Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday asserted the importance of not just hard work, but also a well-defined and timely strategy required to strengthen the grand old party, saying there is a need to give a chance to new power and to bring forth local and new leadership.

He outlined his vision for the upcoming year, declaring 2025 as the year for organisational empowerment, with plans to fill all vacant positions within the party and fully implement the Udaipur Declaration.

Kharge stressed that the organisation must be equipped with the skills necessary for electoral success, from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to local booths.

He highlighted the need to include individuals who are ideologically committed and ready to defend the Constitution, as well as those who share the Congress Party’s vision of India. “These individuals must be integrated into the party’s activities and mainstream efforts.”

Addressing the party’s supporters at the meeting of the extended Congress Working Committee in Belagavi to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s presidency, Kharge noted the ongoing discussions from the previous Working Committee meeting on strengthening the organisation.

The Congress chief referred to the collective decision to actively combat the atmosphere of disappointment following electoral setbacks in Haryana and Maharashtra.

With determination and creativity, the Congress has managed to push the government back and rejuvenate the Opposition’s energy during the last parliamentary session.

Kharge acknowledged the power of ideas and the legacy of the Gandhi-Nehru lineage as vital to the party’s identity and future.

As the Congress reconvenes in Belgaum for the ‘Nav Satyagraha,’ Kharge expressed a resolve to challenge misleading narratives propagated by those in power, stating that “those who have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution have been the ones spreading falsehoods”.

He invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s belief that “Truth survives even when it does not have public support,” reaffirming the Congress’s commitment to truth alongside the overwhelming support of the people.

Kharge urged unity against the Opposition’s lies and called for a confident and bold approach to overcoming the challenges ahead, expressing optimism that the Congress will ultimately succeed in this endeavor.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday slammed the NDA government in Bihar after police resorted to a lathi-charge on Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants protesting in Patna over the alleged leak of a question paper of the December 13 combined preliminary exam conducted by the Commission and demanding re-examination.

“I had said in Parliament that in the same way that Eklavya’s thumb was cut off, in the same way the thumbs of the youth are cut off by leaking the papers,” Gandhi said in a post on X.

Sharing the video of the police brutality, Gandhi said, “This is extremely shameful and reprehensible. Playing with the future of students will not be tolerated. We are with them and will fight to get them justice.”

“The latest example of this is Bihar. BPSC candidates are raising their voices against the paper leak and demanding cancellation of the exam. But to hide its failure, the NDA government is instead resorting to lathi-charge on the students,” the Congress leader said.

Chaos ensued during a protest on Wednesday regarding the alleged leak of a question paper for the December 13 combined preliminary exam organized by the BPSC, leading to a baton charge by state police on job aspirants. Protesters alleged that multiple participants were injured during the police action, a claim that was refuted by a senior police officer.

The Congress party condemned the police’s treatment of the job aspirants, while Independent MP from Purnea, Rajesh Ranjan, also known as Pappu Yadav, threatened a Bihar bandh on January 1, 2025, if the December 13 exam is not canceled.

A group of demonstrators attempted to march towards the BPSC office to voice their demands, resulting in a confrontation with police after their passage was obstructed.

According to Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra, a gathering of protestors, including job aspirants, assembled near the BPSC office on Bailey Road in the afternoon, seeking to advance towards the office. Despite being stopped by police, some protesters managed to reach the BPSC office, disrupting traffic flow.

The SSP stated, “Despite repeated requests from security personnel, they refused to clear the roadway. This is a restricted area where protests are not permitted. As a result, mild force, including a baton charge, was utilized to disperse the crowd.” Following the incident, police filed a case against the protesters.

While protesters contended that many job seekers were injured during the baton charge, the SSP maintained that no injuries were reported.

“As far as we know, no protester suffered any injuries. Mild force was applied to disperse the crowd,” he affirmed.

Videos of the police’s actions, including some depicting officers pursuing and striking protesters, including women, circulated widely on social media.

In a major political tussle in the INDIA bloc, the Aam Aadmi Party today said that it would ask parties in the alliance to remove Congress from the bloc if the grand old party does not act against its Delhi leader Ajay Maken.

Ahead of the assembly elections, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh today accused the Congress of helping the BJP. Sanjay Singh said that the Congress is doing everything to ensure that the BJP benefits in the election. 

He said that Ajay Maken reads the BJP script, makes statements at the BJP’s behest, and targets AAP leaders on BJP’s instructions. He added that on Wednesday, he crossed all limits and called Arvind Kejriwal an anti-nation. The Congress or Ajay Maken have never called any BJP leader in Delhi anti-national, he continued.

This face-off follows months after the AAP and Congress contested the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi in alliance. During the Lok Sabha election, leaders of both parties had campaigned for each other’s candidates. However, the efforts came to naught because the BJP won all seven seats in the capital.

Sanjay Singh said that Arvind Kejriwal had campaigned for Congress candidates in Delhi and Chandigarh too. He further mentioned that AAP repeatedly stands with the Congress on issues in Parliament, and they are calling the AAP leader anti-national, the youth Congress is registering FIR against him.

Sanjay Singh then referred to the Haryana Assembly polls and said the AAP had tried its best to ally with Congress, but the Congress disagreed. AAP fought the election but did not utter an inappropriate word for Congress or its leaders, he said.

The Rajya Sabha MP further said that all limits have been crossed. He stated that the audacity Ajay Maken has shown, demands that the Congress acts against him within 24 hours. Otherwise AAP will approach the partners in the INDIA alliance and seek removal of Congress from the bloc. Furthermore, Chief Minister Atishi said the Congress’s actions and words make it clear that it has tied up with the BJP for the Delhi election. 

Earlier, Delhi Congress released a 12-point white paper targeting the AAP and BJP for mismanagement of pollution, civic facilities and law and order in Delhi. Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said AAP came to power riding on an anti-corruption movement but has failed to set up a Janlokpal in Delhi. The Congress leader said that if there is one word to describe former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal here then it would be Farziwal. He further continued that if anyone is the king of fraud in the entire country then it is Kejriwal and that is why they have come here with a white paper on the Kejriwal government and also on the BJP government at the Centre.