Latest news with #SamvidhanBachao
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Diggy sticks to vow, skips stage at Jabalpur rally
Jabalpur: Congress leader and former CM Digvijaya Singh chose not to take the stage at the party's 'Jai Hind Sabha' here on Saturday, sticking to his public vow made a month earlier after a podium scuffle in Gwalior. He remained seated with his supporters in an area designated for senior citizens in front of the stage. During this time, several leaders invited him to come on stage, but he declined their requests with folded hands. Alongside him were Vishnu Shankar Pauranik, the former president of Jabalpur rural Congress, and former MP Rameshwar the event, he was repeatedly invited to come on the stage, but he refused each time. On April 28, Singh declared he would never sit on a stage again after a squabble erupted among INC office bearers in Gwalior over seating arrangements on the podium during Congress' 'Samvidhan Bachao' rally. Singh had said, "This is my prayer to the (Cong) national general secretary, state president, LOP, and the honourable people on the dais. I pray and appeal to you to please end this fight over the stage. I will not sit on the Congress' or any other stage. I will sit down and will request that when the time comes for me to speak, then I be called on the stage."
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Political parties unite behind armed forces after Pahalgam strike
Live Events New Delhi: Political parties across the spectrum hailed the armed forces and expressed solidarity with the chief JP Nadda posted on X: "India's message on Pahalgam: If you tease us, we won't let you go... We will eradicate the scourge of terrorism."Congress hailed the armed forces and extended full support to the government for national unity at this critical juncture. CWC also "paused" the party's ongoing campaigns, including 'Samvidhan Bachao' rallies, in solidarity with the forces."We called a working committee meeting in the wake of the incident in our country and the steps being taken by the government. We take pride in our Indian armed forces who took brave and decisive action on the terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, under Operation Sindoor and gave a befitting reply. We salute the valour, determination and patriotism of our brave jawans. Since the #PahalgamTerrorAttack itself, INC clearly stood united with the armed forces and the government and supported decisive actions against cross-border terrorism ," party chief Mallikarjun Kharge told mediapersons after a meeting of CWC Gandhi said, "We held discussions in the working committee. Full support to our forces. Best wishes to them. Much love to them. Complete support from Congress party and Congress Working Committee."NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said no country could be a mute spectator in the aftermath of a terror CM Nitish Kumar said the whole country is united against terrorism. "With their unmatched bravery and precision, they (armed forces) have again demonstrated that our nation will defend itself with iron will... The world has witnessed our strength and determination...," Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu posted on Akhilesh Yadav, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, AAP's Sanjay Singh, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren expressed solidarity with the forces and stood by the government. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi welcomed the targeted strikes.
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Congress extends ‘full support' to armed forces, cancels all party events in solidarity of Operation Sindoor
Hours after India targeted terror camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as a part of Operation Sindoor, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's highest decision-making body, met on Wednesday and declared 'full support' to the armed forces saying it was 'time to be united'. As a mark of solidarity with the armed forces, the Congress has also decided to halt all planned party programmes, including 'Samvidhan Bachao' rallies in various states. A leader who attended the meeting said the decision was taken based on AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's suggestion. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and AICC general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal were also present in the meeting. 'During the meeting held today, it was decided to pause all scheduled party programs, including Samvidhan Bachao Rallies, standing in complete solidarity with our armed forces during this critical hour,' Venugopal said in a post of X after the meeting. Sources told The Indian Express that Vadra said that the party's message of solidarity with the armed forces 'must reach every state and district leadership across the country'. 'She also said party leaders must not stray away from the party line and exercise extreme caution while speaking about the security situation and the strikes conducted by the armed forces,' a source said. Speaking to mediapersons at the party's Akbar Road office, Kharge said the meeting was called over the steps being taken by the government in response to the incident (Pahalgam terror attack) that happened in the country. 'We are proud of our armed forces, which gave a befitting reply by taking bold and decisive action against terror bases in Pakistan and PoK. We salute the courage, determination and patriotism of our brave soldiers,' he added. Pointing out that the Congress had firmly stood with the armed forces and the government while supporting every action against cross-border terrorism since the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, Kharge said, 'There are no differences on this issue. We are working together to protect the country in the same way that the INDIA bloc members are doing in their respective areas.' Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend Thursday's all-party meeting called by the Centre, Ramesh said, 'He (Modi) did not attend the all-party meeting on April 24 despite our requests. However, LoPs of both Houses will participate in tomorrow's meeting.'
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Business Standard
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
PM Modi scrapped Kashmir visit after intel on terror threat, says Kharge
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had cancelled his Kashmir visit after "receiving an intelligence report three days before" the Pahalgam terror attack last month. Noting that during an all-party meeting, the Centre accepted "intelligence failure" in the Pahalgam carnage, Kharge said the union government should be held accountable for "not reinforcing" security arrangements in Kashmir to protect people, even after such inputs. Responding to Kharge's allegation, the BJP claimed that the Congress president's criticism of PM Modi over alleged intelligence failure in the Pahalgam terror attack was intended to "lower the morale of security forces" and amounted to "treason". Addressing a 'Samvidhan Bachao' rally in Ranchi, Kharge claimed he "got information that three days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to Modi ji, and that is why Modi ji cancelled his visit to Kashmir". When an intelligence report said that it would not be proper for the PM to visit there for security reasons, Modi should have informed the intelligence, local police, and security forces to protect people, he said. The Congress leader claimed: "When you (PM) got the information, you cancelled your programme but did not send more forces to protect tourists there." Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. Kharge claimed, "India is faced with a huge crisis. The Centre accepted the intelligence failure during the all-party meeting. You (PM Modi) admitted that there was an intelligence flaw. When the Centre knew about the possible terror strike, why did it not put in place a system to protect people?" He asked, "Shouldn't the Centre be accountable for the loss of lives in the Pahalgam attack when it accepted the intelligence failure?" Kharge asserted that the Congress is with the Centre for any action against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror strike, as the country is supreme and beyond party, religion and caste. "We fight for India, poor people and tribals", but the BJP and the PM believed "only in 'jumla' (rhetoric)", the Congress leader claimed. Kharge also alleged that Modi's policy is to "close public sector institutions, like HEC in Ranchi, and snatch jobs from SC, ST, OBC communities". There were 30 lakh job vacancies, but the government was silent on it, he claimed. Kharge accused the Centre of unleashing agencies like the ED against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who made "efforts to sustain a newspaper" like the National Herald, which played a "crucial role in India's Independence struggle". "Unlike any Jana Sangh, RSS or BJP leader, several Congress leaders, including former PM Jawaharlal Nehru, were imprisoned. Now, these people are teaching us the lesson of patriotism," he said. Kharge alleged that agencies like ED were "misused to scare opposition leaders" and said that only two persons were penalised in around 200 cases. Alleging that the prime minister was "instrumental" in sending a tribal CM (Hemant Soren) behind bars, Kharge said Modi should not indulge in practices that frighten tribal leaders. "Those who write or speak well are put in jail. If anyone who suppressed freedom of expression or the press, it is Modi and (Home Minister Amit) Shah. They want to instil fear in all," Kharge alleged. He also voiced the need for a separate Sarna religious code for tribals. "We will fight for a separate column for Sarna religion followers in the upcoming census. I will also urge Hemant Soren to put pressure on the Centre for Sarna religious code in the census," he said. Kharge alleged that governors in opposition-ruled states are sitting on Bills passed by assemblies, and governments in such states want to hike the reservation cap. The Congress chief also said he has written to the PM, requesting him to carry out the caste census at the earliest after holding a dialogue with all political parties. "In a letter to the PM, I have urged him to remove the 50 per cent cap on reservation by a constitutional amendment and immediately implement Article 15(5) providing for reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs in institutions," he said. Hailing the "growing support" for the caste-based census, Kharge said it was a long-standing demand of the Congress. Rahul Gandhi's call for a caste census had been dismissed as divisive by the PM, but now the public is for it. This is the Congress party and its workers' victory. The government bends if someone is there to bend it, he said, clarifying that his remarks were not intended as a personal attack but a reflection of the people's verdict. He urged Congress workers to strengthen the organisation for economic and social justice. Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi alleged that Kharge's remark on the PM over intelligence failure was intended to "lower the morale of security forces". "The Congress is indulging in politics at a time when the country stands with PM Modi in the fight against terror," Marandi said. He claimed that Congress in the name of "Samvidhan Bachao rally" was trying to create confusion among people by spreading rumours when unity is the need of the hour. "Does it not amount to treason?" he said. The Jharkhand CM met Kharge after the rally. "Congress is our alliance partner and its senior leaders were here. It was a courtesy meeting," he said.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Catch-22 situation? Congress balances between attacking government and backing action against Pakistan
NEW DELHI: The Congress seems to be in a Catch-22 situation. While on the one hand it has openly backed the Centre to take any action against Pakistan to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack , on the other, it is not missing any opportunity to attack the Modi Tuesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had cancelled his Kashmir visit after "receiving an intelligence report three days before" the Pahalgam terror attack last further claimed that during an all-party meeting last month, the Centre had accepted " intelligence failure " in the Pahalgam carnage and said the Union government should be held accountable for "not reinforcing" security arrangements in Kashmir to protect people, even after such inputs."A major terrorist attack took place in the country on April 22, in which 26 people were killed. There was an intelligence failure; the government has acknowledged it and said they will resolve it. But if they were aware of it, then why wasn't anything done?" Kharge said at a 'Samvidhan Bachao' rally in Jharkhand."I have received information that three days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to Prime Minister Modi, and based on that, he cancelled his program to visit Kashmir. I also read this in a newspaper. If intelligence could warn that it wasn't safe for you (the PM) to go there, why didn't you take proper steps to protect the tourists and civilians?" the Congress president expected, Kharge's remarks evoked very strong reactions from the BJP which said that the Congress president's remarks were similar to a modern-day Mir Jaffar."He (Mallikarjun Kharge) has made treacherous statements similar to a modern-day Mir Jaffar. His toxic, baseless, unfounded rant against the Prime Minister is most deplorable and condemnable, and Mr. Kharge's remarks are unpardonable, indefensible, and cannot be forgiven. Everybody demands an unconditional apology from him, and he should also come clean on what kind of inputs he received to make such outrageous remarks," BJP leader C R Kesavan said in a self made leader Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed Kharge and said: "What has happened to Kharge one hand, during the meeting, they say that they are with the country and on the other hand, they are saying that the PM did not go to Kashmir because he was aware of the is an unfortunate thing to hear, especially when the country is already going through so much border do not expect such things at this moment."Ravi Shankar Prasad said Kharge has joined the "brigade" of his party leaders making controversial remarks on the issue of national security, instead of controlling Union minister Anurag Thakur alleged that Pakistan and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge were speaking "on the same wavelength" on terrorism and said this was harmful for the BJP MP from Hamirpur said that Kharge should tell what the compulsion is that Congress has to "speak the language of Pakistan"."Pakistan and Congress party President Mallikarjun Kharge are speaking on the same wavelength on terrorism. This is harmful for the nation. This is not the first time that the words of Congress and Pakistan are the same," he Kharge followed up his attack on PM Modi by reiterating the party's backing for any government action against Pakistan."We have already stated that whatever strong decisions the government takes against Pakistan in the fight against terrorism, we will stand with the government. Because this is a matter of national security. The country comes first; everything else is secondary. We have made sacrifices for this nation," Kharge Congress has urged the Centre to act with firmness to penalise Pakistan for its continued export of terror but at the same time it has pressed for time-bound accountability into the "serious lapses" in security and intelligence in one of the most heavily-guarded regions of the the Congress seems to be playing a delicate balancing game between offering support to the government and attacking it at the same time. The party understands the anger in the country against Pakistan over Pahalgam terror attack and wants to be seen standing with the government in punishing Islmabad. However, being the main opposition party it also cannot afford to give a carte blanche to the government and has been repeatedly questioning it over alleged intelligence failure and lapses.
