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Congress suspends Mani Shankar Aiyar over his ‘neech aadmi’ jibe at Modi

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8 years ago

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Congress suspends Mani Shankar Aiyar over his ‘neech aadmi’ jibe at Modi

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Congress leaders believe Aiyar’s comment has given the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi the much needed edge in Gujarat assembly polls

Struggling to undo the definite political damage that his ‘neech aadmi’ jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to cause the Congress party’s bid to a lead over the BJP in the upcoming Gujarat assembly polls, the Congress has suspended Mani Shankar Aiyar from the party’s primary membership.

The Congress party’s decision against its veteran leader and Nehru-Gandhi loyalist came late on Thursday night after desperate attempts by party vice president Rahul Gandhi and other leaders to distance themselves from Aiyar failed to check the BJP from launching an offensive. Aiyar’s convoluted apology over the remark which came only after a curt tweet by Rahul Gandhi asked him to do so had no effect on the BJP which zealously attacked the Congress for a remark which it claimed was “filthy, classist and derogatory”.

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Aiyar’s comment comes as just the kind of ammunition that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP would have hoped to attack the Congress with at a time when the Grand Old Party seemed to be making definite strides towards regaining political ground in Gujarat, a state where the saffron party has ruled for nearly 22 consecutive years.

The Congress, according to some opinion polls, was steadily reviving its electoral fortunes in the state and was pegged to give the BJP a tough fight in the battle for Gujarat. However, Aiyar’s statement comes as the third major gaffe by Congress leaders with regard to the Gujarat.

First, the Twitter handle of Yuva Desh, a magazine published by the youth wing of the Congress party had put out a meme mocking Narendra Modi for his ‘chaiwala’ past. The BJP has pounced on the opportunity and claimed that it reflected the Congress’ disgust for the poor. The Congress promptly withdrew the meme and issued an apology.

Then, just as the storm over the tweet seemed to be over, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal appeared in the Supreme Court on behalf of a petitioner in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi title suit and demanded that the top court postpone its hearing of the controversial case till July 2019 – something that the Supreme Court stridently denied even as it adjourned the matter till February 8. Modi immediately lapped up Sibal’s comments and told the Gujarat electorate that the Congress leader was acting on behalf of his party and its vice president Rahul Gandhi to delay a settlement on the Ram Mandir issue, while claiming that the Sunni Waqf Board that Sibal was appearing on behalf of had claimed that it did not ask the lawyer to demand postponement of the hearing. Modi even congratulated the Sunni Waqf Board for its stand on Sibal.

As Sibal was busy clarifying that he had not appeared on behalf of the Sunni Waqf Board but for a private petitioner in the case and that he was not acting on behalf of the Congress party but as a professional lawyer, Aiyar launched his ‘neech aadmi’ broadside at Modi.

Expectedly, all hell broke loose over Aiyar’s statement. It made matters worse that Aiyar is the same Congress leader who had in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign derided Modi for his ‘chaiwala’ past – his comments were seen among the key reasons that propelled the Congress to its historic defeat in the general elections.

Unfortunately for the Congress, Aiyar’s comments have come at a time when his party will have little opportunity of changing the narrative that Modi and the BJP have now taken the Gujarat election campaign to – that of the Congress being classist and anti-poor. Aiyar made the obnoxious statement on the last day of campaigning for the first phase of the Gujarat polls. This means that it could have significant adverse impact not only in the voting pattern for the first phase of the state election, due on Saturday, but also become the dominant campaign issue for the BJP and Modi in the run up to the second phase polling that is scheduled for December 14.

Rahul Gandhi, who is leading his party’s campaign against the BJP in Gujarat, is desperately trying to carry on with the narrative he had sought to build for his party’s campaign against the BJP in the state. He is posing hard questions at the state of Gujarat’s poor, unemployment in the state, farmers’ concerns, autocratic rule of Modi and Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and a host of other issues. But given Modi’s expertise in giving even the most obtuse comments of the Congress – irrespective of apologies over them being issued by the Grand Old Party – a spin, often a communally divisive one which benefits the BJP, it seems that the Congress has handed over victory to the BJP once again in the state.

The situation, as Congress leaders admit unofficially, is akin to the row kicked up by Modi when Congress president Sonia Gandhi had called him a ‘maut ka saudagar’ in the Gujarat election campaign a decade ago while attacking the then Gujarat chief minister for his alleged role in the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

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Congress Dismisses Karnataka Leadership Transition Rumors After Six-Hour Delhi Meet

The Congress party has rejected ongoing rumors regarding a leadership change or a rotating Chief Minister formula in Karnataka, stating that a recent six-hour meeting in Delhi focused strictly on the upcoming Rajya Sabha and MLC elections.

Published

14 hours ago

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May 26, 2026

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The Congress party has strongly downplayed the intense political buzz surrounding a potential leadership transition or a change in the Chief Minister’s post in Karnataka. Following a marathon six-hour meeting with the state’s top leadership in New Delhi, the party explicitly rejected the ongoing speculation, labeling it as having “no reality.”

A brief statement issued to the media after the high-level meeting advised against spreading rumors, clarifying that the discussions were entirely centered on upcoming electoral strategies rather than structural changes within the state government. The party stated that the deliberations solely revolved around the state’s three vacant Rajya Sabha seats and the upcoming Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections.

Rajya Sabha and MLC Polls Take Center Stage

The high-stakes meeting was attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and party General Secretary KC Venugopal, alongside Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Briefing the media post-meeting, KC Venugopal stated that conversations were strictly confined to the Rajya Sabha and MLC elections, emphasizing that there is no truth to any other political speculation. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also confirmed that the agenda of a potential cabinet expansion or a leadership shift did not come up during the six-hour-long discussion.

Background of the Power Struggle

The question of leadership in Karnataka has remained a recurring theme for over a year. Supporters of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have consistently maintained that the central leadership promised a rotating Chief Ministership arrangement when the government was formed after the 2023 assembly elections.

Speculation had intensified recently as the ruling government faced local anti-incumbency pressures alongside renewed political activity from the opposition bench. Some internal reports had even indicated a push from within certain sections of the high command, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, for a leadership revamp.

Balancing Caste Equations and Party Structure

The central leadership has navigated the situation cautiously to maintain political stability. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, 80, commands a powerful “Ahinda” support base—a coalition comprising minority communities, backward classes, and Dalits. This social alliance was crucial in helping the party navigate the traditional Vokkaliga and Lingayat caste dynamics during the 2023 elections.

Although the rotation issue had previously gained significant momentum when the government completed two years in office, the party high command had chosen to maintain the status quo to avoid any adverse electoral impact in neighboring assembly elections, such as in Tamil Nadu. With those elections concluded, supporters of the 64-year-old Deputy Chief Minister had expressed optimism for a transition. Shivakumar currently holds the dual responsibility of being the Deputy Chief Minister as well as the state Congress chief, signaling his critical organizational value to the party. However, for the time being, the party high command has firmly signaled that the current leadership structure will remain unchanged.

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Congress high command steps in to resolve Karnataka leadership impasse with crucial Delhi meeting

The Congress leadership, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, is holding a vital meeting in Delhi with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to find a definitive solution to the state’s prolonged leadership impasse.

Published

1 day ago

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May 26, 2026

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The top leadership of the Congress party is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting at its headquarters in the national capital today morning to address the long-standing leadership dispute in Karnataka. Senior leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Rahul Gandhi, will lead the discussions aimed at resolving the continuous friction between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

The ongoing power struggle over the state’s top position has persisted since the party’s electoral victory in 2023. For the current session, only Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been called to join the discussions in Delhi. When questioned about the agenda by reporters, the Chief Minister stated that he was unaware of the specific subjects to be discussed, noting that political speculation is inevitable.

Background of the internal division

The internal friction intensified significantly in November 2025 when the state government completed its two-and-a-half-year mark in office. Supporters of the Deputy Chief Minister pointed to a purported unacknowledged internal arrangement suggesting a rotational chief ministership split equally across the five-year term. Despite multiple prior interventions by central party leadership to manage the internal friction, a permanent resolution has remained elusive.

While Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has not been invited to this morning’s initial session, indications suggest that separate individual discussions and a potential joint meeting involving both leaders are planned as part of the broader resolution process. Observers note that several state ministers and legislators have also traveled to the national capital as the party leadership aims to settle the administrative roadmap and finalise leadership plans before the next assembly elections.

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No uniform civil code provisions will be imposed on tribals, clarifies Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured tribal communities that the proposed Uniform Civil Code will not interfere with their customs, urging them not to be misled by misinformation.

Published

2 days ago

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May 25, 2026

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday declared that the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will not impact tribal populations in any manner. He called upon the community to stay vigilant against “conspiracies” and misinformation circulating on the subject.

Addressing the Janjati Sanskritik Samagam—a tribal conclave organized by the Janjati Suraksha Manch at the Red Fort grounds to mark the 150th birth anniversary year of Birsa Munda—Shah stated that specific provisions have been implemented in states ruled by the ruling party to exclude tribal communities from the scope of the code.

Clarification on customs and traditions

The Home Minister highlighted that a deliberate narrative has emerged suggesting the proposed legislation would strip tribal societies of their distinct culture, traditions, and customary lifestyles.

He explicitly clarified that the central government has no intention of forcing UCC regulations upon tribal or Vanvasi communities. Shah pointed out that where regional administrations have initiated the code, care has been taken by the leadership to ensure that indigenous populations remain fully outside its jurisdiction. He requested attendees to disseminate this assurance deeply into forest zones and rural villages to erase lingering apprehensions.

Focus on security and community development

Beyond the legislative framework, Shah detailed the progress made toward curbing internal security threats, stating that the nation is steadily advancing toward eradicating Naxalism entirely. He noted that violent disruptions had severely restricted progress in these belts for decades, leading to the loss of thousands of tribal lives. According to the minister, regional stability will now pave the way for accelerated development across remote hills and forests.

The address also covered constitutional rights regarding personal faith. Shah mentioned that the original framework of the Constitution grants every citizen the dignity to practice their traditional beliefs without facing coercion, temptation, or material inducement for religious conversion.

Reflecting on financial allocations, the minister criticized earlier political administrations for keeping tribal welfare funding low. He underscored that the current administration under Prime Minister Narendra Modi significantly elevated the dedicated tribal budget from a previous Rs 28,000 crore to Rs 1.54 lakh crore. Terming the vast gathering a historical movement for cultural preservation, Shah described the societal awakening as a major step toward safeguarding tribal heritage for future generations.

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