Page 103 - Politics
Country went through 'Super Emergency' in last 5 years: Mamata attacks Modi govt
Taking aim at the BJP-led central government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted that the country went through a period of 'Super Emergency' in the last five years - Narendra Modi's first tenure as Prime Minister."Today is the anniversary of the #Emergency declared in 1975. For the last five years, the country went through a 'Super Emergency'. We must learn our lessons from history and fight to safeguard the democratic institutions in the country," Banerjee tweeted on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the 1975 Emergency.Banerjee, who has been at loggerheads with BJP, did not participate in the recent all-party meetings convened by Prime Minister Modi. She also skipped the swearing-in ceremony of the new government last month and did not attend the June 15 NITI Aayog meeting.On the other hand, Modi said that the country saluted those who "fiercely and fearlessly" resisted the Emergency period."India salutes all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly .
Pompeo to arrive in India for 3-day visit today
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo will arrive here on Tuesday night, as part of his three-day visit to India. This will be the first high-level engagement between India and the US after NDA's return to power for a second term.Pompeo is scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. Jaishankar will also host a lunch for his US counterpart.Pompeo's visit will provide "an important opportunity for both sides to explore further ways to strengthen India-US strategic partnership", according to MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.The two sides will hold high-level engagements on matters of mutual interest including bilateral, regional and global issues.Pompeo's visit to India comes in the backdrop of escalating tensions between the US and Iran and trade differences between New Delhi and Washington.On June 15, India imposed retaliatory tariffs on American goods, less than two weeks after Trump announced an end to preferential trade ...
PM, Shah salute people who resisted Emergency
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid homage to all "those greats" who resisted the Emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on this day in 1975 and said democracy had prevailed over authoritarianism. "India salutes all those greats who fiercely and fearlessly resisted the Emergency. India's democratic ethos successfully prevailed over an authoritarian mindset," he tweeted. BJP's working President JP Nadda said in a tweet that the Emergency period was a "black blot". "In 1975, on this day, democracy was murdered by the Congress party to remain in power. A grateful nation remembers thousands of unsung heroes from Bharatiya Jan Sangh and RSS, who led the anti-Emergency movement from the front" he tweeted. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took to Twitter to highlight how it was one of the darkest chapters in the history of the country. "The declaration of Emergency on June 25, 1975 and the incidents that followed, mark as one of the darkest chapters in India's ...
Struggling with water crisis, Hisar seeks merger with Rajasthan
The locals and the farmers of Hisar district have decided to approach the Rajasthan government to seek a merger of their region with the state as the Haryana government has failed to resolve the issue of drinking water shortage.Hisar lies along the border with Rajasthan. Local were gathered on the site to express their anger. Agitated people told ANI that they have approached the administration regarding the shortage of water but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears."There is no water in our reservoirs. We have requested the government to provide us with water but no efforts have been made. We are very fed-up now," said a local."We are facing this issue from the past so many years. We have requested the Khattar government to resolve the issue but no action is taken till now. We are left with no other option but to urge Rajasthan," said another local.Apart from Hisar, with mercury on the rise across the nation, residents of Mehboob Nagarare of Uttar Pradesh is also facing hardships due
Jammu: Two nabbed with heroin reveal nexus between Hizbul, narco smugglers
The interrogation of two persons arrested for possessing heroin has revealed a nexus between Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists in Pakistan and narcotics smugglers in Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police official said.Acting on specific inputs late last month, the state police had set up a check-point at Vivekanand Chowk in Jammu, which led to the arrest of Fayaz Ahmad and Arshad Ahmad, IG (Jammu) M K Sinha told reporters on Monday.He said 260 grams of heroin and Rs 12.6 lakh in cash were seized from their possession.During the course of the interrogation, the two revealed that a nexus exists between the banned terrorist organisation and narcotics smugglers in the state, Sinha said.Fayaz had crossed over to Pakistan last year and met his brother Ayaz, a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, he added.
UN council urges 'maximum restraint' in Gulf
The UN Security Council is condemning the latest attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and urging all parties "to exercise maximum restraint and take measures and actions to reduce escalation and tension." The council says the tanker attacks represent "a serious threat to maritime navigation and energy supply." The statement was read Monday after closed consultations and a briefing on the attacks by U.N. peacekeeping chief Rosemary DiCarlo. The UN's most powerful body says the attacks also violate international rules on freedom of navigation and maritime transport and threaten international peace and security. The United States has blamed Iran for the latest attacks. Tehran has denied any involvement. Council members are urging "that differences must be addressed peacefully and through dialogue." Iran's U.N. ambassador is calling the current situation "very dangerous" and says the United States should de-escalate tensions by stopping "its military adventurism" in the region, ...
Madan Lal Saini's mortal remains to be consigned to flames in Sikar district
The mortal remains of Rajasthan BJP president Madan Lal Saini will be consigned to flames in Sikar district on Tuesday after party leaders and workers pay him floral tribute. The body of the Rajya Sabha MP will be kept in the party office from 7.30 am to 10 am where the leaders and workers will pay floral tribute, a party spokesperson said. Saini (75) died on Monday while undergoing treatment at AIIMS in Delhi. He was diagnosed with infection in lungs and was admitted at a private hospital in Jaipur. On Saturday, he was shifted to Delhi owing to his deteriorating health and was being treated under the Hematology Department at AIIMS. Saini, who hailed from Sikar district, was appointed BJP state president last year. He was a former MLA and RSS volunteer who held various posts in the Bhartiya Kisan Morcha as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot his deputy and state Congress president Sachin Pilot, ex-chief minister Vasundhara Raje and other leaders .
Pak authorities using enforced disappearances as tool to crush voices of oppressed people: Baloch activist
A Baloch activist has said that Pakistani state authorities have been using enforced disappearances as a tool to crush the voices of oppressed people like Balochs, Pashtuns, Muhajirs, Sindhis and religious minorities."On one hand, Pakistan is a signatory of international conventions against enforced disappearances. On the other (hand), they are busy abducting people. The Baloch Republican Party and World Baloch Organisation have started an international awareness campaign (in this regard)," President of Baloch Republican Party Brahumdagh Bugti said in a video message."We urge the international community to take action against enforced disappearances of Baloch and other people in Pakistan," he added.On Sunday, Baloch Republican Party and World Baloch Organisation organised a protest outside Lord's cricket stadium in London to highlight the worsening human rights condition in Pakistan.Protestors distributed leaflets outside the stadium, where Pakistan was facing South Africa in their ...
BJP parliamentary party meet postponed due to Rajasthan unit chief's death
A meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) parliamentary party, which was scheduled today, has been postponed due to the sudden demise of Rajasthan unit party president Madan Lal Saini.The new date for the meeting which would be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not been announced yet.The 75-year-old BJP leader breathed his last at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here on Monday.Ruling BJP's first parliamentary party meeting during the ongoing session and after JP Nadda's election as the working president was scheduled to take place here in the morning.
Amarinder meets British envoy, assures support to diaspora visiting Punjab for Gurpurab '19
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh met British Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Ayre and assured him of full logistical support to people of Indian origin who are scheduled to travel to Sultanpur Lodhi on the occasion of Gurpurab, the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.A large number of people of Indian origin from the UK are scheduled to come to Sultanpur Lodhi to take part in the event later this year.Singh assured full logistical support and said the administration is gearing up to ensure all amenities are provided to the Sikhs.Sultanpur Lodhi is an important place of pilgrimage for the Sikhs since the first Sikh Guru had attained enlightenment and had spent almost 17 years of his life here.
Trump to meet Xi, Putin at G20 in Japan
President Donald Trump will meet an array of world leaders on the sidelines of this week's G20 summit in Japan, including China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin, a US official said Monday. Also on the list are Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Trump will also sit down with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman for talks that are especially timely given the soaring tensions between the United States and Iran. The meeting with the Chinese president -- which is highly anticipated as the two sides try to reach a deal on trade -- is expected to take place on Saturday, the second day of the summit, in Osaka. After the Group of 20 summit, the Republican president will head to Seoul. When asked if Trump was planning a visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the border of North and South Korea, the official neither confirmed nor .
Pompeo didn't discuss Khashoggi murder case with Saudi King: US official
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not discuss the murder of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi when he met Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on Monday in Jeddah, a senior State Department official said.When asked by the travelling press whether the issue of Khashoggi had come up during talks, the official said, "It did not," adding, "The meeting with the King was brief."The official could not confirm if the case had been raised with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), whom Pompeo met later, CNN reported."The Secretary, the King, and the Crown Prince discussed the heightened tensions in the region and the need for stronger maritime security to promote freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. They also agreed on the importance of working together with the Gulf Cooperation Council to counter the Iranian threat throughout the region and to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its malign behaviour," State Department press secretary Morgan Ortagus said in
Council of Europe assembly authorises Russia's return
The Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly agreed Tuesday to allow Russian representatives to return to the body, five years after it was stripped of its voting rights over the annexation of Crimea. Despite strong opposition from Ukraine, 118 parliamentarians from Council of Europe member states agreed that Russia could present a delegation, paving the way for it to participate in the election of a new secretary general for the pan-European rights body on Wednesday. Sixty-two members of the Strasbourg-based body's parliamentary assembly voted against the move and there were 10 abstentions following Monday's late-night debate. Moscow representatives were stripped of their voting rights after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Russia responded by boycotting the assembly, and has since 2017 refused to pay its 33-million-euro (USD 37-million) share of the annual budget of the human rights watchdog. It had threatened to quit the body altogether if it was not allowed to take part in
Lack of predictability, coherence in India-US strategic relationship: Congressman to Pompeo
On the eve of his arrival in New Delhi, a top US lawmaker Tuesday told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that there is lack of predictability and coherence in America's strategic relationship with India. Congressman Eliot L Engel, Chairman of House Committee on Foreign Affairs, in a letter urged Pompeo to not only reaffirm and strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, but also convey a coherent set of objectives and predictability to the new Indian government that will help this relationship reach its full potential. "I am deeply concerned by the inconsistencies between the administration's rhetoric and actions toward India, which are further exacerbated by the lack of a confirmed assistant secretary more than two years into this administration's term," Engel said in his letter to Pompeo. H said tensions have increased over each side's tariff policies, starting with the US "Section 232" tariffs on steel and aluminum. There is a growing view that the administration is attempting to ..
FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi briefs NATO on India-Pak tensions
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi met Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), here on Monday and briefed him on the security issues concerning the tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.Qureshi who met Stoltenberg here at intergovernmental alliance's headquarters in Belgium informed the latter that India was not willing to cooperate despite continued efforts by Islamabad, alongside its peace efforts for South Asia, Geo News reported.After the meeting, Qureshi was quoted as saying that the talks were important for the Pakistan-NATO understanding and relationship.Meanwhile, Stoltenberg appreciated Pakistan's efforts and sacrifices for peace and stability in the South and Central Asian region, particularly in Afghanistan.Qureshi on Sunday arrived in Brussels on a two-day official visit to sign a Long Term Strategic Engagement Dialogue agreement with European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security ...
US has no respect for international law: Iran's UN envoy on Trump's new sanctions
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi, on Monday said that Washington's decision to impose more sanctions was another indication that the United States "has no respect for international law and order."Addressing reporters outside the UN's headquarters in New York, Ravanchi urged Washington to stop its "economic war" against Iranians, Al Jazeera reported.On Monday, Trump announced that he is imposing new sanctions on Iran, stepping up a policy of pressuring the nation's leaders and the crippled Iranian economy in retaliation for what the United States says are recent aggressive acts by Tehran.The President said the order would bar Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his office from accessing the international financial system, according to The New York Times.The Treasury Department said in a statement that the Trump administration was also imposing sanctions on eight Iranian military commanders, including the head of a unit, that the Americans say ..
UN Security Council urges dialogue, end to US-Iran tensions
The UN Security Council on Monday called for dialogue and measures to end tensions in the Gulf, but Iran rejected talks with the United States after President Donald Trump imposed fresh sanctions. In a unanimous press statement drafted by Kuwait, the council condemned recent attacks on oil tankers, calling them a threat to the world's energy supply and to international peace and security. After a two-hour meeting, the council agreed on a statement that did not single out Iran but made clear that all sides should back away from a much-feared military confrontation. That joint stance from world powers came just hours after Trump slapped new sanctions on Iran, targeting supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and eight Iranian commanders. As the council met behind closed doors at Washington's request, Iran's UN ambassador told reporters that conditions were not ripe for dialogue with the United States. "You cannot start a dialogue with somebody who is threatening you, who is intimidating ..
Trump administration imposes sanctions on Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
President Donald Trump on Monday said that he is imposing economic sanctions on Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his ministry officials, a provocative action aimed at increasing pressure on the Islamic Republic in retaliation for what the United States says are recent aggressive acts by Tehran.A statement issued by the Office of the President's Press Secretary, said, "President Trump has signed an Executive Order today imposing sanctions on the Supreme Leader of Iran and the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran.""Further, the order allows the Secretary of the Treasury to impose sanctions on officials appointed to their position by the Supreme Leader," the statement read."These sanctions will deny Iran's leadership access to financial resources, blocking them from using the United States financial system or accessing any assets in the United States," it said."Anybody who conducts significant transactions with these sanctioned individuals may be exposed to sanctions ...
Iran rejects dialogue with US after fresh sanctions
Iran's UN ambassador said Monday that conditions were not ripe for a dialogue with the United States after President Donald Trump imposed new sanctions on Tehran. As the UN Security Council met behind closed doors, Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi told reporters that the United States must stop "its economic war against the Iranian people." "You cannot start a dialogue with somebody who is threatening you, who is intimidating you," said Ravanchi. "The atmosphere of such a dialogue is not ready yet." The ambassador spoke a few hours after the United States announced a raft of new sanctions that target Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and eight Iranian commanders. The US Treasury also said it plans to blacklist Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, stepping up pressure on Tehran to address US demands. "As long as this threat is there, there is no way that Iran and the US can start a dialogue," said the ambassador. Ravanchi renewed an appeal for talks with regional ...
VP Venkaiah Naidu pays tribute to Madan Lal Saini
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu paid tributes to Rajasthan BJP chief Madan Lal Saini at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here.Earlier, many other prominent BJP leaders paid tribute to the 75-year-old Rajya Sabha MP, who breathed his last here on Monday evening.Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP National Working President JP Nadda and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla paid tributes to the veteran leader.Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled Saini's death."The passing away of Shri Madanlal Saini Ji is a major loss for the BJP family. He contributed to strengthening the party in Rajasthan. He was widely respected for his congenial nature and community service efforts. My thoughts are with his family and supporters. Om Shanti," Modi tweeted.Calling him a "jan sevak", Shah said Saini played an important role in strengthening BJP in Rajasthan."I have received the sad news of the death of BJP's senior leader and Rajasthan party chief Shri Madan .