Page 1007 - Politics
Congress, BJP launch campaign themes for LS polls
With political parties across the country stepping up their campaigns for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 11, the BJP and the Congress on Sunday unveiled their campaign slogans with the former focussing on "Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar" and the latter on "Ab Hoga Nyay".
Kidnapped US tourist, guide, safe after ransom paid: Safari firm
An American tourist and a safari guide kidnapped by gunmen in a Ugandan national park have been recovered safe and sound after a ransom was paid for their release, a safari firm said on Sunday. Police spokeswoman Polly Namaye, who did not confirm the ransom payment, credited the safe recovery of the pair "to the untiring efforts" of the search teams who were drawn from the police, military and the wildlife authority. "The victims of last week's kidnapping have been recovered alive," Namaye said. Mike Walker, manager of Wild Frontiers Safaris, said US tourist Kimberly Endicott and the guide, named only as 'Jean-Paul' by a government spokesman, were "back safe". "Ransom paid and people exchanged," he told AFP by text. Referring to the ransom amount Walker said he did not know the "precise amount yet". Police had said the kidnappers used Endicott's mobile telephone to demand a ransom of USD 500,000 (445,000 euros) for the release of the pair. Four kidnappers stopped a group of tourists .
India rejects 'preposterous' Pak claim of India planning another strike
India Sunday rejected as "irresponsible" and "preposterous" Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's claim that India was planning to carry out another attack on Pakistan, saying his comments were aimed at whipping up war hysteria in the region. Qureshi told reporters in Multan that Pakistan has "reliable intelligence" that India was planning to attack Pakistan again between April 16 and 20, adding five permanent members of the UN Security Council were apprised about it. In a strongly worded statement, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Ravesh Kumar called Qureshi's comments a "public gimmick" appearing to be "a call to Pakistan-based terrorists to undertake a terror attack in India". "India rejects the irresponsible and preposterous statement by the foreign minister of Pakistan with a clear objective of whipping up war hysteria in the region. This public gimmick appears to be a call to Pakistan-based terrorists to undertake a terror attack in India," Kumar said. He said ..
Top aide says Democrats will 'never' see Trump tax returns
A formal request from a Democratic committee chairman to see six years of Donald Trump's tax returns was forcibly rejected Sunday by a top presidential aide, who said Democrats would "never" see the documents. Trump is the first US president since Richard Nixon to refuse to divulge his tax information. Representative Richard Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, sparked a contentious battle on Wednesday when he made the request using a little-known provision in the tax code, saying, "It is critical to ensure the accountability of our government and elected officials." But when Trump's acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, was asked Sunday whether Democrats would ever see the returns, he was unequivocal. "Never," he said on "Fox News Sunday." "Nor should they." Mulvaney asserted that since voters knew ahead of the 2016 election that Trump would not reveal his returns and then elected him anyway, the matter was "already litigated". He said while there are legal ...
Modi "bada dictator", KCR "chota dictator": Ghulam Nabi Azad
Dubbing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao as "bada" and "chota" dictator, Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that government agencies such as CBI, ED and Income Tax are used against those who criticise them. Addressing an election rally in Chevella Lok Sabha constituency, Azad alleged that there was no democracy in the country and if any leader of the opposition criticised the government, false cases would be filed against them by central agencies like CBI. "If anyone criticises the government, or Prime Minister or Rao, then cases are registered against them by ED, Income Tax and CBI," he alleged. Azad further alleged that KCR, as Rao is also referred to, was engineering defection of other party MLAs to his Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) by "giving money." "He (Rao) is chota dictator of Telangana while he (Modi) is bada dictator of the country," the Congress leader said. He was apparently referring to atleast 10 of ..
Inform us about use of illicit money in polls, says EC
The Election Commission on Sunday told the Central government that all enforcement actions to curb electoral malpractices should be neutral, impartial and non-discriminatory and demanded that Chief Electoral Officers (CEO) should be informed about use of illicit money for electoral purposes.
Congress, TRS hand-in-glove with anti-nationals: Yogi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday alleged that both the Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) were hand-in-glove with anti-nationals.
Hardik slams BJP, says it's time to send Modi back to Gujarat
Patidar leader from Gujarat, Hardik Patel, who recently joined the Congress, Sunday mocked the BJP's 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' campaign, saying the ruling dispensation was raising the issues of Kashmir and Pakistan as it had nothing to speak about its performance. He said the country's youth was angry with the BJP and it was time to send Prime Minister Narendra Modi back to Gujarat. Addressing a meeting here to campaign for Congress candidates Sanjay Nirupam and Urmila Matondkar, Patel said, "Have you ever heard anybody in the world saying 'I am a chowkidar, vote for me'?" "Army jawans are being put on election campaign posters. Since they have nothing to speak about on their performance, issues of Kashmir and Pakistan are being raised," he said. Patel also criticised Modi for asking people to vote for him. He alleged that the BJP of trying to win the elections though "money power". "The party has a lot of money. Each candidate is spending Rs 15 crore to Rs 20 crore. People .
TDP, Congress are dynastic, says UP CM
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath Sunday said described the Telugu Desam Party and the Congress as dynastic parties where only family members can become leaders unlike the BJP where any common man can rise to the top. Addressing an election rally at Sri Kalahasti, 40 kms from here, in support of the BJP in the April 11 Lok Sabha elections, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone can provide good governance and take the nation to further heights. In the TDP and the Congress, only family members can rule, but in the BJP common man can also scale the peak, he said. He pointed to Modi, vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu and BJP president Amit Shah who have risen to their present positions from a common man background, he added. Andhra Pradesh is going to polls for 175 assembly and 25 lok sabha seats on April 11 with a multi-cornered contest involving the ruling TDP, YSRCP of YS Jaganmohan Reddy, Jana Sena of Pawan Kalyan, the Congress and the BJP.
Those running government from Delhi killed Mahatma Gandhi, alleges Farooq Abdullah
National Conference (NC) chairman Farooq Abdullah on Sunday alleged that the people who are running the government in Delhi are the ones who were the killers of Mahatma Gandhi."Mahatma Gandhi was killed. It was the RSS people who killed him. It was also banned by Union Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Because they wanted to create a Hindu Rashtra, which was not accepted by leaders of that time. People who are running the government in Delhi are the ones who are killers of Mahatma Gandhi," Abdullah said while addressing an election rally here.Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said: "You promised Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. What have you done for the development of Jammu and Kashmir? Did they bring peace here?"Abdullah also hit out at the Centre for closing Srinagar-Jammu highway."They have closed the road. When the Kargil war took place? It was not closed then. I was the CM. No road was closed. Which war is taking place now? There is no fight. You have failed on the ...
I-T dept searches properties of MP CM Kamal Nath's aides; huge illegal cash recovered
The Income Tax Department Sunday launched pre-dawn raids at 52 locations, including in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, against close aides of MP Chief Minister Kamal Nath and others on charges of tax evasion and hawala transactions, officials said. A team of nearly 200 officials from I-T department and state police swooped down on the premises at around 3am and recovered undisclosed cash amounting to Rs 10-14 crore, they said. Sources added there is a "strong possibility" of this cash being used as an election inducement to fund political campaigns and bribe voters in the poll-bound state and in Delhi. A preliminary report of the raids has been shared with the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the policy-making body of the I-T department, and the Election Commission in Delhi, the sources told PTI. The recovered cash figure continues to build up and more note counting machines are being arranged in Bhopal, they said. The search operation is being carried out by the investigation wing of the ...
Those running government in Delhi killed Mahatma Gandhi, alleges Farooq Abdullah
National Conference (NC) chairman Farooq Abdullah on Sunday alleged that the people who are running the government in Delhi are the ones who were the killers of Mahatma Gandhi."Mahatma Gandhi was killed. It was the RSS people who killed him. It was also banned by Union Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Because they wanted to create a Hindu Rashtra, which was not accepted by leaders of that time. People who are running the government in Delhi are the ones who are killers of Mahatma Gandhi," Abdullah said while addressing an election rally here.Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said: "You promised Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. What have you done for the development of Jammu and Kashmir? Did they bring peace here?"Abdullah also hit out at the Centre for closing Srinagar-Jammu highway."They have closed the road. When the Kargil war took place? It was not closed then. I was the CM. No road was closed. Which war is taking place now? There is no fight. You have failed on the ...
No CBI, Income Tax, ED for BJP: Anand Sharma
Congress leader Anand Sharma on Sunday hit out at the BJP alleging that there was no Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the ruling party."Investigative agencies are being misused. All this is happening during election time. Has any agency gone to the BJP office to investigate how crores of money are being spent by them? There's no CBI, Income Tax and ED for them," he said here while speaking to ANI.Earlier in the day, Income Tax officials carried out raids at the residences of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's private secretary, Praveen Kakkar, in Indore and former advisor R K Miglani in Delhi, on charges of alleged tax evasion.Kakkar is Chief Minister Kamal Nath's Officer on Special Duty (OSD). At around 3 am, a team of over 15 officers began searching Praveen Kakkar's house situated in Vijaynagar, sources said.Apart from Kakkar, the I-T officials have also raided the offices of Hindustan Power Projects Pvt Ltd, Amira ...
Turkey local elections: Erdogan's AK Party calls for recount of votes
The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan here on Sunday appealed to the country's top election authority to recount the votes cast in all districts of Istanbul during the recently held local elections.Addressing the media here, Anadolu Agency quoted Justice and Development (AK) Party Deputy Chairman Ali Ihsan Yavuz as saying, "Only 70 per cent of the invalid votes have been counted so far.""There is organized irregularity, organized abuse here. They are beyond errors," Yavuz added.According to unofficial results, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate Ekrem Imamoglu led in Istanbul with 48.79 per cent of the votes, while Binali Yildirim of AK Party followed the former with 48.51 per cent of the votes.However, the AK Party noted that a recount of votes might change the election results.Millions of Turkish voters cast their votes nationwide last Sunday in the local elections to choose Turkey's mayors, city council ...
Pak summons Indian diplomat over 'aggression' fear; India terms Qureshi's remarks as 'preposterous'
Pakistan on Sunday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner to lodge a protest against any "military aggression" by India.Dunya News reported that Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has warned India of any misadventure in the upcoming days.The warning came after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a statement on Sunday alleged that India was "hatching a new plot and may resort to military aggression" against the country between April 16 and 20, according to Pakistan media."Pakistan has reliable intelligence inputs that India is hatching a new plot and may resort to military aggression against Pakistan between April 16-20," he said during a presser."An incident similar to Pulwama could recur in the occupied Kashmir Valley," Ary News quoted him as claiming, referring to the Jaish-e-Mohammed perpetrated February 14 Pulwama terror attack.However, India rejected Qureshi's claims, dubbing it as "irresponsible and preposterous" statement made by Pakistan "with a clear objective of ...
'Save your land' if Robert Vadra comes for campaigning: Smriti Irani warns people
Taking a jibe at businessman Robert Vadra, BJP leader and Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani on Sunday warned the people that they should 'save their lands' if he comes to their place for campaigning for the Congress party.Currently, Vadra is facing allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property.Responding to Vadra's announcement that he would campaign for the Congress party all over India in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, Smriti Irani told ANI: "I just want to say that wherever Robert Vadra wants to go for campaigning, people of that place should save their lands."Robert Vadra is the husband of Congress party general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.Earlier in the day, Robert had said that he will also be present with his mother-in-law Sonia Gandhi and brother-in-law Rahul Gandhi during their filing of nominations.On being asked if he will campaign for Congress party for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, Robert told ANI,
Mirwaiz Umer Farooq to appear before NIA Monday after agency assures security
Moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq will appear before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Monday in connection with a case related to terror funding, after he was assured by the agency that his security would be ensured, officials said Sunday. The Mirwaiz was served a third summon recently in which he was given an assurance that the NIA would ensure his complete security. Hurriyat Conference leaders Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Maulana Abbas Ansari also decided to rally behind the Mirwaiz and would be accompanying him to the NIA headquarters to express their solidarity, members of the separatist conglomerate said. In 2004, the same group of leaders had met the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and then home minister L K Advani for finding a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue. A statement issued by the Hurriyat Conference in Srinagar said that a meeting of its executive members was held which strongly condemned the move of summoning the Mirwaiz. It claimed .
I-T searches: BJYM workers stage protest in Indore
Activists of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Sunday staged a protest near Rajwada Palace here in Madhya Pradesh on a day when the Income Tax department conducted searches at the house of Praveen Kakkad, the former OSD to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. During the protest, two workers of the BJYM sported masks of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Nath while others showered currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2000 denominations on them, and raised slogans against the Congress, police said. Sarafa police station in-charge Dinesh Bhanwar said 11 workers of the BJYM have been booked under section 188 (disobedience to the order of government officer) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for holding a protest without permission and for violating the model code of conduct. Meanwhile, Indore Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ruchi Vardhan Mishra reached Kakkad's house where the Income Tax officials were conducting searches under the vigil of the Central Reserve ...
Mirwaiz Umar to appear before NIA on Monday in terror funding case
Moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq will appear before the NIA Monday in connection with a case related to terror funding after he was assured by the probe agency that his security would be ensured, officials said here Sunday. He was served a third summon recently in which he was given an assurance that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would ensure complete security to him. Hurriyat Conference leaders Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Maulana Abbas Ansari have also decided to rally behind the Mirwaiz and would be accompanying him to the NIA headquarters to express their solidarity, members of the separatist conglomerate said. The NIA had on February 26 carried out searches at premises of several leaders, including the Mirwaiz. The NIA had earlier questioned two maternal uncles of the Mirwaiz -- Maulvi Manzoor and Maulvi Shafat -- and his close aides last year. Both Manzoor and Shafat are retired senior government officers. He had been asked to appear before the NIA on .
Minor reshuffle in Mumbai Police ahead of Lok Sabha polls
In a reshuffle ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in the state, Vinay Chaubey was on Sunday appointed new Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP), Law and Order, of Mumbai.Chaubey, a 1995 batch IPS officer, was earlier posted as JCP, Economic Offenses Wing (EOW). He was also Commissioner of Police, Nashik.Chaubey replaces Deven Bhati, who will now be JCP, EOW.The reshuffle took place after the Election Commission directed the state government to transfer all officers who were holding any post for more than three years.