Page 20 - Indian National Congress

Krishnamurthy Acharya appointed coordinator for Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra

Krishnamurthy Acharya, Congress leader in Udupi, has been appointed KPCC coordinator for the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi. He has been selected on the recommendation of KPCC president D K Shivakumar and chosen by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, a party release here said. The 3,570km 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi which commenced in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7, entered Kerala on September 10 evening and will traverse through the state covering 450 km, touching seven districts over a period of 19 days before entering Karnataka on October 1.

Congress MLAs joined the ruling party BJP without any condition: Goa CM

He also said that two MLAs of MGP are with the BJP and they will remain with them. MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar is presently the Power Minister in the BJP-led government

Congress Chhodo yatra has started from Goa, says CM Pramod Sawant

His remarks come after eight Congress MLA switched to the BJP earlier in the day

When will govt restore status quo ante: Congress on border row with China

The Congress on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ceding 1,000 sq kms of Indian territory to China "without a fight" and asked when will the government restore status quo ante of April 2020. The opposition party's attack came after Indian and Chinese armies carried out a joint verification of the disengagement process at Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in eastern Ladakh after withdrawing their troops and dismantling temporary infrastructure from the friction point. Both sides completed the disengagement in a phased and coordinated manner, according to people familiar with the development. Attacking the government, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "China has refused to accept India's demand of restoring status quo of April 2020. PM has given 1,000 sq kms of territory to China without a fight." "Can the government of India explain how this territory will be retrieved?" he asked. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress spokesperson

Jairam Ramesh seeks Nehru-Gandhi family's prominence in Congress Prez poll

With the process for electing the new Congress president round the corner, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh has batted for "consensus" in selecting the new AICC chief and sought to uphold the "prominence" of the Nehru-Gandhi family in the organisational matters in any sort of emerging situation. Ramesh, the AICC general secretary in-charge Communication, Publicity and Media, said even if somebody else is elected as the party chief in the October 17 polls, Sonia Gandhi will continue to be a person "everybody looks up to" and insisted Rahul Gandhi will be the "ideological compass" of the grand old organisation. He rejected the suggestion the Wayanad MP will do "backseat driving" in the event of somebody else being a Congress president, hailing the Gandhi scion as a very accommodative and democratic person. A party without a 'high command' would be 'anarchy,' he said. In an interview to PTI, the former Union Minister also opposed a section of Congress leaders' argument against its hi

Rahul Gandhi visits Sivagiri Mutt ahead of Yatra's fourth day in Kerala

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday visited Sivagiri mutt here to pay respects to renowned social reformer Sree Narayana Guru before commencing the fourth day of the Kerala leg of the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra. At Sivagiri Mutt, Gandhi met the swamis there and offered prayers to the saint reformer. The yatra, which began after 7.30 am from Navaikulam junction here, continued to witness an encouraging turn out and will enter the Kollam district of the state during the day after spending the last three days in Thiruvananthapuram district. On Tuesday, after that day's yatra ended at Kallambalam junction here, Gandhi had questioned how a party which calls itself a representative of Hindus was allegedly spreading 'ashanti' in the country when the first words taught in Hinduism is 'om shanti'. "Wherever they are going they are destroying harmony, they are attacking people, they are dividing people, abusing them," he had said. The third day of the Kerala leg of the yatra had gone a

Gandhi family famous for dividing India, says Rajyavardhan Rathore

Taking a jibe at Ashok Gehlot, Rajyavardhan Rathore said that the Rajasthan Congress has no other responsibility than backing a family all the time

Cong MLAs dump garlic outside MP Assembly for govt's apathy towards farmers

Congress legislators on Tuesday dumped loads of garlic at a gate of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on the opening day of the monsoon session, accusing the state BJP government of being apathetic towards farmers who were not getting adequate prices for their crops. Some videos had surfaced in the last few days on social media showing farmers throwing sacks full of garlic on roads and in rivers and drains in Madhya Pradesh, apparently after getting low prices for their produce. One of the farmers had claimed they were being offered just Re one per kg for their garlic produce. On the first day of the MP Assembly's monsoon session on Tuesday, Congress MLAs Sachin Yadav, Jitu Patwari, Kunal Choudhary, P C Sharma and others carried bags full of garlic on their shoulders and dumped key kitchen staple in front of gate number 3 of the Assembly. The farmers are not getting even the input cost of their garlic produce. They are forced to sell it at just Re one per kg and therefore, have been ...

Feet blisters will not stop us, we will unite India, says Rahul Gandhi

Amid intermittent rains and swelling public turnout, Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the third day in Kerala on Tuesday, with the Congress leader and scores of supporters marching along the streets without umbrella when it rained. Gandhi, who has embarked on the 3,500 km Kanyakumari-Kashmir footmarch, said though the participants suffered from blisters on their feet, the campaign would go on. Scores of people lined up on the roadsides despite rains in the city, to greet Gandhi and the other padayatris. The Congress leaders, including Gandhi, walked along the streets without umbrella when it was raining. In a Facebook post, Gandhi said, "even though the feet have blisters, We are out to unite the country, We are not going to stop. #BharatJodoYatra," and uploaded a related video clip. The third day of the yatra, which commenced around 7.15 am from Kaniyapuram near Kazhakootam, saw an encouraging turnout of people like the previous two days of the Kerala leg of the foot ma

Bharat Jodo Yatra: Third day of Kerala leg begins amid encouraging turnout

The third day of the Kerala leg of Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra commenced on Tuesday from Kaniyapuram near Kazhakootam here where the yatra ended on the previous day. The third day of the yatra, which commenced around 7.15 am, also saw an encouraging turnout of people like the previous two days of the Kerala leg of the foot march which is set to cover 3,570 kilometres from Kanyakumari to Kashmir over a 150-day period. When the yatra ended on Monday evening it had covered 100 kilometres. Addressing a large crowd at Kazhakootam, where the yatra had ended for the day, Gandhi had said that elections can be won with hatred, violence and anger, but this cannot solve the socio-economic problems facing the country. Buoyed by the encouraging turnout of people, whose numbers had increased as the march progressed during the day, Gandhi -- who is also the MP from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat from Kerala -- had attacked the BJP by alleging that the saffron party has proved that hatred can be used ...

BJP calls Congress' tweet on burning khakhi shorts instigation for violence

The Congress on Monday tweeted a picture of a khakhi shorts -- a part of the RSS uniform earlier -- on fire, drawing sharp reaction from the BJP which dubbed it as an "instigation for violence". The Congress tweeted along with the picture, "To free the country from shackles of hate and undo the damage done by BJP-RSS. Step by step, we will reach our goal." 145 days more to go, it said of the party's ongoing "Bharat Jodo Yatra". The BJP lashed out at the Congress for its "promotion of violence" and dubbed its yatra as "Bharat Todo Yatra". Noting that many RSS, the Hindutva organisation considered the BJP's ideological mentor, members have been killed in Kerala where the Congress yatra is going presently, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that the opposition party has signalled to "terrorists" in the southern state to target their functionaries. Patra asked the Congress to immediately take down the post, saying there is no room for violence in India's constitutional scheme of ...

Second day of Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kerala attracts huge turnout

The second day of the Kerala leg of Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra also witnessed a huge turnout as party leader Rahul Gandhi commenced his walk from Vellayani junction here Monday morning. Besides those turning up to join the yatra, hundreds lined up on both sides of the road to witness the padayatra' led by Gandhi, who is also the MP from Wayanad in the state. On Sunday, when the day's yatra ended at Nemom here, he had said that Kerala respects everyone and does not allow itself to be divided or hatred to spread, and that the Bharat Jodo Yatra, in a sense, was an extension of these ideas. "Standing together, working together in harmony is natural and normal for the people of Kerala and you have shown this to the rest of the country. "Kerala respects everyone in Kerala. It does not allow itself to be divided nor does it allow hatred to spread in the state. So in a sense, Bharat Jodo Yatra is just an extension of the ideas that prevail in Kerala," he had said. The first day of Congre

Cong's padyatra is 'Gandhi Family Bachao Yatra,' says Assam BJP MLA Kalita

Assam BJP MLA Diganta Kalita took a swipe at Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying that the Yatra is actually Gandhi Family Bachao Yatra

BJP still entrapped in 'khaki shorts': Baghel on Rahul Gandhi's T-shirt row

Hitting back at BJP over its 'T-shirt' jibe at Rahul Gandhi, Chhattisgarh CM said Congress is engaged in uniting the country while the ruling party is still entrapped in T-shirts and khaki shorts.

Bharat Jodo Yatra: Congress resumes 'Padayatra', to enter Kerala today

Congress leaders on Saturday resumed the fourth day of the party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Mulagumoodu in Kanyakumari and it is likely to enter Kerala by today evening.

BJP will fight family parties, dynastic politics with its ideology: Nadda

Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda on Friday dubbed regional outfits as "family parties" and said his party will fight against dynastic politics in the country with its ideology. Addressing a convention of booth level party workers at Science College ground in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur, Nadda also accused Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel of looting people of the state and making it an "ATM of the Congress party". Nadda, who is on his maiden visit to the Congress-ruled state after assuming charge as BJP national president, asked party workers to take the messages of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the booth level and apprise people with works being done under the latter's leadership. Asserting the BJP is the only party which has an ideology to serve people, he said, Our fight is against the politics of 'vanshwad' (dynasty). Right from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, we are battling against it." "In Jammu and Kashmir, the fight is against National Conference (NC) and PDP, in

Bharat Jodo Yatra aims to undo damage done by BJP-RSS, says Rahul Gandhi

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit back at the BJP over its 'Parivar Bachao' remark, saying the Bharat Jodo Yatra is being undertaken to undo the damage done by the BJP-RSS in the country. Speaking to the media during the yatra which started from Kanyakumari on Thursday, Gandhi accused the BJP of taking control of institutions of the country and pressurising those who are against them. "Everybody has an opinion, BJP has one, RSS has its opinion. They are free to have these. For us, the Congress, this is a journey and an attempt at understanding what is going on in India and an attempt at undoing the damage that has been done by BJP and RSS," he said. Gandhi alleged that the BJP has appointed its own people to the institutions of the country. "They pressurise those who are against them. We are used to fighting political parties. Now the fight is not between parties. It is now between the structure of Indian state and the opposition. It is not an easy fight, and a l

Campsites have 'basic' facilities, BJP trying to 'defame' Yatra: Congress

The Congress on Friday said its 'Bharat Yatris' were staying in containers which have very "basic and minimal" facilities, and claimed that the BJP was trying to "defame" its 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' as it was rattled by it. The Opposition party alleged that the BJP IT cell was spreading falsehoods about the facilities at its Yatra campsites and in containers. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also took a dig at the BJP, saying this is not like the 1990 "Rath Yatra" a Toyota Yatra or an Innova Yatra ours is a Padyatra. The attack by the Opposition party came after it gave access to the media to its campsite in Nagercoil where the 60 containers were parked. About 230 people, including 119 Bharat Yatris who will walk the full 3,570 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir will spend their nights in 60 containers mounted on trucks that will be moved daily from one place to another. Rahul Gandhi is staying in a one-bed container that has a small sofa, an air conditioner, a small refrigerato

Gandhis' constant attack forced me to retaliate, says Ghulam Nabi Azad

Former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday attacked Congress' Rahul and Sonia Gandhi saying he had maintained a dignified silence since his departure from the party but their continued attack forced him to retaliate. Azad said this while holding a rally in his home town in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district. He said that despite repeated attacks on him by the Gandhis, he maintained a dignified silence for a long time but his single retaliation has now grounded them. Azad, who is on his maiden political campaign as a non-Congress leader ahead of announcing his own party in Jammu and Kashmir, addressed a rally at a jam packed Bhalla market in Doda's Bhadarwah. "After my resignation letter, I maintained a dignified silence for four days but when Sonia Gandhi and Rahul kept attacking at me, I was left with no other option but to make my point, as my religion and ethics of politics give you the right to protect yourself, when you are attacked," Azad said. "They tried to ...

All Congress leaders want Rahul Gandhi to lead the party: Raj CM Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday reiterated that Rahul Gandhi should lead the party as he was leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra