Page 1031 - Politics
PM Modi eats Birayni in Pak, hugs in China but doesn't meet villagers in Varanasi: Priyanka Gandhi
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary in-charge for eastern Uttar Pradesh, on Friday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for hugging foreign leaders and "having biryani in Pakistan but ignoring villagers of Varanasi".Addressing a public gathering during a roadshow in Ghaziabad, Priyanka said, "Fifteen days back I went to Varanasi, I had thought that the Prime Minister must have worked hard in his constituency. I asked people has he come here? I was told he does come but only gives speeches and leaves.They told me that he does big rallies and leaves"."I was surprised that the Prime Minister didn't get even five minutes of time to visit a family in any of the villages of his parliamentary constituency. He went to Japan and hugged there, went to Pakistan and had Biryani, went to China and hugged but have you ever seen him hugging any poor family of Varanasi," she added.Priyanka also launched a direct attack at Prime Minister Modi by alleging that he repeatedly mentions
PAF claims of recovering intact missile seeker head hollow, one of the missile exploded: Sources
Indian Air Force (IAF) sources have refuted the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) claims of recovering missile seekers heads intact while asserting that one of the missiles had exploded.Earlier in the day, PAF's DG ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor had tweeted a picture by claiming that four missile seeker heads were recovered intact from the wreckage of the IAF's MiG-21 which had fallen in Pakistan's territory."IAF claim of hitting F-16 by their Mig-21 before having been shot down by PAF gets exposed. All 4 missile seeker heads recovered intact from the wreckage and held. Pakistan and its professional Armed Forces staying humble by not drum beating. We have more truth on this to share," wrote Ghafoor in a tweet along with a picture of 4 missiles.IAF sources, however, have asserted that the last missile on the right hand of the picture shared by Ghafoor had in fact exploded.A picture of the Pakistani AIM 9L seeker head of the missile that shot an Indian UAV in 2002, ..
Bihar: Chanwadi village undergoing water crisis
Banka (Bihar) [India] Apr 5, (ANI): Chanwadi village in Banka district of Bihar is going through an acute water crisis forcing the residents to drink water from dirty ponds.Comprising a population of around 800 people, the villagers do not have access to potable water.The village comes under the constituency of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Member of Parliament (MP) Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav."There are no government facilities and people are falling sick after drinking dirty water. There is not a single hand pump or well in the village. The government has not fulfilled any of its promises," said Sheila Devi, a resident."Politicians seek votes at the time of elections but never come back to fulfil their promises. Humans and animals drink the same water in our village," added another dweller Sarju Pujhar.
EC to consult its legal experts before taking final call on release date of PM Modi's biopic
The Election Commission Friday decided to consult its legal experts before taking a final decision on whether to restrain the release of the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi till the Lok Sabha polls are over. "The matter is now in the Supreme Court where it is listed for April 8. Since the EC has been made a party, the commission will discuss the situation with its legal experts on way forward," a functionary explained. Sources said there is a strong view in the EC that it should not restrain the release of the biopic on the prime minister and should leave it to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to take a call on the issue. Opposition parties, including the Congress, had alleged that the film will give undue advantage to the BJP in electioneering and its release should be delayed till the polls are over. The seven-phased Lok Sabha polls begin on April 11 and end on May 19. The model code of conduct, which among other things, calls for an even-playing field for all ..
Advani's statement timely, important: Sam Pitroda
Veteran BJP leader L K Advani's assertion that his party did not consider political adversaries as anti-national was "timely", Congress leader Sam Pitroda said here Friday. He also drew parallels between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking at an event organised by the All India Professionals Congress, the technocrat-turned-politician also said there was "something wrong" with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) though he could not point it out. "I think what he has said is very timely and important," he said to a question about Advani's statement in a blog Thursday. "He said two things - first nation, then party, then self. Modi today is all about self-promotion. Two, he said if somebody disagrees with us, doesn't mean they are anti-national. I respect that, I agree with him. I thank him for saying this at the right time. That is a leader," Pitroda said. Taking potshots at Modi, he said there were similarities between him and Donald ...
Pro-incumbency wave in the country: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed confidence that his government will get a massive mandate from the people as there is a "pro-incumbency wave" in the country. He hit out at the Congress for its promises on national security and asked that if it suits the party to "ridicule" the Army in such a way. Modi also slammed the Congress for proposing to repeal the sedition law in its manifesto, saying the party that booked 6,000 people under the law in Tamil Nadu for protesting against a nuclear plant is now preaching the world. "Do you (the Congress) want that talk of disintegration of the country be strengthened," he said in an interview to ABP News. He also attacked the Congress for its alliance with the National Conference, saying, "(NC leader) Omar Abdullah says that there should be two prime ministers in the country. Now the Congress party has to give an answer that your partner is saying that...what is your stand?" Asked about the challenge of securing more seats than ...
EC lets off Adityanath over 'Modiji ki sena' remark, asks him to be more careful
The Election Commission (EC) is learnt to have let off Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with a light rap for his "Modiji ki sena" remark, asking him to be more careful in the future. Not satisfied with the remarks, the EC is learnt to have told him that be "more careful in his utterances in future", sources said. They said the EC also told Adityanath that since he is a senior politician holding an important position, his remarks should reflect his stature. The commission was not satisfied with his reply in which he is learnt to have hailed the role of the EC in conducting polls. The EC had issued the Uttar Pradesh chief minister a show cause notice based on a video clip submitted by the Ghaziabad district magistrate which showed Adityanath making the remarks at the election rally there on Sunday. Adityanath, who addressed election meetings in Ghaziabad and Greater Noida on Sunday, had lashed out at the Congress for what he called was its "soft approach towards terrorism ...
India's demand for consular access to Jadhav not appropriate as case is in ICJ: Pak
Pakistan on Monday said that India's demand for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav is not appropriate at this point as the case is pending in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal, addressing media in Islamabad said India has so far not given response to Pakistan's questions about the passport of Jadhav who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017. Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy. During a media briefing, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman said the case is in ICJ and the question of consular access was "not appropriate at this point". On the issue of abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that provides ...
HC refuses to interfere in conduct code violation case
The Delhi High Court on Friday rejected to grant any interim relief on a plea alleging violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) by the Andhra Pradesh government.
Will not accept repealing of Article 370 of Indian Constitution: Pakistan
In an intriguing statement, Pakistan said it will not "accept" abrogation of Article 370 in Indian Constitution which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir.Radio Pakistan quoted Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Dr. Mohammad Faisal as saying, "Pakistan will never accept the repeal of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which guarantees special status for Jammu and Kashmir. He said Kashmiri people will also not allow this to happen ever. Besides violating the rights of Kashmiris, it will also contravene the relevant UNSC resolutions."On the Kartarpur Corridor issue, the FO spokesperson said that Islamabad regretted New Delhi's decision to postpone the meeting.India postponed the second round of talks on Kartarpur corridor after reports surfaced about the appointment of controversial elements by Pakistan in a committee associated with the Corridor.In a statement, meanwhile, Islamabad reflected hypocrisy by stating that it is committed to complete its side of Kartarpur Corridor ...
Intercepted Pakistani radio communications confirm Wing Commander Abhinandan shot down Pak F-16
The Indian Air Force on Friday asserted that electronic signatures had shown that it shot down an F-16 plane of Pakistan Air Force on February 27, amid claims by an American magazine that no F-16 was missing in the Pakistan armoury.According to an IAF statement, the fighter jet was shot down opposite the Nowshera sector in Pakistan occupied Kashmir."During the aerial engagement that followed after Pakistani attack, one MiG-21 Bison of the Air Force shot down one F-16 in the Nowshera sector," the statement read.IAF sources said radio communication of Pakistan Air Force, intercepted by it, confirmed that one of the F-16s that attacked India on February 27 did not return to its base.In one of the intercepts of the Pakistan's 7 Northern Light Infantry unit, the Pakistani soldiers could be heard saying that, "ye enemy ka jo tabah hua hai parinda, woh dono parinde wale pakad liye hain (the enemy plane which has been destroyed, we have been able to catch both the pilots from it)."The first ..
EC orders transfer of Andhra Chief Secretary
The Election Commission Friday ordered the transfer of Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Anil Chandra Punetha and posted IAS officer L V Subrahmanyam in his place, officials said. The EC has asked the state government to effect the order by Saturday forenoon. The poll panel's move comes in the backdrop of Andhra Pradesh government reportedly refusing to shift three IPS officers -- Director General of Police (Intelligence) A B Venkateswara Rao and two Superintendents of Police -- in violation of EC instructions. The ECI directed that Punetha, scheduled to retire from service May-end, be posted to a 'non-election' position. Punetha had filed a writ petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court on March 27, challenging the EC order transferring DG (Intelligence) Rao. In the petition, he contended that the EC did not have any "untrammelled powers" to interfere with the course of administration that is unconnected to polling. ''The EC cannot engage in unchecked, arbitrary and uncanalised exercise
Cong complains to EC against PM's Wardha speech, calling it 'hateful, divisive'
The Congress on Friday moved the EC against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in Maharashtra's Wardha city in which he said the opposition party was "scared" to field its leaders from constituencies where majority dominates, alleging that the comments were "hateful and divisive". A delegation of Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Randeep Surjewala made five representations to the Election Commission (EC). In the representations, the party sought action against the prime minister's alleged "divisive" speech and BJP chief Amit Shah's "non-disclosure" of liabilities in his election affidavit. It also complained regarding "cash for votes conspiracy" in Arunachal Pradesh, "conspiracy to illegally tamper" with EVMs in tribal areas, especially in Palghar, Maharashtra, and sought immediate transfer of the Joint Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, Deven Bharti. Complaining against the prime minister's speech in Wardha, the Congress alleged that Modi made ...
IAEA asks Saudis for safeguards on first nuclear reactor
The head UN nuclear inspector said Friday that his agency is asking Saudi Arabia to agree to safeguards on nuclear material for its first atomic reactor that could arrive by the end of the year. Satellite imagery recently emerged of the project on the outskirts of Riyadh, which comes amid controversy in Washington over what Democrats say is President Donald Trump's rush to approve nuclear projects with the oil-rich kingdom. But Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said there was nothing secret about the reactor and that Saudi Arabia informed the Vienna-based UN body about its plans in 2014. He said the IAEA has encouraged Saudi Arabia to sign a comprehensive safeguards agreement, under which the agency ensures that nuclear material is not being diverted to weapons use. Saudi Arabia has a weaker accord designed for countries with minimal quantities of nuclear material -- which Amano said was fine until the kingdom imports significant amounts. "We ...
Rahuls claim of farmers debt waiver in MP brazen lie: Shivraj
Senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chauhan Friday termed a "lie" Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's claim that farm loans were waived within days of his party assuming power in Madhya Pradesh and alleged that under the Kamal Nath government farmers were being driven to suicide. Chouhan, a former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, said Gandhi had recently claimed that the loans were waived within 10 days of the party coming to power in the state as per its poll promise. "The brazenness of his lie is evident from the fact that despite his party being in power for more than 100 days, farmers applying for loan waiver are being told that their requests cannot be processed because the Model Code of Conduct is in force. "The Congress is using the MCC to hoodwink people. The election law clearly states that there is no bar on providing the people with benefits of an existing scheme," Chouhan said. Gandhi, he said, had also promised that if the chief minister failed to waive farmers' loans, he would be ..
EC shunts out Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary
In a major development only days before the polling in Andhra Pradesh, the Election Commission of India (EC) on Friday shunted out Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Anil Chandra Punetha for allegedly defying its order to transfer three top police officials.
IAF refutes report saying no F-16 was shot down
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday retierated that the plane shot down in an aerial engagement by a Mig-21 in Nowshera sector on February 27 was an F-16, rejecting a claim in a report that none of the Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) US-supplied jets was found missing after a recent count.
2019 LS poll to be fought on nationalism, says Fadnavis
The 2019 Lok Sabha polls is a contest between "nationalists" and those taking "favours from anti-national elements", Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said here Friday. He was addressing a rally in Amgaon town in Gondia district for the BJP's Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha candidate Ashok Nete. "This general election is a contest between nationalists and people who take favours from anti national elements. This election will decide the respect, safety and progress of the nation," Fadnavis said. He said the Congress spoke of eradicating poverty for several decades but had had failed to do so. But PM Modi's government has been implementing poverty alleviation schemes, as well as projects like the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana, Fadnavis said. He said the NDA government had given constitutional status to the Other Backward Classes Commission.
Modi to address two public meetings in Odisha on Saturday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah will campaign for party candidates in Odisha on Saturday and Sunday respectively. While Modi is scheduled to address two election rallies in Sundergarh and Sonepur on Saturday, Shah would attend the BJP's Vijay Sankalp Samabesh at Polsara and Bargarh on Sunday, party sources said. BJP sources said Shah will again campaign in Odisha on April 9. Congress president Rahul Gandhi is also scheduled to visit south Odisha to campaign for his candidates on April 9, informed OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik. Rahul Gandhi is likely to attend a public meeting at Digapahandi in Ganjam district on April 9. On April 9, Amit Shah will take out a roadshow from Singha Dwara of Shree Jagannath Temple to Badasankha in Puri on April 9, party sources said. BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is also scheduled to attend a public meeting at Berhampur on Saturday. Election to the 14 Lok Sabha seats and 147-member ...
Nomination papers of TMC's Kokrajhar candidate rejected
The nomination papers of Trinamool Congress candidate in Kokrajhar Lok Sabha constituency in Assam were rejected during scrutiny on Friday, the election office here said. Besides papers Trinamool Congress nominee Kamala Kanta Daimary, those of two Independent candidates of Kokrajhar were also rejected. The TMC has fielded candidates in nine of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. Party supremo Mamata Banerjee campaigned in Dhubri on Friday. The nine other nominations filed for Kokrajhar constituency were found valid, the election office said in a statement. Papers of all the 19 candidates in Gauhati, 14 in Barpeta and 17 in Dhubri seats were also found valid. The three-phase voting for 14 seats in Assam will take place on April 11, 18 and 23.