Page 2 - Congress

Notice for my removal from post was a rusted knife, says V-P Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said one should not use a vegetable-cutting knife for bypass surgery and asserted that the notice for his removal from the post was actually a "rusted" tool. In his first reaction on the notice submitted by the opposition INDIA bloc, Dhankhar said, "Just look at the notice against the vice president. Just look at the six links they have given. "You'll be shocked. Chandra Shekhar ji once said, 'Never use a vegetable-cutting knife for bypass surgery'. The notice wasn't even a vegetable-cutting knife; it was rusted. There was haste." The notice was rejected by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chair Harivansh. "When I read it, I was astonished. But what surprised me more was that none of you read it. If you had, you wouldn't have been able to sleep for days," he told a group of women journalists. Dhankhar said any constitutional position has to be vindicated by commitment to sublimity, sterling qualities and constitutionalism. "We are not in a position t

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No arbitrary addition, deletion in voters list in Maha: EC to Congress

Amid concerns flagged by the Congress, the Election Commission on Tuesday said there were no arbitrary additions or deletions of voters in Maharashtra where assembly polls were held recently. In its response to the Congress, the poll authority said it would not be correct to compare 5 PM voter turnout data with final polling data. It also explained how increase in voter turnout from 5 PM to 11:45 PM was normal, being part of the process of aggregation of voter turnout and how there can be bona fide but inconsequential differences in votes polled and votes counted. The EC asserted that it is impossible to change actual voter turnout as statutory Form 17C giving details of voter turnout is available with authorised agents of candidates at the time of close of poll at the polling station itself. It said rule-based process was followed with transparency in Maharashtra electoral roll preparation and there were no irregular pattern in voter deletions in the state. It told the Congress t

Congress moves Supreme Court against changes to Election Rules, 1961

Congress has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Centre's recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, citing concerns over electoral transparency

SP, BSP, Cong used Ambedkar's ideals solely for votebank politics: UP Dy CM

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Tuesday alleged that opposition parties such as the Samajwadi Party, Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party used Ambedkar's ideals solely for votebank politics. The Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have announced protests on Tuesday against Union Minister Amit Shah's "derogatory" remarks on Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha. In a post on X, Maurya said, "Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar dedicated his life for the rights of Dalits, the backward and the deprived but the SP (Samajwadi Party), Congress and the BSP used his ideas only for votebank politics." "The SP's silence on the murder of a Dalit daughter in Karhal and breaking of Ambedkar's statue (in Maharashtra), the BSP's frequent change of stance and the Congress' crocodile tears expose their real character," he added in Hindi. Maurya further said that those who were "twisting" Shah's remarks and enacting a drama should first look into their own ...

Congress files writ petition in SC against amendments to election rules

The Congress on Tuesday filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 and expressed hope that the apex court will help restore the "fast eroding" integrity of the electoral process. The government has tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage as well as video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse. AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who filed the petition, said, "The integrity of the electoral process is fast eroding. Hopefully the Supreme Court will help restore it." "A writ has just been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961," he said in a post on X. Ramesh said the Election Commission, a Constitutional body charged with the conduct of free and fair elections cannot be allowed to unilaterally, and without public consultation, amend such a vital law in

Cong CWC meet in Belagavi to plan 2025 strategy, address Ambedkar issue

The Congress will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Belgaum session of the party that was presided over by Mahatma Gandhi with an extended session of the CWC which will decide on an action plan for the next year. The opposition party asserted that the "insult" to B R Ambedkar by Home Minister Amit Shah will be strongly taken up at Belagavi and deliberated upon. Addressing a joint press conference along with Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal and AICC media and publicity department head Pawan Khera, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on December 26 has been named 'Nav Satyagraha Baithak'. He said two resolutions will be passed at the meeting. The Congress has been marking Ambedkar Samman Saptah against the "insult" of B R Ambedkar by Home Minister Amit Shah, Ramesh said. He said there is only one solution that the home minister be sacked and must apologise for his ...

Not an easy task: Congress' Salman Khurshid on 'One Nation, One Election'

Left parties have strongly opposed the 'One Nation, One Election' move of the government, for which two bills have been introduced in Lok Sabha

'Flawed and predetermined': Congress objects NHRC chairperson appointment

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the appointment process for the chairperson and members of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is 'flawed'

People struggling with rising prices, govt sleeping like Kumbhkaran: Rahul

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the people are struggling with rising prices and are forced to compromise on small things of daily needs while the government is sleeping like 'Kumbhakaran'. Gandhi shared a video on his social media handles on his recent visit to a vegetable market in Giri Nagar here and interaction with housewives who narrated their ordeal due to rising prices of food items. "A few days ago, I went to a local vegetable market and while shopping with customers, I talked to the vendors to know how the budget of the common people is deteriorating and how inflation has troubled everyone," Gandhi said in his post accompanying the video. "People are struggling with rising prices and are forced to compromise on small things of daily needs," the former Congress chief said in his post in Hindi. "We discussed the prices of garlic, peas, mushrooms and other vegetables, and heard the real experiences of the people. How garlic at Rs 400 p

From Maharashtra to Andhra, 2024 was the year of political comebacks

From the Lok Sabha elections to state assembly polls, various leaders staged striking returns in 2024, capturing the attention of both the public and political analysts

Lok Sabha to assemblies: India's young lawmakers don't have the numbers

MPs and MLAs are typically middle aged and form a majority in most political parties

News updates: Filmmaker Shyam Benegal passes away at 90 after prolonged illness

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Congress attacks Modi govt over rising food prices, spiraling inflation

The Congress on Monday took a swipe at the Modi government over "rising" prices of food items, saying the bullet train announced by it has not arrived but the inflation, which is spiralling upwards faster than the speed of a bullet train, has broken the back of the common person. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the people want answers not more "jumlabaazi (rhetoric)". He shared a media report on X which claimed that the rates of daily essential goods are increasing day by day and in the last one year, the prices of flour, oil, spices and dry fruits have increased by one and a half to two times. "The bullet train announced by the Modi government has not arrived, but the inflation, which is spiralling upwards faster than the speed of a bullet train, has broken the back of the common person," Ramesh said in his post in Hindi on X. "Inflation has doubled and tripled in the last ten and a half years. Vegetables, flour, oil, spices and everyday item

Rahul to meet family of deceased Suryawnashi in Maharashtra's Parbhani

The Maharashtra Police are making efforts to strengthen the security arrangements ahead of Gandhi's visit

Haryana CM claims people have rejected Cong, criticises Kharge's remarks

Haryana CM was responding to the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge who on Sunday strongly criticised the Union Government's recent amendment to the Conduct of Election Rules

Bold but flawed: CM Sukhu's governance under scrutiny in Himachal

Sukhu was brimming with ideas when he took office. His slogan was "vyavastha parivartan" (institutional change)

Cong doing politics of deception over 'disrespect' to Ambedkar: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Sunday questioned the sincerity of the Congress' protests over the alleged "disrespect" to B R Ambedkar in Parliament, saying the party that ignored and undermined his struggle for the country is engaged in "politics of pure deception and selfishness". She also hit out at the BJP, alleging the ruling party and the Congress are cut from the same cloth when it comes to taking Ambedkar's name for vote bank politics. "In reality, saints, gurus and great men born in the Bahujan Samaj including Baba Saheb got full respect and honour only when there was a BSP government, which these casteist parties cannot digest," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in a series of posts on X. After the showdown inside and outside parliament during the winter session, the Congress has said it will hold protest marches against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, whom it has accused of "insulting" Ambedkar with his remarks last Tuesday, and observe a weeklong campaig

Will SC conduct further inquiry, asks Surjewala after Pegasus verdict in US

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala on Sunday claimed that the Pegasus spyware case verdict in the US proved how 300 WhatsApp numbers of Indians were targeted and asked if the Supreme Court would now conduct a further inquiry in view of the judgment. Surjewala shared a media report which said that, for the first time, a court in the US had held Israel's NSO Group liable for its intrusive spyware Pegasus. "The Pegasus spyware case verdict proves how 300 WhatsApp numbers of Indians were targeted in the illegal spyware racket," Surjewala said in a post on X. He said it was time for the Narendra Modi government to answer who the 300 names targeted were. "Who are the two Union ministers? Who are the three opposition leaders? Who is the constitutional authority? Who are the journalists? Who are the business persons? What information was retrieved by the BJP government and agencies? How was it used - misused and to what consequence?" the Congress leader asked. He also questioned

Jharkhand Congress to launch drive in January to strengthen organisation

Jharkhand Congress is set to launch a statewide campaign in the first week of January to take its mission and agenda to every household, a senior party official said on Saturday. During a meeting here, the party also decided to strengthen the organisation in the state and continue the agitation against the BJP for allegedly insulting the architect of the Constitution, BR Ambedkar. Addressing party workers, Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, "We will release a calendar highlighting party activities." "On January 6 or 7, we will launch a campaign where party workers will visit every household to spread the party's mission and agenda," he added. He added that the purpose of the meeting was to express gratitude towards the party workers and voters who worked hard to bring the alliance government back to power. "The alliance performed well, even though the Congress had expected to win 28 seats in the assembly polls," Mir told reporters after the meeting. The Congress