Page 1008 - Politics
Congress launches campaign slogan 'Ab Hoga Nyay'
The Congress on Sunday unveiled its campaign slogan for the Lok Sabha elections -- "Ab Hoga Nyay" (Now, there will be justice). The slogan will feature in all its advertisements, posters, radio jingles, billboards and songs.
"Unholy, corrupt" DMK-Congress alliance will end in disaster:
Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday slammed the DMK-Congress front in Tamil Nadu, saying it was not a progressive alliance, but a 'corrupt' and 'unholy' combine which would end in a 'disaster'. Canvassing votes for Perambalur Lok Sabha constituency candidate Sivapathy of AIADMK here, he said, "in the Congress-DMK alliance, many people are on bail or in jail. It was not a progressive alliance but a corrupt alliance". DMK is leading the Secular Progressive Alliance in the state which also comprises the Congress and the Left parties among others, while the BJP is part of the AIADMK-led front for the April 18 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu. The Congress was trying to get a foothold in Tamil Nadu through the "backdoor" by stitching alliances with the Dravidian parties after being totally rejected by the people several decades ago, he said. "The anti-democratic Congress has been chased out of Tamil Nadu several decades ago. And this election will .
Magicians, LED chariots in BJP's Gujarat poll campaign
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday drafted a team of 52 magicians to crisscross all the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat to campaign for the party, backed up by an equal number of digital LED raths (chariots) which were set rolling with a message to elect the Narendra Modi government again.
Committed to ensure least inconvenience to civilian traffic: J-K administration
The Jammu and Kashmir administration Sunday sought cooperation of the people in the smooth regulation of traffic along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, saying it was "committed" to ensure least inconvenience to civilian vehicles during movement of security convoys on the notified days. The elaborate arrangements made by administration for convenience of the people on the highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, during the restricted travel period was quite successful on the first day of the traffic prohibition, an official release said. The governor administration last week announced a ban on civilian traffic on the 270-km highway on Sundays and Wednesdays to facilitate safe passage of security convoys till May 31. The ban came into force this morning amid protests by mainstream parties, including the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party and Peoples Conference. The administration said the regulation of civilian traffic during ...
India rejects as '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 that five permanent members of the UN Security Council were apprised about it. In a strongly worded statement, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar termed Qureshi's comments as "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
Rs 6.40 lakh seized in Meghalaya by poll officials
A flying squads of the Election Commission on Sunday seized Rs 6.4 lakh unaccounted cash in poll-bound Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district.
Parties to sweat it out in western UP on Monday
With just four days to go for voting in western Uttar Pradesh in the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls, the ruling BJP and the Congress will hold mega rallies in several parts of the region on Monday.
India evacuates peacekeeping CRPF contingent from Libya
India has evacuated its entire contingent of 15 CRPF personnel from Tripoli after the situation "suddenly worsened" in Libya, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Sunday. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) contingent was deployed as peace keeping force in Tripoli. "The situation in Libya has suddenly worsened. There is fighting in Tripoli. Indian Embassy in Tunisia @IndiainTunisia has evacuated the entire contingent of 15 CRPF personnel yesterday itself," Swaraj tweeted. "I appreciate the excellent work by Indian Embassy in Tunisia," she said. The Indian Ambassador in Tunisia has the concurrent charge of Libya. "All Indians in distress in Tripoli may please contact Mr.Mehtab on +218916320278 or Mr.Mustafa on +218924201771 or +218912146640," the minister said. The military conflict in Libya escalated after forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar launched an air strike Sunday in an area in Tripoli and the government vowed a major counteroffensive. The United Nations has ...
Cong always backs anti-national forces: J&K BJP
The BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit Sunday accused the Congress of being in habit of backing anti-Indian forces, saying its promise to amend the AFSPA in militancy-hit Kashmir will only embolden terrorists. "The Congress has always strengthened the hands of anti-Indian forces. It is shocking that the Congress has promised to revoke the AFSPA. It will only be a morale booster to terrorists and embolden them," senior BJP leader Sham Lal Sharma told a public rally in Aknoor border belt. The Congress is promising to dilute the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, when 91 security personnel and 38 civilians were killed in over 600 terror strikes, said Sharma, who recently quit the Congress and joined the BJP. Thanks to the valour of security personnel, who killed 250 terrorists in anti-terror operations, but the Congress is seeking to restrain them by diluting the AFSPA, he added. "What one fails to understand is the Congress' attitude," he said. "Is it the same Congress of Sardar Patel? Is it .
Congress releases manifesto for DK district
The Congress released its manifesto for Dakshina Kannada (DK) district Sunday ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, describing it as a 'realistic' document and not a 'jumla' (gimmick). Releasing the manifesto, senior Congress leader and former state minister B Ramananth Rai recalled the contributions of Congress parliamentarians from DK for the development of the district. The development projects implemented by Congress included construction of New Mangalore Port, Mangaluru airport, KREC which was upgraded as NIT-K, MRPL and the national highways network in the district, he said. The new manifesto proposes to take steps for developing small scale industries in the district. Inclusion of Tulu language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, construction of ESI medical college and introduction of a pension scheme for auto rickshaw drivers are the other promises in the manifesto. It also promises to stop privatisation of Mangaluru airport and annul the merger of Vijaya ...
MP I-T searches: Kamal Nath, Digvijaya hit back at BJP
Reacting to the Income Tax searches on the premises of his close aides, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Sunday said the BJP was taking such actions for electoral gains sensing defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The Income Tax (IT) department launched pre-dawn searches on at least 50 locations in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh (Indore and Bhopal) on Sunday against people linked to Nath on charges of alleged tax evasion, officials said. The searches were linked to suspected movement of hawala money during the ongoing poll season and tax evasion, they added. In a statement issued through Madhya Pradesh Congress media cell coordinator Narendra Saluja, Nath said, "The situation about the I-T raids is not clear yet. It would be appropriate to speak on this after the situation is clear. But the entire country knows how the constitutional institutions were used and against whom they were used during the past five years." "These institutions were used to scare people. When they do not .
I-T raids on Kamal Nath aides raise political storm
Pre-dawn raids at the premises of confidantes and relatives of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Sunday have raised a political storm in the state.
CEO seeks report from Saharanpur administration on Mayawati's speech during rally
The chief electoral officer Sunday sought a report from the Saharanpur district administration on BSP chief Mayawati's speech during a joint SP-BSP-RLD rally in Deoband. Chief Electoral Officer L Venkateshwarlu said he received several complaints and he had sought a report from the district administration on the issue. State BJP vice president JPS Rathore had also written to the chief electoral officer, alleging that appealing to Muslims not to vote for a particular party amounts to fanning religious passion and is a hindrance in holding free and fair polls. "The EC should take its cognisance as it is a violation of Model Code of Conduct," Rathore, the BJP's poll incharge in Uttar Pradesh, said. During the rally Sunday, Mayawati said the Congress was busy dividing the votes and cautioned the gathering to guard against any such attempt. "In western UP, where people of all communities live...in Saharanpur, Bareilly, where there is a huge Muslim population...I want to tell the Muslim ...
CPI-M office reopens in Nandigram after 12 years
Close to 12 years after it was vandalised and set ablaze during the 2007 Nandigram violence in West Bengal, a CPI-M party office in the region was on Sunday reopened by the party leaders ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls.
Cong questions EC approval of extension to Himachal official
Congress leader Mukesh Agnihotri on Sunday questioned the extension provided by the Election Commission to a Himachal Pradesh official at a time the model code of conduct is in place. In a statement, the leader of Opposition in the Assembly expressed concern over the approval given by the commission to the chief engineer of the state public works department despite prior complaint by the Congress. Agnihotri blamed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for allegedly adopting double standards on extensions. The BJP used to oppose extensions during the Virbhadra Singh-led previous Congress government, raising the issue of "retired and tired", but now it is adopting the same policy after coming to power, Agnihotri said. The Congress leader also wondered why Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was favouring officers belonging to the latter's home district of Mandi. A number of engineers have also submitted a memorandum to the chief secretary against the extension to the chief engineer, Agnihotri ...
Congress neglected Dalits, defeated vision of Ambedkar: Manoj Tiwari
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari on Sunday accused the Congress of neglecting Dalits during its rule and defeating the vision of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, alleging that the opposition party only used the community as a votebank. During a Dalit Yuva Sammelan at Delhi BJP office, Tiwari urged the participants to vote to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power once again. He alleged the Congress only did politics in the name of Dalits and used them as votebank. But the governments of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi worked for the benefit of the community, he asserted. "It was our PM Modi who led the development of Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, so that people could visit it know more about Ambedkar. Also, the Modi government built the 'Panchteerth' associated with Baba Saheb," he said. The term is used to collectively refer to five places which portray the life history of the Dalit icon. The government has launched a project to link the five places. Tiwari said Modi is working .
IT raids: DMK leader Duraimurugan alleges plot to frame him
Slamming the recent IT raids at the premises owned by his son, contesting the Vellore Lok Sabha seat, DMK Treasurer M Duraimurugan on Sunday said no incriminating documents could be found and it was an attempt by the Centre and Tamil Nadu governments to wreak personal vengeance. In a statement here, he said winning or losing an election and having differences of opinion between political parties were only common. "But what stands out today is the ruling party's attempts to wreak personal vengeance in order to bring disgrace to the opponent," Duraimurugan alleged. The recent searches conducted by the Income Tax authorities at the residences and college owned by his son Kadhir Anand, the DMK candidate in Vellore, were part of this trend. Though "nothing illegal" was found, they were being closely monitored even after the raids, he claimed. In the statement, Duraimurugan alleged he had been receiving information that attempts would be made to frame them to spoil Kadir ...
Naveen is now tired, Odisha needs BJP: Shah
BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday said Odisha needs a change as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik looks "tired" and seems to lacks the will to develop the state.
Congress rules out alliance with AAP in Haryana, Punjab
The Congress on Sunday ruled out alliance with Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Haryana and Punjab and said that it was yet to reach a decision on forming an alliance with AAP in the national capital for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Congress didn't do anything for sportspersons: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday made a scathing attack against the opposition Congress, saying it had been in power in Manipur for 15 years but had not done anything for the people, especially sportspersons.