Congress

Karnataka CM accuses Centre of targeting Congress leaders after ED raids

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday accused the central government and its agencies of consistently targeting Congress members by using searches on their properties, and questioned why similar action is not taken against BJP leaders. He was reacting to searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on Monday on several individuals, among them the sons of Karnataka Congress MLA N A Haris and the grandson of former Union Cabinet minister K Rahman Khan, in connection with a cryptocurrency-linked money laundering case. "The central government always targets Congress leaders. Will they raid the houses of BJP leaders?" Siddaramaiah said in response to a question. More than a dozen premises in the city were searched as part of the operation carried out by the ED under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The premises searched comprised those of Mohammed Haris Nalapad and Omar Farook Nalapad, the sons of the MLA; Aqeeb Khan, the grandson of vetera

Congress slams PM Modi on women's quota, recalls Rahul's 2018 letter

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen to delay the implementation of women's reservations in legislatures by linking it to delimitation and recalled then Congress president Rahul Gandhi's letter to him in 2018 demanding the immediate implementation of women's quota. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Rahul Gandhi, as Congress President, had written to the Prime Minister on July 16, 2018, demanding the immediate implementation of women's reservation. "Eight years later, the Prime Minister - keen to delay the implementation of reservations by linking it to delimitation - is still to act on this demand," Ramesh said. He also shared Gandhi's letter to the PM from 2018, in which he had requested support to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the then upcoming monsoon session of Parliament. "As you are aware, the Women's Reservation Bill, passed by the Rajya Sabha on the 9th of March, 2010, has been

'Monumental setback': Congress slams govt over Pak's role in US-Iran talks

The Congress on Monday took a swipe at the Modi government over Pakistan's role in the US-Iran peace talks, saying Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir becoming a "huge favourite" of American President Donald Trump is a "monumental setback" for India which needs a complete overhaul of its diplomatic engagement strategy. The opposition party claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "simply incapable" of the overhaul of India's diplomatic engagement strategy that is needed. In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The 'dalal' country, as the erudite and always nattily dressed External Affairs Minister described it, is reportedly hosting the second round of US-Iran peace talks today." After the completion of the first round of these talks on April 12th, Pakistan borrowed USD 6 billion from Saudi Arabia and Qatar to repay a USD 3.5 billion loan taken from the UAE and to retire a USD 1.43 billion tranche of Eurobonds, he pointed

Stop lying to the nation: Congress slams PM's address, cites MCC violation

Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Saturday said a "desperate and frustrated" PM turned an official address to the nation into a political speech despite the Model Code of Conduct being in force. The party also challenged him to bring a bill in Parliament to implement women's reservation within the existing set-up of the Lok Sabha, soon after Modi's address to the nation, in which he attacked the opposition parties for not backing the government's Constitution amendment bill. In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said a "desperate and frustrated" prime minister with nothing meaningful to show for the last 12 years, turned an official address to the nation, into a political speech, full of "mudslinging, and outright lies". "The Model Code of Conduct is already in place, and it was very clear how the prime minister misused official machinery to attack his opponents. This is a travesty of democracy and the Constitution," Kharge said. "Modi j

Women's dreams crushed: PM seeks 'forgiveness' for Nari Shakti bill failure

In his televised address, PM Modi said he had expected the Opposition to support the bill, but added that the Congress "repeated its history of not supporting the Bill"

Noble effort derailed: PM Modi hits out at DMK, Cong on Women's quota Bill

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government's women's reservation bill was a noble effort that got 'derailed' due to the DMK and Congress which made it a "target of hatred and petty politics." Especially targeting the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu and the Congress over the amendment bill being defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday, the PM asked, "Why does it trouble DMK, Congress to see ordinary women rise." He said he had personally appealed to the opposition parties to support the bill and even offered to give them credit as "I only wanted sisters from ordinary families to come to parliament, assemblies in good numbers." "But unfortunately, this noble effort got derailed. DMK, Congress and their allies made it a target of hatred and petty politics," he charged. Had this bill been passed, many Tamil women from ordinary families would have become MPs and MLAs. Based on 2011 census, Tamil Nadu was going to get so many more seats in Lok Sabha, "but clearly DMK didn't want t

Defeated delimitation bill to defend 'idea of India': Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the opposition parties defeated the delimitation bill in the Parliament on Friday to defend the "idea of India." Addressing a poll rally at Ponneri here, he said the BJP-led government at the Centre brought a new bill on April 16, and said they were trying to pass the women's bill, which he said was passed in 2023. "In the so-called Women's Bill, delimitation was hidden. The idea was to reduce Tamil Nadu's representation in the Union of India... the delimitation move by BJP was to weaken the strength of southern states, small states, north eastern states," he alleged. "We defeated in Parliament, a bill in which delimitation was hidden; we defeated it to defend the idea of India." Rahul added that India that is Bharat, is a union of states, and every single state should have a voice, be free to express itself, and protect its tradition.

Shows anti-women mentality: Kiren Rijiju slams Cong after quota bill defeat

A day after a united opposition defeated a Constitution amendment bill to tweak the women's quota law and increase the number of seats in legislatures through delimitation, Parliamentary Affairs Minsiter Kiren Rijiju on Saturday accused the Congress of being anti-women, and said it will have to face their "wrath". "It has been established that the Congress is anti-women... It will have to face the wrath of the women of the country," Rijiju said. "The opposition is celebrating after depriving women of their rights; women of the country will teach them a good lesson," he added. The Union minister also accused the Congress of having an anti-women mentality, and said it stands "exposed" now. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which was defeated in the Lok Sabha, provided for Lok Sabha seats to be increased by up to 50 per cent to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. Seats wer

Centre's conspiracy to change federal structure defeated: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the Centre of conspiring to change the federal structure of the country in the garb of women's reservation, asserting that the defeat of its bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the women's quota law was a victory for the Constitution as well as opposition unity. She also demanded that the government implement the Women's Reservation Act of 2023 on the current strength of the Lok Sabha. "What happened yesterday was a big win for democracy. The conspiracy to change the federal structure (of the country) was defeated. It was a victory for the Constitution, opposition unity, and the country," the Congress general secretary said at a press conference. "When Home Minister Amit Shah was speaking in the Lok Sabha on Friday, he said the Congress will not be able to sit on the treasury benches for years, which shows their mindset," Priyanka said. "The whole conspiracy was to stay in power. They thought that if delimitation is not done now,

Nefarious attempt to link delimitation to quota decisively defeated: Cong

The Congress on Friday said the "nefarious attempt" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to link their "dangerous delimitation proposals" to women's reservation has been decisively defeated in the Lok Sabha, and asserted that it was a win for democracy and the Constitution. The opposition party said the defeat also calls into question the legitimacy of "the non-biological, non-grihasthi PM." In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The nefarious and mischievous attempt of the PM and HM to link their dangerous delimitation proposals to women's reservation (that had already been settled) has been decisively defeated in the Lok Sabha." "This is a win for our democracy, our federalism, and the Constitution. This also calls into question the legitimacy of the non-biological, non-grihasthi PM," Ramesh said. The next steps for the Modi Government are clear -- they should implement 33 per cent reservation for wome

'An attempt to change electoral map': Rahul Gandhi on Delimitation bill

Rahul Gandhi alleged delimitation is an attempt to redraw India's electoral map, warns it could reduce representation of some states; govt hits back, calls remarks 'misleading'

SC denies relief to Cong leader Pawan Khera, asks him to move Assam court

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea of Congress leader Pawan Khera seeking protection against possible coercive action till April 20 in a case lodged against him for levelling allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife. The top court asked Khera to move a court of competent jurisdiction in Assam for anticipatory bail in the case. At a press conference on April 5, Khera alleged that the Assam CM's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, had multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in Sarma's election affidavit for the April 9 Assembly polls in that state. The CM and his wife rejected the allegations as false and fabricated. A bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar on Friday took note of the submissions of senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Khera, and asked the Assam court that will hear the Congress leader's plea to not consider adverse remarks, if any, made by the top court and the Telangan

Delimitation will turn out to be 'political demonetisation': Shashi Tharoor

Delimitation will turn out to be "political demonetisation", senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Friday while slamming the government for linking women's reservation with the expansion of Parliament. Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendments in the women's quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, Tharoor said linking women's reservation with delimitation is to hold the aspirations of Indian women hostage to "one of the most contentious and complex" administrative exercises in the country's history. "Today we stand at a threshold where there is near unanimous political consensus in favour of women's reservation. Every major party realises that the time for tokenism is over and the era of collective partnership must begin and yet I am finding myself deeply perturbed by the legislative exercise before us," he said. "The prime minister says he has brought 'nari shakti' the gift of justice but he has wrapped it in barbed

BJP president Nitin Nabin, 15 others take oath as Rajya Sabha MPs

BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Union minister Ram Nath Thakur and senior Congress leader Abhishek Sanghvi, along with 13 other newly elected Rajya Sabha MPs, took oath of office on Thursday. Vice-President of India and Chairman of Rajya Sabha C P Radhakrishnan administered the oath to the 16 newly elected/re-elected members of Rajya Sabha, representing Bihar, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana. Of the 16 MPs, eight are from the BJP and three from its allies. The other five MPs belong to Congress. After being elected as the BJP's national president, Nabin has moved to the Upper House following his resignation from the Bihar legislative assembly. He took the oath in Hindi amid the thumping of desks. Along with him, Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur also took the oath. He has been re-elected to the House from Bihar. Upendra Kushwaha (RLM) and Shivesh Kumar (BJP) also represent Bihar. Terash Gowalla (BJP), Jogen Mohan (BJP), and Pramod Boro (UPP-L)

Intent of govt's Bills 'mischievous', must be rejected completely: Congress

The Congress on Thursday said the true intent of the bills being brought by the government in the garb of implementing women's quota law is mischievous and they have to be rejected completely in their present shape and form. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the three bills are being taken up in Lok Sabha and the packaging and marketing is women's reservation but the fundamentals have to do with delimitation. "Many concerns have been raised from across the country regarding the delimitation proposals that privilege a few populous states where the BJP is strong now. The relative strength of a number of states in the Lok Sabha will actually decline," Ramesh said on X. The way delimitation has actually been done in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir shows how "diabolically the Modi-Shah duo work" he said. "The true intent of these Bills is mischievous, their content devious, and their damage enormous. They have to be rejected completely in their present .

Odisha Janata Congress launched as new regional alternative to BJP

Former Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim launches Odisha Janata Congress, positioning it as a youth-focused regional alternative amid criticism of BJP, BJD, and Congress

Will fight to defend Babasaheb's ideals 'until last breath': Rahul Gandhi

Certain forces are systematically engaged in undermining the legacy of BR Ambedkar and the Constitution, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday as he vowed to fight and defend the ideals of Babasaheb "until my very last breath". The Congress paid homage to Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge saying the Constitution faces a "conspiratorial attack" today and "we must rise to defend every principle he enshrined". "On the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Dr B. R. Ambedkar, we bow with deep reverence to the visionary who gave India its moral and Constitutional soul," Kharge said on X. Babasaheb was not just the architect of the Constitution of India, but a relentless warrior for liberty, equality, fraternity and justice, values that define the very idea of India, he said. "Today, when the Constitution faces a conspiratorial attack, his words and warnings echo with renewed urgency. This is a moment that calls for courage and conviction," the Congres

Congress slams Modi govt for not sharing Constitution amendment bills

The Congress on Tuesday lashed out at the government for not having shared with MPs the Constitution amendment bill or bills that would be brought in the special sitting of Parliament this week, saying this makes a "complete mockery of democracy" and reveals the "bulldozer mentality" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the "special session" of Parliament will begin on April 16, when the election campaign in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal will be at its peak. The Modi government has rejected the Opposition's perfectly reasonable and legitimate requests to convene an all-Party meeting after the elections are completed, fifteen days from today, he said in X. "Till this morning, the Modi government has NOT shared with MPs the Constitution Amendment Bill(s) they are supposed to be debating and voting upon," Ramesh said. "This makes a complete mockery of democracy and reveals the bulldozer mentality of the PM - who once clai

Assam elections 2026: BJP vs Congress showdown | Key names, seats to watch

Assam heads to the polls on April 9 with over 2.49 crore voters set to decide the fate of 722 candidates across 126 seats.

Congress demands PM Modi's apology over delay in women's reservation

The Congress on Friday alleged that the Modi government's "U-turn" on the implementation of the women's reservation law is aimed at covering up his "monumental failures" in governance and "severe setbacks" to foreign policy. The opposition party claimed that the PM owes an "apology" to the women of India as he did not accept the Congress' demand of implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, from the 2024 polls itself. "Actually he owes an apology to the women of India. When the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 was passed by Parliament in 2023 unanimously, the Indian National Congress had demanded its implementation from 2024 itself," Ramesh said on X. But this was not acceptable to the PM who made the reservation dependent on the delimitation and census exercises that he had failed to conduct and then dithered on for many years, the Congress leader said. Ramesh claimed that 30 months later, facing defeat in the assembly elections, in spite of the Election Commission ..