logo
UP Congress postpones protest against BJP in wake of Pahalgam attack

UP Congress postpones protest against BJP in wake of Pahalgam attack

The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee postponed a scheduled protest at BJP district headquarters on April 25 in light of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir which claimed the lives of 26 people, a statement issued Thursday said.
The statement said that the party will hold a candle march across the state to honour the victims of the attack. Party workers will assemble at martyr memorials or statues of national icons to offer prayers for the departed souls, the statement read.
The party said the Political Affairs Committee and newly appointed district and city Congress presidents held a meeting on Wednesday and unanimously decided to postpone the Gandhian-style protests against "fake chargesheet" in the National Herald case and "fabricated cases" against its top leadership.
However, the party said it was "shocked and deeply saddened" by the "cowardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam" in which 26 people, including foreign nationals, were killed.
"In view of the horrific nature of the attack and on humanitarian grounds, the protest scheduled for April 25 at BJP district offices is hereby postponed," the statement read.
The Congress strongly condemned the attack on innocent civilians and expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims. It also wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
In honour of the victims, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee has decided to hold candlelight marches in all districts of the state on April 25.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Congress picks Khurshid to lead party's foreign affairs wing, BJP ex-MP as vice-chair
Congress picks Khurshid to lead party's foreign affairs wing, BJP ex-MP as vice-chair

The Print

timean hour ago

  • The Print

Congress picks Khurshid to lead party's foreign affairs wing, BJP ex-MP as vice-chair

Brijendra Singh, a former BJP MP and the son of Birender Singh who served as a minister in the first two Modi governments, had joined the Congress in 2024 ahead of the 2024 general elections. He contested the Haryana assembly election but lost by a margin of 32 votes. Khurshid, who served as the minister of external affairs in the UPA-II government, will be assisted by Brijendra Singh and Arathi Krishna as vice-chairpersons of the department which had previously Manish Tewari, Deepender Singh Hooda as members among others. New Delhi: The Congress Wednesday appointed senior leader Salman Khurshid, 72, as the chairperson of the party's Foreign Affairs Department, days after Anand Sharma stepped down from the post citing the need to entrust 'younger leaders' with the charge. Arathi Krishna is considered close to Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Incidentally, Khurshid was among the Congress leaders to be made members of multi-party delegations on Operation Sindoor by the Centre. His name did not figure in the list of four names that the Congress had proposed. What makes his appointment interesting is that Khurshid had irked the Congress leadership by defending the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir during his visit to Indonesia as part of one of the delegations. He had told a gathering of academia and think tanks in Indonesia that Article 370 of the Constitution had given rise to an impression that J&K was 'separate' from the rest of India. 'But Article 370 was abrogated. It was abrogated, and it was finally put to an end, because so much time has passed. Subsequently, there was an election with 65 percent participation in the election. There's an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir today. And therefore, for people who want to undo everything that has happened, the prosperity that has come to Kashmir is something which is very, very unfortunate, and it will give a setback to anybody,' he had said. While the Congress has never demanded the restoration of Article 370, the party also never hailed the move as one that benefited Jammu and Kashmir. That is why the BJP was quick to seize on Khurshid's remarks in an attempt to corner the Congress. Later, Khurshid, in a post on X, had hit out at his critics, including within the party. 'When on a mission against terrorism, to carry India's message to the world, it is distressing that people at home are calculating political allegiances… is it so difficult to be patriotic?' he had posted. Sharma, on the other hand, was the Congress leadership's only choice that had made the cut for being part of the delegations formed in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor to argue India's case in various world capitals. While in his resignation letter, Sharma wrote that the department needs to be reconstituted to bring in younger leaders of potential and promise, sources told ThePrint that he was upset over being sidelined and not consulted on foreign policy matters by the Congress leadership. Over the last few years, he has found himself at odds with the party leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, over many issues. Earlier this month, after Rahul, currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, remarked that he agreed with US President Donald Trump's assessment that the Indian economy was 'dead', Sharma took a divergent view. 'President Trump has triggered an upheaval and caused unprecedented disruption in the world order by his utterances and actions. His comments on India and its Economy are belittling and unacceptable. India has withstood pressures & threats in the past, & emerged stronger. President Trump is mistaken that India does not have options. As the fourth largest economy India has resilience & inherent strength to engage with the world on principles of equality & mutual respect…' Sharma wrote on X on 4 August. Also Read: Control, fear, and division—Congress hasn't changed even 50 years after Emergency

Sahibabad market violence: Trader held over remarks against woman
Sahibabad market violence: Trader held over remarks against woman

Hindustan Times

timean hour ago

  • Hindustan Times

Sahibabad market violence: Trader held over remarks against woman

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad police have arrested Bijender Yadav, a trader at Sahibabad vegetable market, for allegedly making insulting remarks against a woman, the wife of a government officer, said officials on Wednesday. A spokesperson of the Congress' city unit has said that trader Yadav is not holding any party responsibility as of now. (HT Photos (Video grab)) On August 14, Yadav, along with 100-150 unidentified people, was booked in an FIR registered at the Link Road police station under the BNS sections for insulting the modesty of a woman, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, criminal intimidation, and threats that cause fear of death, grievous hurt, destruction of property by fire, or other serious offenses. 'Yadav, named in the FIR, was arrested on Tuesday under section 151 of Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) (to prevent the commission of cognizable offences). The FIR was lodged by the woman. However, even after a lot of persuasion, she or her husband has not come to the police to provide their statements so far. An investigation is underway,' said assistant commissioner of police (Sahibabad circle) Shweta Yadav. The woman alleged in her FIR that Yadav allegedly gave a speech to the Sahibabad vegetable market traders on August 11, and also passed insulting remarks against her and her husband. The incidents later took an ugly turn, and a group of men allegedly opened fire at traders, leaving two men injured. Several purported videos of the speech, firing and violence also went viral on the social media. Later, eight suspects of a group were arrested on August 11 evening for rioting, attempted murder, and violence. Earlier, Yadav, who is also ex-Congress district president, told HT that due to traders' harassment he had made the remarks. A spokesperson of the Congress' city unit said that Yadav is not holding any party responsibility as of now.

NDA allies back govt on Bills to sack arrested ministers
NDA allies back govt on Bills to sack arrested ministers

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

NDA allies back govt on Bills to sack arrested ministers

BJP-LED NDA's key allies on Wednesday came out strongly in support of the three Bills which seek to remove a Union or State minister facing allegations of corruption or serious offences if they have been in custody for at least 30 days. The Bills triggered protests from the Opposition, which warned of its potential misuse against rivals. However, the BJP's allies — including the JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas), and TDP — rallied behind the government, framing the legislation as a step towards cleaning up politics and enhancing transparency. JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said: 'Running the government from Tihar Jail — this is the Opposition's new definition of democracy! Stay in jail for 30 days, remain a minister on the 31st — this is the Opposition's idea of morality! The people want answers, but the Opposition wants power — this is the real clash! Calling every Bill that demands accountability 'dictatorial' — this is morality's grand farce!' LJP (Ram Vilas) national vice president A K Bajpai dismissed the Opposition's concerns over misuse of the law. He said: 'It will apply to all. Potential misuse of law is no argument. All laws can be misused. TADA and POTA were misused. Does it mean we stop making laws? And then this Bill also includes the PM. This situation has arisen due to the episodes of Arvind Kejriwal, Satyender Jain and Hemant Soren.' Bajpai's remarks referred to the arrests of prominent political leaders, including former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal while he was in office, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, who resigned a day before his arrest, and former Delhi minister Satyender Jain. The TDP also endorsed the Bills. Spokesperson JyotsnaTirunagari told The Indian Express: 'From 2004 to 2014 we had seen several misdeeds in terms of corruption. From 2014 to 2024 there has been a push towards accountability and transparency. The legislation is towards this end. We think it will bring accountability and transparency into the system.' The TDP's backing comes despite its own uneasy history with law enforcement agencies. Party chief and Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu was arrested last year in a multi-crore skill development scam case.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store