News Analysis India

Tag: Modi Government

  • NEET cancellation: “When will NEET be cancelled?”: Congress urges PM Modi to “take responsibility” for stopping paper leak

    New Delhi: Amid the ongoing row over NEET-UG 2024, the Congress party urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take responsibility for stopping the paper leaks.

    Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a post on X referred to the cancellation of the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) as a “victory of spirit” of millions of students.

    He further said that it was the “defeat of the Modi government’s arrogance.””You “discuss exams” a lot, when will you “discuss the NEET exam”? Cancellation of the UGC-NET exam is a victory of the spirit of millions of students. This is the defeat of the arrogance of the Modi government due to which they made a despicable attempt to trample the future of our youth,” Kharge said in the post.

    “The Union Education Minister had earlier said that no paper was leaked in NEET. When arrests are made of the education mafia in Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana, the Education Minister accepts that some scam has taken place! When will the NEET exam be cancelled?” he asked.

    “Modi Ji, please take the responsibility of stopping your government’s rigging and paper leak in NEET exam too!”Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi asked if at least now the accountability be decided.”The laxity and corruption of the BJP government is fatal for the youth. After the news of the scam in NEET exam, now the NET exam held on June 18 has also been cancelled due to the fear of irregularities,” Priyanka said in a post on X.

    “Will accountability be fixed now? Will the education minister take responsibility for this lax system?,” she said.

    The Ministry in a statement on Wednesday said that the issue related to grace marks has already been fully addressed in the matter pertaining to the NEET(UG) -2024.

    The Ministry of Education has sought a detailed report from the Economic Offences Unit of the Bihar Police over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET(UG) examination-2024 in Patna.

    It further reiterated that any individual/organization found to be involved in the NEET (UG) Examination 2024 matter, will face the strictest action.

    Earlier on June 18, the Supreme Court told the Centre and NTA that if there is any negligence in conducting the NEET-UG, 2024 exam, it should be thoroughly dealt with.

    Several petitions were filed in the apex court seeking direction to recall NEET-UG 2024 results and to conduct the examination afresh, alleging paper leakage and malpractices in the test held on May 5. Aspirants have raised the issue of leakage of the question paper, awarding compensatory marks and anomalies in the question of NEET-UG 2024.

  • Kanchanjunga Express accident: Mallikarjun Kharge slams Modi govt, says ‘utter mismanagement’ of railway ministry

    NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday slammed the Modi government for “utter mismanagement” of the Railway Ministry as he condoled the loss of lives in the West Bengal train accident. “Extremely distressed by the Kanchanjunga Express train collision accident in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, where many people have lost their lives and several have been injured,” he said.

    “The scenes of the accident are painful. Our heart goes out to the families of the victims. In this hour of grief, we express our solidarity and condolences to each one of them. We wish a speedy recovery to the injured. Immediate and full compensation must be provided to the victims,” he demanded.

    Kharge alleged that in the past 10 years, the Modi government has indulged in “utter mismanagement” of the Railway Ministry. “As a responsible Opposition, it is our bounden duty to underline how the Modi Government has systematically converted the Rail Ministry into a platform of ‘Camera-driven’ self-promotion,” the Congress chief claimed.

    “Today’s tragedy is yet another reminder of this stark reality,” he alleged.

    “Make no mistake, we will remain persistent with our questions and shall make the Modi Government accountable for its criminal abandonment of the Indian Railways,” Kharge said. At least 15 people were killed and around 60 others injured after a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express near Rangapani station in West Bengal on Monday, police said.

  • Modi 3.0: Cabinet sees 6 Maharashtra ministers including Gadkari, Goyal; State’s strength dips by 2

    Mumbai: Six MPs from Maharashtra have joined the Modi 3.0 coalition government, with the BJP securing four positions and allies Shiv Sena and RPI (A) receiving one each. Notably, the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar declined the BJP’s offer of Minister of State (MoS) with independent charge, insisting on a cabinet berth for Praful Patel.During the second term of the Modi government from 2019-24, there were eight ministers from Maharashtra representing the BJP and its allies. This number has decreased to six as of Sunday.In the new government, BJP MPs Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal retained their positions as cabinet ministers.Raksha Khadse, the sole woman MP from Maharashtra representing the BJP, along with first-time MP Murlidhar Mohol, were sworn in as Ministers of State.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesAmong the BJP’s allies, RPI (A) chief Ramdas Athawale retained his position as Minister of State with independent charge, while Prataprao Jadhav from the Shiv Sena, under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, also took oath as Minister of State with independent charge.The NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, declined the offer of Minister of State, insisting on a cabinet berth for Rajya Sabha member Praful Patel due to his extensive experience.Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said coalition formulas must be respected, assuring the NCP would be considered in future cabinet expansions. “We had offered one berth of minister with independent charge to the NCP but they wanted Praful Patel’s name to be finalised. Due to his experience, the NCP believed he could not be made MoS with independent charge,” Fadnavis said.

    In a coalition government, a formula has to be drawn, which cannot be broken for one party, he said.

    “I can confidently say whenever cabinet expansion takes place, the government will consider the NCP. We did try to include NCP right now, but they insisted on cabinet portfolio,” the senior BJP leader said.

    Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Ajit Pawar asserted the NCP “was ready to wait” but wanted a cabinet berth.

    The eight ministers from Maharashtra who were part of the Modi-led government from 2019-24 included Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Narayan Rane, Bhagwat Karad, Raosaheb Danve, Bharti Pawar and Kapil Patil- all from BJP, and Ramdas Athawale of the RPI (A).

    In the recently held Lok Sabha elections, the BJP fared poorly in Maharashtra as it could win only nine seats, compared to the 2019 tally of 23 out of the total 48 constituencies in the state. The Shiv Sena led by Shinde bagged seven seats and Ajit Pawar-led NCP just one.

    Gadkari, Goyal, Khadse and Mohol won from Nagpur, Mumbai North, Raver and Pune Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively, in the recent elections.

    Notably, the BJP did not re-induct Narayan Rane in the Union cabinet though he won from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha seat.

    Three other BJP ministers – Raosaheb Danve, Bharati Pawar, and Kapil Patil- in the previous government lost the elections this time.

    Inputs from PTI

  • Modi ki Chinese guarantee”: Congress Chief Kharge alleges Centre of putting country’s territorial integrity “at risk

    Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday alleged that the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put the country’s territorial integrity and national security “at risk” in dealing with its neighbouring country, China.

    Kharge, in a post on X, also accused the Modi government of “attacking the constitutional rights of our own citizens of Ladakh”.

    “Modi Ki Chinese Guarantee! In Ladakh, there is a strong wave of public support, with unified calls for protection for tribal communities under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution,” he said, adding that the Congress remains committed to protecting Ladakh and securing national interests at the borders.Kharge comments come as climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike in support of statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule for the Union Territory of Ladakh continues.

    “But like all other guarantees – ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ to assure constitutional rights to the people of Ladakh remains a colossal betrayal. It is nothing but fake and Chinese in nature,” the Congress chief said.

    Kharge also alleged that the Modi government wants to exploit the eco-sensitive Himalayan glaciers of Ladakh and benefit its “crony friends”.”PM Modi’s CLEAN CHIT to China after Galwan Valley, post the sacrifice of our 20 bravehearts, has emboldened the expansionist nature of China at our strategic borders (sic),” he added.”On one hand, Modi government has put our territorial integrity and national security at risk, and on the other hand, it is attacking the Constitutional Rights of our own citizens of Ladakh,” the Congress chief added.

    He also claimed that China continues to occupy Indian territory at Depsang Plains, Hot Springs and Gogra regions.

    He also said that the Modi government failed to ensure status quo ante before 2020 despite at least 19 rounds of one-on-one talks between PM Modi and his Chinese counterpart since 2014.

  • Govt cheating farmers, MSP hike less than even inflation rate: Congress

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday accused the Modi government of cheating farmers and said the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for rabi crops announced by it is even lesser than the rate of inflation.

    Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said even as the BJP dispensation is patting its back for MSPs, it has in fact “duped the farmers” and claimed that their hard labour has got lost in the lights of Diwali.

    “The Modi government has once again cheated the farmers on the MSPs. The MSP of Annadata farmers’ hard work got lost again in the lights of Diwali. The Modi government patted its back by announcing the MSP of rabi crops, but duped the farmer and left them to shed tears of blood,” he said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

    Calling out the BJP for what it called as “fraud with farmers”, he said the bitter truth is that the Modi government only announces MSP but does not buy crops on the MSP and demanded that the MSP law granting legal status to MSP is urgently required.

    “BJP’s ‘Shakuni Chausar’ has made the farmer’s life difficult. No Cost+50 percent, no fair price nor enough buying. Neither is the law on MSP being made. Modi ji promised in 2014 that he will give cost plus 50 per cent to farmers. Cost+50 per cent is far away, the declared MSP is less than the MSP demanded by the BJP governments themselves,” he claimed, alleging betrayal with the annadata.

    ALSO READ | Modi government forms panel to make ‘more effective and transparent’ MSP

    The Rajya Sabha MP said leaders can say rhetoric, but statistics don’t lie, claiming that the Congress-UPA government increased the MSP by 205 per cent while in the last eight years of the Modi government, the increase in MSP is only 40 per cent. “The MSP declared by the Modi government is even less than the inflation rate of the country. Inflation increased more and the MSP was less. “Countrymen, please think and speak about the 70 crore farmers and farm labourers of the country for two minutes on Diwali. Think about the toiling farmer-labourer, because of whom you eat even if he destroys himself. Happy Diwali everyone. Jai Jawan,” he said.

    The central government earlier this week raised the MSP of six rabi crops by up to 9 per cent, with Rs 110 per quintal increase for wheat crop to boost domestic production and farmers’ income. Wheat MSP has been raised by 5.45 per cent to Rs 2,125 per quintal from Rs 2,015 per quintal to encourage more area under the crop amid tight government stock position owing to low procurement, fall in production and higher exports.

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday accused the Modi government of cheating farmers and said the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for rabi crops announced by it is even lesser than the rate of inflation.

    Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said even as the BJP dispensation is patting its back for MSPs, it has in fact “duped the farmers” and claimed that their hard labour has got lost in the lights of Diwali.

    “The Modi government has once again cheated the farmers on the MSPs. The MSP of Annadata farmers’ hard work got lost again in the lights of Diwali. The Modi government patted its back by announcing the MSP of rabi crops, but duped the farmer and left them to shed tears of blood,” he said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

    Calling out the BJP for what it called as “fraud with farmers”, he said the bitter truth is that the Modi government only announces MSP but does not buy crops on the MSP and demanded that the MSP law granting legal status to MSP is urgently required.

    “BJP’s ‘Shakuni Chausar’ has made the farmer’s life difficult. No Cost+50 percent, no fair price nor enough buying. Neither is the law on MSP being made. Modi ji promised in 2014 that he will give cost plus 50 per cent to farmers. Cost+50 per cent is far away, the declared MSP is less than the MSP demanded by the BJP governments themselves,” he claimed, alleging betrayal with the annadata.

    ALSO READ | Modi government forms panel to make ‘more effective and transparent’ MSP

    The Rajya Sabha MP said leaders can say rhetoric, but statistics don’t lie, claiming that the Congress-UPA government increased the MSP by 205 per cent while in the last eight years of the Modi government, the increase in MSP is only 40 per cent. “The MSP declared by the Modi government is even less than the inflation rate of the country. Inflation increased more and the MSP was less. “Countrymen, please think and speak about the 70 crore farmers and farm labourers of the country for two minutes on Diwali. Think about the toiling farmer-labourer, because of whom you eat even if he destroys himself. Happy Diwali everyone. Jai Jawan,” he said.

    The central government earlier this week raised the MSP of six rabi crops by up to 9 per cent, with Rs 110 per quintal increase for wheat crop to boost domestic production and farmers’ income. Wheat MSP has been raised by 5.45 per cent to Rs 2,125 per quintal from Rs 2,015 per quintal to encourage more area under the crop amid tight government stock position owing to low procurement, fall in production and higher exports.

  • Unhelpful Modi govt has no moral authority to raise fuel prices, says NCP amid Russia-Ukraine war

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Narendra Modi government did not give relief to the people of the country when global oil prices were at its lowest, and, hence, it does not have the moral authority to hike fuel rates in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, the NCP said on Tuesday.

    NCP’s Maharashtra unit chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase alleged that with the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and four other states over, the Centre seems to be contemplating an “imminent rise” in the retail price of fuel.

    He noted that the global crude oil price has soared to $140 per barrel in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war.

    “When the international price of crude was at its lowest, the Modi government didn’t give any relief to the citizens by lowering the retail prices of petrol and diesel. Hence, the Modi government should not cry about price rise of crude oil and has no moral authority to even think of any price hike in retail petroleum prices in the days to come,” Tapase said in a statement.

    The NCP leader said people had been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown and any hike in fuel prices would severely impact them.

    “The Union government should absorb the burden and relieve the citizens from any upward revision of prices of petroleum products,” he said.

    The NCP leader also said the country was seemingly going through a phase of stagflation in which growth rate is reversing and inflation is on the rise.

  • Defeat BJP to rein in inflation: Congress

    Congress chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala slammed the Modi government for the rise of inflation and unemployment in the country.

  • Operation cover-up by Modi government in Rafale deal once again exposed: Congress

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday accused the Modi government of conducting an operation to “cover-up” corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal and asked why it did not initiate investigation into the role of a middleman despite recovering incriminating documents from him.

    Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also alleged that the BJP government has sacrificed national security, jeopardised the interests of the Indian Air Force and caused loss worth thousands of crores of rupees to the state exchequer.

    French investigative journal Mediapart in fresh revelations in a report has exposed how middleman Sushen Gupta got hold of confidential documents belonging to the Indian Negotiating Team (INT) in 2015 from the ministry of defence, he said.

    The documents detailed the stance of Indian negotiators during the final lap of negotiation and in particular how they calculated the price of the aircraft. This gave clear advantage to Dassault Aviation (Rafale), Khera claimed, citing the Mediapart report.

    ALSO READ| INC should be named ‘I need commission’: BJP’s jibe at Congress on Rafale row

    “The ‘operation cover-up’ by the Modi government to bury the melting pot of corruption, kickbacks and collusion in Rafale deal is once again exposed. The BJP government undermined national security, jeopardised the interests of the Indian Air Force and caused loss worth thousands of crores to our exchequer,” Khera said at a press confrence.

    Each revelation in the “murky affair in the last five years, every single allegation and each piece of the puzzle leads right up to the topmost leadership of the country- the prime minister’s doorstep”, he said.

    Khera alleged that the latest revelations in “operation cover-up” reveal the “dubious nexus” between the Modi government-CBI-ED to bury the corruption in the Rafale deal. The Congress leader asked whether it is not correct that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered “secret defence ministry documents” from the middlemen in a raid conducted on March 26, 2019.

    The documents, he claimed, included the ‘benchmark price document’ of August 10, 2015, the ‘record of discussions’ by the INT of the defence ministry, the ‘excel sheet of calculations made by defence ministry’ and ‘Eurofighter’s counter offer of 20 per cent discount to government of India’.

    Khera alleged that a note of June 24, 2014, sent to Dassault by Gupta, offering a meeting with “the political high command” was also recovered and asked if such a meeting had taken place with the “high command” in the Modi government. “This is nothing short of endangering national security, sedition and a gross violation of Official’s Secrets Act,” he alleged.

    “Why did the ED not pursue these evidences further to investigate the scam? Why did the Modi government then not take action against Dassault, the political executive or the defence ministry officers who leaked the documents? Which ‘Chowkidar’ sold India’s national secrets,” Khera asked.

    The Congress leader also alleged that Prime Minister Modi abrogated the anti-corruption clauses — “no bribery, no gift, no influence, no commission, no middlemen”. These are a mandatory clauses in defence contracts according to the defence procurement procedure and were part of the tender by the UPA for purchase of 126 fighter aircraft, he said.

    “Were the anti-corruption clauses deleted to escape responsibility from bribery and commission to be paid in the Rafale deal? Why was the deletion of anti-corruption clauses approved by the prime minister and the Modi government in September 2016, despite the defence ministry’s insistence upon including it in the inter-governmental agreement in July 2015,” Khera asked.

    “Is this the reason that CBI-ED refused to probe the corruption in Rafale deal since October 11, 2018, till date,” he asked.

    Khera claimed that on October 4, 2018, two former BJP Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and a senior lawyer submitted a complaint to director of the CBI citing massive corruption in the Rafale deal.

    On October 11, 2018, the government of Mauritius, through its attorney general, supplied documents to the CBI regarding alleged payment of commission connected to the Rafale deal, he said.

    But, on October 23, 2018, CBI Director Alok Verma was removed in a “midnight coup” after the CBI headquarters was raided by the Delhi Police, Khera said, alleging that this was part of a concerted conspiracy to bury the Rafale ghost through the CBI.

    “Why has the Modi government and the CBI not acted upon the evidence of commission and corruption for the last 36 months? Why has it been buried ? Why did the Modi government remove the CBI Chief in a midnight coup,” the Congress leader asked.

  • Modi govt has created records in ‘giving trouble’ to people: Priyanka Gandhi on fuel prices

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday attacked the Centre over rising prices of petrol and diesel, alleging that the Modi government has created records in “giving trouble” to people.

    Taking to Twitter, the Congress general secretary tagged a media report which said that this year petrol prices have increased by a record Rs 23.53.

    “Modi ji’s government has made big records in giving trouble to the public. Highest unemployment: in Modi government. Government properties being sold: in Modi government. Petrol rates increased the most in a year: in Modi government,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

    Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also took a dig at the government by tagging the same media report and tweeting, “Achche Din” (good days).

    Petrol and diesel prices were hiked for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday by 35 paise per litre, pushing the total increase in rates on petrol to Rs 36 per litre and on diesel to Rs 26.58 since early May 2020 when taxes on the two fuels were raised to record levels.

    Petrol in Delhi now costs Rs 107.24 a litre and diesel comes for Rs 95.97, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

  • With 2024 general elections in mind, Congress lists issues for agitation

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Consistent agitation against the BJP government, connecting with people at grassroots and tracking feedback from the ground — these will be part of the Congress’s public outreach plan with an eye on the 2024 elections.

    The committee on agitation under Digvijaya Singh with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a member at its first meeting discussed issues to create an atmosphere against the Modi government. During the meeting, Priyanka shared inputs related to Uttar Pradesh based on her visits to several areas. She was of the view that besides national issues, the party should also focus on state-specific matters concerning people. 

    There were also demands that Rahul Gandhi should take over as party chief. The committee agreed on three issues — inflation, farm laws and unemployment. A detailed plan will be rolled out after approval from acting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. Other issues like monetisation plan, Covid-19 mismanagement, crime against women and Pegasus were discussed.

    “Committee members were of the view that we should take one or two issues at a time and plan agitations, sit-ins, shutdowns and mass outreach programmes for 15-20 days for bigger impact. The plan to keep up the pressure and create an atmosphere against the high handedness of the BJP government. There was agreement that civil society groups should also be approached,” said a committee member. The agitation committee will work parallelly with the agitations planned by the Opposition parties from September 20-30 on several issues against the Centre.

    Expelled leaders criticise priyankaResponding to senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s claim that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would be the party’s face in the UP elections in 2022, expelled Congress leaders including former state minister Satyadev Tripathi said that the party’s UP in-charge had no connect with workers.