A host of top Congress leaders wished him on his birthday, with former prime minister Manmohan Singh among the first to send his best wishes through a letter in the morning.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sumitra Mahajan will be appointed Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha on Friday. Other key parliamentary posts like that of Leader of Opposition, deputy Speaker, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and head of the all-important standing committee on finance will be keenly contested.
The Congress is seeking to give a strong political message to the nation from the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, with the party leadership holding the prayer meeting at Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, followed by the CWC meet at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel national memorial in the state.
Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan sparred on Twitter on Saturday with the Opposition leader raising questions over the emergency use approval given to the indigenously developed vaccine Covaxin and the Bharatiya Janata Party leader hitting back alleging that Tewari was only passionate about spreading rumours.
The chairman asked Swamy to produce documents he quoted from in the AgustaWestland debate after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised the issue.
'He gave this 'gaali' (abuse) to me or you? Did he abuse me or Gujarat? Did he abuse the cultured society of India or me?' Modi asked the people at a rally in Banaskantha.
The BJP on Saturday accused Congress and its "first family" of leveling "false and baseless" allegations against PM Modi over the Gujarat land deal issue to cover up its own corruption and fraud.
Social media needs to be made more accountable and stricter rules in this regard could be brought in if there is political consensus on the matter, Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Rajya Sabha on Friday.
Congress strategists are worried that if it focuses too much on the Tehelka issue, it could end up diluting its ongoing campaign against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the snooping allegations. Anita Katyal reports
The Congress on Tuesday stepped up its attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party government for allowing European Union MPs to visit Kashmir while denying permission to Indian parliamentarians, and termed it a "national embarrassment".
Protesting against naming of Hyderabad domestic airport, the Congress party on Thursday disrupted the pre-lunch sitting of Rajya Sabha contending that Rajiv Gandhi's name has been removed, leading to three adjournments.
Trinamool members trooped into well of the House immediately after the upper House assembled.
For the second straight day, HRD Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday made a strong defence of the government's actions with regard to the Jawaharlal Nehru University issue and suicide of Dalit student in Hyderabad University in the face of intense attack by the opposition which alleged that attempts were being made to suppress dissent.
The second half of the budget session of Parliament, beginning on Monday, is all set to be a stormy affair with opposition parties closing ranks over the imposition of Presidents' rule in Uttarakhand.
Rahul is scheduled to address a rally of the Congress-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam alliance on Tuesday at Karaikal in Puducherry.
Opposition on Tuesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has signalled to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to quit in the wake of DDCA row.
The Bill was supported by the members across party lines, however, some suggested to add in its purview hospital sanitary staff, ASHA (accredited social health activist) workers and 'Corona warriors' in emergency services such as police and personnel from other departments.
The RTI reply also stated that the interception of communication was being carried out in accordance with the Telegraph Act of 1885 and Telegraph (Amendment) Rule of 2007, a clause that finds a mention in the clarification issued by the government over the December 20 order.
The National Democratic Alliance government is keen on the passage of the Insurance Bill before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US to send out a message that economic reforms are back on track in India. Anita Katyal reports
Slamming the move to appoint former Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam as Kerala governor, Congress on Tuesday wondered whether the government was "pleased" with his judgement in the Amit Shah case.
In a comment loaded with sarcasm, Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had wanted to do a lot of things during his tenure but "so many super PMs" had prevented him, triggering protests from Congress members.
Sonia Gandhi on Sunday hosted her first Iftar in three years, which saw the Congress president sharing a table with leaders of RJD and its new-found ally Janata Dal-United.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is facing sedition charge, on Monday said he is a "bigger patriot" than Prime Minister Narendra Modi and claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party does not want to upset Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti by arresting the "real traitors" in the JNU case.
Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and Sitaram Yechury are among nine persons who have been booked on sedition charges in connection with the JNU row, police said on Sunday.
FDI inflows in the manufacturing sector rose by almost 45 per cent between October last year and this February.
During the meeting, which came in the backdrop of Gandhi's fierce attack on the Prime Minister over demonetisation, top Congress leaders presented a memorandum to Modi on demands of farmers including loan waiver, reducing power bills to half and remunerative MSP for farm produce.
The motions were moved over misinformation on PM Modi's Lahore visit and the Bandung Conference.
The remark by Agrawal was expunged by the chair even as it came for a strong condemnation from the BJP.
Congress accused the BJP and RSS of being behind the 'murderous attack' on Gandhi.
Members from Opposition and treasury benches had a heated exchange of words in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on foreign soil that he wanted to clean the dirt of 60 years forcing three adjournments in the pre-lunch session.
The letter was not a challenge to leadership but a parchment of action to strengthen the party, Congress MP Vivek Tankha asserted, while former union minister Mukul Wasnik said those who saw the letter as an "offence" will also soon realise that the issues raised are worth consideration.
While admitting that it is early to predict how the leadership issue will pan out in the coming months, Congress insiders maintained that in the present situation, it appears highly unlikely that Sonia will be able to retire by the given deadline says Anita Katyal
Congress hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks in Canada about the "mess" left behind by others, saying they were in "poor taste" coming on foreign soil and show that he still carries the "hangover of the election campaign".
Commerce Minister Anand Sharma has a tough time in Davos pacifying African leaders, who are extremely upset over Delhi law minister's midnight raid. Anita Katyal reports
Trinamool Congress members stormed the Well of the House raising slogans, with Naidu asking them to go back to their seats, saying he has allowed Shah to conclude his speech.
There is ambiguity as some top leaders are not comfortable about moving the motion.
Joined by leaders from all major parties, Modi paid tributes to the Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart, who died last week, at a condolence meeting.
Gold imports, which peaked at 162 tonnes in May, came down to 19.3 tonnes in November.
Chidambaram said he was honoured that the two leaders visited him.
Accusing Congress of indulging in unfair criticism on the Leader of Opposition issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday asserted that the matter is in the purview of the Lok Sabha Speaker.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances