Page 10 - Politics

Punjab BJP rejects reports of Sunil Jakhar quitting as state unit chief

The Punjab BJP on Friday asserted that Sunil Jakhar was leading the party in the state, dismissing as "totally baseless" speculation that he had resigned from his post. Though the 70-year-old Jakhar himself was not responding to calls, his close aide Sanjeev Trikha told PTI that there was nothing like this. A media report had claimed that Jakhar has quit as the Punjab unit chief. Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sarin dismissed it as "totally baseless and false". He said Jakhar is leading the party's state unit. On Jakhar staying away from Thursday's meeting of the party's membership drive, Sarin said it was not important for the state unit chief to be present in every meeting. Referring to reports of his resignation as the Punjab BJP chief, Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said on X, "Mr @sunilkjakhar, All the best, where next ?" Jakhar was appointed as the Punjab BJP chief in July 2023, succeeding BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma. He had joined the BJP

Explained: Who is Jhumpa Lahiri, why did she refuse Isamu Noguchi award?

The New York-based museum, which was found by Japanese American designer and sculptor, recently told employees not to wear clothes expressing political messages, or slogans

From demolition to campaign, bulldozers become party tool to pull crowds

Once just an innocuous piece of construction equipment and today a symbol of state power and politics, bulldozers are visible everywhere as campaigning hots up in Nuh. Not as a demolition tool but festooned, prettied up and embraced by all parties. Young people sitting on dozer blades, dancing and showering petals on crowds gathered on the narrow streets below are a common sight. Bulldozers may have earned a bad name but clearly not in this Haryana constituency, counted among the most backward in the country, where they are being used to further the festive election mood. The scene was very different just over a year ago when five people were killed in communal violence in the Muslim dominated constituency. The violence later spread to adjoining Gurugram where a cleric was killed in an attack on a mosque. Following the violence, the BJP-led Haryana government went on a demolition drive in Nuh, drawing allegations of "ethnic cleansing". Then chief minister M L Khattar stoutly denied

Mexico's most popular president retiring, here's what he will leave behind

Many Mexicans will feel a deep sense of loss when folksy, charismatic, nationalistic President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador leaves office on September 30 and that's no surprise. Lopez Obrador himself has spent an inordinate amount of time talking about his own legacy and his place in history over his six-year term, something he brings up at almost every one of his marathonic daily 7 a.m. media briefings. But what legacy will the rumpled, grinning Lopez Obrador leave behind? It is perhaps the main question for a man who is obsessed with history, and one thing appears clear: he has changed the way politics is done in Mexico, perhaps forever. Unlike decades of reserved and distant presidents, Lopez Obrador has built a deep personal connection with many Mexicans. He has stripped the office of the thousands of presidential guards, limousines and walled compounds that once characterised it, saying you can't have a rich government with poor people. He is a politician who evokes ...

A shift down south: Sri Lanka's presidential election breaks new ground

The question is whether Mr Dissanayake will run the country the same way he positioned his campaign: As an outside insurgent

Exploring journey of India's women Chief Ministers: From Sucheta to Atishi

Mayawati became the first Dalit woman to hold the post, meanwhile, Syeda Anwara Taimur was the first Muslim woman

India less of an issue in Sri Lankan election, local factors predominate

"For Sri Lankans, this election is a way of overcoming the trauma of the economic hardship they have just been through, a way of speaking out. … India is not a factor."

Arvind Kejriwal resigns as Delhi Chief Minister, Atishi set to take over

Opposition calls her elevation a 'stop-gap'

Left Wing Extremism restricted to 43 districts, 'to be eliminated by 2026'

The government's sustained campaign against Left Wing Extremism (LWE) has led to the menace being restricted to 43 districts as against 200 before 2014, sources said on Sunday. The sources, on condition of anonymity, said over 700 Maoists have been arrested, surrendered or killed in encounters between January and September this year and exuded confidence that the country will be free from Left Wing Extremism by 2026. In the first 100 days in office of the BJP-led NDA government's third tenure, the focus has been on implementation of the action plan to address the LWE, including building additional security camps in the Maoist affected areas. Among other achievements of the government in the first 100 days include a peace agreement with the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) which renounced violence after 35 years of conflict. A total of 328 armed cadres of the two outfits renounced violence and joined the mainstream of the society. The .

Chargesheet filed against Ex-MP Prajwal Revanna in second case

The Bengaluru police has filed a chargesheet in the second case registered against former MP Prajwal Revanna, who is facing charges of rape and sexual assault, in a special court here. Revanna is currently under judicial custody at Parappana Agrahara Jail here, and a Special Investigation Team is probing four separate cases against him, officials said on Friday. According to police, the second case against Prajwal Revanna was filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on May 1 after a 44-year-old former member of the Hassan Zilla Panchayat accused him of repeatedly raping her. In a statement, police said the SIT team conducted a comprehensive investigation of the case and during the probe, more than 120 witnesses were interrogated and statements of victims, key witnesses were recorded. "A 1691 page comprehensive chargesheet has been filed against former Hassan Lok Sabha constituency MP Prajwal Revanna. The chargesheet has been submitted to a special court here after ...

Be prepared to hear India's comments on politics, says EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said he had no problem with other countries commenting on Indian politics, but they should also be prepared to hear his comments on their politics. He made the sharp remarks during his interaction with the Indian community here. Jaishankar was asked a question about some foreign diplomats based in New Delhi having personal meetings with certain opposition leaders in their state. The External Affairs Minister did not answer it directly as he said, I have no problem if people comment about our politics, but then, I think in fairness, they should also be ready to hear my comments about their politics. And so, how to get a more mutually respectful world, more equal world? Because everybody says they know, he said and then referring to George Orwell's Animal Farm', he said, Some are more equal than others. How do you actually create that? I think that's also one of the big debates, which is today taking place in the world, the EAM added.

Clans, cousins, next gen dynasts face off in Haryana's game of thrones

Until now, the BJP has announced candidates on 87 of the 90 seats

Vinesh Phogat slams PT Usha's 'photo-op politics' after Paris Olympics

Indian wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat criticised Indian Olympic Association President for meeting her for optics and not showing 'genuine' support during a difficult time

PM Modi stresses removing hurdles in India's research and innovation

Emphasising the need to set big targets, PM Modi said that research should focus on finding new solutions to existing problems

JMM-led govt using treasury to lure voters ahead of J'khand polls: AJSU

AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto on Sunday accused the Hemant Soren-led government of "using the treasury" to lure voters ahead of the assembly polls. He alleged that the government has cheated youths and women of the state by not fulfilling its promises. "The government is using its treasury in the name of various schemes only to lure voters ahead of the assembly polls in the state," Mahto alleged while addressing the 'Jharkhand Navnirman Sankalp Rally' at Ranchi's Prabhat Tara Ground. Thousands of youths from different districts of the state took part in the rally. "The government is launching schemes when the election is just one or two months away. Had it been honest towards the people of the state, it would have launched these initiatives years back," Mahto said. He alleged that the government cheated youths by not providing jobs and unemployment allowances. "The government had promised Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000 unemployment allowances to youth but did not provide these," he said.

New journey not just politics, but fight for justice, says Vinesh Phogat

Vinesh expressed her happiness after meeting the Congress leader and recounted her experience during the protest in a sexual harassment case against ex-MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh

Congress to protest across MP on Sep 20 seeking hike in MSP: Patwari

The Congress will hold a protest on September 20 across Madhya Pradesh seeking hike in minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce, the party's state unit chief Jitu Patwari said on Friday. Offices of collectors of the all the 55 districts in the state will be "gheraod" (encircled) at 12 noon that day under the Congress' 'Kisan Nyay Yatra'. Patwari told reporters. "The farmers across India are in distress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union agricultural minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan speak about doubling farmers' income but the condition of cultivators is going from bad to worse. We want the state government to procure soybean from farmers at Rs 6,000 per quintal, wheat at Rs 2,700 per quintal and paddy at Rs 3,100," he said. The BJP, in its manifesto for the MP assembly polls last year, promised MSP of Rs 2700 for wheat and Rs 3100 for paddy but these have been forgotten by the party after it retained power, he said. "Our leader Rahul Gandhi wants legal guarantee for

President Emmanuel Macron aapoints Michel Barnier as new French PM

The Far-Right National Rally (RN), parliament's biggest single party, indicated it would not block Barnier for now, but could do so later if a range of demands were not met

'Ganesh mandals': Stepping stone for budding politicians to become leaders

During the British rule, social reformer Lokmanya Tilak initiated public celebration of Ganesh festival to bring people together and foster a sense of unity, but over the years, apart from fulfilling these objectives, Ganesh mandals have also been serving as grooming ground for budding politicians. Through the "sarvajanik" (public) Ganesh mandals, the future leaders can get to master different key skills like managing finances, human resources management and establishing coordination between various agencies, says Naresh Dahibavkar, president of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS). The Ganesh festival is celebrated across Maharashtra on a large scale. This year, this 10-day cultural extravaganza will begin on September 7. There are several political leaders in Maharashtra who earlier worked as humble "karyakartas" (volunteers) of Ganesh mandals before making a foray into the world of politics. Talking to PTI, Dahibavkar said that NCP leader and Maharasht

J-K Assembly polls: Election schedule, key candidates, issues. Details

The last Assembly elections took place in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014, but the government fell in 2018 when the BJP withdrew its support from Mehbooba Mufti's PDP-led administration