A former Youth Congress leader on Monday created a flutter by accusing Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi of depending too much on his trusted men whom he charged with turning the student and youth wings of the party into a mess.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4% fee on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 for merchants, effective October 15, sparking strong opposition from political parties and traders. Despite accusations of foreign influence and demands for a rollback, the finance ministry and top functionaries have stated there will be no reversal, citing the need for a self-sustaining digital payments ecosystem.
The Congress and DMK parties in Tamil Nadu are set to begin seat-sharing negotiations in a week for upcoming elections, with leaders from both parties expressing confidence in a smooth and successful alliance.
A five-storey boys' hostel in Satya Niketan, Delhi, collapsed, killing three students and trapping others, leading to widespread condemnation from opposition parties. Leaders from Congress and AAP criticised both the central and Delhi governments, highlighting inadequate hostel facilities and demanding accountability for student safety.
Opposition MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex against alleged donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and "police excesses" against student protesters. The INDIA bloc vowed to continue their agitation, demanding accountability from the government, particularly Home Minister Amit Shah, on these issues.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was set to participate in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) rally in Ranchi, will not be able to attend as he 'took ill suddenly and is unable to leave New Delhi for the present', party leader Jairam Ramesh said on Friday.
The Congress party has strongly refuted government claims that its MPs on the Parliament Standing Committee on Finance supported a fee on high-value UPI payments. Congress leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi and Manish Tewari, stated that the "UPI tax" proposal was not specifically discussed by the committee, accusing the Modi government of diverting attention from public backlash and appeasing US companies. The government, however, cited the committee's report which pressed for a tiered Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticised the Indian government's temporary restriction on Telegram ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination, calling it a 'new trick' that punishes students instead of tackling the root cause of paper leaks. He highlighted the suicides of two students, Umesh and Riya, linking their deaths to the 'broken, corrupt system' and the government's alleged failure to protect students from exam mismanagement.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will kick off his Mission UP 2012 in Bahraich on Monday. Youth Congress president Ashok Tanwar has said Gandhi would address 600 youth who have been shortlisted from the district.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi may hold a public rally in Banda, to mark the party's protest against what they perceive as "total breakdown of law and order", reflected in the rape of a minor OBC girl by a BSP MLA in his own constituency in that district."
'Rahul Gandhi never gets firsthand information. He does not know what is good or bad going on in the party.'
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to discuss resolving the persistent deadlock in the Lok Sabha's monsoon session, focusing on the Delimitation Bill and FCRA Bill, though no immediate commitment was secured from the Congress leader.
The Congress Working Committee has decided to adhere to its 1937 resolution, mandating that only the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' be sung at all party events, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, which labelled the Congress the 'new Muslim League'.
Contradicting Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's claim that he always believed in strictly adhering to all security norms and rules, the district magistrate of Sitapur has pointedly accused him of violating all security procedures.
Several prominent BJP leaders, including former Union minister Smriti Irani, RSS veteran Ram Madhav, and former chief ministers Biplab Kumar Deb and Tirath Singh Rawat, have been reinstated into significant roles within the party's national team. This reshuffle marks a political recovery for many who had previously seen their influence wane or lost electoral battles, positioning them for key organisational responsibilities ahead of upcoming elections.
After placing the party on the revival path in Uttar Pradesh, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's next stop seems to be Tamil Nadu where he is making efforts to give a new lease of life to the local base by injecting 'youth power'.
Ruling out any truck with the Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday gave his battle cry against the Mayawati regime.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that to remove corruption, the political system in the country should give a "strong voice" to the people."To remove corruption, the political system in the country should give a strong voice to the people. Therefore, organisations like the Youth Congress should open their doors to the common man," Gandhi said while addressing a Youth Congress membership drive rally at Ampati.
The Indian government has introduced a 0.4% transaction fee on UPI payments above Rs 2,000 for merchants, effective October 15, sparking a political row. The Congress party has labelled it a "Modi tax" and accused the government of succumbing to US pressure, while the BJP has defended the move, clarifying that consumers will not be charged and small vendors are protected. The finance ministry reiterated that the charge is on merchants, not customers.
Congress general secretary, Rahul Gandhi, said that people should not always look up to him to solve their problems. Rahul made this observation at a conference of youth from minorities during his recent three-day visit to Madhya Pradesh.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has clarified his recent remarks about Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron ki goonj' programme and the Cockroach Janata Party's protest, stating that the media misinterpreted his comments as an attack on his party or its leadership. He insisted he was advocating for political parties to engage more with the next generation.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi always chooses not to react to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati's repeated outbursts against him, appeared to be in a belligerent mood on Wednesday, when he virtually threw down the gauntlet at her.
Sam Pitroda says Rahul Gandhi's support for the tribals is correct and while he backs development he says it must be done by preserving the rights and culture of the tribals.
'It is very, very mystifying that somebody who is a potential prime minister of this country and someone who is such a prominent leader in such a big political party lacks clear public engagement on the big issues of the day,' says Dr Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president, Centre for Policy Research.
In a snub to Shiv Sena, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi hopped on to two suburban trains on Friday throwing caution to wind in the wake of security threat to make a last minute detour through Sena bastions during his brief visit to this metropolis.
In line with his plan for a complete makeover of the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav, the party general secretary and son of chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, on Tuesday expelled a functionary for indulging in vandalism and showing black flags to Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi in Aligarh earlier in the day.
The decision on Rahul Gandhi's appointment as the Leader of Opposition was made after a meeting of the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi to join him to watch the much awaited World Cup semi final between India and Pakistan, and also to join in a special dinner organised in honour of visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday night.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday blasted Samajwadi Party president Mulayanm Singh Yadav in the latter's pocket-burrow in Mainpuri.
The Congress party has strongly criticised the BJP government following allegations that AK-47 rifles were used against protesting students in Bihar, with Rahul Gandhi demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's apology and action against those responsible for the 'deadly attacks and brutality'.
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to introspect on the links between the Malegaon blast suspects and its affiliates and said the government was doing a good job in containing terrorism.
Gandhi said party people should move about in villages and know the problems faced by common people throughout the year, not just during elections.
The Congress party is considering supporting TVK in forming a government in Tamil Nadu, following a request from TVK chief Vijay. The party leadership has directed the Tamil Nadu unit to make a final decision, keeping in mind the state's sentiments and commitment to a secular government.
Gandhi was reinstated as MP by the Lok Sabha secretariat on Monday, days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in a criminal defamation case.
Their lunch on Wednesday afternoon was a meal that patrons of Aryan, a popular fast food restaurant in Lucknow, would remember for a long time. For it is not everyday that they have Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for company during lunchtime. The restaurant staffers, along with the guests, were initially stunned when the Gandhi scion sauntered in to have his lunch. Gandhi was on his way back to Delhi after completing his three-day visit of Amethi.
Siddaramaiah met Rahul Gandhi to discuss his future role within the Congress party after resigning as Chief Minister of Karnataka. The meeting addressed his potential future roles and the formation of the new Karnataka government.
The Congress general secretary made Bhatta Parsaul, which saw widespread protests over land acquisition two months back, the first stop of his 'Kisan Sandesh Yatra' when he came calling in a car at 6 am drumming up support for the planned kisan mahapanchayat in Aligarh on Saturday
The Congress escalated its campaign against alleged examination irregularities by marching to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, transforming the issue into a direct challenge to his political authority and demanding the resignations of top government officials.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told INDIA bloc leaders that despite public anger indicating a win for the opposition, the main challenge is the alleged lack of free and fair elections due to the BJP's control over state institutions. He urged unity and a strategy of 'resistance' against what he termed election 'theft'.
The spiralling agitation over the NEET issue saw protests and counter-protests by Congress and BJP across the country on Wednesday, with clashes and tense face-offs at many places, a day after Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were forcibly removed from a dharna outside the prime minister's residence.
