Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy on Wednesday condemned Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj'' "act" in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, describing it as ''unfortunate'' and ''not expected''.Swaraj had alleged that Congress President Sonia Gandhi had instructed party members of Parliament to interrupt her speech.
He drew the roadmap of India's economic reform, unshackled it from the licence raj and pulled it back from the brink when even its gold reserve was pledged.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is arriving in New Delhi on Thursday for a four-day visit during which she is likely to meet senior leaders and attend a Niti Aayog meeting on August 7, sources said.
The Congress on Thursday raised the issue of Enforcement Directorate action and police gherao of its party office and the residences of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, with Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge saying in the Rajya Sabha that he has been summoned by the ED at a time when Parliament is in session.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said Congress President Sonia Gandhi's statement that the opposition had always obstructed the passing of a strong and effective Lokpal Bill in Parliament, and growth in Gujarat, as one full of half-truths.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi appeared in a new avatar when she shed her reticence and turned agitated on the opening day of the monsoon session of Parliament on Wednesday.
In an apparent message to the G23, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said she is a full-time, hands-on party president and there is no need for leaders to speak to her through the media.
The old Parliament building will now be known as 'Samvidhan Sadan', Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Tuesday as the functioning of Parliament shifted to its new building in New Delhi.
"Religious festivals seem to have become occasions to intimidate and bully others -- a far cry from when they were occasions for joy and celebration. Instead, there is intimidation and discrimination only on account of their religion, food, caste, gender or language," Gandhi said.
Sonia Gandhi is cracking the whip on errant party MPs. She has made it clear that the strategy of confrontation with the government and disruption of Parliament proceedings will continue.
Talking to reporters in Bhopal, Kharge said he believes in collective leadership and if elected president, will consult party leaders Sonia Gandhi as well as Rahul Gandhi on organisational matters.
Hooda and Azad were reported to have discussed concrete proposals to strengthen the Congress and ensure collective leadership and decision making as demanded by the grouping which met on Wednesday and signed a joint statement.
The NCW said it strongly condemns the defamatory remarks and requests strict action against Moitra.
In the event that like in the 17th Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi again gets locked out of the House, the Congress needs a second-in-command who will keep the momentum going inside Parliament, notes Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
The birth anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, whose political influence has surged with the passage of time, on Monday was marked by bitter trading of charges between the ruling BJP and opposition parties as they fought for his legacy.
Ahead of his meeting with Congress members of Parliament to allay their apprehensions on FDI, Mukherjee met Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence for about 10 minutes, party sources said.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Wednesday created a storm in the Lok Sabha by dubbing UPA-II as "illegitimate" but withdrew it after strong protests from Congress.
Pranabda hasn't given us any indication of the tough period when he realised Sonia Gandhi had decided to give the presidency not to him, but to then vice-president Hamid Ansari. He wrested the presidency from her, and handed her the biggest defeat of her UPA years, observes Shekhar Gupta.
The move is being seen as an attempt to forge opposition unity to defeat the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
The government wants to introduce a nationwide goods and services tax to revive its stalled reform programme.
The Gandhi-led yatra will pass through Amethi on Monday. It will then enter Raebareli, where the Samajwadi Party chief had earlier said he would join.
According to officials, the shift to the new Parliament building will coincide with Ganesh Chaturthi, considered auspicious to make new beginnings.
New Delhi is witnessing a spurt of political activity over the Goods and Services Tax Bill.
He also met Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel.
In the backdrop of the drought situation across India, the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance government on Wednesday planned to go on an austerity mode, with party chief Sonia Gandhi asking her Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly to accept a 20 per cent cut in salaries for a year. During the meeting of the Congress Working Committee, Sonia Gandhi asked partymen and the government to observe austerity measures.
As many as 28 out of 41 sitting women MPs, including Sonia Gandhi, Hema Malini and Kirron Kher, retained their seats in Lok Sabha.
Congress vice-president Rahul also slammed Sushma, calling her speech eloquent but hollow.
A combative Congress president also hit out at the Centre saying it should not try to frighten them and that they 'would not allow democratic institutions to be weakened or destroyed'
This is the fourth post she's quit after the office-for-profit controversy broke.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday called on President Pranab Mukherjee, official sources said.
'Rahul is a seasoned player of politics and chess. He makes his moves after careful consideration.
The Congress president also hit out at the government over demonetisation, saying the move left millions of people 'suffering'.
The Congress dismissed as "very, very immature" Sushma Swaraj's remarks on Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin, saying the Congress chief can become the prime minister "tomorrow if the party decides" and she doesn't need anyone's approval.
In the meeting, which will be held virtually, party leaders will also discuss the current Covid and political situations.
The Congress party alleged that the BJP government has asked social media platform 'X' to remove Home Minister Amit Shah's speech from the Rajya Sabha, which they claim insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar. The party cited an email from 'X' to support their claim. The BJP has not yet commented on the matter, and 'X' has refused to delete the speech, citing freedom of speech. The Congress accused Shah of insulting the architect of the Indian Constitution and demanded his resignation.
Top Congress leaders held deliberations on Saturday at the first meeting of the new Congress Working Committee (CWC) focusing on preparing a comprehensive road map for ensuring the party's victory in the upcoming assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
What the ordinance overturning the Supreme Court order debarring jailed MPs and MLAs from contesting elections reveals is that Sonia Gandhi is not a leader; rather, she is being led, says Amberish K Diwanji.
Sparks are expected to fly in Parliament on Wednesday as the Congress looks set to target the government on the issue of violence against Dalits.
The Gandhi family will now get 'Z+' security by the Central Reserve Police Force on an all-India basis.
United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi wants Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam M Karunanidhi to be present when the Congress nominee for the Presidential Polls presents his/her nomination papers on June 16 to Returning Officer V K Aghnihotri in Parliament House, say sources in New Delhi.
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