Page 2 - Indian National Congress

Rahul Gandhi convicted in Modi surname defamation case: What we know so far

After conviction, Rahul Gandhi's sentence was suspended and bail was granted to enable him to move an appeal against his conviction within 30 days

Crude oil price decline should lead to lower petrol prices: Congress

The Congress has demanded that the Centre transfer the benefits of declining crude oil prices to the consumers

RS adjourned till 2 pm as govt, oppn trade barbs over Rahul, Adani issues

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned within minutes of the House assembling for the day on Monday, as the ruling and opposition parties traded barbs over Rahul Gandhi's 'democracy in danger' remark in London and a demand for a probe into allegations against the Adani Group. Both the ruling BJP and the opposition parties shouted slogans in support of their demands, prompting Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to adjourn the proceedings till 2 pm. Dhankhar said he had received notices under rule 267-9 from Congress members, including Pramod Tiwari, Rajneet Ranjan, Kumar Ketkar, Syed Nasir Hussain, Amee Yajnik, AKhilesh Prasad Singh, Neeraj Dangi and Mukul Wasnik, to discuss the failure of the government to constitute a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to look into allegations of accounting fraud and stock market manipulation against the Adani Group. Binoy Viswam (CPI) and Elamaram Kareem (CPM) wanted a high-level probe monitored by the Supreme Court into the allegations made by US-based .

Delhi Police at RaGa's home over 'women being sexually assaulted' remark

The Delhi Police on Sunday reached the residence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with a notice issued to him over his women are still being sexually assaulted remark made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The police team headed by Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda arrived at Gandhi's 12, Tughlaq Lane residence, officials said. Taking cognisance of social media posts, police had sent a questionnaire to the Congress leader and asked him to give details about the women who approached him regarding sexual harassment". According to police, Gandhi gave a statement in Srinagar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra that 'I have heard that women are still being sexually assaulted'. Police had asked him to give details of these victims so that security could be provided to them, the officials said.

Delhi Police action is to divert attention from Adani issue: Kharge

After Delhi Police reached residence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, party's National President Mallikarjun Kharge said that Congress will not stop questioning on Adani row

Remarks against PM: SC to hear Congress leader Pawan Khera's plea on Monday

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea of Congress leader Pawan Khera seeking transfer and clubbing of FIRs lodged against him in Assam and Uttar Pradesh for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud on Friday deferred the hearing on Khera's plea to March 20 after taking note of submissions that senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for the Congress leader, was unavailable. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Uttar Pradesh and Assam, urged the bench that the matter can be taken up for hearing on Monday instead of Friday. "Ok, we will take it up on Monday," said the bench, which also comprises justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala. The apex court had earlier extended the interim bail of Khera, who was arrested by Assam Police in the case, till March 17. Earlier, Assam and Uttar Pradesh governments, in their separate affidavits, opposed Khera's plea seekin

Rahul Gandhi promises police to share info about his remarks, seeks time

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has assured the Delhi Police that he will share the information about the claims that he had made during his Bharat Jodo Yatra speech in Srinagar

Like Congress, BJP will lose for misusing central agencies: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday asserted that the BJP would be politically finished in the days to come, just like the Congress, for misusing central agencies against opposition parties. Yadav also pressed for the caste census, which he said would be a major issue in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "Earlier, the Congress used to misuse the central agencies, and now BJP is doing the same. Congress is now finished. The BJP, too, will meet a similar fate, he told a press conference here. He claimed that the Congress during the UPA-2 regime had promised to conduct a caste census, but later backtracked. "We want the BJP-led central government to conduct the caste census. Several leaders have been demanding it. But like the Congress, the saffron party is also not keen on conducting it," Yadav said. Asked what would be the formula of the proposed opposition front ahead of the general elections, Yadav said it won't be disclosed. "We won't reveal the formula of the opposition fr

Congress is essential to any meaningful opposition in 2024: Jairam Ramesh

No Opposition front to take on the BJP is possible without the Congress and if a coalition is formed for the 2024 general elections, the party will have a central role in it, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said. In an interview with PTI, Ramesh, however, said it was too early to talk about all this right now as the Congress' first priority was the upcoming elections in Karnataka and the string of state polls this year. Ramesh's remarks come after both Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Uttar Pradesh's Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) saying the two parties would stay away from both the Congress and the BJP, and indicating possible talks with other regional players ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Asked whether the TMC and SP's actions could jolt Opposition unity, Ramesh said, "The TMC, Samajwadi, people keep meeting, the Third Front, Fourth Front will continue to be formed, but it is necessary to have the Congress in the Opposition." "If an ...

Cong says NSE lifted ASM on Adani Group stocks, questions SEBI's 'inaction'

The Congress claimed on Friday that the National Stock Exchange (NSE) has lifted additional surveillance on some Adani Group company stocks and asked why stock exchange regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is standing by and allowing investors to take on added exposure to such stocks. Congress general secretary, communications Jairam Ramesh posed questions on Twitter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Adani issue as part of the opposition party's "Hum Adanike Hain Kaun" series. "Another day of adjournment and protest. The PM-linked Adani 'Maha Mega Scam' continues to be the subject of agitation by the Opposition and stonewalling by the Government. Here is HAHK (Hum Adanike Hain Kaun)-31. Chuppi Todiye Pradhan Mantriji," Ramesh said in a tweet. He claimed that even as global index providers such as MSCI, S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell reviewed the position of the Adani stocks in their equity indices, the NSE went the other way and included five Adani Group ...

Former Andhra Pradesh CM Kiran Kumar Reddy resigns from Congress

Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has resigned from the Congress. Reacting to Reddy's resignation, Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore on Sunday said that those who got everything from the party and finished the Andhra Pradesh Congress now leave for the BJP. Reddy was the last chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh. In a letter dated March 11 and addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Reddy wrote, "Please accept this letter as my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress." Reddy had earlier resigned from the Congress in 2014 over the then UPA government's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh and carve out Telangana. He had floated his own political outfit Jai Samaikyandhra Party but returned to the Congress in 2018.

'Hath se Hath Jodo' yatra aims at mobilising support before 2024 elections

Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani on Sunday said the party's 'Hath se Hath Jodo' yatra is aimed at mobilising public support with an eye on next year's general elections. Wani, along with Congress working president Raman Bhalla, led the yatra through the Makhanpur Gujran Panchayat and highlighted issues of public concern such as property tax, inflation and unemployment. "Hath se Hath Jodo yatra is aimed at reaching out to people in the hinterlands ahead of the 2024 general elections...it will strengthen the Congress' prospects and act as an extension of the Kanyakumari-Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra which concluded in Srinagar," Wani said. "The aim of the campaign is to apprise the people of the hatred which is seen in society and the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir. We have presented certain facts before the public on inflation, joblessness and downgrading and bifurcation of J&K into two Union territories," he said. Bhalla said the campaign has received .

Will ensure MVA fights Maha assembly, Lok Sabha polls together: Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said the people in Maharashtra are looking for a change and he will ensure that constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) contest the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections together. Pawar was speaking to reporters after the newly-elected Congress MLA from Kasba Peth Assembly constituency in Pune city, Ravindra Dhangekar, visited the NCP chief at his residence here. He said Dhangekar was elected by common people in the bypoll in Kasba Peth, a BJP bastion, as he has been working for them for the last several years. Queried whether a formula of contesting elections jointly will be repeated by MVA in the upcoming civic elections, Pawar said his colleagues in NCP are looking into this aspect. "However, my efforts will be to ensure that the constituents of MVA remain together, take joint decisions, and face the state Assembly and Lok Sabha elections together," he said. The former Union minister also said the people in Maharashtra are looking for a ...

K'taka CM questions Shivakumar after ISKP claims hand in Mangaluru blast

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday questioned Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar after a global terror outfit ISKP took responsibility for the Mangaluru cooker blast

Paper leak is injustice to Rajasthan's youth: BJP leader Arun Singh

BJP National General Secretary Arun Singh on Saturday attacked the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan over a string of paper leaks in recent months, calling it a betrayal of the state's youths. Addressing a protest rally here, the BJP's Rajasthan in-charge said incidents of paper leak did not happen once or twice but 16 times during the Gehlot regime. "This government is good for nothing. Rajasthan would be the first state in history where paper leak incidents have happened 16 times. Gehlot makes tall promises but does not work," he said. Singh also called upon the state's youths to throw the Congress out of power in the next assembly elections. "Give Congress such a push that it falls down a ditch and never returns to power for the next 20-25 years," he said. A large number of activists from the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and the BJP and other leaders were present at the protest rally.

Remarks against PM: SC extends interim bail of Pawan Khera till March 17

The Supreme Court on Friday extended till March 17 the interim bail granted to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case related to alleged objectionable remarks he made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Assam Police had arrested Khera in the case. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala adjourned the hearing to March 17 as it had run out of time. The bench also pointed out that the replies of Uttar Pradesh and Assam were not on record and it will hear the plea after the Holi vacation. It made clear that the interim bail granted to Khera will be extended till March 17 when it will hear the matter. Earlier, on February 27, the court had extended the protection to the Congress spokesperson till Friday. Khera was arrested at the Delhi airport after being deplaned from a flight to Raipur over his alleged remarks against Modi made at a press conference on February 17 in Mumbai. He was later granted bail by a magisterial co

MP Assembly adjourned till Mar 13 amid BJP-Cong tussle over MLA suspension

The Budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly was on Friday adjourned till March 13 amid a tussle between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress MLAs on the suspension of an opposition MLA and calls for the Speaker to stay away from the proceedings due to a no confidence proposal against him. As soon as the Assembly convened for the day, Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Govind Singh wanted to know fate of the no confidence proposal moved by his party against Speaker Girish Gautam over the suspension of MLA Jitu Patwari on Thursday. In reply, MP Parliamentary Affairs minister Narottam Mishra said it was he who had moved the proposal for Patwari's suspension and that the Speaker acted as per rules once it was passed by voice vote. Meanwhile, Congress MLAs Sajjan Singh Verma and Kunal Chaudhary said Gautam should refrain from being part of the proceedings due to the proposal of no-confidence against him. In the meantime, Mishra flung a book detailing rules and ...

Cong accuses govt of 'favouritism' in small arms deal with Adani Group

The Congress on Thursday accused the government of indulging in "blatant favouristism" and giving the Adani group "undue advantage" in major small arms contracts for the armed forces. Posing a set of three questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the party's "Hum Adani ke Hain Kaun" series, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the party had asked the PM a series of questions on February 15 regarding the "handing over" of large chunks of the India-Israel defence partnership to his "close friend" Gautam Adani. The Congress' slew of allegations have continued weeks after Adani Group stocks had taken a beating on the bourses after US-based short seller Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share-price manipulation. The Gautam Adani-led group has dismissed the charges as lies, saying it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements. "While he (PM) gives his gyan to G20 Foreign Ministers, he cannot run away from

Trinamool Congress second richest party after BJP, Congress at third: ADR

Trinamool Congress has emerged as the second richest party after BJP in terms of income in financial year 2021-22, as per a report

BJP to launch Yatra, cover 8,000 km as campaign heat picks up in Karnataka

Seeking to give a boost to its campaign for the Assembly polls round the corner in Karnataka, the BJP on Wednesday will launch its 'Vijay Sankapla Yatre' from four different directions across the state, in specially designed vehicles or "Rathas" with the party's central leaders set to give it a headstart. BJP national president J P Nadda will kick-start the 'yatre' from Male Mahadeshwara Hills in Chamarajanagar district. While Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to flag off another Yatre on March 2 from Nandagad in Belagavi district, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to launch the third and fourth yatras that will start from Basavakalyana in Bidar district and Avathy in Devanahalli near Bengaluru, on March 3, in the morning and afternoon, respectively. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former Chief Minister and BJP's Parliamentary board member B S Yediyurappa, party's state President Nalin Kumar Kateel, and national General Secretary C T Ravi are among those expected