Congress MP Jairam Ramesh during the Monsoon session of the Parliament
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Congress on July 30 claimed that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had “pulled a fast one” on NDA allies in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh given that most announcements in the Budget will not see the light of day for a few years.

The move, said Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, was “a post-dated cheque on a crashing bank”. In a post on X, he also shared a media report claiming that financial packages for Andhra Pradeshand Bihar will likely cost the Centre ₹20,000-30,000 crore.

“The non-biological PM’s Kursi Bachao Budget makes critical promises to two states, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. Specific projects in Bihar have been allocated ₹58,900 crores, and in Andhra, Phase I of Polavaram Project alone will cost the Union Government (which is committed to bearing the entire expense of the Irrigation project) ₹14,000 crore,” he said.

“Several other projects have been announced without clear allocations, but the total funding commitments made by the Budget to the two states run into lakhs of crores on paper,” he said.

Despite these big commitments, Ramesh said a newspaper reported on July 29 that the financial package for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar may cost the exchequer only about ₹20,000-30,000 crore this year.

“The Budget’s expenditure numbers confirm the same. The ‘Special Assistance under the demand – Transfers to States’ is ₹20,000 crore. Even if the whole corpus is allocated only to these two states, that leaves a funding gap of tens of thousands of crores,” he said.

“The Finance Minister has pulled a fast one on NDA allies in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. Most of these grand announcements in the Budget will not see the light of day for a few years, at best. And when the time comes to redeem the funds for these promised projects, this unstable Government will no longer be in power,” Mr. Ramesh claimed.

“As Mahatma Gandhi said of the Cripps Mission in 1942, this is ‘a post-dated cheque on a crashing bank’,” Mr. Ramesh said.

Congress’s Jairam Ramesh today said in the all-party meeting ahead of parliament’s budget session, demands for special category status for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh were raised.

While members of BJP ally JD(U) raised the demand for  Bihar, the call for special status of Andhra Pradesh was raised by Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSR Congress. The BJP ally Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party, he added, had remained silent.

“In today’s all-party meeting of floor leaders chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the JD(U) leader demanded special category status of Bihar. The YSRCP leader demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Strangely, the TDP leader kept quiet on the matter,” read his post on X, formerly Twitter.

In today’s all-party meeting of floor leaders chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the JD(U) leader demanded special category status of Bihar. The YSRCP leader demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Strangely, the TDP leader kept quiet on the matter.

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 21, 2024

“How the political climate has changed! In the all-party meeting of floor leaders the BJD leader reminded the Defence Minister and BJP President JP Nadda that the BJP’s manifesto for the 2014 assembly elections in Odisha had promised special category status to the state,” read another post.

How the political climate has changed! In the all-party meeting of floor leaders the BJD leader reminded the Defence Minister and BJP President JP Nadda that the BJP’s manifesto for the 2014 assembly elections in Odisha had promised special category status to the state.

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 21, 2024

Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal, which earlier supported the government in Rajya Sabha over multiple issues, has now pitted itself firmly against the BJP.

The change of stance came after it was routed by the BJP in the recent assembly election in the state and lost power after 24 years.

The budget session of parliament begins on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s presentation of the Union budget.

At the all-party meet, the government urged the Opposition to cooperate and ensure smooth conduct of proceedings, underscoring that disruptions in both Houses during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in the previous session did not measure up to parliamentary traditions.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Continuing its attack on the economic policies of the Narendra Modi government ahead of the first budget of the NDA government on July 23, the Congress on Wednesday said that “India has been locked into a cycle of low investment since 2014” due to a combination of “erratic policy, rampant cronyism, and the ED/IT/CBI raid raj”. The party said the country needs a new liberalised approach to political economy.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the single most important statistic that explains India’s inability to grow faster since 2014 is the “sluggish investment rate”.

“India has been locked into a cycle of low investment since 2014, due to a combination of erratic policy, rampant cronyism, and the ED/IT/CBI raid raj,” Mr. Ramesh said in a statement.

Low investment drags down the medium and long-term GDP growth rates, which in turn brings down wages and consumption growth, he said.

The biggest component of investment, Mr. Ramesh said, the private domestic investment, has been in doldrums since 2014. In comparison to the UPA years, when the investment was in the 25-30% range of the GDP, it has been reduced to 20-25% of the GDP range, he said.

“This is, however, only part of the story. Since at least 2016, multinational companies across the world have been looking to divest from China and invest in other developing countries. India, with a large and growing labour pool, was at the right place at the right time – but this generational opportunity to garner FDI and become a manufacturing and export-oriented economy has been squandered,” Mr. Ramesh said.

Instead of India, Bangladesh and Vietnam have capitalised and have walked away with the benefits, he said. “Sops like corporate tax cuts and PLIs can’t compensate for a freer society, polity, and economy – one that is free from demonetization-like masterstrokes, cronyism, and Raid Raj,” Mr. Ramesh said. Marginal policy tinkering will not work, he said.

Jairam Ramesh. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Congress on July 14 accused the Modi government of showing “insensitivity and hostility” towards Maharashtra, alleging that the past ten years have seen the State “consistently squeezed out of multiple key projects and investments”.

The Opposition party’s attack came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted at an event in Mumbai on July 13 that his aim is to make Maharashtra the world’s big financial powerhouse and to make Mumbai a global fintech capital.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, said, “Last evening in Mumbai, the self-anointed non-biological Prime Minister claimed that his ‘aim is to make Maharashtra the world’s big financial powerhouse and to make Mumbai a global fintech capital’. This is his trademark lie. Despite Mumbai having been the financial capital of India for 200 years, Mr. Modi has repeatedly refused to set up an IFSC in Mumbai. An International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) has been set up only in GIFT City in Gujarat. Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2006 had begun the effort to set it up in Mumbai,” Mr. Ramesh said.

“Land in the Bandra Kurla Complex had also been set aside for the IFSC but it was reallocated to the bullet train, costing Mumbai potentially two lakh jobs,” he claimed.

“In fact, the past ten years have seen Maharashtra consistently squeezed out of multiple key projects and investments — the attempted shift of the diamond industry to Surat, the shifting of industrial projects such as the Tata-Airbus manufacturing plant and the (now-failed) Vedanta-Foxconn chip factory, and the transfer of Central Government institutions such as the Textile Commissionerate Office and the Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education and Development,” Mr. Ramesh said.

“All this appears to be part of a larger insensitivity and hostility towards Maharashtra, as further evidenced by Mr. Modi’s continued refusal for the last ten years to declare Marathi a classical Indian language,” the Congress leader said.

His remarks came a day after PM Modi, during the event to launch projects costing ₹29,000 crore in road, railway, and port sectors, said, “Our aim is to improve everyone’s standard of living and make quality of life the best. This is why efforts are being made to better the connectivity of areas close to Mumbai.”

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Congress on July 12 said the forthcoming Budget must address fundamental questions such as why private investment is “very sluggish” and private consumption is not picking up as the party dismissed claims that economic growth is accelerating sharply and large numbers of jobs being created.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Budget for 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha on July 23.

Congress general secretary, in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh said, “The non-biological PM’s cheerleaders and drumbeaters claim that economic growth is accelerating sharply and that jobs are being created in large numbers. But if this was the case — and it is not — Why is private investment, a key engine of economic growth, still so very sluggish recording a 20-year low during April-June 2024? Why is private consumption, another key engine of economic growth, not picking up except at the high end,” Mr. Ramesh asked.

“Why have household savings plummeted to record lows and household debt shot up to record highs? Why have rural wages continued to fall and why is the wage share of national income declining?” he said, adding, why is manufacturing as a share of GDP at a record low and still decreasing? Why has the informal sector lost 17 lakh jobs in the last seven years? Why did unemployment reach a 45-year peak, with unemployment for young graduates at 42%?” the Congress general secretary said.

“These are fundamental questions that the forthcoming Budget will have to address while the Finance Minister sings praises of the non-biological PM,” Mr. Ramesh said.

On Thursday, the BJP claimed that around 12.5 crore jobs were created in the last 10 years of the Modi government and cited the latest Reserve Bank of India report to assert the creation of “five crore jobs in 2023-24 alone”.

Several experts have urged the government to provide tax relief to the common man to boost consumption and take steps to check inflation and accelerate economic growth.

The economy has recorded a growth rate of 8.2% in 2023-24. Earlier in February, Ms. Sitharaman presented an Interim Budget for 2024-25 in view of the Lok Sabha elections.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh listed some of the features of the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill such as establishing the gig workers’ social security and welfare fund and gig workers welfare board to advocate for gig workers. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Citing legislations by its State Governments to ensure justice for gig workers, the Congress on July 11 said India needs a national legal and social security architecture for such workers and hoped that the forthcoming Union Budget will take a step in that direction.

Congress general secretary, in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh said the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024, is a landmark rights-based legislation that brings formal rights and social security to platform-based gig workers in the State.

Editorial | ​Even the odd jobs: On the Karnataka gig workers bill

The Karnataka Government last month released a draft of the proposed Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024, which aimed to protect their rights in the State with the creation of a board, welfare fund and grievance cell among other mechanisms.

Mr. Ramesh listed some of the features of the Bill such as establishing the gig workers’ social security and welfare fund and gig workers welfare board to advocate for gig workers.

The Bill also calls for mandatory registration of all gig workers with the government and States that aggregators can no longer terminate a worker without giving 14 days prior notice and a valid reason.

According to the Bill, aggregators must make payments to gig workers every week.

“Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has been a leading voice for India’s gig workers since the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” Mr. Ramesh said in his post on X.

He said the Congress Governments in Telangana and Karnataka, and the previous Congress Government in Rajasthan, have brought powerful legislation to bring gig workers justice.

Social security for gig workers was also a key guarantee given by the Indian National Congress’s Nyay Patra for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he pointed out.

“As much as State Governments can do, India needs a national legal and social security architecture for gig workers. Their numbers are only projected to rise, from 77 lakh in 2022 to about 2.4 crore in 2030. The ball is in the court of the Union Government. Hopefully the forthcoming Budget will take a step in this direction,” Mr. Ramesh said.

According to Karnataka’s Labour department, the objectives of the proposed Bill are “to protect the rights of platform-based gig workers, to place obligations on aggregators in relation to social security, occupational health and safety, transparency in automated monitoring and decision-making systems and to provide dispute resolution mechanisms,” among others.

Sam Pitroda, the Congress’s overseas unit chief, is back in his post — with an apparent caveat. The party’s communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh said Mr  Pitroda had “given an assurance” that he would, in future, leave no room for controversy. Asked about the matter, Mr Pitroda replied, a trifle sharply, that it was not the Congress view, but the view of Mr Ramesh.

“The Congress is not saying that. Jairam is saying that,” he told NDTV in an exclusive interview today. “What Jairam says is Jairam’s view, it is not necessarily the party’s view. It is okay for Jairam to say that and I respect it. I have to do what I have to do. In the process, I am entitled to make mistakes,” he said.

Mr Pitroda, who had stepped down from his post on May 8 after a couple of comments that became hugely controversial, was reinstated yesterday.

The reappointment was announced by the party in a statement. Later in the evening, Mr Ramesh said the decision was taken after Mr Pitroda clarified the context of the statements and gave an assurance that he would not “leave room for such controversies to arise” in the future.

In a post on X, Mr Ramesh said, “During the recent election campaign Sam Pitroda had made some statements and comments that were totally unacceptable to the Indian National Congress. By mutual consent he stepped down as Chairman of Overseas Indian Congress.”

“Subsequently he clarified the context in which statements were made and how they were later distorted by the Modi campaign. The Congress President has reappointed him on the assurance that he will not in future leave room for such controversies to arise,” he had added.

During the recent election campaign Sam Pitroda had made some statements and comments that were totally unacceptable to the Indian National Congress. By mutual consent he stepped down as Chairman of Overseas Indian Congress. Subsequently he clarified the context in which…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 26, 2024

Mr Pitroda had stepped down from the party’s overseas post after his comment that India is a “diverse country… where people in the East look like the Chinese, people on West look like Arabs, people in the North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africans.”

It had triggered allegations of racism and colonial mindset. With the controversy of Mr Pitroda’s earlier comments yet to die down, the Congress had found itself firefighting on multiple fronts, its campaign focusing on unemployment, inflation, farmers issues and the Constitution completely overshadowed.

In April, Mr Pitroda had made a remark on inheritance tax in the US that had drawn a fierce attack from the BJP. He had cited inheritance tax as an example of “new policies that can “help prevent concentration of wealth” which should be discussed and debated. The Congress, he had added, always helps people at the bottom of the economic pyramid.

Mr Pitroda today admitted that he could perhaps have put it better, while making the point that the focus today is not about the meaning in a conversation but its form.

What cannot be questioned, he underscored, was his commitment to the Congress.

“I am grown up. I know my responsibility for my party. I am committed to Congress. I have been a congressman from Day One and I will remain a Congressman till I die… It has nothing to do with what I say… but my commitment to values. I believe in the Congress ideology,’ he added.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Congress on June 15 said it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that competition among corporates is not stifled, oligopolies or monopolies do not emerge and corporate takeovers are free and fair.

“It is also the government’s responsibility to ensure that undue advantage arising out of access to political power is not exercised,” party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.

His comments came after the Adani Group acquired Penna Cements while strengthening its share in the cement sector in southern India.

“Aap chronology samajhiye (understand the chronology): September 2022: Adani acquires Ambuja Cements and ACC, to become country’s second largest cement player. August 2023: Adani acquires Sanghi Industries, India’s largest single-location cement unit. June 2024: Adani acquires Penna Cements, giving it substantial market share even in the last remaining region of South India.” he said.

“Upcoming: Adani is exploring the acquisition of Saurashtra Cement, Vadraj Cement, and the cement business of Jaiprakash Associates,” Mr. Ramesh claimed in a post on X.

Quoting former RBI deputy governor Viral Acharya, he said the noted financial economist had established that the five big conglomerates, including the Adani Group, are building monopolies in 40 sectors, including in the cement sector.

“This growing monopolisation is linked to India’s shaky economic growth, unemployment crisis, and high inflation. In 2015, when a common man used to spend ₹100 on goods, ₹18 would go as profit to the business owner — in 2021, the owner now gets ₹36 in profits,” Mr. Ramesh claimed.

“Firms must grow. Companies must expand. But at the same time, the government has a responsibility to ensure competition is not stifled, oligopolies or monopolies do not emerge, takeovers are free and fair, and undue advantage arising out of access to political power is not exercised,” the Congress leader said in his post.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh
| Photo Credit: PTI

As financial markets went for a tumble on June 4 after the trends of the Lok Sabha poll results showed that the BJP was not getting a majority on its own, the Congress said the markets were given an artificial booster dose by the exit polls and have now turned turbulent.

The Congress also recalled the words of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2004 to say that the party is committed to an orderly and healthy development of the financial markets that reflect the fundamentals of the economy.

For constituency-wise real-time updates, visit our Election Results page

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government provided a fear-free and intimidation-free 10-year period (2004-14) for the private sector that helped the country achieve its highest Gross domestic product(GDP) growth.

“Financial markets that were given an artificial booster dose by the exit polls are turbulent today. In this context, it is wise to recall the words of Dr. Manmohan Singh on May 17th 2004, the last occasion on which the markets were faced with prospect of such regime change,” Mr. Ramesh said in a post on X.

Recalling Mr. Singh’s words, he said, “There is absolutely no need for panic in the market. Very soon the alliance will unveil its Current Market Price[CMP]. The CMP will demonstrate the commitment of the United Progressive Alliance to fiscal discipline, realistic growth-oriented tax policies, control of unproductive and wasteful public expenditure and increased emphasis on agricultural growth, education, health, food security and social security in the context of a fast-growing economy that is integrating with the world as well.” “The Congress is committed to the orderly and healthy development of the financial markets that reflect the fundamentals of the economy. Our tax policies and foreign direct investment regime will be pro-growth and will create an environment favourable for both Indian and foreign enterprises,” Mr. Ramesh said, quoting Mr. Singh’s words.

Election Results 2024: NDA leading in 12 seats with less than 1% vote margin, in 16 seats with 1-2.5%

He added that what followed in 2004 was a “fear-free and intimidation-free decade for the private sector — a decade of the highest GDP growth India has ever seen, along with the highest private investment as a share of GDP”.

Early trends of the Lok Sabha poll results on June 4 threw up disappointing results for the BJP-led NDA, which appears to be losing big in its strongholds of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, although it is expected to form the government with about 290 seats.

New Delhi:

A day after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah called and intimidated district officers ahead of the counting of votes Tuesday, the Election Commission said no officer has reported any “undue influence” and asked the Opposition leader for details backing his allegation by 7 pm today so that action can be taken.

“The outgoing Home Minister has been calling up DMs/Collectors. So far, he has spoken to 150 of them. This is blatant and brazen intimidation, showing how desperate the BJP is. Let it be very clear: the will of the people shall prevail, and on June 4th, Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah, and the BJP will exit, and the INDIA Janbandhan will be victorious. Officers should not get under any pressure and must uphold the Constitution. They are under watch,” Mr Ramesh said in the post on X.

The outgoing Home Minister has been calling up DMs/Collectors. So far he has spoken to 150 of them. This is blatant and brazen intimidation, showing how desperate the BJP is. Let it be very clear: the will of the people shall prevail, and on June 4th, Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah, and the…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 1, 2024

The poll body said that being a senior leader, Mr Ramesh must have made the public statement based on facts he believes to be true.

“In this regard, it may be noted that during the period of enforcement of MCC, all officers are under deemed deputation of the Commission and report directly to the Commission for any directions. However, no DM has reported any such undue influence as alleged by you. As you are aware, the process of counting of votes is a sacred duty cast upon every RO and such public statements by you tend to put an element of doubt and thus, deserves to be addressed in larger public interest,” the Election Commission said in its letter to Mr Ramesh.

“Therefore, you being a responsible, experienced and very senior leader of a National Party must have made such public statement, just before the day of counting, based on facts/ information you believe to be true. It is requested that details of 150 DMs to whom such calls have been allegedly made by the Home Minister along with the factual matrix/ basis of your information are shared by 19.00 hours today i.e. June 2, 2024, so that appropriate action can be taken,” the poll body alleged.

Speaking to NDTV after exit polls predicted another BJP victory, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri trashed such charges. “The Home Minister of India doesn’t call a district officer or a subdivisional officer. The Home Minister deals with the Chief Minister of a state.”