Page 2 - Congress

Karnataka tired of 40% commission, wants 100% commitment: Shashi Tharoor

Former union minister Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said people in Karnataka were tired of "40 per cent commission" and wanted "100 per cent commitment" that the Congress party would give if it were voted to power in the upcoming Assembly election. He also said that the Congress was prepared to tackle the "serious deficiencies" in state-level and urban-level governance in Bengaluru and the entire state of Karnataka. I think the people in this state are tired of the 40 per cent commission. What they want is 100 per cent commitment and that's what we will give 100 per cent commitment to the well-being of the people of Karnataka, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said at a press conference here. In poll-bound Karnataka where the Assembly election is just a month away, the Congress has been accusing the BJP-led state government of collecting 40 per cent commission from contractors, unaided private schools and even some religious institutions on the grants that they receive from the ...

Congress Prez Kharge to hold meeting in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi may attendijd

The ruling BJP currently holds a majority in the Assembly with 119 seats while the Congress and the JD(S) have 75 and 28 seats respectively

Youth Cong stages torch rally in Rajasthan against Rahul's disqualification

The Indian Youth Congress on Saturday took out a 'Save Democracy' torch procession here to protest against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Gandhi was disqualified as an MP following his conviction and two-year sentencing by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case. A large number of party workers, including Indian Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV, former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas took part in the rally from Albert Hall to Gandhi Circle. This is a fight to save democracy and the Constitution, Srinivas said. Pilot said the Centre and the BJP have created an environment where people are prevented from speaking their mind. "All the opposition parties have come together and we are conveying this fact that the BJP government at the Centre wants to suppress the voice of the opposition and people are against it," he added.

For Congress, one person above country, Parliament, courts: Anurag Thakur

Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Union minister Anurag Thakur said on Saturday that for the Congress, one person is above the country, Parliament and courts, and added that even some allies of the opposition party were deserting it due to this attitude. Talking to reporters here, the Union information and broadcasting minister also targeted Gandhi over a host of Congress leaders, including chief ministers, accompanying him to a court in Gujarat to file an appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case. The fact is that it did not even require his presence to file the appeal, Thakur said and charged that he tried to put pressure on the court. Following his conviction and two-year jail sentence in the defamation case of 2019 over his Modi surname remark, Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha last month. Gandhi should have apologised for insulting the backward classes but he chose otherwise and his arrogance has come to the fore once again, Thakur said. For the Congress,

PM's repeated visits show how weak BJP is in Karnataka, says Congress

The Congress claimed on Saturday that the repeated visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the southern state only show how weak the BJP is in Karnataka, which goes to the polls on May 10

Rahul's maiden public meeting after disqualification postponed to April 16

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's event, which was supposed to take place on April 10 has been postponed further and now it will be held on April 16 at Kolar, Karnataka Congress unit president D K Shivakumar said on Saturday. Gandhi had planned to address people on April 10 at the same place where his speech during 2019 Lok Sabha elections had led to his disqualification from the lower house of the Parliament, Shivakumar told reporters here. However, due to the Assembly election related works and the selection of candidates, the party leaders requested him to extend it by a week. "We had requested Rahul Gandhi to extend the public meeting by a week and he gave his consent. Gandhi and all leaders will come on April 16 for the Jai Bharat' event at Kolar," Shivakumar said. He added that this will be Gandhi's first public address in Kolar after his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. He also said that Gandhi's disqualification was an insult to democracy. "Cancelling the Lok Sabha member

Adani issue being raked up to 'brighten' Rahul's political career: Rijiju

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he has failed politically, and claimed the Adani issue is being "deliberately" raked up to "brighten his political career". He also accused the Congress of undermining the judiciary and said if the opposition party tries to "tear apart" the Constitution by attacking the judiciary, "we will not stay silent". "I am not going to make any comment on it (the Hindenburg-Adani issue) as the Supreme Court has already formed a committee and is looking into it. But I want to say that this all is being done to brighten the political career of Rahul Gandhi," Rijiju told reporters on the sidelines of a function at the University of Jammu here. He said it is "deliberately" being made into an issue. "The country is run by the Constitution and the law of the land. One man has failed politically and they are trying to highlight controversies, make an issue out of these to brighten his career," the senior BJP .

SC committee on Adani issue will have limited terms of reference: Congress

The Congress on Saturday said the Supreme Court committee to look into the Hindenburg research report on Adani group has limited terms of reference and "cannot bring out the deep nexus between" the prime minister and the billionaire businessman. The remarks came soon after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar said this panel will be more useful and effective than a joint parliamentary committee to probe the Adani issue. "The Supreme Court Committee has very limited terms of reference. It cannot bring out the deep nexus between PM and Adani," said AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh. "Only a JPC can find answers to the HAHK (Hum Adanike Hain Kaun) series of 100 questions and more that are emerging," he also said, adding that the "JPCs in 1992 and 2001 were both worthwhile exercises". Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also tweeted in Hindi, "They hide the truth, that's why they mislead everyday! The question remains the same - who's Rs 20,000 crore benami money is in ...

Sachin Pilot should quit Congress, form new party: RLP chief Beniwal

Beniwal said, "I suggest Pilot Sahab to form a separate party. If he does so, there will be a great atmosphere. It will bring in a strong impact. Congress-BJP will be left far behind"

Oppn must heed Pawar's statement on Adani: Maha CM in swipe at Cong, Uddhav

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has taken a swipe at the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray by asking them to heed the words of Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar on the Adani issue. United States-based Hindenburg Research had alleged large scale stock manipulation and accounting fraud in the firms of billionaire Gautam Adani, leading to strident protests by the opposition Congress and others against the Narendra Modi government. The group had refuted the allegations. In an interview to NDTV, Pawar came out in support of the Adani Group and criticised the narrative around Hindenburg Research's report on the conglomerate. "Such statements were given by other individuals earlier too and there was a ruckus in Parliament for a few days but this time out-of-proportion importance was given to the issue," he said. "The issues that were kept, who kept them, we had never heard of these people who gave the statement, what is the background. When they .

Targeting Adani, demand of JPC worthless, says Pawar on Hindenburg report

Extending support to the Adani Group, Pawar said that the report seems like an individual industrial group of the country was targeted

This is my last election, will retire from electoral politics: Siddaramaiah

Siddaramaiah further added that he will still be in active politics but after this election he won't accept any posts which will be in Delhi

Former AP CM Kiran Kumar Reddy joins BJP, slams Congress leadership

Former Congress leader and last chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh N Kiran Kumar Reddy joined the BJP on Friday, lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and slamming the leadership of the opposition party. Reddy joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and hit out at the Congress leadership for its inability to accept people's verdict and make course correction. They believe they are correct and all others, including the people of India, are wrong, he said. They want authority to control but don't want to work hard or take any responsibility, said the four-time former MLA, who had quit the Congress last month. Citing his family's over six-decade-long association with the Congress, Reddy said he never imagined he will leave the party. The Congress is getting damaged in all states and its high command does not interact with others or take their opinion, he said. Reddy contrasted the rise of the BJP with the decline of the Congress since 1984 and lauded th

Cong has released 2 lists, BJP unable to declare candidates: Shivakumar

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar took a dig at BJP and said while the Congress has released two lists of candidates for polls in the state, BJP has not been able to release even its first list

NCP may have its view but 19 Oppn convinced Adani issue real: Congress

With NCP supremo Sharad Pawar stating that the Adani Group was seemingly targeted by the US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research, the Congress on Friday said its ally NCP may have its view but 19 like-minded Opposition parties are convinced that the charges against the conglomerate are real and very serious. The Congress also said all 20 like-minded Opposition parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), are united and will be together in saving the Constitution and democracy from the "BJP's assaults". In an interview to NDTV, Pawar came out in support of the Adani Group and criticised the narrative around the Hindenburg Research's report on the conglomerate. "Such statements were given by other individuals too earlier and there was a ruckus in Parliament for a few days but this time out-of-proportion importance was given to the issue. "The issues that were kept, who kept them, we had never heard of these people who gave the statement, what is the background. When the

Cyber cell begins probe into Venugopal's complaint on cloning of number

Kerala police on Friday began an investigation into a complaint filed by AICC general secretary K C Venugopal which said that hackers had illegally cloned his mobile number and made fraudulent calls with ulterior motives. Venugopal had on Wednesday posted a copy of his complaint on Twitter, saying hackers were using caller ID spoofing to make spam calls from his cloned phone number. In his complaint filed with the state police chief, the senior Congress leader referred to instances where two persons allegedly received such illegal phone calls. The DGP then forwarded the complaint to the Kochi city police commissioner. Kochi City Police Commissioner K Sethu Raman told PTI that the district cyber cell had begun a probe based on Venugopal's complaint. He said it was possible for hackers use certain applications to clone one's phone and engage in fraudulent activities. Venugopal has alleged that persons unknown to him had been contacting certain individuals from cloned SIM cards ...

Rajasthan healthcare model should be implemented across country: Congress

The Congress on Friday claimed the healthcare model of Rajasthan is being studied the world over and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to emulate the state's Chiranjeevi scheme and Right to Health initiative across the country. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera and Rajasthan Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said at a press conference at the party headquarters here that the Chiranjeevi scheme helped a large number of people during the COVID-19 period as they did not have to spend even a single penny on their treatment in hospitals. Khera said there is an atmosphere of celebrations in the state as this scheme has touched so many lives and the "Rajasthan model" is being talked about all over the world and has become a subject of research abroad. He claimed that today the situation is such that the people of Gujarat are getting their treatment done in Rajasthan. Rajasthan Health Minister Meena said today people are getting free treatment up to Rs 25 lakh in Rajasthan. He said this ha

Rahul Gandhi to address poll rally in Karnataka's Kolar on April 10

Ahead of the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will hold a rally in Karnataka's Kolar on April 10.He is also scheduled to visit his former Parliamentary constituency Wayanad in Kerala, a day later on April 11.Karnataka is slated to go to Assembly polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13.Earlier on Monday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with several senior party leaders went to the Gujarat court to file an appeal against his March 23 conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark.He was accompanied by his sister and party leader Priyanka Gandhi. Along with her, the Chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh too came to the court.The court in Gujarat's Surat granted bail till the disposal of the appeal to Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case.The former MP from Wayanad was convicted and sentenced to two years in hail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma on March 23 in .

Amit Shah slams Congress: Autocracy of one family is in danger

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday mounted a blistering attack on the Congress saying "not democracy but autocracy of one family is in danger."

Credibility thy name is Mallikarjun Kharge: Former MP Navjot Singh Sidhu

Days after his release from jail on completing his sentence, Congress leader and former MP Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday met the party chief here and hailed him, saying "credibility thy name is Mallikarjun Kharge". Sidhu, who completed his jail term in a 1988 road rage case, was released from the Patiala jail on April 1. His meeting with Kharge comes a day after he met Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and said he can be jailed or intimidated but will not backout from his commitment towards Punjab or his leaders. After meeting Kharge, Sidhu tweeted, "9 Times MLA , Thrice Member Parliament, Champion for the cause of underprivileged, voice of truth...'Credibility thy name is Mallikarjun Kharge'." "Met and took blessings of Hon'ble Congress President, he brings positive vibes and good fortune for the party," Sidhu said after the meeting during which Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh was also present. The party's former Punjab chief also met Congres