Page 13 - Mallikarjun Kharge

Kharge, Rahul meet AICC secretaries, joint secys to strengthen organisation

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi held a meeting with AICC secretaries and joint secretaries here on Tuesday during which ways to strengthen the party organisation were discussed. Kharge and Gandhi met the leaders at the AICC headquarters and sought their feedback on strengthening the organisation and expanding the party's support base, sources said. The meeting comes days after a major organisational rejig under which the party appointed several new secretaries and joint secretaries while shuffling the states of some office bearers. In a post on X, Kharge said the Congress will reach out to every Indian. "We chaired a meeting of the newly appointed AICC Secretaries and Joint Secretaries. We are determined to strengthen our organisation, involve each voice and keep speaking truth to power," the Congress president said. Kharge has appointed All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretaries and joint secretaries for various states and union ...

J'khand CM Soren meets Kharge, Rahul, assembly poll preparation discussed

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi here and discussed the upcoming assembly polls. The meeting comes days after former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren joined the BJP after resigning from the JMM citing dissatisfaction with the party's current style of functioning and "bitter humiliation". Soren met Kharge and Gandhi at the Congress president's residence here. Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal and Soren's wife Kalpana Soren were also present during the meeting. Though Soren termed the meeting as a courtesy call, preparations for the assembly polls later this year were learnt to have been discussed. Champai Soren was appointed chief minister on February 2, following Hemant Soren's resignation and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. He left the post on July 3, clearing the way for Hemant Soren to resume offic

J-K youth will show exit door to 'Modi & Company' on Oct 1, claims Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday claimed "deception" is the only policy of the BJP for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir and that they will show the door to "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and company" in the upcoming polls. In his post on X, Kharge said the youth unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir was a staggering 28.2 per cent (PLFS) in March. "Deception is the only policy of the BJP for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir!" he said. "Many exam paper leaks, bribes and rampant corruption have delayed hiring across departments for four years now. An astounding 65% of government department posts in Jammu & Kashmir remain vacant since 2019," Kharge claimed. In Jammu and Kashmir, over 60,000 government daily wagers have been toiling for more than 15 years, earning a meagre Rs 300 per day, he said. "Despite their long-standing service, they remain on contract basis, even in essential departments such as Power, Public Health, and Engineering, highlighting the precarious nature

Mallikarjun Kharge condoles demise of ex- Air Marshal Denzil Keelor

Kharge remembered his unmatched valour and unwavering patriotism during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War

Cong shakes up Haryana strategy: Sitting MPs won't contest assembly polls

Haryana elections 2024: The decision has been reportedly taken to calm down internal differences between groups of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Lok Sabha MP from Sirsa, Kumari Selja

'If Bengal burns, Delhi will too': Mamata sparks row; INDIA bloc silent

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has heavily condemned Mamata Banerjee for her provocative and "hateful" comment saying that if violence spreads to Bengal, other states will be impacted

Gujarat floods: Kharge, Rahul urge govt to provide all possible assistance

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday expressed concern over the flood situation in Gujarat and urged the government to take all necessary steps to reduce the impact of the natural calamity. Rain-related incidents claimed nine more lives in Gujarat, taking the death toll to 16 in two days, while another 8,500 people were relocated and rescued from flood-affected areas with rains continuing to lash some parts of the state for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday, officials said. In a post on X, Kharge said, "The flood situation in Gujarat is extremely worrying as several people have lost their lives and are missing. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones. Our thoughts are with the affected people, who are in need of urgent food and medical assistance." "We request the Central government to ensure more NDRF & SDRF teams. We are proud of our Armed Forces and Coast Guard, .

MGNREGA living monument of PM Modi's betrayal of rural India, says Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday slammed the Centre over its handling of the MGNREGA, alleging that the present state of the scheme is "a living monument of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "betrayal" of rural India. Kharge recalled that in 2005, on this day, the then Congress-led UPA government enacted the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to ensure 'Right to Work' to crores of people in rural India. In a post on X, he said at present, there are 13.3 crore active workers who depend on the MGNREGA, despite low wages, abysmal work-days, and facing deletion of job cards. In the guise of using technology and Aadhaar, the Modi government has deleted over seven crore workers' job cards, cutting these households off from MGNREGA work, the Congress president claimed. This year's Budget allocation for the MGNREGA is just 1.78 per cent of the total budgetary allocation, which marks a 10-year low in the scheme's funding, he said. The lower allocat

J&K polls: Cong, NC join hands; Rahul Gandhi vows to fight for statehood

There is still no clarity whether the Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party (PDP) will be part of the Congress-NC alliance

'Have blood ties with J-K': Rahul Gandhi sounds poll bugle in the Valley

In his first visit to Jammu-Kashmir after the announcement of assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi said that restoration of statehood is a priority for both him and his party

Congress willing to forge pre-poll alliance for J-K polls, says Kharge

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday expressed willingness to forge an alliance with other opposition parties for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls and termed BJP's promises to the people of the Union Territory "jumlas". Kharge along with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday spoke with Congress leaders and workers here to get feedback about the grassroots-level preparations for the assembly polls. "This was the first meeting after the polls were announced... We are here to seek the views of local leaders and workers for polls and alliances. Under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, we have taken the initiative to restore statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. We promise to work towards that," Kharge told reporters here. He said Gandhi was interested in forging a pre-poll alliance in Jammu and Kashmir. "Rahul Gandhi is interested in contesting the polls unitedly with other parties. The INDIA Bloc stopped a dictator from coming to power with an absolute ..

Kharge, Rahul discuss preparations for J-K polls with workers in Srinagar

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday began interactions with party workers here to get feedback about the grassroots-level preparations for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Gandhi and Kharge, who arrived here on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir a day earlier, reached Hotel Radisson Collection in the Rajbagh area of the city to hold consultations with party workers, a Congress leader said. He said Congress workers, including district presidents, DDC members and other leaders from all 10 districts of the Valley reached the hotel in the morning for the interaction. Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases -- September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be held on October 4. On Wednesday, Gandhi and Kharge received a rousing welcome from Congress workers and supporters upon their arrival at the airport here. After wrapping up their interactions here, the

Rahul Gandhi, Kharge on two-day visit to J&K starting from Srinagar

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will be on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir beginning Wednesday for key meetings ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Earlier the two leaders were scheduled to visit Jammu first and then travel to Srinagar. But now they will start their visit from Srinagar, AICC General Secretary Gulam Ahmed Mir told PTI. Mir, who is camping in Srinagar, said the two will engage in extensive meetings with party leaders and workers in 10 districts of the Kashmir valley on Thursday. After their interaction in Srinagar, they will fly to Jammu in the afternoon to continue their interactions with the cadres of 10 districts of the region. They will thereafter leave for Delhi, he said. "They will take a full feedback about grassroot level preparations for the elections", he said. The visit comes after Congress president Kharge and Gandhi met general secretaries, in-charges and screening committee member

Kharge, Rahul to visit Jammu, Srinagar in preparation for Assembly polls

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Jammu and Srinagar on August 21 and 22 for key meetings in preparation for the upcoming assembly elections. The visit comes after Congress president Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met general secretaries, in-charges and screening committee members of four poll-bound states on Monday. "On 21st and 22nd August, Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji and Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi ji will be visiting Jammu and Srinagar for key meetings in preparation for the upcoming assembly elections," Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said on X. Congress National General Secretary Gulam Ahmed Mir told PTI in Jammu that "Kharge ji and Rahul ji will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir for two days, starting tomorrow. They will arrive in Jammu tomorrow afternoon". Mir said that during their stay, they will engage in extensive meetings with leaders

BJP's Partition Day an attempt to spread hatred, divisive thinking: Kharge

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led government, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Thursday said the rulers of today are encouraging divisive thinking and marking the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day with the intention of spreading hatred. In his address at the AICC headquarters here on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day, Kharge slammed the RSS, saying that the Sangh Parivar promoted Britishers' divide-and-rule policy for their own benefit. "Unity in diversity is our strength and not a weakness. Some people propagate that we got independence easily but the truth is that lakhs of people made sacrifices, left their homes and even people from well-to-do families spent time in jails," he said. Instead of walking the path shown by them, the rulers of today are giving encouragement to divisive thinking, he said. "They mark Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas with the intention of spreading hatred. Those who did not participate in the Independence movement give advice to th

Some trying to destroy brotherhood; be ready to make sacrifices: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said "some forces" are trying to destroy "our brotherhood" by forcibly imposing their views, and urged people to be ready to make sacrifices to protect the Constitution. In his message on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day, Kharge also said it is a matter of concern that constitutional and autonomous institutions have been turned into "puppets" by the government. Democracy and the Constitution are the biggest shields for 140 crore Indians, Kharge said and asserted that "we will protect them till our last breath". "The opposition is like oxygen for democracy. Along with stopping the unconstitutional attitude of the government, it also raises the issues of the public," he said in a video message posted on X. "The dream of our freedom fighters was to maintain unity in diversity. But some forces are trying to destroy our brotherhood by forcibly imposing their views on the country," Kharge alleged. "Therefore, it is important tha

Kharge accuses Modi govt of using 'dubious employment data for PR'

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday accused the Modi government of using "dubious employment data for PR", and said no amount of "whitewashing" can change the truth that lakhs of job aspirants have to daily struggle on the road with very few jobs. Kharge shared a media report on X which claimed that for 1,257 vacancies for the post of woman constables and woman constable drivers, the Mumbai Police received 1.11 lakh applications from across the state. "Unemployment has been the biggest curse under Modi government," Kharge said. "The Modi government is using dubious employment data which is grossly inflated by counting 'unpaid labour' and 'one-hour work per week', as a ridiculous PR exercise!" he said in his post on X. In Maharashtra, where 1.11 lakh women applied for a mere 1,257 Mumbai Police constable posts, many of them forced to spend the night on the pavement with toddlers, is a grim reminder of the grave unemployment situation, he said. "A suicide helpline num

Congress holds meeting of state chiefs, general secys ahead of state polls

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday held a meeting with all general secretaries, state unit chiefs and AICC state in-charges here as the party gets battle-ready for the upcoming round of assembly polls. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal, among others, were part of the meeting at the AICC headquarters here. Sources said the party chief took stock of the preparations for the upcoming polls in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand later this year. Polls could also be held in Jammu and Kashmir this year. With assembly polls in key states coming up, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi had said at a parliamentary party meeting recently that the "mahaul (public mood)" is in the party's favour but had cautioned against complacency and over confidence after the goodwill generated for it in the Lok Sabha elections. Leaders of poll-bound states have been holding meetings with Venugopal and the party leadershi

Govt should have nullified SC's 'creamy layer' judgement via Parl: Kharge

Asserting that the idea of denying reservation to SCs and STs on account of the creamy layer concept is "condemnable", Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said the government should have bought a legislation in Parliament to nullify the Supreme Court judgement on the issue. Earlier this month, a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud ruled in a 6:1 majority judgement that state governments were permitted to sub-classify communities within the SC list based on empirical data. Supreme Court judge Justice B R Gavai had said that states must evolve a policy for identifying the creamy layer even among the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Schedule Tribes (ST) and deny them the benefit of reservation. "Who do you want to benefit by bringing a creamy layer? By bringing a creamy layer (concept) on one hand you are denying untouchables and giving to those who have enjoyed privileges for thousands of years. I condemn this," Kharge told reporters ...

'B' in BJP's Budget stands for 'betrayal', alleges Cong President Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday accused the Modi government of indulging in "tokenism" by bringing in "so-called employment-linked incentive schemes", and said the 'B' in the Union Budget stands for "betrayal". Kharge alleged that the Modi government's Budget has mere internships forced upon the industry with no long-term solution in sight. He said that a week into the 'Kursi Bachao Budget', the academia and the industry awaits clarity from the Modi government on its "tokenism" regarding the "so-called 'employment-linked incentive' schemes". "Crores of youth want a permanent solution to their plight of Jobs, but Narendra Modi ji's government bitterly deceives them by not even giving a temporary solution!" he alleged. "We ask two questions to the Modi government on these sham schemes -? When will the Modi government provide details of the schemes?" he said. Neither the youth nor the industry which is to be nudged, according to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,