Latest news with #CONGRESS
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Digvijaya Singh's brother finally faces axe for relentless criticism of Congress high command
THE CONGRESS has finally cracked down on Lakshman Singh, a former Madhya Pradesh MLA and the brother of senior party leader Digvijaya Singh, who has been known more recently for his tirades against the party high command, including Rahul Gandhi. AICC Disciplinary Action Committee member Tariq Anwar announced Lakshman Singh's expulsion on Wednesday from the Congress's primary membership 'for a period of six years, with immediate effect, due to his anti-party activities'. While Digvijaya Singh is one of the titans of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Lakshman Singh has never really been at ease in the party and even left it to join the BJP for a while. The Congress took him back but, insiders say, his relentless criticism recently had made Lakshman Singh an unmanageable liability. The 70-year-old has been attacking the party leadership since he lost from the Chachoura seat in the 2023 Assembly elections. His criticism has spanned from personal attacks on Gandhi and questioning the party's electoral strategy to the Congress response to the Pahalgam terror attack and its boycott of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony. He has even refused to support Digvijaya's campaign against EVMs in the state. On Wednesday, Lakshman Singh remained unreachable for comment. A senior Congress functionary said: 'When Rahul Gandhi came to Bhopal as part of the party organisation overhaul, he had spoken about senior leaders making nonsensical statements. This (Lakshman Singh's) expulsion signals to all those involved in anti-party activities that such behaviour damaging the party will no longer be tolerated.' Earlier, a show-cause notice had been served to Lakshman Singh after he commented on some remarks by Rahul Gandhi and brother-in-law Robert Vadra in context of the Pahalgam terrorist attack last month, saying: 'Gandhi and Vadra are immature. The country is suffering the consequences of their immaturity… How long will the Congress have to put up with (their) immaturity?' He added: 'Rahul Gandhi should think before he speaks, he is the LoP (Leader of the Opposition).' When the Congress decided to stay away from the Ayodhya Ram Temple inauguration last year, Lakshman Singh said: 'As far as invitation is concerned, what is the meaning of declining it? What message are we sending? When Rajiv Gandhi got it (the locks of the Babri Masjid) unlocked, who are you to decline it? If our leadership keeps such advisors, the results would be the same as they have been so far.' In December 2023, Lakshman Singh told reporters: 'Rahul Gandhi is just a party worker. He is just an MP. Apart from that, he is nothing. You people too should not highlight Rahul Gandhi so much, nor should we. No one becomes a great leader by birth, one becomes great by his/her actions. Don't consider Rahul Gandhi such a great leader, I don't.' Even earlier, during protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Lakshman Singh had gone against the party line and advocated acceptance of the legislation, now that it had been passed. 'All parties have expressed their views. More comments, statements on this subject are meaningless. Let's accept it and move on.' The former Congress MLA also criticised the Congress for failure to fulfill its signature promise of farm loan waivers when in power briefly between 2019 and 2022, demanding that Gandhi apologise to the Madhya Pradesh farmers for the same. 'He should also clarify to them how long it will take for a loan waiver,' Lakshman Singh said. A seasoned politician, Lakshman Singh has served five terms as MP and three as MLA, establishing his credentials across multiple constituencies. His political journey began in 1987 from the Raghogarh municipality. Since then, he has won twice from the Raghogarh Assembly seat, before achieving a five-term victory streak from the Rajgarh Lok Sabha constituency. One of these times, in 2004, Lakshman Singh won from Rajgarh on the BJP ticket, having shifted to the party. But the Congress won back the constituency in 2009, defeating Lakshman Singh as the BJP candidate. Soon, Singh was in trouble within the BJP, and in July 2010, was expelled from the party's primary membership after publicly condemning senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari. By January 2013, Singh was back in the Congress fold.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Karnataka govt to recount castes to assuage ‘fears', Congress cites ‘old data' for move
THE CONGRESS has told the Karnataka government to hold re-enumeration of various communities while giving 'in-principle' approval to a report on a survey done on castes in the state. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar with the high command in Delhi, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal acknowledged 'apprehensions' among some groups regarding the survey report. The report, submitted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes on the basis of a Socio-Economic and Education Survey carried out in 2015, has seen protests by the Lingayats and Vokkaligas over its finding that the two dominant communities do not hold as big a share of the population as once presumed, and that around 70% of the state's population comprises Other Backward Classes (OBCs). While the report was submitted in April, the Siddaramaiah government is yet to take action on the issue for fear of a backlash. However, any delay is a tricky issue for the Congress, given its commitment to a caste census and its focus on OBCs, underlined at the AICC Session this year. Venugopal said: 'On the issue of caste census, the Congress party is (of the view) that whatever the Karnataka government has done on caste census has to be agreed to in principle. But, there are apprehensions from some sections of society about the counting of castes. Since the census was done 10 years earlier, the data is a little bit old. So, we suggested to the CM that re-enumeration be done within a stipulated time.' Siddaramaiah said the re-enumeration exercise will be completed within 90 days. He also said that this was needed as the data collected by the 2015 survey was old, though 'we have to accept the report in principle'. Incidentally, the 2015 survey had been carried out under Siddaramaiah's first tenure as CM. Siddaramaiah also said that the enumeration will be along the lines of the survey being carried out for Scheduled Castes in the state, which is being done ahead of provision of internal reservation among SCs. The directions by the high command come two days ahead of a special Cabinet meeting scheduled by Siddaramaiah to discuss the caste report. A previous such meeting, held soon after the report was submitted in April, had ended with Siddaramaiah directing his Cabinet colleagues to submit 'written opinions' on the report. Recently, after a Cabinet meeting, the CM said that the opinion of all the ministers is yet to be received. With the Karnataka CM and his deputy meeting the high command days after the Bengaluru stampede that left 11 dead, and which has been blamed by the Opposition on the two, the issue was expected to figure high in the talks. Venugopal said the issue did come up for discussion. 'Certainly, we are concerned about every life. The Karnataka government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the unfortunate incident. The party clearly believes there should be a pro-people attitude regarding the issue,' he said. The Congress leader also accused the Narendra Modi-led Central government of 'completely neglecting' Karnataka in terms of allocations for various schemes. 'They are marginalising Karnataka. The Modi government is doing this type of injustice… it is not at all acceptable,' he said.
News18
25-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
From US To Gulf, India Ramps Up Diplomatic Offensive On Pakistan Over Terror Sponsorship
Last Updated: The all-party delegations, sent to multiple countries by India, called for global unity against terrorism and put forth India' stance on such attacks. As multiple delegations from India are on a diplomatic mission as part of the country's global outreach over 'Operation Sindoor', leaders have called on the world to stand united against terrorism. The delegations aim to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Algeria, Japan, South Korea, and more countries. The multi-party delegation, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, has been initiated to counter global misinformation and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. Recalling how India suffered in the Pahalgam terror attack, and how it gave a befitting response to Pakistan, the groups of the all-party delegation put forth India's stance on terrorism and made it clear that India would not bow down before evil forces. Here's a look at the messages conveyed by delegations touring countries. DELEGATION LED BY CONGRESS' SHASHI THAROOR Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday highlighted how India responded in a measured and calibrated manner towards terror bases and headquarters in Pakistan. He gave a call for the world to come together to fight unitedly against terrorism. 'Our idea is very much to speak to a cross-section of public and political opinion in each of the countries we're going to about recent events, which obviously trouble a number of people around the world. The fundamental underlying problem remains, and it's important that we try and enlarge your understanding of our thinking and our concern about what's going on," Tharoor said on the delegation's aim. Speaking on India's 'Operation Sindoor', Tharoor said, 'India sent a clear message that it was not going to take terror lying down, it would answer, but equally that by delivering very precisely, calculated, calibrated strikes on very specific targets, it also sent a message that this was not meant to be the opening salvo in a protracted war but just an act of retribution, that we were prepared to stop with that act". The all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), GM Harish Balayagi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar K Lata (all from BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena) and Former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. DELEGATION LED BY BJP's BAIJAYANT PANDA All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi, part of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, said that terrorist groups wrongly use religion to justify killing innocent people. He said that Islam condemns terrorism and the Quran clearly says that killing one innocent person is like killing all of humanity. During an interaction with the prominent personalities in Bahrain, Owaisi said, 'These terrorist organisations have justified killings of innocent people in India and they have out of context quoted Quranic verses, we have to put an end to it. They have used religion to justify the killing of people. Islam condemns terrorism and the Quran has categorically stated that the killing of one innocent person is like the killing of whole humankind." Leading the delegation, BJP MP Baijayant Panda in Bahrain said, 'Our stand is very clear, this is a bilateral issue, and we will only deal with Pakistan. While there were advice and suggestions from many nations, the reality is that we said it has to be Pakistan only. Only when Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations called India and said that they want a ceasefire, we said 'You stop shooting, we stop shooting'." DELEGATION LED BY JDU's SANJAY JHA The all-party delegation, led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha, on May 24 arrived in Seoul, South Korea, after completing its visit to Japan. In Japan, Sanjay Kumar Jha, while speaking to reporters, said, 'I think we have been able to put forward the objective for which our all-party delegation came here. Our delegation was quite able to put forward its point. Information was also given about 'Operation Sindoor' that our army targeted only the terrorist hideouts with precision, India's future stance was made clear that if Pakistan does terrorist activity in future, we will not tolerate it, and the Indus Water Treaty, which has been suspended, was also discussed." During his interaction with the Indian community, Jha said, 'Everybody knows how the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force put up a remarkable defence when they responded by attacking Poonch and other areas. The Indian Air Force completely destroyed their air bases. When such incidents happen, leaders of different countries talk to each other and try to find another way." 'When their (Pakistan's) DGMO called and asked the Indian DGMO for a ceasefire, India agreed. We are tolerating it, but perhaps people in other places are not aware of the whole situation. So, the Indian government decided it was important to send delegations (around the world) to tell people that the Pakistani government itself is involved in this," Jha said. 'The Indian government has given the message that if we are attacked, ' hum ghar me ghus kar maarenge ', this is a new normal. India is unpredictable now. India now says, 'enough is enough'. We are giving 80 per cent of the Indus River waters to Pakistan, and this needs to be renegotiated because of the changing climatic conditions and needs of the people. The Prime Minister has said, 'blood and water cannot flow together', the whole country is united on this issue. All our meetings in Japan were very successful," he added. The delegation will now travel to Singapore, Malaysia and other countries. DELEGATION LED BY DMK's KANIMOZHI KARUNANIDHI Speaking in Moscow on India's 'Operation Sindoor' against Pakistan, DMK MP Kanimozhi said, 'India had no choice but to respond, but when India responded, we responded responsibly. We ensured no civilian was affected, military bases were unharmed. We only targeted the installations where terrorists were sheltered and trained. They (Pakistan) continued to retaliate, targeting gurdwaras, temples, residential areas where Indian civilians lived, and even our military bases." The DMK MP also spoke on US President Donald Trump claiming credit for the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, and said, 'When something like this happens, different heads of state speak to each other. But, I think independent countries decide what to do independently." 'From Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru to Atal Bihari Vajpayee to PM Narendra Modi, everyone made attempts to bring permanent peace between India and Pakistan. We have always taken the lead, but unfortunately, while peace talks are going on, we have also been hurt because of terrorist attacks in different parts of India, and the link always traces back to Pakistan, every time." 'Finally, it's time that we will not accept any excuse and call a spade a spade. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear that terrorism and sponsoring terrorism are not two different things," she said. DELEGATION LED BY SHIV SENA's SHRIKANT SHINDE Speaking in Dubai, as the delegation led by Shrikant Shinde was in the UAE, the Shiv Sena MP said, 'Our message is very clear that we won't tolerate terrorism and if times demand, we will take even stricter steps against terrorism." 'Terror and trade cannot go together, water and blood cannot flow together – this is an apt message. If you (Pakistan) stop terrorism, then only we can talk. We are the country that retaliates with restraint," he said. Referring to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Shinde said, 'I think it is now very important for the whole country to know the real face of Pakistan. It is sheltering terrorists, whether it is Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) or Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), their modus operandi is the same." 'There is no country that has not suffered the brunt of terrorism. This is the message we are taking and telling the whole world to fight against terrorism unitedly. We may be from different parties, but we are united, and are giving a message that in this situation, we are united to fight against terrorism," he added. top videos View all 'In the days to come, if some acts are committed by Pakistan, our country and the armed forces will give a firm response, the way we did in 'Operation Sindoor'," Shinde gave out India's message loud and clear. The delegation led by Shinde includes BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, IUML MP ET Mohammed Basheer, BJP MP Atul Garg, BJD MP Sasmit Patra, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, BJP leader SS Ahluwalia and Ambassador Sujan Chinoy. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : india pakistan conflict Operation Sindoor Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 25, 2025, 08:07 IST News india From US To Gulf, India Ramps Up Diplomatic Offensive On Pakistan Over Terror Sponsorship
India Today
17-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
BJP vs Congress showdown over Shashi Tharoor's role in Op Sindoor diplomacy
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has found himself at the epicentre of political controversy for being chosen by the PM Modi government to lead a key multi-party delegation abroad in the wake of Operation Sindoor. The nomination of former United Nations diplomat-turned-MP for the role has triggered an intense BJP vs Congress slugfest, with Tharoor caught in the OUTREACH ON OP SINDOORFollowing the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, the government announced it would send seven multi-party delegations to key global capitals, including UN Security Council member states, to project a united Indian voice against Pakistan-backed terrorism. Each delegation would be led by prominent MPs from across party lines. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, is among those leading one of the the role, Tharoor said on X, "I am honoured by the invitation of the government of India to lead an all-party delegation to five key capitals, to present our nation's point of view on recent events. When national interest is involved, and my services are required, I will not be found wanting. Jai Hind!" But what followed was not across-parties consensus — it was political VS CONGRESS OVER THAROOR NOMINATIONadvertisementThe BJP wasted no time turning Tharoor's inclusion into a point of attack against the Malviya, BJP IT cell chief, asked, "No one can deny Shashi Tharoor's eloquence... So why has the Congress — and Rahul Gandhi in particular — not nominated him for the delegations? Is it insecurity? Jealousy? Or simply intolerance of anyone who outshines the 'high command'?"Pradeep Bhandari, another BJP spokesperson, echoed the sentiment: "Why does Rahul Gandhi hate every individual who speaks for India, even in his own party?"The Congress had submitted a separate list of four names to the government: Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar. According to Congress' Jairam Ramesh, the names were sent in good faith after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju requested them during a phone call with Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Congress found itself blindsided when a government press release announced Shashi Tharoor — who was not among the four names — as a delegation Ramesh did not mince words and said, "Congress mein hona aur Congress ka hona mein zameen-aasmaan ka antar hai (There is a world of difference between being in the Congress and of the Congress)."advertisementHe accused the government of "Narad Muni politics," saying, "You cannot include names of MPs without consulting the party. We will not change the four names we have submitted."BJP QUESTIONS CONGRESS PICKSThe BJP further targeted the Congress' nominated names. Malviya termed the inclusion of Syed Naseer Hussain as "shocking", citing past controversies involving his supporters allegedly chanting 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans — claims based on arrests and forensic also questioned Gaurav Gogoi's alleged '15-day' visit to Pakistan and accused the Congress of sending leaders facing 'grave allegations' to represent India on sensitive international missions.'What message is the Congress trying to send, and whose interests are really being served?' Malviya asked PLAYS 'UNITY' CARDAmid the storm, the Narendra Modi government has maintained that the delegation selections were carefully curated for their cross-party representation and oratorical prowess.'A powerful reflection of national unity above politics, beyond differences,' Rijiju said, adding that the goal is to project India's 'zero tolerance to terrorism' narrative delegation, according to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, will be accompanied by seasoned diplomats and will visit around five leaders heading delegations include BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad, Baijayant Panda, JD(U)'s Sanjay Jha, DMK's Kanimozhi, NCP(SP)'s Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena's Shrikant WITHIN CONGRESS?Tharoor's growing divergence from the official Congress line on foreign policy may have made him an uneasy a recent Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, senior leaders reportedly warned that "Tharoor has crossed the Lakshman Rekha." Though Tharoor later gave "constructive suggestions" at the meeting, concerns remain over his solo stance on issues like India-Pakistan ties and his willingness to endorse the government's diplomatic moves.'We are a democratic party and people keep expressing their opinions, but this time, Tharoor has crossed the line,' a senior leader was quoted as saying after the CWC Tharoor, for his part, made it clear from the beginning that the views he presented were his own."At this time, at a time of conflict, I spoke as an Indian. I never pretended to speak for anyone else. I am not a spokesperson for the party. I am not the government spokesperson. Whatever I have said, you may agree or disagree with that, blame it on me individually, and that's fine," Tharoor said after reports emerged of him being under Congress fire for remarks on Operation Sindoor."I made it very clear that I am expressing my personal views. It was really a contribution to the national discourse, at a time when it was very important for us to rally around the flag, especially internationally. There was a relative lack of our point of view being heard, particularly in the US, Europe, and the Middle East," the Congress leader said."People are entirely free to reject my point of view. I have received no communication from the party," he InMust Watch
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
People dying of spurious liquor, AAP's war on drugs mere ‘optics': Congress
THE CONGRESS in Punjab Friday termed as 'mere optics' Aam Aadmi Party government's renewed push to 'Yudh Nashean Virudh', saying campaign could not have come at a worse time when state is still mourning 27 people who died in the hooch tragedy at Majitha in Amritsar. State Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said, 'When the funeral pyres of those 27 unfortunate people are yet to cool down, you are celebrating a lost war'. Attacking Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal after they announced the launch of Nasha Mukti Yatra from SBS Nagar, Warring said it was 'the most insensitive and untimely publicity'. 'Which 'war against drugs; are you talking about when 27 people have lost lives after consuming spurious liquor just a few days ago. The AAP is trying to create an ugly optical illusion to fool people,' he added. Twenty-seven people, mostly daily-wage labourers, died after consuming spurious liquor in Amritsar district. Attacking the AAP government for its failure to curb drugs in three years and a half, Warring asked them to stop blaming others. 'Your question hour is over and now is the time for answers,' he said. Warring also quoted former police officer and AAP MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh who has alleged that the AAP leaders were involved in the trade of illicit and spurious liquor. 'Listen to your own MLA before trying to blame others,' Warring said, countering Mann and Kejriwal's allegations against other parties' governments accusing them of patronising the drug mafia. Meanwhile, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla said Mann should take full responsibility for the spurious liquor tragedy and hold top officials accountable. 'The Amritsar tragedy was not an isolated incident. There have been similar incidents during the past few years but the government has not learnt any lesson,' he said. Aujla, the MP from Amritsar, said, 'The Punjab government's ongoing Yudh Nashian Virudh (campaign against drugs) has no connect whatsoever with the ground reality. Otherwise, this tragedy would not have happened.' He pointed out that 120 deaths were reported due to spurious liquor consumption in Amritsar, Batala and Tarn Taran in 2020. In March 2024, 20 people died due to consumption of spurious liquor in Sangrur. 'No one knows what was done to the culprits and that is why people have no fear of the law. Now it has happened again in my (Amritsar parliamentary) constituency,' Aujla said. He added the recent deaths exposed the Mann's government's claims about the Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign. 'The chief minister should take full responsibility for the tragic deaths. He should hold top officials responsible and get resignations of all those government functionaries who are at the helm… Suspending DSP- and SHO-rank officials is not enough,' Aujla said. He also claimed the state government was focusing solely on revenue collection. Highlighting that most victims of the recent and past hooch tragedies came from the poor strata of society who put their lives at risk to buy liquor from unauthorised sources, Aujla suggested the government should keep this in mind and provide country liquor at cheap rates in villages. 'Good quality liquor is not being sold at the actual price but at a higher rate, due to which the poor class is being forced to buy cheap and spurious liquor,' he said and claimed there was a difference between the minimum sale price and the actual sale price of different country liquor brands. Aujla said he had been raising alarm by writing to the director general of police and government officials, highlighting the worsening drug crisis, particularly in Amritsar and the border areas. 'I have consistently exposed the deep-rooted drug nexus and repeatedly brought the issue to the attention of the government and now the spurious liquor issue but all my missives were ignored,' he claimed. He also alleged there was a dangerous collusion between drug cartels, certain senior police personnel, and some state government officials. 'I strongly demand that the state government form a high-level committee under the supervision of a sitting high court judge to investigate the number of drug and liquor-related deaths and go into related issues,' he said. Aujla said the situation in Amritsar was very serious and demanded that the central government send a high-level delegation under a Supreme Court judge to investigate the manufacture and supply of drugs and poisonous liquor in Amritsar and other parts of the state and pinpoint the people behind these activities. The AAP government has drawn flak for the Amritsar tragedy, with the opposition demanding Mann's resignation. The state government has said most of the culprits were arrested and vowed to ensure the strictest punishment for them. A police probe has revealed that methanol — a chemical used in industrial products — was procured in bulk online to prepare the toxic brew.
