The Congress party has demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation in light of the escalating violence in Manipur and has also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the state before the Winter Session of Parliament begins. According to Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, the double engine government in Manipur has completely failed and PM Modi should first hold a meeting with an all-party delegation from Manipur before calling an all-party meeting at the national level. The Congress also accused PM Modi of outsourcing Manipur to the Home Minister and highlighted the PM's lack of meetings and communication with the state's leadership. Additionally, both the BJP and Congress have requested a 7-day extension from the Election Commission to address poll code violations.
Congress has accused SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Buch of receiving rental income from a company that is under investigation by the capital markets regulator for insider trading. Senior Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera raised concerns about the lack of transparency and integrity in the regulatory body, especially given the large number of Indian investors with investments in the market. This is a clear violation of SEBI's code on conflict of interest for board members.
On the 80th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress party pays tribute to his legacy and achievements in India's political and technological landscape. Leaders of the party, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, honored Rajiv Gandhi's contributions to the country, including his role in the telecom and IT revolution, peace accords, and initiatives for women empowerment, among others. Jairam Ramesh also highlighted Rajiv Gandhi's vision for societal applications of science and technology and his role in establishing institutions that continue to make India proud.
The political landscape in India was shaken as US short seller Hindenburg Research made allegations that the chairperson of India's stock market regulator Sebi had a stake in offshore entities involved in the Adani money siphoning scandal. Congress party leaders demanded the government take action to eliminate conflicts of interest in the regulator's investigation of the Adani Group. This comes after the Expert Committee appointed by the Supreme Court noted Sebi's reluctance to investigate the scam and highlighted the regulator's dilution of reporting requirements in 2018, leading to ineffective investigations. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh questioned who will guard the guards and Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi called out the sudden adjournment of Parliament sessions.
The Congress party has taken a dig at SEBI's "strange reluctance" to investigate the Adani MegaScam by using the Latin phrase "Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes," that translates to "Who will guard the guards themselves?" This comes after US-based firm Hindenburg Research alleged that SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Buch and her husband were involved in the Adani money siphoning scandal. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh shared the party's statement on the matter on social media platform X.
The Congress party has distanced itself from comments made by its own MP, Charanjit Singh Channi, who compared the imprisonment of Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh to a state of emergency. Jairam Ramesh, the party's general secretary, emphasized that Channi's views are personal and do not represent the party's position. Channi had earlier asserted that Amritpal's incarceration mirrors an emergency-like scenario and called for his participation in parliamentary proceedings. Amritpal Singh had won the Khadoor Sahib seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate, defeating a Congress candidate with a significant margin.
Amit Malviya, the head of BJP IT Cell, has responded to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's criticisms of the recent Union budget. He questioned why the party hasn't implemented their "revolutionary" schemes in Karnataka and mentioned that the Maharashtra government had first experimented with the internship scheme. Malviya also accused the Congress of all talk and no work, while defending the BJP's track record. Many opposition leaders, including Ramesh, have labeled the budget as driven by political compulsions and survival of the current government.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh criticizes PM Narendra Modi for declaring June 25th as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' while also accusing him of imposing an undeclared Emergency for 10 years. Ramesh labels June 4th as 'ModiMuktiDiwas' and condemns the PM for assaulting the Constitution of India and its principles.
As the Parliament continues to debate the Emergency, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju engaged in a Twitter debate, with Ramesh defending his party's actions and Rijiju urging them to accept the truth. Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu emphasized the government's commitment to upholding the Constitution, while also addressing issues such as paper leaks and the North East region in her first address to Parliament. Amidst ongoing protests and controversies, the government has laid down its priorities for its third term.
In a major development, the Delhi High Court has directed Congress leaders Ragini Nayak, Pawan Khera, and Jairam Ramesh to remove their social media posts and videos alleging journalist Rajat Sharma's misconduct. The Court found that these posts over-exaggerated the incident and there was a false depiction of facts. This ruling comes as a relief for Sharma, who had sued the Congress leaders for defamation and sought a whopping ₹100 crore in damages.