The Chhattisgarh

Tag: Congress

  • ‘Financial Terrorism’: Congress Slams Modi Govt After Rs 65 Crore Deducted From Account By Tax Department |

    New Delhi: The Congress party on Thursday slammed the Centre after over 65 crore rupees were deducted from its accounts by the Income Tax department. Addressing a press conference, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal heavily criticized the BJP government and accused it of “financial terrorism.”

    “This is clearly financial terrorism imposed by the BJP government on the Congress party. According to the latest information from the banks, the BJP government compelled the banks to transfer approximately Rs. 65.89 crore from our deposits to the government,” said Venugopal.

    He further added that the amount was deducted from the accounts of AICC, IYC, and NSUI. “Unlike the BJP, we acquired this money from ordinary workers of the party,” said Venugopal.

    Venugopal alleged that withdrawal of money from the accounts just ahead of the parliamentary elections suggests that “they (BJP) are essentially stealing money from the bank.”

    Congress Party President Mallikarjun Kharge also came down heavily on the ruling party and said, “an autocratic Modi Govt is capturing Democracy through Extortion and Financial Terrorism!”

    Kharge accused the Modi government of stealing donation money from Congress and alleged that the BJP threatens corporate firms through ED, CBI, and IT. “On one hand, the Modi Govt wants to steal the hard-earned money of people donated to the Congress party in good faith, and on the other hand, it threatens corporate firms through ED, CBI, IT, etc., to grab a lion’s share of donations,” said Kharge.

    Raising concerns over the withdrawal of Rs. 65 crore “undemocratically” from the Congress’ bank accounts by the income tax department, party leader Ajay Maken said that despite the sub judice nature of the matter, the Congress party is facing an unprecedented demand of Rs. 210 crore when there is a common practice for National Political Parties to pay no income tax.

    Highlighting that neither the Congress nor the BJP pays income tax, Maken, in a post on X, said that their hopes now lie with the Judiciary.

    “Yesterday, the Income Tax Department mandated banks to transfer over Rs65 crores from INC India, IYC, and NSUI accounts to the government–Rs5 crores from IYC and NSUI, and Rs60.25 crores from INC, marking a concerning move by the BJP Government,” he said.

    “Is it common for National Political Parties to pay Income Tax? No,” he added.

    “Does the BJP pay Income Tax? No,” Ajay Maken asked.

    He continued to ask why the Congress Party is facing an unprecedented demand of Rs. 210 crores?

    He pointed out that this undemocratic act poses a threat to the country’s multi-party system.

    “This situation raises a crucial question about the state of democracy. Is it under threat?,” he said in his post on X.

    “During today’s ITAT proceedings, we presented our case. The hearing is set to continue tomorrow. The funds in question were raised through grassroots efforts, including crowdfunding and membership drives by the IYC and NSUI. This situation raises a crucial question about the state of democracy. Is it under threat? Our hope now lies with the judiciary,” Maken added.

    The hearing on Congress complaint in Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) against recovery of the outstanding tax due of Rs. 65 crore from INC’s account will resume on Thursday.

    Meanwhile, the Income Tax Department on Wednesday submitted before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) that they acted with responsibility and their action was fully in line with the law to obtain demand drafts of Rs. 65 crore from the bank accounts of Congress party.

  • ‘Glad That Congress Has Accepted ‘Amethi’ Challenge’ For Rahul Gandhi: Smriti Irani |

    AMETHI: Union Minister and senior BJP leader Smriti Irani on Tuesday said that she was glad to hear that the Congress party has accepted her challenge to field Rahul Gandhi from Amethi – her Lok Sabha constituency where she had defeted the former Congress president in 2019 polls. Irani had challenged the former Congress chief to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi without taking help from the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party and without going to Wayanad – his current Lok Sabha constituency.

    Hitting back at senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Irani told reporters, “I am happy that Jairam Ramesh has accepted my challenge that Rahul Gandhi is ready to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls without the help from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati. I wish that the CWC (Congress Working Committee) would immediately accept Ramesh’s proposal.”

    Calling herself an ordinary BJP worker, Irani said that she awaits a formal announcement from the Congress party in this regard. 

    “I once again say, since Jairam Ramesh has said that Rahul Gandhi is ready to accept our challenge, our party workers from Amethi are eagerly waiting… Rahul Gandhi through the CWC should make an announcement (about him contesting the polls from Amethi and not Wayanad),” added Irani, who had defeated Rahul Gandhi from Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

     

    #WATCH | Amethi: On the statement of Congress General Secretary (Communication) Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP from Amethi, Smriti Irani says, “I am happy that Jairam Ramesh has accepted my challenge that Rahul Gandhi without Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati is ready… pic.twitter.com/kozHZdaCy7
    — ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2024

     

    Irani, who is in Amethi these days, attacked the Congress party and said that the empty streets that greeted Rahul Gandhi on Monday are a reflection of the people of Amethi’s anger towards the Gandhi family.

    Anger In Amethi Against Gandhi Family: Irani

    The BJP MP from Amethi spoke to the media on Monday and said, “The anger of the people of Amethi against the Gandhi family is visible. Today, when Rahul Gandhi) arrived, he was welcomed by empty streets. The anger of those who were deprived of development in Amethi has transformed into empty streets for the visit of the Gandhi family.”

    Speaking to the media Irani said, “In 2014, Amethi was promised a ‘Badlaav ki Raajneeti’ (politics of change) under our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hence, Amethi received an investment of Rs 6,523 crore in the Investors Summit held in the national capital.”

    “This was not a memorandum of understanding, ‘ye dharatal par implement hua nivesh hai.’ From the period of independence till 2014, when Prime Minister Modi became PM, the small-scale industry in Amethi only received Rs 500 crore in over 60 years,” she said.

    “However, in the 10 years of PM Modi’s tenure, Rs 2107 crore was given to the same small-scale industry sector in Amethi so that over one lakh beneficiaries could start their small-scale industries,” said Irani.

    Dare Rahul To Contest From Amethi Alone: Irani

    Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, Irani said, “Perhaps this is also the reason why the people of Amethi remained unavailable to welcome the people who did not serve Amethi well.”

    “The people of Amethi also haven’t forgotten that this particular person who had mentioned Amethi and said that ‘yaha ke logo ki samjh theek nahi hai’. This is the reason why the people of this constituency are angry,” she said.

    “The Ram Bhakts of Amethi are also angered with the fact that the former MP of Amethi and the Gandhi family rejected the invitation for Ram Lalla’s life Pran Prathistha ceremony,” she stated. “The anger of those who were deprived of development in Amethi has today transformed into empty streets for the visit of the Gandhi family,” said Irani.

    Rahul Gandhi arrived in Amethi, the parliamentary seat he represented earlier on Monday, the same day, Smriti Irani began her four-day visit to the Uttar Pradesh town.

    Amethi used to be a Congress stronghold in Uttar Pradesh, where Rahul Gandhi lost to Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 elections.

    The Congress is still undecided on whether Rahul Gandhi will attempt to regain the Congress stronghold, especially since Sonia Gandhi has also left Rae Bareili for the Rajya Sabha.

    Rahul Gandhi had won Lok Sabha elections from erstwhile Nehru-Gandhi family bastion Amethi three times until the 2019 general elections when he faced defeat from Smriti Irani. Rahul Gandhi, however, won from Wayanad in Kerala, the second seat he contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

    Rahul Gandhi reached Amethi on Monday as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the campaign kicked off by him on January 14 from Thoubal in Manipur in the run-up to the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    Although it is improbable that the two leaders come face-to-face with each other, the coincidence proceeds ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in Amethi and beyond. 

  • ‘This Time They Will Be Wiped Out Of Parliament’: Mallikarjun Kharge On BJP’s ‘400 Seats’ Claim |

    NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday claimed that the Narendra Modi-powered BJP won’t be able to cross 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and it will be wiped out of Parliament. Speaking to reporters in Amethi, Kharge said, “I said – they (BJP) keep saying that they will cross 400 (LS seats), but this time they will be out of Parliament.” Denying any rift with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, Kharge said, ‘”Everything will be alright. He has agreed and our people have agreed too. There is no problem.”  Kharge on Saturday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and described it as a ‘curse’ for the country’s farmers. 

     

    #WATCH | In UP’s Amethi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says, “I said – they (BJP) are saying that they will cross 400 (LS seats), but this time they will be out of Parliament.” https://t.co/mr3cU5wfmC
    — ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2024

     

    The Congress president accused the Modi government of treating farmers like enemies. Kharge asserted that only the Congress party can provide farmers with the legal right to a Minimum Support Price (MSP).

    “The Modi government is a curse for the country’s food-providing farmers. Due to the continuous false ‘Modi’s Guarantee’, first 750 farmers lost their lives, and now, yesterday, one farmer lost his life and 3 have lost their eyesight due to rubber bullets. The Modi government has treated farmers like enemies, Only Congress will give them the legal right of MSP!” he said in a post on ‘X’.

    Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his poll promises, Kharge said the former is the chief of all liars as he failed to even fulfil what he had promised during his 2014 poll campaign.

    “I want to ask him what happened to the promises he made during 2014–he never fulfilled those. Modiji jhuton ka sardar hai (PM Modi is the chief of liars),” Kharge said addressing party workers at an event hosted by Maharashtra Congress in Pune.

    The Congress national president said people keep praising PM Modi despite the latter not doing much work in the last 10 years.
    Kharge cautioned that if such a scenario continues, the Constitution will “vanish”.

    “PM Modi keeps lying…you all know what he did in the last ten years. Still, people praise him…if this continues, then there will soon come a day when the Constitution will vanish. We are waging a fight to protect the Constitution and have to keep fighting,” he said.

    Describing Prime Minister Modi as “individualistic,” Kharge alleged that the former does not even take his party’s name while announcing his “guarantees.”

    “PM Modi keeps on saying that this is Modi ki Guarantee…he never uses his party name. He is very individualistic and full of himself,” the Congress president said.

    Claiming further that the BJP had no role in the country’s freedom struggle, Kharge added, “We are fighting for the country and its founding ideals all over again. The BJP had no role or contribution to our freedom struggle. We fought for the country.”

    Taking a dig at the Congress, PM Modi earlier this month said that even Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge has predicted the return of the NDA government with over 400 seats. 

    PM Modi made this remark during his response to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in Lok Sabha.

    During a session in the Rajya Sabha on February 2, Kharge inadvertently coined what would become a rallying cry for the BJP, stating “Abki Baar, 400 Paar,” which translates to “This time, over 400 seats.”

    “Our third tenure is not far away, a maximum of 100-125 days are left. The entire nation is saying ‘abki baar, 400 paar’. Even Kharge ji said that,” PM Modi said while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in Lok Sabha.

    He expressed confidence that the BJP would not only secure a third term but also achieve an impressive victory by winning over 370 seats individually and crossing the 400 mark with the support of the NDA bloc. Modi’s remarks were met with laughter, including his own, as he acknowledged Kharge’s statement, suggesting that even the opposition leader seemed to predict the ruling party’s electoral success.

    Modi further criticised the Congress party, implying that they had become comfortable in their role as the opposition and were preparing to occupy the spectators’ gallery in Parliament. He also took a veiled swipe at Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party’s alleged nepotism, criticizing the repeated promotion of the same leadership without success.

    PM Modi indirectly referenced Rahul Gandhi by stating that the Congress is on the brink of shutting down its shop, emphasizing that they keep trying to relaunch the same product repeatedly.

  • Smriti Irani Vs Rahul Gandhi Face-Off In Amethi Today But Will RaGa Contest From UP Seat Again? |

    Ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Rahul Gandhi is on the last leg of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Rahul Gandhi will be in Amethi today and the current MP from the seat Smriti Irani will also reach her constituency on a four-day tour today. Irani had defeated Gandhi from the seat in the 2019 parliamentary elections. While Rahul Gandhi lost from Amethi, he won the Wayanad seat thus retaining his Lok Sabha membership. Now, with the two leaders again touring the hot seat, the question is – whether Rahul Gandhi will again challenge Smriti Irani from the seat.

    Rahul To Contest From Amethi?

    For quite some time, there have been rumours within the Congress that Rahul Gandhi might contest elections from Amethi once again. Not contesting from here may send a wrong message in the Hindi-speaking region. Reacting to the question, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “CEC will decide on who will contest from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi has been an MP from Amethi thrice. His father Rajiv Gandhi also used to contest from Amethi. It is a very important constituency for the Congress party.”

    With Sonia Gandhi moving to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, the Congress party has shunned its lone Lok Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh. Now, it will be important to see who will be Congress candidates from the Amethi and Raebareli.  

    Smriti’s Challenge From Kerala

    A few days ago, Smriti Irani had said during her visit to Kerala that she sent the current Wayanad MP to the seat from Uttar Pradesh. She urged the voters to ensure that he did not get another opportunity for the seat again. On the other hand, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to hold a rally at 4 PM in Babuganj, Amethi. 

    Amethi Remains A Hot Seat

    While Rahul may stay in Amethi for around 12 hours, Irani will stay put in the constituency for four days. This is perhaps the second time when both will be present in Amethi at the same time. However, the possibility of a face-to-face encounter between Rahul and Smriti is low as their schedules are different.

    Smriti usually visits Amethi frequently. This time, she is planning to stay for four days. Smriti will listen to people’s issues through a Jan Samvad program. She will be present at her homecoming program on February 22. Smriti Irani is likely to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi again. She has been consistently criticizing Rahul Gandhi. 

  • ‘Even Foreign Countries Know Aayega To Modi Hi’: 10 Key Points From PM Modi’s BJP National Convention Speech |

    New Delhi: Addressig the Bharatiya janata Party (BJP) Convention on Thursday at the Bharat Madapam,  Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his confidence in the party’s return to the poewer in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. PM Modi also heavily critisied the opposition party and said that the Congress has no vision for the development of the country.

    “Today every country in the world is emphasizing on building deeper relations with India. Despite pending elections, I’ve received invitations from various countries extending into July, August, and September. This suggests widespread confidence in the potential return of a BJP government,” said PM Modi. “
    Discussing the Indian economy’s growth during the BJP’s tenure over the past decade, the Prime Minister highlighted, “It took India 60 years to reach a 1 trillion dollar economy milestone. In our 10 years, we have accelerated this progress to achieve a 3 trillion dollar economy.”

    “The previous government failed to elevate India from the 11th to the 10th largest global economy. In contrast, the BJP has elevated India to the top 5,” he added.
    In a strong rebuke to opposition parties, the Prime Minister said that the parties may not know how to fulfill their promises but they don’t hesitate to make false commitments. 

    Congress Lacks Agenda For Development: PM Modi

    PM Modi also targeted the Congress, stating that the grand old party has resorted to desperate measures, with hurling abuses and false allegations against him becoming their sole agenda. “Congress has become so desperate that it does not even have the courage for principled and ideological opposition. Therefore, abuses and false allegations against Modi have become their only agenda,” said PM.

    Commending the unwavering dedication of BJP workers to the party, PM Modi underscored the significance of the upcoming 100 days leading to the Lok Sabha Elections. He urged them to approach this period with renewed energy, zeal, enthusiasm, and faith.

  • BJP National Convention: Amit Shah Takes `9 Months Repeat Speech` Dig At Rahul Gandhi Over OBC Remarks

    Amit Shah alleged that the Congress and Indi Alliance used Dalit, tribal and backward communities as a vote bank.

  • Priyanka Gandhi Hospitalised, Skips Rahul-Led Nyay Yatra As It Enters Uttar Pradesh Today |

    New Delhi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will not be joining the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh on Friday to bad health conditions. “I was eagerly waiting for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to reach Uttar Pradesh, but due to illness I had to be admitted to the hospital today itself,” the leader informed via X (formerly Twitter). The Yatra is currently in Bihar and is scheduled to reach Chandauli in UP after concluding the halt in Bihar. UP is the crucial Hindi state that elects the most MPs to the Lok Sabha. 

    Gandhi further wrote that she will be joining the journey as soon as she feels better. “Till then, I wish all the passengers reaching Chandauli-Banaras, my colleagues and dear brother from Uttar Pradesh who are diligently preparing for the journey,” she added. 

    मैं बड़े चाव से उत्तर प्रदेश में भारत जोड़ो न्याय यात्रा के पहुँचने का इंतजार कर रही थी, लेकिन बीमारी की वजह से मुझे आज ही अस्पताल में भर्ती होना पड़ा। थोड़ा बेहतर होते ही मैं यात्रा में जुड़ूँगी। तब तक के लिए चंदौली-बनारस पहुंच रहे सभी यात्रियों, पूरी मेहनत से यात्रा की तैयारी…
    — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) February 16, 2024

    Nyay Yatra’s Route Not Shortened In UP: Cong

    Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the yatra has not been shortened in Uttar Pradesh as it will stay in the key Hindi state for eight days from 16th to 21st February before continuing to western Uttar Pradesh on 24th and 25th February.  Earlier, UPCC chief Ajay Rai had notified that the UP leg of Nyay Yatra has been revised and reduced due to the ongoing UP Board exams.

    Rai said that the changes were made due to logistical issues. He said that the places where the workers and organisers were supposed to stay are mostly private schools or colleges which will now be used for the board exams. 

    The omission of western UP from Rahul’s itinerary is important as it comes after RLD broke away from INDIA bloc. The Congress has a very weak presence in western UP and the party does not have any influential leader in the region. A senior leader said that they do not want to give an impression that Rahul’s presence in a certain area did not help them win seats.

    Rahul Gandhi, the former head of Congress, is spearheading the Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai. The yatra is now in Bihar. The Manipur-Mumbai Yatra from East to West covers 6,700 km across 15 states and aims to spread the message of “nyay” (justice) while interacting with ordinary people along the way.

  • ‘Hope You Will Stay With My Family’: Sonia Gandhi’s Emotional Post For People Of Raebareli |

    NEW DELHI: A day after filing her nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, Congress Parliamentary Committee chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday wrote an emotional letter addressing people of her Lok Sabha constituency – Raebareli – informing them about her decision to not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from there due to health reasons. In her letter, she wrote, “Whatever I am today is because of you… But due to increasing age and health, I will not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.” Thanking the people for their continued support towards her and her family, she added, “Roots of our family in Raebareli are very deep. I am proud to say that whatever I am today, is because of you… I know you will stand by me and my family in future, just as in the past.”

    “After this decision, I will not have the opportunity to serve you directly but my heart and soul will always remain with you,” her letter written in Hindi read. Congress party shared the letter written by Sonia Gandhi to the people of Raebareli on its official social media handle on X. 

     

    CPP चेयरपर्सन श्रीमती सोनिया गांधी जी का रायबरेली की जनता के नाम संदेश- pic.twitter.com/6zlJkWjwvi
    — Congress (@INCIndia) February 15, 2024

     

    Sonia Gandhi Shifts To Rajya Sabha

    In a strategic move, Sonia Gandhi, the Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, on Wednesday filed her nomination for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election from Rajasthan, marking a significant shift in her political journey.

    Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination in the esteemed presence of key political figures, including party MP Rahul Gandhi, the party’s general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and state party president Govind Singh Dotasra, signalling a unified front in this crucial endeavour.

    A Legacy of Leadership

    Sonia Gandhi has left an indelible mark during her tenure as Congress president for almost 22 years. With five consecutive terms as a Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, her influence reverberates across the political landscape.

    Her decision to contest for a Rajya Sabha seat assumes significance against the backdrop of impending Lok Sabha polls slated for April-May. This calculated move underscores the Congress party’s strategic positioning as it gears up for the electoral battleground.

    With Rajasthan offering 10 Rajya Sabha seats, the upcoming biennial elections present a crucial opportunity. The state’s political landscape is poised for a shuffle, with three seats up for contention. The distribution of seats reflects the intricate balance of power, with the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress vying for representation based on their respective strengths in the State Assembly.

    The electoral calculus comes into sharp focus as parties vie for a foothold in the Upper House. With BJP and Congress projecting their candidates, including stalwarts like Sonia Gandhi, the stage is set for a keenly contested battle.

    The Congress party’s nomination strategy underscores a calculated approach to maximize representation across key states. The announcement of candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections in various states reflects a meticulous selection process aimed at bolstering the party’s presence in crucial legislative bodies.

    Rajya Sabha Polls

    The last day for filing nomination papers is February 15. The term for Rajya Sabha MPs is six years and elections are held after every two years for 33 per cent of the seats. Currently, the Rajya Sabha has a strength of 245 members. Out of the total 245 members, out of which 233 are representatives of the States and Union territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir (w.e.f. 31.10. 2019) and 12 are nominated by the President. 12 are directly nominated by the President who are veterans in the fields of art, literature, sports, science etc.

  • More Trouble For INDIA Bloc; AAP Offers Just 1 Seat To Congress In Delhi |

    New Delhi: The INDIA bloc has been virtually confined to the history books, after the RLD walked out of the alliance in UP it was turn of the AAP to snub the Congress in Delhi. On Tuesday the Aam Aadmi Party offered the Congress Party a single Lok Sabha seat in Delhi. This is contrary to earlier reports that had suggested a 3-4 formula between Congress and AAP in Delhi.

    Further, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak said that even though the Congress party does not merit even a single seat in Delhi, in the spirit of alliance, the AAP party is willing to offer one seat.

    The AAP plans to field candidates in the remaining six seats in Delhi, Pathak added. “You must have seen in the Delhi elections that the Congress party has zero seats in the Lok Sabha, zero seats in the Vidhan Sabha, and in the MCD elections, out of 250, only 9 seats have come to the Congress party. If you look at this data on a merit basis, the Congress party does not get a single seat, according to this data. But data is not important; keeping in mind the dharma of the alliance and the respect of the Congress party, we offer them one seat. So we propose that the Congress party fights on one seat and the Aam Aadmi Party fights on six seats,” he said.

    The AAP MP added that the candidate’s announcement is not being made today. He expressed hope that a meeting will soon commence in Delhi, and the conclusion of this meeting will determine the next steps.

    “Today, we are not announcing the candidate. I hope that the meeting will start in the context of Delhi soon, the conclusion of the meeting will come out, we will all get on with our work and if the conclusion does not come out, then in the next few days we will announce the candidate on the six seats we are saying and we will start our preparation and our work, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak said,” he said.

    AAP also threw the gauntlet at the Congress by announcing Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas’ name as the candidate to contest LS poll from South Goa seat. This is a seat that is currently held by Congress MP Francisco Sardinha. AAP has also named Chaitar Vasava from Bharuch and Umesh Bhai Makwana from Bhavnagar as candidates from Gujarat. It was reported that Congress was considering late Ahmed Patel’s daughte Mumtaz Patel for Bahruch.

    Pathak also expressed his disappointment over the lack of progress in seat-sharing discussions with the Congress party; he added that despite two official meetings, no concrete outcomes have been achieved.

    “We had two official meetings with the Congress party regarding seat sharing but there was no result of these meetings. Other than these two official meetings, no other meeting has taken place in the last month. We have been waiting for the next meeting; even the leaders of Congress are not aware of the next meeting. Today, I am sitting here with a heavy heart. We announced three candidates from Assam and I hope the INDIA alliance will accept them,” he said.

    As the Lok Sabha elections approach, political parties across the spectrum are ramping up their efforts to connect with voters. With the BJP bringing on new partners like the RLD on its platform the INDIA bloc is sinking in its efforts to put up a united front. 

  • ‘He Belongs To General Caste’: Rahul Gandhi On PM Modi’s ‘Sabse Bada OBC’ Remark |

    Jharsuguda: In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that the former was not born into an OBC family but instead hails from the general caste. The Congress MP urged his followers to confront BJP workers with this revelation, accusing the Prime Minister of deceiving the nation regarding his caste identity.

    “Whenever BJP workers come to you, tell them one thing our Prime Minister lied to the entire country that he belonged to the backward class. He was not born in a backward class, he belongs to the general caste. You tell this to every BJP worker.” Rahul made these remarks while speaking at a public rally during the Odisha leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Jharsuguda.

     

    #WATCH | Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, “PM Modi was not born in the OBC category. He was born Teli caste in Gujarat. The community was given the tag of OBC in the year 2000 by the BJP. He was born in the General caste…He will not allow caste census to be conducted in his… pic.twitter.com/AOynLpEZkK
    — ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2024

     

    Rahul Gandhi’s remark on PM Modi evoked a sharp response from the ruling BJP and its media cell in-charge Amit Malviya called Congress MP’s claim a ”blatant lie.” ”Prime Minister Narendra Modi got his caste notified as an OBC after he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat: Rahul Gandhi. This is a blatant lie. PM Narendra Modi’s caste was notified as an OBC on Oct 27, 1999, a full 2 years BEFORE he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat,” Malviya said in a post on X. Malviya also claimed that the ”entire Nehru-Gandhi family, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru to Rahul Gandhi, have been against the OBCs.”

     

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi got his caste notified as an OBC after he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat: Rahul Gandhi.

    This is a blatant lie. PM Narendra Modi’s caste was notified as an OBC on Oct 27, 1999, a full 2 years BEFORE he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat.… pic.twitter.com/lDU3uJrHwJ
    — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 8, 2024

        

    Congress Vs BJP Over OBC 

    This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently in Parliament called himself ‘Sabse Bada OBC’ (the biggest OBC) and accused the Congress of indulging in hypocrisy and adopting double standards while dealing with leaders of Backward communities.

    “Congress party and UPA government did not deliver justice with OBCs. A few days ago, Karpoori Thakur ji was conferred with Bharat Ratna. In 1970, when he became Bihar CM, what was not done to destabilise his government? Congress can’t tolerate OBCs…They keep counting how many OBCs are there in the government. Can’t you (Congress) see the biggest OBC here (pointing towards himself)?” PM Modi said in his reply to the ‘Motion of Thanks’ on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha on Monday.

    Congress’ Failures And Allegations Of Bias

    PM Modi continued his attack on the UPA government and said that the previous government did not deliver justice to OBCs. “During the UPA Government, an extra-constitutional body was formed. The government could not have its way before that body. National Advisory Council – did it have any OBC members? Find out,” he added.

    Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

    The Odisha leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is scheduled to be completed this afternoon before going on a two-day break from February 9-10. The yatra will resume on February 11 from Chhattisgarh. Earlier on Wednesday, the 25th day of the Nyay Yatra, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, visited Vedvyas Dham in the Sundergarh district of Western Odisha. The cave of this temple is considered to be the place where sage and poet Ved Vyas ji composed the Mahabharata.

    Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra rolled out from Manipur’s Thoubal on January 14. The yatra will cover over 6,700 kilometres over 67 days, traversing through 110 districts. It will cover a distance of 6,713 km, straddling 100 Lok Sabha constituencies and 337 assembly segments and covering 110 districts. The yatra will conclude in Mumbai on March 20, after 67 days.

    A follow-up to the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ which saw Rahul Gandhi cover more than 3,000 kilometres on foot–from Kanya Kumari to Srinagar–the Yatra 2.0 is following a hybrid format.