. There are also cascading and multiplying effects on habitations downstream," Ramesh said. He also shared the Congress' statement from last August in which the opposition party had hit out at the government and said hydel projects in ecologically fragile regions had been .

Budget 2025: Jairam Ramesh slams FM Sitharaman for excluding basic schemes

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech announced an increase in the money allocated to Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme, in her 8th Budget presentation

Congress promises caste census, permanent jobs in Delhi election manifesto

In the first part of its manifesto, Congress had already announced five guarantees, including Rs 2,500 per month under the Pyari Didi Yojana, Rs 25 lakh health insurance for all

Outsourcing Manipur to HM abdication of PM responsibility: Cong slams Modi

In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Tuesday said "outsourcing" Manipur to Union Home Minister Amit Shah is an abdication of prime ministerial responsibility which has proved disastrous and reiterated the demand that the PM visit the violence-hit state. The opposition party's attack came after PM Modi greeted the people of Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur on their statehood day on Tuesday. In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The formerly non-biological - and now suddenly human - Prime Minister has just sent greetings to the people of Manipur on their Statehood Day through social media. Yet, he has stubbornly refused to visit Manipur even briefly ever since its agony began on May 3, 2023." "He has gone all over the world but has not found the time nor the inclination to reach out to the people of the state in Imphal and other places," he said. Modi has stubbornly refused to meet MLAs of his own party

Govt converted ease of doing business to unease in doing business: Cong

The Congress on Sunday claimed that the Modi government's retrograde policies have broken the confidence of investors in India and converted the ease of doing business to unease in doing business. Ahead of the Union Budget, the opposition party said that to fix this, the upcoming budget must eliminate raid raj and tax terrorism. It also called on the government to take action to protect Indian manufacturing jobs and take decisive action to shore up wages and purchasing power. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the Modi government has long proclaimed its desire to improve the "ease of doing business" in India but yet in the past decade "we have only seen an easing of private investment which has fallen to record lows and the easing out of businesspersons who have departed India in large numbers for foreign shores". "A byzantine, punitive, and arbitrary tax regime covering both GST and income tax - which amounts to sheer Tax Terrorism -is now the .

Election rules row: SC seeks govt, poll panel reply on Jairam Ramesh's plea

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and the poll panel on Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh's plea against the recent amendments, including no public access to CCTV, to the 1961 election rules. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar took note of the submissions of senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Ramesh, and issued notices on the plea. The bench said it would hear the plea in the week commencing March 17. Singhvi said amendments to the 1961 Conduct of Election Rules were made "very cleverly" and barred any access to CCTV footage claiming it would reveal the identity of the voter. He said voting choices were never revealed and the CCTV footage couldn't reveal votes. The senior lawyer urged the bench to ask the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Centre to file their responses before the next date of hearing else they would come and say "reply is needed to be filed" on tha

Draconian, anti-Constitution: Cong on UGC draft rules for V-C appointments

The Congress on Tuesday termed the draft UGC regulations for appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges "draconian and anti-Constitution", and demanded that those be withdrawn immediately. Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said the University Grants Commission (UGC) has recently published the draft UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025. "Among its many disastrous ideas include the following -- Removal of the 10 per cent ceiling on contractual professorships, opening the gates for the large-scale contractualisation of teaching in higher education. This is going to destroy the quality of our institutions and the spirit of academic independence," he said in a post on X. The former Union minister claimed that the draft rules also propose withdrawal of all powers of the sta

SC to hear Jairam Ramesh's petition against Election rules change on Jan 15

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh's writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, will come up for hearing in the apex court on Wednesday. The matter will come up for hearing before the bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on January 15, according to the cause list uploaded on the Supreme Court website. The Congress had filed the writ petition in the Supreme Court last month challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 and expressed hope that the apex court will help restore the "fast eroding" integrity of the electoral process. The government has tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse. AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who has filed the petition, had said, "The integrity of the electoral process is fast eroding.

PM Modi doing 'damage control' with 'not God' remarks, says Jairam Ramesh

Ramesh reacted to PM Narendra Modi's recent interview with a social media influencer, where he said that human beings were prone to making mistakes, including him since he was not a God

Pvt sector reluctant to invest in India as no-confidence in govt: Cong

The private sector's reluctance to invest in India is a corporate motion of no-confidence in the Narendra Modi government, the Congress claimed on Monday. The opposition party also urged the government to take measures in the upcoming Union budget to stimulate and sustain domestic investment in the country that, it claimed, was on the decline. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the investment environment in India had been sluggish in the "Modi decade". In a post on X, he said the Gross Fixed Capital Formation had fallen from an average of 32 per cent of GDP during Manmohan Singh's prime ministerial decade to consistently being below 29 per cent of GDP in the past 10 years. "Investment is sluggish because mass consumption is not accelerating, tax and other authorities are threatening and intimidating businesses, and because of the growing perception that only four-five business groups can grow in the Modi regime," he said. "Now comes fresh eviden

Biren Singh hits back at Congress, accuses past leaders for Manipur crisis

Manipur CM Biren Singh apologised for the ongoing unrest, blaming Congress' past actions. He responded to Jairam Ramesh's criticism, citing political neglect by Congress leaders

Cong attacks Centre over depreciation in value of rupee against dollar

The Congress on Monday attacked the government over depreciation in the value of the rupee against the US dollar and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has nothing to say now even though he had resorted to personal attacks against former prime minister Manmohan Singh when the Indian currency had fallen during the UPA term. AICC general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh also recalled the words of Modi in 2013 when he had claimed that UPA leadership has become directionless and are neither worried about the country's defence nor the value of its currency, but are "only worried about saving their chair". "The then-biological CM of Gujarat had run a loud campaign against the depreciation of the rupee vis-a-vis the dollar in 2014 even resorting to personal attacks on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to score political points. On 16 May, 2014, the rupee closed at Rs 58.58 per USD. "Ten years later, the rupee has touched an all time-low of 85.27 per USD. The INR has achieved the ...

Memorial space for Manmohan will be allocated: Centre amid BJP-Congress row

he Centre has assured space for Manmohan Singh memorial as BJP accused Congress of politicising his death; Congress calls delay in site allocation disrespectful to the late leader

Not having memorial for Singh a deliberate insult to 1st Sikh PM: Ramesh

The Congress on Friday said that not finding a location for the cremation and memorial for Manmohan Singh is a deliberate insult to the country's first Sikh prime minister. The Congress raked up the issue after the Union home ministry said in a statement that Singh's last rites will be held at New Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat at 11:45 AM on Saturday with full state honours. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to conduct Singh's last rites at a location where a memorial could be built to honour his legacy. "The people of our country are simply unable to understand why the Government of India could not find a location for his cremation and memorial that is befitting of his global stature, record of outstanding achievements, and exemplary service to the nation for decades," Ramesh said in a post on X. "This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan

CWC meeting: Cong to rededicate itself to protect Mahatma Gandhi's legacy

Ahead of its extended CWC meeting here, the Congress on Thursday said it will rededicate itself to protect, preserve, and promote Mahatma Gandhi's legacy which is under "systematic assault by the ideological brotherhood that fought him bitterly". In a bid to get battle-ready for challenges ahead, the Congress will decide on an action plan for the next year at its CWC meeting named 'Nav Satyagraha Baithak' being held in Karnataka's Belagavi to mark the 100th anniversary of the Belgaum session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi. The opposition party has asserted that the "insult" to B R Ambedkar by Home Minister Amit Shah will be taken up for deliberation at Belagavi and that there will be a "strong follow-up" on the issue. In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Mahatma Gandhi took over as President of @INCIndia on Dec 26th, 1924 - 100 years ago at what was then called Belgaum, now Belgavi. It was a historic session." "Today the Extended

Congress moves Supreme Court against changes to Election Rules, 1961

Congress has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Centre's recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, citing concerns over electoral transparency

How to tax popcorn? FM's formula sparks outrage against GST system

A finance ministry spokesperson, the GST Council Secretariat and a spokesman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party did not respond to requests for comment on the controversy

Why is ECI afraid of transparency, asks Cong after election rule tweak

The Congress on Saturday hit out at the Election Commission for tweaking an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage, asking why the poll panel was afraid of transparency. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the party would legally challenge amendment. "If there was ever a vindication of our assertions regarding the rapidly eroding integrity of the electoral process managed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in recent times, this is it," Ramesh said in a post on X. Sharing a December 20 notification, the Congress leader said, "This move of the ECI will be challenged legally right away." The government has tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse. Based on the recommendation of the poll panel, the Union law minist