The Congress on Monday disapproved of the remarks of party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed and party MP Rashid Masood that the 2002 Gujarat riots had led to the formation of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen.
Congress General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed on Sunday sought to ridicule Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh over the issue of a United States visa for Narendra Modi
Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed on Tuesday met party chief Sonia Gandhi in the wake of controversy over his remarks linking 2002 Gujarat riots with birth of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen even as he accused Bharatiya Janata Party of diverting the nation's attention from National Investigation Agency's "observations".
Bihar's opposition Mahagathbandhan is experiencing internal conflict following their defeat in the recent assembly elections. Congress leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with their alliance with the RJD, leading to a blame game and further disarray within the opposition camp.
A day after the Congress sought to reach out to its allies, party general secretary M Shakeel Ahmed on Saturday called on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to discuss 'things important to the state and general national scenario'. Emerging from a meeting with Banerjee, which lasted for about 45 minutes, Ahmed told reporters, "It is a courtesy call. We discussed things which are important to West Bengal and the general national scenario."
"In a country of 800 million voters how can few lakh sample size surveys predict the result? Let's wait for May 16 (when votes will be counted)," Congress leader Digvijay Singh tweeted in the morning.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi Wednesday held consultations with senior party leaders, including A K Antony, as talks for an alliance with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for the next Lok Sabha polls and formation of a coalition government in Jharkhand reached the final stage.
The Congress on Friday criticised L K Advani for describing Manmohan Singh as the "weakest" prime minister and said the Bharatiya Janata Party leader's Jan Chetna Yatra was "a ploy" to keep himself in "national politics and power".
Having sparked off a major political controversy with his tweet -- that the Gujarat riots led to the formation of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen -- All India Congress Committee general secretary Shakeel Ahmed on Monday said he was surprised by the Bharatiya Janata Party's strong reaction to the comment as he was merely referring to the charge-sheet filed by the National Investigation Agency after the Bodh Gaya serial blasts
The Congress will not participate in the exit poll programmes scheduled to be telecast by several news channels on Monday evening.
There's a quiet before the storm within the ruling party. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Monday refused to comment on Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed's controversial tweet on the origin of Indian Mujahideen, a banned terror outfit. While Shinde did not comment when asked about Ahmed's tweet that Indian Mujahideen was formed after the Gujarat riots, his deputy R P N Singh feigned ignorance over the tweet.
With President's rule scheduled to end in Jharkhand on July 18, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Congress leaders on Tuesday held talks on the possibility of formation of a government in the state.
In bad news for Congress, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi has opined that the party has no case for claiming the Leader of Opposition post, saying there is no precedent since the days of the first Lok Sabha when Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister.
Rashid Alvi was dropped as the Congress spokesperson with the All India Congress Committee on Sunday bringing in a new team of eight spokespersons, retaining existing three and inducting five fresh faces.
In the wake of discontent among party leaders over the newly-formed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, the All India Congress Committee on Tuesday set up a four-member panel to look into grievances and quell the rebellion within the state unit.
Rejecting Bharatiya Janata Party's charge of political vendetta in the Centre's move to set up an inquiry commission to probe Gujarat snoopgate case, Congress on Friday said it was a "genuine need" and alleged that snooping on the girl was done at the behest of Narendra Modi not only inside but outside Gujarat too.
The Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left Front on Saturday congratulated Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and expressed hope that the new government will "live up to the expectations" of the people.
The Congress dismissed as "mere speculation" reports that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are to offer their resignation at the Congress Working Committee meeting on Monday called in the wake of the party's worst-ever electoral defeat.
Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi using official functions to 'embarrass' Congress chief ministers?
Virtually friendless in Tamil Nadu, Congress on Monday said it would be going it alone in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Sixteen Congress secretaries drafted a letter on September 2 to be sent to party general secretaries and Congress Working Committee members, criticising senior leaders (without names, of course!) for their comments, asking the old guard to introspect about what went wrong at the general election.
Congress leaders claim the land Bill stir is an opportunity to shake off despair and serve as return vehicle for Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress has appointed observers to coordinate meetings of its legislature party in four states where assembly election results will be declared on Sunday.
The issue of extending support to Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Admi Party is "under consideration", Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi will not be attending the swearing-in of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee as West Bengal Chief Minister in Kolkata on Friday.
Congress attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for delivering a "zero effect" speech and getting bogged down in "pedestrian issues" on Independence Day, saying it had "no new ideas, no new schemes, and no new initiatives".
The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric-JVM) has refused to support Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections if both the parties failed to reach consensus on fielding a joint opposition candidate.
Factionalism has been made bitter by the level of personal attacks that warring senior leaders indulge in. Kavita Chowdhury reports.
Congress party on Wednesday distanced itself from party leader Shakeel Ahmed's remarks -- that the blast near Bharatiya Janata Party's office in Bangalore will help the Opposition party politically -- and said it does not view the problem of terrorism in terms of political benefit or loss.
The Congress party is in talks with various political parties to form a secular alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Bihar assembly polls, its spokesman Rajeev Gowda said on Monday.
Congress on Tuesday taunted Narendra Modi over his "silence" on the conviction of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad in fodder scam case, claiming that the Gujarat chief minister is "not happy" since the order "suits" Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Congress leaders feel party President Sonia Gandhi is withdrawing from centre-stage, but without her son filling that void, it could be continued chaos for her party.
Slamming as "fascist" Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's pitch for a "Congress Mukt Bharat", Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Monday reached out to all non-BJP parties on the plank of secularism.
Asked how many seats the Congress would fight on, Singh said they would be flexible in seat sharing.
The Congress on Monday put the ball in Aam Aadmi Party's court over government formation in Delhi saying that 16 of its 18 demands need just administrative decisions and have nothing to do with Parliament or assembly.
The Janata Dal-United will elect a new leader on Sunday, party chief Sharad Yadav said, a day after Nitish Kumar stepped down as the Bihar chief minister.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's leadership has come under attack. Although the party tried to dismiss the rebellion brewing in Congress-ruled states of Assam in the east and Maharashtra in the west, no one is convinced.
Young Congress secretaries submit grievance letter to AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi, but keep language temperate as directed by party president Sonia Gandhi. Renu Mittal reports
Taking a potshot at both Arvind Kejriwal and Narendra Modi, Congress on Sunday said while the Delhi chief minister resigned to fulfill his national ambitions, the Gujarat leader is still glued to the CM's chair.
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