Party president Sonia Gandhi, former chief Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress chief ministers Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan, Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh and Charanjit Channi of Punjab attended the meeting.
The minister said whatever is being done now are "the perfect scientific advice".
'If a lawyer can talk about finances, if a TV actress can be the HRD minister and if a 'chaiwala' can be... then why I cannot talk about economy?'
Scoffing at the criticism over the government's decision to bring an ordinance to implement the Food Security Bill, Union minister Manish Tewari on Thursday accused the Opposition of shedding "crocodile tears" over Parliamentary propriety.
The fresh remarks made by Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai against the UPA dispensation Friday triggered a war of words, with the government attacking him and the opposition throwing its weight behind him.
The 'Group of 23' leaders who participated included Ghulam Nabi Azad, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Anand Sharma, Mukul Wasnik, Prithviraj Chavan, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, besides Sibal who hosted the post-birthday dinner for them.
The brutal killing of two Indian soldiers by intruding Pakistani soldiers on Wednesday drew angry reactions from Congress and the government.
The remarks came after the Channi government on Tuesday accepted the resignation of advocate general APS Deol, yielding to the pressure mounted by Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu for replacing the state's AG.
The government on Thursday formally allowed Swedish furniture major IKEA to invest Rs 10,500 crore for setting up single brand retail stores to sell mostly home furnishing items.
Unfazed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's withdrawal of support to the United Progressive Alliance, the government on Wednesday asserted it was "absolutely stable" and not a "lame duck" and said it will move amendments to the resolution on Sri Lanka at United Nations Human Rights Council to send a "resolute message" on that country's human rights.
Prateik and Amyra Dastur starrer Issaq has been adapted from Romeo And Juliet.
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front leader Yasin Malik sharing a dais with Lashkar-e-Tayiba chief and Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan Monday created a flutter in this country and led to a demand for cancelling his Indian passport.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Wednesday said states should implement the decisions of the censor board regarding screening of films but refrained from commenting on Kamal Haasan's controversial movie 'Vishwaroopam' saying the matter was in court.
With an eye on the general election, the government on Monday unveiled a series of audio-visual clips, as a part of its multi media campaign to highlight its achievements and showcase the impact of the United Progressive Alliance's policies in the last nine years. Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari, in whose presence the presentation was made, said the multimedia initiative was different from the 'India Shining' campaign of the NDA.
A group of Union ministers will visit Jammu and Kashmir later this month to spread awareness about the positive impact of abrogation of Article 370 provisions.
It comes a day after party chief Sonia Gandhi proposed, at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, the formation of a group to assess the party's losses in Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry.
A study shows that Facebook and Twitter could have an influence in at least 160 Lok Sabha seats triggering a debate but two senior Union ministers -- Manish Tewari (information and broadcasting) and Kapil Sibal (information technology and telecom) -- disagree.
Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath on Monday countered the Time Magazine's description of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as an ''underachiever''.
The Congress on Sunday said other National Democratic Alliance partners need to take cue from Janata Dal-United which has insisted on a prime ministerial candidate having a "secular credibility beyond doubt"
The Congress on Saturday played down launching of a political outfit by Arvind Kejriwal saying there were 1453 political parties registered in India and one more would strengthen the democratic fabric.
Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday crossed swords over Narendra Modi's attack on Rahul Gandhi's 'beehive' remark with three ruling party leaders saying it did not need lessons on patriotism and also that Delhi is still far off for the Gujarat chief minister.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the government has started on a wrong foot on the appointment and only time will unfortunately reveal the implications. Tewari wondered if the CDS as Permanent Chairperson of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee outrank the three service Chiefs.
The Chinese embassy, in a letter to some of the members of the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, expressed concern over their attendance at the event and asked them to refrain from providing support to Tibetan forces.
Following the Chinese president's comments on Kashmir, India in a quick response asserted that it is not for other countries to comment on "internal affairs of India".
Union minister Manish Tewari on Saturday appealed to the leaders in Andhra Pradesh to "observe forbearance" till the Congress high command was going to come out with a decision on the Telangana issue soon. The statement from Tewari came as state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana left for New Delhi on Saturday to discuss the Telangana statehood issue with the party high command.
Taking a jibe at Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray for his comment that Sushma Swaraj is the 'only deserving" prime ministerial candidate in the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress on Sunday said the National Democratic Alliance has the habit of 'counting chickens before they hatch.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party demanding tough action against Pakistan over the beheading of an Indian jawan along the Line of Control, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Tuesday said that jingoism needs to be avoided, and added that the response is best left to professionals who are equipped and tasked with the responsibility of dealing with this situation.
In a sharp reaction to the praise showered by industrialists on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, the Congress on Saturday sought to draw a parallel with the German corporate sector's fascination for Adolph Hitler in 1930s. "The German corporate sector had a similar fascination with a gentleman who was at the helm of affairs there. The implications for the world at large were disastrous," said Manish Tewari.
In a sharp reaction to the praise showered by industrialists on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, the Congress on Saturday sought to draw a parallel with the German corporate sector's fascination for Adolph Hitler in 1930s. "The German corporate sector had a similar fascination with a gentleman who was at the helm of affairs there. The implications for the world at large were disastrous," said Manish Tewari.
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi's inflexibility has left the Congress searching for a new leader. But not in the way you think.
On Wednesday, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal announced an across-the-board hike in fares of all classes from midnight of January 21 to net an additional Rs 6,600 crore (Rs 66 billion) a year.
The Congress on Tuesday reiterated that the United Progressive Alliance government has taken firm steps to bring back black money stashed abroad in the last three years, and criticized leaders of the National Democratic Alliance for lending support to yoga guru Baba Ramdev's agitation.
'If the Congress gets to form the government in 2024, then Sonia Gandhi by virtue of being CPP chairperson will have the authority to decide who will be the prime minister and not Kharge.'
Best known for his portrayal of negative roles in Hindi movies like Milan, Madhumati, Kashmir Ki Kali, the veteran actor was honoured with a Swarna Kamal (golden lotus) medallion, a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a shawl.
Congress has done well in the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat and it has won in places where party general secretary Rahul Gandhi had campaigned, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said on Thursday. "We have done well, therefore, obviously, I think if anyone has the reason to celebrate it is the Congress party," Tewari said.
The Congress' central election authority on Thursday issued a notification for the All India Congress Committee president polls, setting the ball rolling for electing the successor to the longest-serving party chief Sonia Gandhi.
Another Punjab da Puttar may become a neta soon... Why Sonia's illness caused heartburn...Gossip from the Dilli Durbar.
Expressing anger over the death of a Communist Party of India-Marxist student leader allegedly due to police action in Kolkata, Union minister Manish Tewari has said the West Bengal government should overcome partisan politics and ensure justice in the case.
Against the backdrop of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's attacks on the United Progressive Alliance and the Congress, Union minister Manish Tewari on Friday said the ruling party and the alliance know how to run a coalition. "The UPA and Congress have always shown that they know how to run a coalition and the current UPA government will complete its full term," the Congress leader told reporters.
Congress on Wednesday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party for giving a clean chit to its President Nitin Gadkari facing charges of owning shell companies, alleging it has shown the "bankruptcy" of the opposition party's leadership and the "mask" has now come off "exposing its real face".
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