congress

Sonia Gandhi: Congress will pay for rail tickets of migrants

Emphasising on the plight of migrants and the money being charged from them for ferrying them back to their home, Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday said that the party will bear the cost of their rail tickets.

In a statement, Sonia Gandhi said, our workers and labourers form the "backbone" of our economy and their hard work and sacrifice are the foundation of our nation.

She said that as the Central government barely gave a four-hour notice of the lockdown, workers and migrant labourers were denied the opportunity to return to their homes. Post the partition of 1947, this is the first time India witnessed a tragedy with such a massive human cost as thousands of migrant workers and labourers were forced to walk home several hundred kilometres on foot - without food, without medicines, without money, without transportation, without anything except for the desire to return to their families and loved ones.

"The very thought of their plight is enough to break our hearts as there was also the outpouring of support from fellow Indians for their inspiring resolve," she said.

The Congress leader lamenting at the government said, "What is the responsibility of our government? Even today, lakhs of workers and migrant labourers are languishing in different parts of the country and wish to return to their homes and families but there is neither adequate money nor provision for free transport."

"What is particularly disturbing is that the Central government and the rail ministry are charging them for train tickets in this hour of crisis," she said.

Sonia Gandhi said, "The Congress has, therefore, taken a decision that every Pradesh Congress Committee (state unit) shall bear the cost for the rail travel of every needy worker and migrant labourer and shall take necessary steps in this regard."

"This will be the Congress' humble contribution in service of our compatriots and to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with them," she said.

Her remarks came amid the reports that the migrants were being charged for their travel by trains to their respective states.

The railways has earlier said that it was charging the state governments for the Shramik special train tickets.

The railways also clarified that the Shramik Special trains are meant for "nominated people" identified and registered by state governments and the railways will not issue any tickets to any individual or entertain any request from any groups.

The railways has started to run the Shramik Special trains for transporting the labourers from May 1, almost 40 days after the passenger, mail and Express trains services were suspended.

Till now the national transporter has run over a dozen of Shramik Special trains on the request of the state governments to ferry the migrant labourers.

Emphasising on the role of labourers in country's growth she said that they are the ambassadors of our nation's growth.

Attacking the government, she further said that when our government can recognise its responsibility by arranging free air travel for our citizens stranded abroad, when the government can spend nearly Rs 100 crore on transport and food, etc. for just one public programme in Gujarat, when the Rail Ministry has the largesse to donate Rs 151 crore to the PM's corona fund, then why can't these essential members of our nation's fabric be given a fraction of the same courtesy, especially free rail travel, at this hour of acute distress?

She said that Congress has been raising the issue of transporting the migrants from the outset of the lockdown.

"There needs to be provisions for the safe and free rail travel of migrant workers and labourers to their home-towns. However, despite our repeated demands, the Central government and the Rail Ministry have chosen to completely ignore the same," she said.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever




congress

Tax-News.com: Trump Discusses Payroll Tax Cut With Congress

On March 9, 2020, United States President Donald Trump revealed that the Administration would begin discussions with Congress on potential tax measures to ease the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, including a payroll tax cut.




congress

The Congress

The Congress




congress

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi distributes one lakh face masks in UP

According to the reports, Priyanka Gandhi has sent over one lakh face masks to Lucknow on Friday.




congress

OECD special session at IFA Congress 2019

As part of a new project on tax morale, the OECD has recently reanalysed the results of a survey of business perceptions on tax certainty, to identify the constraints and concerns they face in paying in taxes around the world. This new report, to be launched at this session, has identified some of the factors that may impact tax morale and attitudes towards compliance among businesses, and how they differ in different regions.




congress

Bolsonaro defies coronavirus to rally against Congress

Brazilian president criticised for rubbing elbows with crowds while awaiting second virus test results




congress

Can Congress save US small businesses? FT reporters answer your questions

Laura Noonan and Lauren Fedor respond to your queries on the state of SBA rescue funds




congress

Coronavirus: Congress passes $484bn interim stimulus package — as it happened

US job gains since financial crisis wiped out. Switzerland faces sharpest economic contraction since 1974. UK and eurozone business activity hit by historic collapse this month as lockdowns choked Europe’s biggest economies.

Read more




congress

Rand Paul will offer Syria amendment using Obama¿s own words, saying it would be unconstitutional to launch strikes without congressional backing

Obama said during his first presidential campaign that presidents can't order military strikes unless the U.S. is directly threatened, or Congress declares war.




congress

Angelina Jolie has urged Congress to help families struggling for food during COVID-19

The Maleficent star has called for senior politicians to increase food stamp benefits for families across the United States in a bid to help them amidst the current coronavirus pandemic.




congress

Trump backs ex-White House doctor for Congress

While Democrats are making most of the waves, there's one candidate on the ballot on 'Super Tuesday' that President Trump has gotten behind.




congress

Read Michael Cohen's bombshell opening statement to Congress

Donald Trump's former fixer details in a 20-page statement his regret at working for the now president - and provides a jaw-dropping account of lies, cheating, racism and possible criminality.




congress

Trump THANKS AOC for boosting approval rating in hat-tip to 'vicious young Socialist congresswomen' 

Donald Trump attributed his Wednesday approval rating boost to the recent controversy with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the rest of the freshmen 'squad' of congresswomen.




congress

Trump says he did not share operation to raid ISIS with Congress

Donald Trump said Sunday morning he didn't inform Nancy Pelosi in advance of the U.S. operation to raid ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's lair in Syria.




congress

Erdogan lashes out at Congress for recognizing Armenian genocide

Turkey's leader became a problematic guest - denying Armenian Genocide occurred, demanding the U.S. hand over an Islamic cleric, and complaining America's Kurdish allies are terrorists




congress

Ilhan Omar's ex-husband marries pediatric nurse just 37 days after congresswoman divorced him

DailyMail.com has acquired exclusive video of Ilhan Omar's ex Ahmed Hirsi's marriage ceremony that took place in an apartment in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on December 12.




congress

John Conyers Jr. who cofounded Congressional Black Caucus dies aged 90

John Conyers Jr. co-founded the Black Congressional Caucus in 1971 and fought for the creation of the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday. He resigned amid sexual allegation charges.




congress

Congress is determined to get access to Donald Trump's calls with Putin

'I think the paramount need here is to protect the national security of the United States,' Democrat Adam Schiff said on NBC's Meet the Press.




congress

Donald Trump is 'unsavory but not impeachable' says freshman Democrat congressman

Congressman Jefferson Van Drew of New Jersey doesn't support impeachment and says only a 'small elite group' of lawmakers want to remove Trump, which would be 'un-American'.




congress

White House hold on aid to Ukraine broke the law because Donald Trump cannot override Congress

The Government Accountability Office has concluded that the White House Office of Management and Budget violated a the law by withholding millions in aid to Ukraine.




congress

Why Congress' own economists predict 15 million unemployed in 2021

President Donald Trump has said the economy will take off like a rocket when the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing ends.The Congressional Budget Office predicts the unemployment rate will still be at 9% at the end of 2021.Historically, high unemployment rates during recessions and pandemics have taken a long time to come back down to full employment levels.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.Following is a transcript of the video.Narrator: If you watch President Trump's daily briefings, you might think everything will immediately go back to normal when social distancing is no longer necessary.President Trump: And you will see our economy skyrocket.Narrator: But Congress' own budget office thinks things will be pretty bleak for much longer. At the beginning of April, the




congress

White House formally notifies Congress of airstrike that killed Iranian general

The notification is classified and likely describes Trump's justification for the attack that killed the high-level Iranian official, who was considered second in power to the Ayatollah.




congress

Democrats criticize Trump tweet on notifying Congress about Iran military action

Democrats slammed Donald Trump saying he is not a 'dictator' after he warned his tweet should serve as notification to Congress that the U.S. will 'strike back' if Iran launches a revenge attack.




congress

Russia is interfering in 2020 election to help Donald Trump, intelligence officials tell Congress

The official was part of a briefing to the House Intelligence Committee, which is chaired by Democratic Trump enemy Adam Schiff, and told lawmakers about Russia's repeat offending.




congress

Who are Diamond and Silk and why is Mark Zuckerberg being questioned about them in Congress?

Diamond and Silk are in the spotlight again as Mark Zuckerberg's congressional hearing comes to a close. The pair rose to fame as right-wing YouTubers who support Donald Trump.




congress

Far-right provocateur who was banned from Twitter will run for Congress in Mar-a-Lago district

Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and conspiracy theorist, announced she is launching a congressional bid to become a U.S. representative in the district just north of Miami, Florida.




congress

Socialist running for Congress says God should give Barack Obama 'the most malignant cancer'

A Democratic socialist candidate running for Congress in Texas wished a deadly cancer upon Barack Obama, and claimed the former president 'gives zero f***s about y'all.'




congress

GOP congressman Sean Duffy jokes with his wife about house rules for their 8 kids

Rep. Sean Duffy and his wife Rachel Campos-Duffy proudly pointed to their reality show past as they helped support another reality personality tonight at the Republican National Convention.




congress

GOP congressman Steve King accused of ‘in-your-face racism’ during MSNBC interview

Long-standing Iowa Representative Steve King has caused a storm by claiming that non-whites had contributed nothing towards civilization. Steve King was mocked on social media.




congress

Republican congressman praises far-right Dutch politician

Iowa representative Steve King (pictured), shared the message Saturday, commending Dutch nationalist party leader Geert Wilder for his understanding of 'culture and demographics'.




congress

Marco Rubio blasts Obama for not telling Congress of Bowe Bergdahl terror trade

Obama didn't notify members of Congress about the trade until it was happening, but the deal, involving the U.S., Qatar and the Taliban, likely took weeks to engineer.




congress

Donald Trump slams Pelosi for rejecting White House offer to provide Congress with rapid testing

Trump launched into a Twitter rant against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Saturday evening after she and Senate Leader Mitch McConnell turned down his offer of five-minute COVID-19 tests.




congress

Tulsi Gabbard announces she WON'T seek re-election for Congress in 2020

The Democratic hopeful - who is currently polling at around 1% - revealed the news on Thursday night, shortly before an appearance on Sean Hannity's Fox News program.




congress

Trump heads to Jersey shore to speak to supporters in district whose congressman flipped

Donald Trump let loose on his Democratic opponents in his first campaign rally since his impeachment trial began, telling his supporters to 'get rid of the clowns.'




congress

Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw blasts Hillary Clinton criticism of Trump amid the coronavirus crisis

Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw called out Hillary Clinton on Fox and Friends on Sunday for mocking Trump's 'America first' policy amid the coronavirus pandemic.




congress

Congresswoman Joyce Beatty wears the same dress as Melania Trump at DNC

The U.S. Representative from Ohio walked out on stage in Philadelphia wearing a white gown virtually matching the dress worn by Trump's wife Melania during her speech last week.




congress

Arizona Republican congressional candidate suspends campaign after overdose

Safford City Councilman Chris Taylor, a married father-of-two, was found unresponsive at his home last week and had to be revived with Narcan, prompting him to pull out of the congressional race.




congress

Dow has best day since 1933 as Congress nears deal on aid

The Dow soared more than 2,000 points on Tuesday in its strongest one-day performance since 1933 as US lawmakers neared a $2 trillion coronavirus aid deal.




congress

Donald Trump threatens ANOTHER constitutional crisis claiming he might force Congress to adjourn

President Donald Trump leveled a new threat at Congress Wednesday, threatening to try to force Congress into adjournment in order to install additional nominees.




congress

Donald Trump's threat to adjourn Congress and prompt a constitutional crisis collapses

Donald Trump's threat to deploy a never-used power to force Congress to adjourn immediately stalled after comments by Mitch McConnell's office and scholars who say it can't happen.




congress

Coronavirus US: Congress PASSES $483 billion new bailout

The House approved a $484 billion economic measure designed to give additional relief to small businesses feeling the squeeze from the coronavirus.




congress

Prime Minister Modi says Congress is 'polarising voters'

The Prime Minister has been performing a 'campaign blitzkrieg' as Gujurat polls loom.




congress

Rahul Gandhi set to lead Congress without deputy

Congress president-in-waiting Rahul Gandhi is set to take over the reins of the party next week and is expected to usher in a new era as the chief without a whip, highly placed sources said.




congress

All nominations propose Rahul Gandhi as Congress leader

All 89 nominations filed on Monday proposed party vice-president Rahul Gandhi as leader, setting in motion celebrations and preparations for the imminent change of guard on Tuesday.




congress

Congress' Mani Shankar Aiyar suspended for Modi remark

Congress suspended Aiyar from the primary membership of the party and issued a show-cause notice to him after he called Modi 'a neech aadmi'.




congress

Satish Acharya on... Modi and Congress

Satish Acharya on... Modi and Congress.




congress

Rahul Gandhi is appointed Congress leader

The announcement was made by the party central election authority (CEA) head Mullappally Ramachandran on Monday afternoon against a backdrop of fireworks and cheering outside.




congress

Satish Acharya on... the new Congress president

Satish Acharya on... passing the baton to the new Congress president




congress

Rahul Gandhi takes charge of top party job at Congress

'Generational shift' has been the buzzword in the party headquarters over the past few months as the entire party rank and file looks at Rahul to pull it out of a long-standing inertia.




congress

BJP may have won Gujarat, but Congress is not a loser

Rahul Gandhi and the Congress should take heart in the fight back against odds and prepare for 2019, writes V Narasimhan.