Page 4 - P Chidambaram

Go back to middle school or consult eye doctor: Chidambaram slams BJP

Taking a swipe at the BJP for criticising the Congress manifesto, party leader P Chidambaram on Monday said that if the ruling party leaders read the words 'generation of wealth' as 'redistribution of wealth', they should either go back to middle school or consult an eye doctor. Chidambaram, who headed the committee that drafted the Congress manifesto, said his party is committed to rapid growth and generation of wealth. "Congress' Manifesto makes the following statements and promises on wealth - ? industrial and business policies and regulations will be designed to facilitate the production of goods and services in larger volumes and higher values," the former finance minister said. All laws and rules that inhibit free and fair trade will be reviewed and changed, he said. "If the UPA had continued in office, the economy would have doubled again and stood at Rs 200 lakh crore in 2023-24," Chidambaram said. The Congress is committed to rapid growth and generation of wealth, he ...

Lok Sabha elections: BJP, Cong line up star cast for Gujarat campaign

Sources indicated that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath may also chip in this week to add to the BJP firepower in Gujarat campaign, but there's no confirmation on this so far

PM imagining Cong manifesto, should debate 'real' issues, says Chidambaram

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday said the PM has imagined a Congress manifesto written by one of his ghost speech writers and he should debate the real issues included in the document. Chidambaram's remarks come amid repeated attacks by the prime minister over Congress leader Sam Pitroda's 'inheritance tax' comments amid the row on the issue of 'wealth redistribution'. "The Hon'ble Prime Minister continues to discover and read in the Congress' manifesto words and sentences that are not there! He has imagined a Congress' manifesto written by one of his ghost speech writers," Chidambaram, who was the chairman of the committee that drafted the Congress manifesto, said. The phrase 'inheritance tax' does not occur anywhere in the manifesto, the former finance minister said in his post on X. "The Congress' promises on taxation are quite clear: Bring an era of transparency, equity, clarity and impartial tax administration of

BJP resorting to lies after 'Modi Ki Guarantee' lost traction: Chidambaram

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday said the "manufactured" controversies on 'redistribution of wealth' and 'inheritance tax' showed that fear has gripped the BJP, which has fallen back on distortion, falsehoods and abuse" as 'Modi ki Guarantee' has vanished without a trace. Chidambaram, who was the chairman of the committee that drafted the Congress manifesto, asserted that the document is religion-neutral and promises justice for all sections of the people. "It is obvious that the BJP is rattled by the Congress' election manifesto 2024. The manifesto has left a deep impression in the minds of the people, especially the poor and the middle class," Chidambaram said in a statement. The former Union minister said the manifesto gives new hope to the SCs, STs and OBCs, youth and women. "The latest manufactured controversy on 'redistribution of wealth' and 'inheritance tax' is a good indicator of the fear that has gripped the BJP. The manifesto does not have a word on the so-calle

Want to bring justice to every section irrespective of religion: Congress

Former Union minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders to quote a single para in the Congress manifesto which reflects "appeasement". He was reacting to the allegations by Modi and the BJP against the Congress that its manifesto smacks of appeasement and that if it came to power, it would redistribute people's wealth and also give reservations to Muslims from the quota for SC, ST and OCB communities. The senior Congress leader emphasised that his party's manifesto has recognised that there is social and economic inequality and it aims at bringing justice to every section of society "irrespective of the religion". Ask the prime minister to point out one paragraph in the manifesto which leads to the conclusion that we are appeasing any section. We recognise that there is a social division, social and economic inequality in this country. "The most affected people Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes, poor irrespective of the religion

BJP no longer political party, cult worshipping Narendra Modi: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday lashed out at the BJP-led NDA government and said the saffron party is no longer a political party but has become a cult which worships Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Targeting the Modi government, Chidambaram said there is a "grave erosion" of freedom of speech and expression happening under the ten years of Modi rule and urged the people to "restore democracy". He also assured that even though the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was not mentioned in the Congress manifesto, it will be repealed once the INDIA bloc comes to power. Chidambaram also expressed hope that the INDIA bloc will win all the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the one seat in Pondicherry where the elections were over. "The BJP constituted the manifesto in 14 days which is not titled manifesto. They called it Modi's guarantee. The BJP is no longer a political party. It has become a cult and the cult worships Narendra Modi," Chidambaram said. He claimed that "Mo

INDIA bloc will win all 39 seats in TN, says Cong leader P Chidambaram

The former union minister's son, Karti Chidambaram, is the Congress' sitting MP from Sivaganga and he is pitted against the BJP's Devanathan Yadav and A Xavierd of the AIADMK

BJP's Sankalp Patra on UCC will create divisions, claims Chidambaram

The BJP's manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha election,released on Sunday, promises that it will implement UCC if it returns to power after the upcoming general elections

LS polls: Cong will get more seats than in 2019 elections, says Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday asserted that his party would get more seats in the ensuing elections than in 2019 and predicted that the INDIA bloc would secure a resounding victory in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In an interview with PTI, Chidambaram also said that neither Hinduism nor the Hindus were under any threat and it was the BJP's "calculated strategy" to paint the entire Opposition as "anti-Hindu" to project Modi as the "saviour of Hindus". He also described West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee as a "key player" in this election and said that her ability to hold the fort in the state will strengthen the INDIA bloc. "I cannot speak for all the states. I can confidently predict that the INDIA bloc will record a resounding victory in Tamil Nadu. In Kerala, the two fronts (UDF and LDF) will share the 20 seats, leaving nothing to the BJP. In Karnataka and Telangana, the Congress governments are popular and Congress will get many more seats than

'From liberal officer to RSS mouthpiece': P Chidambaram attacks Jaishankar

Congress veteran P Chidambaram on Monday took a dig at External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar over the Katchatheevu island row

Highlights: Sunita Kejriwal releases phone number to rally support for Delhi CM

From Muktar Ansari's death to the dip in student applications to Harvard University, catch all the latest updates from around the world here

Indian economy in distress but BJP doesn't understand, says Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday claimed that the Indian economy is in "severe distress" and alleged "the so-called doctors of the BJP" do not care. In a post on X, the former finance minister said the BJP claims that the Indian economy is in robust health in 2023-24, but has no explanation why net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have dropped by 31 per cent. FDI is a measure of the confidence that foreign investors have in a country, the government and its policies, he pointed out. Such confidence has declined sharply in 2023-24, Chidambaram said. "BJP gives certificates to itself. The good certificate must come from foreign and Indian investors. Indian investors have expressed no confidence in the policies of the BJP government during the last three years," he said. That is why the finance minister had to admonish them and, when that failed, beg them to increase their investments, the Congress leader said. He further said that foreign investors have reali

Congress has concrete plan to tackle unemployment, says Chidambaram

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday attacked the BJP-led central government over Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran's reported remarks that the government cannot solve all social and economic problems, and asserted that his party has a concrete plan to tackle unemployment which will be revealed in its manifesto. Nageswaran reportedly asserted on Tuesday that it was incorrect to think that government intervention could solve every social and economic challenge, contending that a diagnosis was easier than a solution when it concerned problems like unemployment. In a post on X, former finance minister Chidambaram said, "The most startling confession has been made by the Chief Economic Adviser. He said that 'Government cannot solve the problem of unemployment'. Shocking." "If that is the official stand of the BJP government, we must boldly tell the BJP 'vacate your seat'," he said. The Congress has a concrete plan to tackle the issue of unemployment and it will be ...

Sleight of hand: Chidambaram takes dig at govt over cut in fuel prices

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday took a swipe at the government after petrol and diesel prices were cut by Rs 2 per litre, saying this was the same kind of "sleight of hand" witnessed in increasing the LPG price and then reducing it before elections. Petrol and diesel prices were cut by Rs 2 per litre each as state-owned oil companies ended a nearly two-year-long hiatus in rate revision. The revised price will be applicable from 6 am on Friday, March 15, the oil ministry said on Thursday evening. Reacting to the development, Chidambaram said, "I had said at a media briefing last week that prices of petrol and diesel will be reduced. It was done today. "Will the government say that the prices will not be increased after the elections (if the BJP comes to power again)?" the former finance minister asked. Price of LPG cylinder was increased by Rs 700 by the BJP government and then reduced by Rs 100 on the eve of elections, he said. "The same kind of sleight of hand has been

Amending Constitution as BJP wants will be end of democracy: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday claimed that if the Constitution is amended according to the BJP-RSS agenda, it will be the end of parliamentary democracy, federalism, rights of the minorities, and English being one of the two official languages. Chidambaram's remarks came over BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde's statement that his party needs a two-thirds majority to amend the Constitution. In a post on X, Chidambaram said, "The BJP's intention to amend the Constitution was never a secret. Dozens of BJP leaders in private conversations have said that India must be a Hindu Rashtra, that Hindi must be the sole official language of India and the central government must be strong and prevail over the state governments." Sometimes, members like Hegde spill the beans, and quickly deny their words, the former Union minister said, adding that "this is an old ploy". The purpose is achieved and the RSS/BJP cadres are enthused that the BJP continues to nurture the idea of amending the .

Can PM promise LPG prices will not rise if BJP wins? asks Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram said on Saturday that he welcomed the Centre's announcement to reduce the LPG cylinder price by Rs 100 but said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should assure that the price will not be increased if his party comes to power again. Also, he sought to know if there was any budgetary provision for over Rs 5.90 lakh crore projects including Rs 17,300 crore projects for Tamil Nadu announced by the prime minister in a fortnight's time from February 22. Speaking to reporters at Satyamurthy Bhavan, the Congress state headquarters here, Chidambaram said his party leader Rahul Gandhi has given five guarantees to the nation ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, and that these will translate into poll assurances in the party's election manifesto. The guarantees include: An assurance on recruitment to eliminate the unemployment problem in the country by filling up nearly 30 lakh vacancies in the Central government, Right to Apprenticeship Law fo

BJP's return will cause existential crisis to regional parties: Chidambaram

Veteran Congress leader and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram on Friday said he cannot predict the future of the INDIA bloc as he is not part of the negotiating committee of the national alliance, but said that the return of Narendra Modi and the BJP to power would cause an existential crisis to state-specific regional parties. He said the Ram temple in Ayodhya could be a factor in the upcoming elections but "whether it will be a decisive one, only time will say". "I cannot say anything about the future of the bloc because I'm not part of the national alliance's negotiating committee and also not part of INDIA bloc meetings. My information is only secondhand or even thirdhand. But I sincerely hope that all the remaining parties understand that the return of Mr Modi and the BJP to the Centre will cause an existential crisis to the state-specific regional parties," Chidambaram told PTI in an exclusive interview here. The veteran Congressman was recently in the city for a ...

Congress slams govt on White Paper on economy, terms it 'white lie paper'

Chidambaram said the appropriate answer to the so-called white paper is the hard-hitting document titled '10 Saal, Anyay Kaal, 2014-2024'

Fiscal deficit was 4.5% in UPA's terminal year, says P Chidambaram

Noting that much has been made of the fiscal correction made by the government, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday said the fiscal deficit was 4.5 per cent in the UPA's terminal year 2013-14 while it is 5.8 per cent under the NDA in 2023-24. The former finance minister asserted that there is no place for a "bullhorn" in economics. In a post on X, Chidambaram said much has been made of the fiscal correction made by the NDA government and the fiscal deficit of 5.8 per cent in 2023-24. "Since memories are short, I may jog the memories of the learned commentators. Under the UPA, the Fiscal Deficit in 2007-08 was 2.5 per cent. In the terminal year of UPA (2013-14) the Fiscal Deficit was 4.5 per cent. In the terminal year of NDA (2023-24) the Fiscal Deficit is 5.8 per cent," he said. There will be ups and downs in any regime, the Congress leader noted. "If the NDA points to the pandemic years (2020-21 & 2021-22), the UPA can point to the years of the International Financial

Karti Chidambaram appears before ED third time in less than one month

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram appeared before the Enforcement Directorate here on Friday, his third deposition in less than a month, for questioning in a money laundering case linked to alleged issuance of visas to some Chinese nationals in 2011, sources said. The 52-year-old legislator from Sivaganga Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu was questioned in this case on December 23 last year and January 2 and the central agency recorded his statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Karti went to the ED headquarters in Delhi for the third time on Friday morning. It is understood that his deposition was in connection with the Chinese visa linked PMLA case this time too. The MP had called the summons in this case a "routine affair and things that happen routinely especially when elections come near". "These are all exercises in futility. We will go through them," he had told reporters while deposing earlier this month. The money laundering case, filed un