Page 25 - Modi Govt

No force can stop caste census, 'deshbhakts' are scared of X-ray: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying those who call themselves 'deshbhakt' are scared of the 'X-ray' of caste census but "no force" can stop it. Addressing the 'Samajik Nyay Sammelan' here, Gandhi said he is not interested in caste but in 'nyay' (justice) and asserted that it is his life's mission to ensure justice for the 90 percent of the population against whom injustice has been done. "As soon as our government is formed, the first thing that would be done is a caste census," Gandhi said. He said the Congress manifesto talks about the X-ray and the income inequality created by Modi. Modi has transferred Rs 16 lakh crore to select business people and the Congress is going to return a small amount to the 90 per cent of the population, he said. "We have calculated...what we felt is justice and that help should be given, we put it down in the manifesto," he said of the party's guarantees mentioned in the ...

PM waived off loans worth Rs 16 trn of his billionaire friends, says Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of waiving off loans worth Rs 16 lakh crore of his billionaire friends, and said the country will never forgive him for this "crime". In a post in Hindi on X, he said this money could have been used to cure the pain of Indians but was spent on creating hype for the ilk of those like 'Adanis'. "Narendra Modi has waived off the loans of his billionaire friends amounting to Rs 1,60,00,00,00,00,000 i.e. 16 lakh crore rupees. With this much money: 16 crore youth could have got jobs of Rs 1 lakh per year, by giving Rs 1 lakh per year to 16 crore women, the lives of their families could have been changed. Countless suicides could have been prevented by waiving off the loans of 10 crore farmer families," he said. "The entire country could have been provided gas cylinders for just Rs 400 for 20 years. The entire expenses of the Indian Army could have been borne for 3 years. Education up to graduation could have be

Govt will continue to strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday greeted people on the Panchayati Raj Day, asserting that his government will continue to work to strengthen local body institutions. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj observes April 24 as National Panchayati Raj Day, marking the enactment of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, which came into force on this day in 1993 and paved the way for empowering of local bodies. Modi said on X, "On Panchayati Raj Day, greetings to all those working at grassroots to transform rural India and ensure a better quality of life for the people. Our Government will continue to work to strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions and give wings to people's dreams.

Naidu calls for strengthening anti-defection law, ending freebies in polls

Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said the "frequent" party-hopping by political leaders was a "disturbing trend" and called for strengthening the anti-defection law. Speaking at a function at his residence here after receiving the Padma award, Naidu said announcing "freebies" during elections without listing out funds mobilisation is an unhealthy trend which should be discouraged and people should question the leaders and parties making such lofty promises. Naidu was awarded the Padma Vibhushan award on Monday evening by President Droupadi Murmu at a function at Rashtrapati Bhawan. "Defections are being encouraged. We should strengthen the anti-defection law," he asserted. "Now, the worry is that there is a fall in the standards in public life. In political parties, people often change their parties. The latest trend is people are in one party in the morning and join another party in the evening and then they criticise your leader and say things left and right. Som

Noida once 'centre of corruption', now known for its biz growth: Rajnath

Noida was once known as "centre of corruption" but it has now transformed into "centre of business" due to efforts of the double-engine government of the BJP, senior party leader Rajnath Singh said in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Tuesday. Criminals once dominated this region in western Uttar Pradesh, even forcing people to migrate but all that has now become a thing of the past, the defence minister also said as he slammed previous non-BJP governments in the state. Singh was speaking at an election rally at Bisaha village in Greater Noida while canvassing support for BJP's Gautam Buddh Nagar Lok Sabha candidate Mahesh Sharma ahead of the April 26 voting. "You people know very well about Noida. There was a time when Noida was the centre of corruption for the politicians of Uttar Pradesh. It was said for the officers, too, that if there is any biggest centre of corruption, it is Noida," he said. "But today I can say with pride that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ch

Congress wanted to extend reservation on basis of religion, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday charged that the Congress wanted to extend reservation on the basis of religion and give the right given to Dalits, backward and tribals to Muslims. As soon as the Congress formed the government at the Centre in 2004, one of its first tasks was to reduce the SC/ST reservation in Andhra Pradesh and give reservation to Muslims, he said while addressing an election rally in Tonk. "Modi is giving you a guarantee with an open heart that reservation for Dalits and backward tribals will neither end nor will it be allowed to be divided in the name of religion," he said. The prime minister asserted that he understands the Constitution. "Modi is dedicated to the Constitution. Modi is a person who worships Baba Saheb Ambedkar," he said.

LS polls: Not scared of expulsion from BJP, says ex-Deputy CM Eshwarappa

Former Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa on Tuesday said he is not scared of expulsion from the BJP as he reiterated his resolve to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an independent with full vigour. He said his expulsion was on the expected lines. BJP on Monday expelled Eshwarappa for six years for violating party discipline, and contesting Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate. "Ignoring the party's directions, you are contesting as a rebel candidate from Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency, causing embarrassment to the party. This is violation of party discipline," state disciplinary committee president Lingaraj Patil said in the expulsion order. It said, "so, you have been relieved from all the responsibilities and have been expelled from the party for six years, with immediate effect." Eshwarappa has remained steadfast on his decision to contest, spurning efforts by party leaders to pacify him. The paty's decision to expel the former Leader of Opposition in the Legislati

Only INDIA bloc can deliver more inclusive economic growth, says Congress

Stepping up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'redistribution of wealth' remark, the Congress on Tuesday said he will never tell people that more than 40 per cent of the wealth created in the country from 2012 to 2021 has gone to just one per cent of the population, and asserted that only an INDIA bloc government can deliver a vastly more inclusive economic growth. At a rally in Rajasthan on Sunday, Modi had said that if the Congress came to power, it would redistribute the wealth of people to "infiltrators" and those who have more children, and cited former PM Manmohan Singh's remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country's resources. The Congress has hit back at Prime Minister Modi over his remarks targeting the party, saying after facing "disappointment" in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, the PM has now resorted to "lies" and "hate speech" to divert people from the real issues. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said

Lok Sabha polls: PM Modi's path to 400-seat goal runs through South, East

Modi has set sights on the ruling coalition, the National Democratic Alliance, or NDA, exceeding 400 out of 543 seats in the lower house of parliament after votes are counted on June 4

Centre decimated MSMEs across country, Aligarh is no exception, says Cong

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Monday alleged that the government has "decimated" MSMEs across the country and asked why is Aligarh's 100-yr old lock industry struggling under his dispensation. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had posed questions to the prime minister ahead of his rally in Aligarh, and asked why has the BJP failed to deliver justice to the Hathras rape victim. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", Ramesh alleged that the decades-old lock industry in Aligarh has suffered under the Modi government. "This government has decimated MSMEs across the country, and Aligarh is no exception. When he campaigned in Aligarh in 2014, PM Modi had made small businesses the focus of his speech. Yet, 10 years later, Aligarh still does not have a government depot where lock makers can purchase raw materials at reasonable rates," he said. "Expensive and unreliable electricity supply is also a major issue, causing frequent delays in ...

EC must act, give notice to Modi, says Sibal on PM's Rajasthan speech

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'Congress will redistribute wealth' remarks, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday said political discourse had never sunk to such a low in India's history and urged the Election Commission to take action in the matter. Sibal's attack came a day after Prime Minister Modi suggested that if the Congress comes to power, it would redistribute wealth of people to Muslims and cited former PM Manmohan Singh's remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country's resources. "After the PM's speech, crores of people will be disappointed. Probably no other prime minister has given such a statement since 1950. The speech points out that our minorities who have been living in India for years are infiltrators. What kind of politics is this?" Sibal said at a press conference here. "What kind of culture is this? You talk of Ram Mandir, inaugurate the temple, talk about Ram's ideals and on the other hand you spread hate. Where is

Centre has eliminated terrorism, Naxalism on verge of ending: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has eliminated terrorism from the country while Naxalism is on the verge of ending. Addressing an election rally in Chhattisgarh's Kanker town, Shah also asked Naxalites to surrender, or else they would be rooted out from the state in two years. He asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that four generations of his family were in power in the country, but what they have done for the poor people in Chhattisgarh. "The Congress says the minority (community) has the first right over the country's resources of the country, but we (BJP) say the poor, adivasis, Dalits and backwards have the first right over resources of the country," Shah said. He also said that Congress leaders did not attend the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram's idol at the Ayodhya temple in lure of their vote bank. The Union minister hailed PM Modi, saying he has a "track record of 10 years and agenda for 25 years." "Narendr

LS polls: Congress accuses PM of attempting to create communal polarisation

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his controversial speech at an election rally a day ago, the Congress on Monday accused him of attempting to create communal polarisation for electoral gains. AICC general secretary in-charge of organisation K C Venugopal said Modi made statements that were not befitting the post of Prime Minister. He alleged that the Prime Minister was quoting something that wasn't there in the Congress manifesto and that he was attempting to create "communal polarisation" in the country for electoral gains. Taking a jibe at Modi, Venugopal said Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has sought an appointment with the Prime Minister to "educate him" about the party manifesto. The Congress stepped up its attack on Modi after he suggested that if the Congress comes to power, it would redistribute people's wealth to Muslims and cited former PM Manmohan Singh's remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country's resources. Addressing a rally

PM has new tactics for diverting attention from real issues, claims Rahul

The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of speaking in a "poisonous language" and said that he has several new tactics for diverting attention from real issues but the end of "business of lies" is near. The Congress on Sunday night had also hit back at Prime Minister Modi over his "redistribution of wealth" remarks targeting the party, saying after facing "disappointment" in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, the PM has now resorted to "lies" and "hate speech" to divert people from the real issues. Sharing the Congress' latest advertisement that focuses on rising prices and unemployment on Monday, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said, "Unemployment and inflation are at their peak in the country and Narendra Modi says 'everything is fine'." "He (Modi) has several new techniques to 'divert from the issues', But the end of the business of lies is near," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also stepped up his attack on t

MEA's revocation certificate for OCI card brings relief to Goans: CM Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said the Ministry of External Affairs circular on revocation certificate to be a valid document in lieu of surrender certificate for obtaining Overseas Citizen of India card would be a relief to thousands of Goans. This is a "great news" for the people of Goa, Sawant said in a post on X on Sunday. He posted the MEA memorandum issued on April 4, 2024, which said the "MHA has now decided to accept Revocation Certificate as an alternative documents in lie of surrender certificate in case of Indian nationals hailing from erstwhile Portuguese territories of India (Goa, Daman and Diu), who have acquired Portuguese nationality as per Portuguese Nationality Law, and who have been issued 'Revocation Order' by the RPOs (regional passport offices) instead of Surrender Certificate". Sawant said the MEA has issued clarification that revocation certificate will also be a valid document in lieu of surrender certificate for obtaining the OCI Card. "I thank the

LS polls: CM Revanth Reddy lashes out at BJP, alleges PM insulted T'gana

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday hit out at the BJP and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi insulted Telangana in the past with comments on the state's formation in Parliament. Modi had commented that the then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government closed the doors of Parliament when the bill for Telangana's formation was passed and that "mother (Andhra Pradesh)" was "killed" to give birth to the "child (Telangana)", Revanth Reddy claimed. The Congress fulfilled the promise of Telangana's formation though it was decimated in Andhra Pradesh (post bifurcation), the chief minister said. Does Modi have the right to seek votes in Telangana when he insulted the state, he asked while addressing a rally in support of the Congress' Bhuvanagiri candidate Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy. Modi has not fulfilled the assurances given to Telangana in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, including setting up a steel plant, railway coach factory and others in the state,

LS polls: PM Modi, Shah to address rallies in Chhattisgarh in next 3 days

The campaigning for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh is heating up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah scheduled to address rallies over the next three days. Shah will address a public meeting in Kanker Lok Sabha constituency in the Bastar region on Monday, said BJP state media co-incharge Anurag Agrawal. PM Modi will address campaign rallies on April 23 and 24 in Sarguja, Mahasamund, and Janjgir-Champa Lok Sabha constituencies, he added. Polling will be held for Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund, and Kanker seats in the second phase on April 26. Shah landed at Swami Vivekanand Airport in Raipur on Sunday evening and chaired a meeting of senior party leaders at the state BJP headquarters. "Shah took stock of poll preparations as well as the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 23 and 24," Agrawal said. The BJP has fielded Bhojraj Nag from Kanker against Congress candidate Biresh Thakur. The visit of Modi and Shah co

Modi govt has to be removed to save railways: Rahul as he attacks Centre

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that the BJP-led Centre wants to prove railways incompetent so that it has an excuse to sell it off to its friends, and urged people to remove the Modi government to save the common person's transport. Gandhi shared a video on X showing people travelling by sitting in toilets and on the floor of a train, to attack the government. In a post on X, Gandhi said, 'Rail journey' has become a punishment under Narendra Modi's rule! Passengers of every category are being harassed by the Modi government which is promoting only 'elite trains' by reducing general coaches from common persons' trains. People are not able to sit peacefully on their seats even with confirmed tickets, he claimed. Gandhi said the common person is forced to travel by hiding in the toilet or sitting on the floor. The Modi government wants to prove railways 'incompetent' by weakening it with its policies, so that it has an excuse to sell it to its friends, Gandhi alleged.

Modi govt cares only for super rich, posing threat to Constitution: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday charged the BJP-RSS combine and a handful of billionaires with posing a threat to democracy and the country's Constitution, to which "Dalits, tribals and the poor owe all that they have". Addressing an election rally at Bhagalpur, his first in Bihar, Gandhi also drew a contrast with the previous UPA government headed by his party, claiming the amount of debt written off under the Narendra Modi regime was 25 times the farmers' loans we had waived. I would like to give you some startling statistics. The country has 22 individuals who own wealth that is equivalent to the holdings of 70 crore people. There are 70 crore people in the country who are surviving on less than Rs 100 a day," claimed Gandhi. The former Congress president claimed that Modi has waived debts, of not more than 25 people, which amounts to about Rs 16 lakh crore". "Do you realiSe it is 25 times the amount of farmers' loans we had waived? It may also be seen as equivalent to

Supplier of 'aatank' now struggling to get 'aata': PM Modi on Pakistan

Referring to Pakistan's high inflation rate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the nation which was a supplier of 'aatank' (terrorism) is now struggling to get 'aata' (flour)