Congress thoroughbred Hariprasad will lead party in Karnataka
He was a Congress Working Committee permanent invitee and Haryana state in-charge before being elevated to the post. BENGALURU: The state is all set to witness 71-year-old Congress thoroughbred Bengaluru Kempaiah Hariprasad taking charge as new president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) at Palace Grounds on Sunday. He was a Congress Working Committee permanent invitee and Haryana state in-charge before being elevated to the post. A four-time Rajya Sabha member and two-time MLC, he is a staunch loyalist of the Nehru-Gandhi family, who has worked closely with Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi. Kodandarama Nagara — close to Malleswaram, where Hariprasad was born and brought up, wore a festive look with residents, especially women, welcoming him with traditional aarti during his padayatra on Saturday. CM DK Shivakumar, who was KPCC president, will hand over the party flag officially to Hariprasad at 11 am. Hariprasad was among the five party candidates elected in the recent MLC polls, helping the party achieve the majority mark of 39 in a 75-member House. That victory has apparently energised the party’s rank and file. They will now pin their hopes on the Hariprasad-Shivakumar combination to work their magic to get the party reelected in the 2028 Assembly polls. Soon after Siddaramaiah passed the CM baton to Shivakumar, the party high command picked Hariprasad, who hails from the Ediga community, in a backward classes outreach. The Sunday rally, where Siddaramaiah too will be felicitated, will be attended by over one lakh people, said former Bengaluru Rural MP DK Suresh, Shivakumar’s younger brother. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal and state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala are expected to attend. KPCC working president and Rajya Sabha member GC Chandrashekhar requested party workers not to hold up traffic in view of the NEET retest. Around 350 dignitaries will be on the main stage, while 200 others on the other one. Party workers will be ferried in 1,200 buses. Resolution to make Rahul PM The congregation will pass a resolution to make leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi the prime minister in 2029 and also to bring the party to power in the state in 2028. “This is not just a power transfer programme. It is a party organisation ceremony, a ceremony for the future. This will be a platform to take a big decision. The next two years are election years,” said GC Chandrashekar. Devaraj B Hirehalli Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul meets Punjab Congress’ top leaders amid speculations of organisational change; calls for unity
According to the leaders, Rahul Gandhi held one-on-one meetings with each of them, to get their views on the roadmap in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls. Amid speculations of an organisational restructuring in Punjab Congress, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday met top leaders of the state unit and urged them to fight the upcoming Assembly elections collectively, stressing that the party has a “very good chance” to win. Punjab goes to polls early next year. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Pratap Singh Bajwa, former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, senior leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Vijay Inder Singla met Rahul Gandhi at 10, Janpath, Sonia Gandhi’s residence. “I put forward my viewpoint on what is best for the party, and I’ve said whatever decision you (Rahul Gandhi) take, we will stand by that. We are committed soldiers of the Congress. Our families have sacrificed for the interest of Punjab, for the unity and integrity of this nation,” Bajwa told reporters after the meeting. “The leadership decision is with Rahul, whatever position he may give or not give, we stand by him,” Bajwa asserted. Gandhi met the five leaders one-on-one separately to get their views on the roadmap in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls, according to the leaders who met Gandhi. “Rahul Gandhi’s message was, ‘You have to fight collectively, Punjab is an important state, and we stand a very good chance.’ The leaders shared their views on the leadership issue and the best way forward. Basically, he stressed that we must protect Punjab’s interests,” a source privy to the meetings said. Earlier this month, the Congress named Ajay Maken, Meenakshi Natarajan and Bhajan Lal Jatav as All India Congress Committee observers to assess and submit a report on the current political scenario in Punjab. They submitted their report to the high command. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Shashi Tharoor’s praise for PM Modi sparks political slugfest
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed India’s concerns to US President Donald Trump regarding the safety of civilian sailors has earned him the ire of his party. “Admiration for PM Modi appears to have transcended the limitations of the physical world” and he now “seems capable of hearing what Modi doesn’t even say”, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said in response to queries regarding Tharoor’s remarks which were at odds with leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that PM had not taken up with Trump the issue of deaths of three Indian seafarers who were killed by the US navy after their Palau-flagged ship breached the US-imposed naval blockade. Tharoor responded on X that he found it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors was “being twisted into a partisan political controversy”. Tharoor’s statement saying that the PM had raised the issue of Indian seafarers with the US President, led BJP to take a dig at Rahul Gandhi. “Dr Shashi Tharoor contradicted Rahul Gandhi’s stand on the same issue…” party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said. “Not just that, Tharoor has effusively praised PM Modi’s vision, articulation, dynamism and oratory. He has said Modi has left a stamp on the lives of Indians,” he added. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Ensure there are no glitches, students been through enough stress’: Rahul Gandhi to govt ahead of Sunday’s NEET re-exam
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday shared a message for students and the govt ahead of NEET re-exam on Sunday. “To everybody taking the Re-NEET exam, hope you have a really wonderful, excellent exam and all of you do well. Remember we’re with you. We want to look after you, protect you and make sure that you have brilliant future. Love all of you,” he said addressing the aspirants. Then he directed the next part to the Prime Minister and to the government saying, “Please ensure that there are no glitches this time. The students have been through enough stress and they really cannot afford to go through it again.” Earlier in the day, Rahul had spoken about NEET, with reference to a reports about a Nagpur student being assigned centre in Abu Dhabi. “How did this even happen? Yesterday, no student should have had any complaint about not being able to reach their center. The NTA is actually just testing the patience of the country’s children and their parents. A system that can’t provide a center in a child’s own city but can send them abroad instead—it has no right to conduct exams,” he said. However, NTA later gave a clarifications aying that the student himself chose it as the option from the applicant login. Read more: NTA says Nasik candidate himself selected Abu Dhabi option Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Stop gambling with children’s future’: Rahul Gandhi attacks govt over NEET-UG re-test centre blunder
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised the Modi government after a NEET-UG aspirant from Nagpur was allotted Abu Dhabi as the examination centre for the re-test, saying the authorities should “stop gambling” with the future of children. Responding to the issue, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said the grievance is being looked into and that, after due verification, the candidate will be allotted a centre in Nagpur within the next few hours. In a Hin post on X, Gandhi wrote, “A student from Nagpur had been preparing for the NEET re-exam for a month. He downloaded his admit card just a day before the exam. His assigned centre was in Abu Dhabi. He has no passport, his family lacks the funds to send him abroad, and there is no time left. He wept all night and is refusing to take the exam – can one even imagine the level of stress involved?” “How did this even happen? No student should have to face the issue of being unable to reach their exam centre. In reality, the NTA is merely testing the patience of the country’s students and their parents,”Gandhi said. Gandhi asserted that a system which fails to allot a student an examination centre in their own city and instead assigns one abroad has no right to conduct exams, news agency PTI reported. He further stated, “Stop gambling with our children’s future. They deserve a sensitive, responsible, and accountable education and examination system – and we will ensure they get it.” Gandhi launched a signature campaign to highlight issues concerning the country’s education system on Thursday. The campaign includes paper leaks and high fees, etc. He described the campaign as a platform through which students can directly place their demands before the government. His call for participation came a day after he interacted with students at a convention in Kota, Rajasthan. During the interaction, he termed India’s education system a “rejection system” rather than a selection system. He alleged that the system imposes a heavy financial burden and causes intense stress for students and middle-class families. Addressing the gathering in Kota, a hub for coaching centres, Gandhi said the present education framework is “extremely stressful and unfair”. The NTA had earlier cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination scheduled on May 3 following allegations of a paper leak. The government then directed the CBI to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Rahul Gandhi exposed’: BJP targets Congress leader after Shashi Tharoor’s PM Modi praise over Trump meet
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Saturday seized on senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s remarks praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that the comments had exposed a contradiction within the Congress party’s stance towards the Prime Minister. Reacting to Tharoor’s observations, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. “Shashi Tharoor exposes Rahul Gandhi. Congress Leader praises PM @narendramodi Ji’s diplomacy. When it Comes to Protecting India’s National Interest PM Modi comes first; When it comes to speaking against India’s National interest Rahul Gandhi leaves everyone behind!” said BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari in a post on X. The BJP’s response came after Tharoor praised PM Modi-Trump meet. “PM Modi made his point clear both in the public and private meetings with the President. It is important to convey the message that in wartime, civilian sailors on commercial ships should not be targets of combat. They are not soldiers, and that is the message Mr. Modi conveyed,” Tharoor said. He went on acknowledged several aspects of PM Modi’s leadership, calling him “powerful orator, one of the best orators the country has seen in Hindi”. “I think we all recognise that he has a tremendous amount of dynamism and energy. He has a vision, whether you agree with that vision or not. He is a powerful orator, one of the best orators the country has seen in Hindi. He reaches out particularly to those who speak that language,” Tharoor had said. He has a very compelling presence on the national stage. Undoubtedly, he has been able to leave his stamp on many aspects of Indian life, society and politics, the economy, particularly the building of the infrastructure is one of Mr Modi’s achievements as long as the highways, ports and airports stand. Though there is still always room for improvement,” he added. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla intensified the attack on Rahul Gandhi, claiming that senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had “busted” the opposition leader’s narrative by praising PM Modi and acknowledging his handling of key national issues. Poonawalla said the Congress had repeatedly accused the prime minister of “surrendering” on national issues and failing to raise concerns regarding Indian sailors. According to him, Tharoor’s comments directly contradicted those claims. “It was Rahul Gandhi’s birthday. But Dr Tharoor has given him a very good gift by busting his fake narrative. Because Rahul Gandhi’s Congress was constantly saying surrender, surrender, saying the PM has not raised the issue of sailors,” he said. “Now Dr Tharoor contradicts him, busts his fake narrative, says that the PM has raised the issue, conveyed India’s point. And not only that, he has praised Prime Minister Modi for being visionary, dynamic, having a great presence, leaving a mark on Indians and has said he is a great orator. So I think Rahul Gandhi must be burning with anger. I just hope that he does not take action against Dr Tharoor,” he added. PM Modi and US President Donald Trump held their first bilateral meeting in 16 months on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France, on Wednesday. During the talks, PM Modi highlighted concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers operating not only near the Strait of Hormuz but across the wider Gulf region. Trump, meanwhile, praised the PM Modi, describing him as a “tough negotiator” and remarking on his strong public presence. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Congress raises fresh concerns over Great Nicobar project, seeks public disclosure of studies
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has shot off a letter to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, flagging concerns over the lack of transparency in the Great Nicobar Island project. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has shot off a letter to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, flagging concerns over the lack of transparency in the Great Nicobar Island project. He asserted that the environmental impact assessments of different aspects of the venture are “demonstrably inadequate.” Ramesh’s latest letter comes against the backdrop of a series of exchanges with Yadav over the Great Nicobar Island project in the past few years. “I am sorry to say yet again that the environmental impact assessments of different aspects of the Great Nicobar Island Project are demonstrably inadequate and fall woefully short of guidelines set by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change itself,” the former environment minister said in his letter to Yadav. Ramesh pointed out that these had been detailed in his earlier letters to which Yadav had “no worthwhile answer”. “Your position is that conditions made part of the environmental clearance mandate continuous monitoring. In this connection, may I submit the following for your consideration. Six-monthly compliance reports are to be made public. But after March 2024 no such compliance report has been made available. Minutes of the project monitoring committee meetings are being uploaded several months after they have been held,” Ramesh said. Ramesh said the environmental clearance for the project, granted on November 11, 2022, required several conservation and mitigation plans to be submitted within 15 days. However, these plans have not been made public The plans were to be prepared by institutions including the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) and the Andaman and Nicobar Forest Department (ANFD), he said. According to Ramesh, some of these institutions were later asked to revise their monitoring and mitigation proposals after incorporating suggestions from the Expert Appraisal Committee. “These plans too are not publicly available,” he said. Ramesh further argued that it was “strange, to say the least” that some of these plans may have been submitted only after being appraised by the committee concerned, raising questions about their adequacy and reliability He also pointed out that the updated Environment Management Plan, which was to be based on existing and additional studies, remains unavailable in the public domain. “There are at least, as far as I have been able to make out, 12 such studies by different institutions. Several studies are still pending, which proves that the environmental clearance was granted prematurely and hastily. Some mitigation measures, such as the large-scale relocation of coral colonies, are clearly unrealistic and almost impossible to implement,” Ramesh said. The Congress leader noted that he had earlier sought the public release of the report of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) constituted by the National Green Tribunal, along with the field survey conducted by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, on which the committee’s conclusions regarding the Coastal Regulation Zone status of the proposed transshipment port were based. “Everything I am asking to be made public in no way hampers the fulfilment of the so-called strategic objectives that are now being cited as the rationale for the Great Nicobar Island Project. Serious questions over its environmental impact assessment and legitimate concerns about its grave ecological consequences remain unanswered and unaddressed by your sadly evasive replies,” Ramesh said. “I am simply unable to understand the extraordinary level of non-transparency being adopted to conceal reports, studies and plans,” he added. The Congress on Wednesday criticised the project, describing the proposed transshipment port at Galathea Bay as a recipe for ecological disaster that would result in the large-scale destruction of coral colonies. Ramesh has also written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, urging him to reconsider the decision to reject the full expansion of the INS Baaz runway. In his correspondence with Yadav, he has repeatedly highlighted what he described as the “demonstrably dubious” nature of the project’s environmental impact assessment. The Centre plans to develop an international container transshipment port, a civilian-cum-naval airport, a township and a power plant under the Great Nicobar Island project. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the government’s claim that the project is primarily about national defence and a transshipment port is a “lie”, arguing instead that it is intended to benefit a single businessman through the development of hotels and casinos on ecologically sensitive land. Earlier this month, Rahul released a video of over 16 minutes based on his visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in late April and urged people to sign a petition calling on the government to “choose green over greed”. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Chhatron ki Goonj: Rahul Gandhi launches campaign to amplify issues related to nation’s education system
In a post on X, Gandhi posted a link to the campaign where students can share ideas and sign a petition. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a campaign for nation’s education reform, such as paper leaks, high fees, and urged students to join the same. He said that it is a platform for students to make demands directly to the government. In a post on X, Gandhi posted a link to the campaign where students can share ideas and sign a petition. “If you’ve suffered because of paper leaks, exam issues, or high fees, if this education system has shattered your dreams, if your family has invested a lifetime of savings in your education, then ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ is your voice,” the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said in the post. Gandhi said that this initiative goes beyond just a campaign; it is a platform for students to raise issues such as the need for affordable education, fair examinations, and dignified employment opportunities. “Join the movement: Click the link below. Fill in your name and share your ideas. Sign the petition — that’s it,” Gandhi said, urging the youth to sign up for this movement. “More the signatures, louder the goonj!” he added. Gandhi also released a video message and said his programme in Kota on Wednesday received a very good response. “For this, I would like to thank the students of India. Millions of youth, the future of India and the students of India watched our presentation in Kota, a critique of the education system you are facing, the walls you are facing. “What are the biggest issues? Number one, the education system is not designed around you. It is not designed around your imagination. Number two, it does not enable you to do what you want to do in life. lt buckets you into becoming an engineer, into becoming a doctor, into becoming a lawyer,” Gandhi said. “An education system should free your imagination. And the third most important and the most disheartening fact, the cost of our education system. 22 lakh families spend as much money to get their children through NEET as the government of India gives for its entire education budget,” he claimed. Gandhi said five exams cost these families the same amount of money as the Budget of five massive ministries in the Indian government, he said, adding that this is a “shame”. “This is something that all of us should change. This is not a political issue, this is a national issue. We want you to tell us about your imagination,” he said. In his post along with the video, Gandhi said, “Yesterday, together, we made history in Kota. For the first time, the country has realized that massive extortion is taking place in the name of education.” “We must turn the flame kindled in Kota into a blazing torch, and there is a definite role for you in this journey. Send in your suggestions and sign the petition,” he said. His appeal for participation in the campaign followed a day after he interacted with students at a convention in Kota, Rajasthan. During this interaction, he described India’s education system as a “rejection system” rather than a selection system, claiming it places an excessive financial burden and causes significant stress to students and middle-class families. While addressing the gathering in Kota, known for its coaching centres, Gandhi remarked that the current education structure is “extremely stressful and unfair”. “This is not good for the country. I want all of us to work together to ensure that no student in this country ever feels what this girl felt,” he had said at the ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ rally in Kota, where he interacted with students on various issues like paper leaks and unemployment. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Why should a Dalit worry about RSS’: BJP MP to Priyank Kharge; gets sharp ‘fear none’ reply
NEW DELHI: A remark by BJP MP Ramesh Jigajinagi questioning why a Dalit minister should be concerned about the RSS triggered a sharp response from Karnataka home minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday, with the Congress leader saying he “fears none” because he follows BR Ambedkar’s ideology. The controversy started from Priyank Kharge’s letter earlier this week to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, seeking clarity on the organisation’s legal status and asking it to disclose details of its funding, income, expenditure and assets in the interest of transparency and constitutional accountability. Addressing a press conference in Vijayapura on Wednesday, Jigajinagi criticised the move, saying Priyank Kharge was overstepping his role as Home Minister. “Is it his job to ask such questions about RSS? People will only tell him (what RSS is). Whoever came in the way of RSS did not survive. He is unnecessarily picking up an issue with the RSS. We feel bad about it,” the BJP MP said, according to news agency PTI. “My question is – why does this Dalit man need to be concerned about the RSS?” he asked.Jigajinagi also said Priyank Kharge became a minister because his father, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, had “toiled hard” for the party and advised him to focus on governance instead of targeting the RSS. Responding to the BJP leader, Kharge said Jigajinagi’s remarks could be interpreted in several ways. “Is it a word of caution, advising Dalits not to associate with the RSS, which believes in the fundamentals of a hierarchical social order?” he asked. He also questioned whether the BJP MP was suggesting that, as a Dalit, he had no right to question “an organisation formed to safeguard the interests of those with a sense of social superiority.” Priyank Kharge further asked whether Jigajinagi’s remark that “no one who has taken on the RSS has survived” was made out of fear or intended to intimidate him. “What are the reasons behind this threat? What does he mean by saying ‘no one has survived’? Is the RSS a terrorist organisation? Does it eliminate those who question it?” the minister asked. Asserting that he draws strength from Ambedkar’s ideals, Priyank Kharge said, “I am a follower of Babasaheb’s ideology. The courage to question and my intellectual conviction come from him. Those who believe in Babasaheb do not fear.” “I fear only a lack of morality, not threats, because Ambedkar’s blood runs in our veins,” he added. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Amit Shah hell bent on making NDA ‘National Defectors Alliance,’ will not get two-thirds majority in LS: Congress
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh asserted that the Union Home Minister will not succeed in in his attempts to get a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. Amid the ever-growing crisis within the opposition ranks, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday slammed BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for trying to break opposition parties, while asserting that he will not succeed in his attempts to get a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. Ramesh said Shah suffered a “humiliation” in the Lok Sabha on April 17 this year when he failed in getting the Constitution amendment bill related to delimitation passed, and is now resorting to “dirtiest of tricks” in order to avenge that. He accused Shah of launching an “assault on the Constitution and democracy.” “Amit Shah is clearly hell-bent on making the NDA, the National Democratic Alliance, the NDA — National Defectors Alliance. He was humiliated on the 17th of April 2026 in the Lok Sabha. He expected the Constitution amendment bill that provides for delimitation to pass,” Ramesh told PTI. “He (Shah) had assured the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi). But because of opposition unity and solidarity, the bill didn’t pass. They got only 298 and they needed 362, if you go by 543 present and voting. So they felt hugely short of the two-thirds majority. And that was a humiliation. It was a setback for him,” Ramesh said, adding the home minister did not expect that. The Congress leader accused the home minister of orchestrating defections as a response to that “humiliation” of April 17. Shah has started on this massive programme to destabilise opposition parties, he alleged. “He’s (Shah is), you know, trying to break all opposition parties. But I can assure you that he’s not going to succeed in getting a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. He’s trying similar tactics in the Rajya Sabha. But ultimately, it’s two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha that matters,” Ramesh said. The Congress leader claimed that all sorts of incentives are being offered to opposition MPs to defect to the ruling alliance. “You know, in the mutual fund industry, you offer different products and different schemes catering to the needs of individual investors. So, he’s obviously offering a lot of incentives to individual MPs based on their needs and assessments. But, you know, this is an assault on the Constitution. It’s an assault on democracy,” Ramesh said. “It is an absolute disgrace that the man who occupies the place that was once occupied by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is indulging in all these dirtiest of tricks in order to avenge the humiliation that he underwent,” the Congress general secretary said. Asked about Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar’s remarks that a major split in the Samajwadi Party (SP) is on the cards, Ramesh dismissed the comments as “psychological games” that are part of Shah’s strategy. “He (Shah) is the master of sowing confusion. He is a weapon of mass distortion and disinformation –WMD, in the real sense of the term. So he is trying to create a lot of uncertainty and sow the seeds of dissensions but he is not going to succeed. He can do whatever he wants, he is trying to save his job,” Ramesh alleged. He claimed the Modi government had to suffer “humiliation” for the first time in 12 years on April 17. “So, there is a lot of bluff and bluster and the home minister is a master in this bluff and bluster. He is trying to create an impression that opposition parties are withering away, but opposition parties are united, there is solidarity, there is ideological and this ‘National Defectors Alliance’ will not get a majority whenever the Constitution amendment bill is brought into the Lok Sabha,” he asserted. Ramesh stressed that the Congress has ideological clarity and is well aware that it is fighting an ideological battle against the BJP and not merely a political struggle. “The home minister who does everything with the approval of the prime minister is hell-bent on destroying the Constitution and the foundational principles of our democracy,” the Congress general secretary in-charge communications said. “You saw what happened on April 17, he came a cropper, he was humiliated and he is now taking revenge, trying to compensate and send a message to the PM that ‘I am going to deliver a two-thirds majority for you’,” he said. Ramesh pointed out that Shah comes from the land of Gandhi who taught people that the ends are as important as the means. However, it is the “dirtiest of tricks” Shah is playing,” Ramesh said. He asserted that the Congress is not just sitting back and is talking to its allies opposition parties. “Our top leadership, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi) or the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha (Mallikarjun Kharge), people like me, are in touch with all the colleagues in the opposition parties. We are united and we are going to resist this nefarious, diabolical attempts of the home minister to get a two-thirds majority by hook or crook,” Ramesh said. The Congress’ attack came with Shiv Sena (UBT) facing an imminent split. Six of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s nine Lok Sabha MPs skipped its parliamentary party meeting here on Thursday, signalling that a formal crossover to the ruling Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde may be only a matter of time. Also, 20 rebel TMC MPs have met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and announced their merger with the NCPI, a Tripura-based registered unrecognised political party. On Wednesday, Ramesh accused Shah of launching an “onslaught” on the opposition and “wrecking” Indian democracy to compensate for his “humiliation” in the Lok Sabha on April 17. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights