Page 1063 - Politics
Smriti Irani on 2-day Amethi visit from Thursday
Union Textiles minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani will begin on Thursday a two-day visit to Amethi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. Party convenor of Amethi Lok Sabha seat, Rajesh Agrahari, said Irani will be addressing a Kisan Rally in Parshedpur under the Amethi parliamentary constituency. Irani is the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for Amethi this time again. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi had defeated Irani by a margin of over 1.07 lakh votes, retaining the Amethi seat.
Congress, TDP 'hurting' morale of armed forces: Rajnath Singh
Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh Wednesday lashed out at the Congress and the TDP for "hurting" the morale of the armed forces by casting aspersions on the surgical strikes on the terror camps in Pakistan. Addressing an election rally in support of the BJP at Avanigadda in Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh, he said the Indian Air Force stormed into Pakistan and conducted surgical strikes after the Phulwama terror attack in which over 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives. The erstwhile Congress-led government never took any retaliatory action when terrorists struck. But, after the Phulwama terror attack, our Air Force went into Pakistani territory and eliminated terrorists in surgical strikes. "But the Congress and the TDP have been critical of our surgical strikes, hurting the morale of our armed forces, the Home Minister said. The BJP government would never allow terrorists or economic offenders to go scot free, he asserted. Singh said ...
CM takes dig at Pawar over his decision to not contest polls
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Wednesday took a jibe at NCP chief Sharad Pawar who recently announced that he would not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, contrary to indications that he might enter the poll arena. Addressing a rally at Gondia in east Maharashtra with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on dais, the chief minister, without taking name of Pawar, said the captain of the team against the BJP has already refused to play. "The BJP is fighting such opponents in Bhandara-Gondiya (Lok Sabha constituency) whose captain has refused to play at the very beginning," he said. Fadnavis was apparently referring to Pawar's decision to not contest the elections amidst speculations that he might enter the poll fray from Madha seat. "Similarly, the so-called vice captain Praful Patel has also refused to play. (NCP) supporter Nana Patole is now contesting from Nagpur from where he is set to lose badly and forfeit his election deposit," he said. Patole is facing
Mehbooba, 9 others file nominations from Anantnag LS seat
Jammu and Kashmir's former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party, state Congress chief G.A. Mir and Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference filed their nomination papers from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat on Wednesday.
JMM names LS candidates, Shibu Soren from Dumka
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Wednesday announced the names of its four candidates in the Lok Sabha elections in the state, with party President Shibu Soren set to contest from Dumka.
EC seeks I&B Ministry's response on Namo TV launch
The Election Commission (EC) has sought details of "Namo TV" from the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry on complaints filed by the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), sources said on Wednesday.
Withdrawal of security to political activists arbitrary: Tarigami
The Jammu and Kashmir government's decision to withdraw security of political activists of different parties, including the CPI(M), was arbitrary and unjustified, senior party leader M Y Tarigami said on Wednesday. The decision has been taken at a time when election process is in full swing and it could endanger the lives of these leaders and activists, the Communist Party of India(Marxist) leader said. "Political process in violence-hit Kashmir is itself a difficult task. The activists cutting across political lines are risking their lives and doing their bit to strengthen the process of peace. Administration should encourage them by protecting them," Tarigami said. The least the administration can do is to provide them security, he asserted. "However, unfortunately, security cover of activists, cutting across political spectrum, has been withdrawn," he said. Security cover of three prominent leaders of CPI (M) namely Mohammad Afzal Parray, Sham Prasad Kesar and Mohammad Yousuf Lone .
UK junior Brexit minister quits over further delay to departure
Junior Brexit minister Chris Heaton-Harris became the second government member to resign on Wednesday after Prime Minister Theresa May said she would ask to delay Brexit again. Heaton-Harris said in a letter to May that he would have wanted Britain to leave the European Union on the scheduled departure date of March 29, adding: "I simply cannot support any further extension." Heaton-Harris, who was responsible for no-deal Brexit preparations, said Britain "would have swiftly overcome any immediate issues of leaving without a deal and gone on to thrive". He said May's announcement showed she did not want to leave the EU without a negotiated deal. "That obviously makes my job in government irrelevant," he said. May held talks with Labour main opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn in a bid to forge a Brexit compromise, which has enraged the staunchly pro-Brexit wing of her Conservative Party. Junior Wales minister Nigel Adams earlier resigned in protest at what he said was May's "grave error" .
NCP's Supriya Sule & Cong's Mohan Joshi file nominations
NCP MP Supriya Sule and Congress leader Mohan Joshi filed their nominations here Wednesday for Baramati and Pune Lok Sabha constituencies respectively. A joint rally, organised by NCP, Congress and other allies, was attended by NCP leader and former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Congress leader Harshvardhan Patil and other leaders from both the parties. During the rally, Sule, daughter of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and sitting MP from Baramati, said if the UPA is voted to power after the elections, it will provide complete loan waiver to farmers, just the way it had done in 2009. "The BJP could not fulfil the promises it had made five years ago. Now they have started criticising at personal level. This election is not about our family, it is about our nation's election," said Sule. She also took a dig at the BJP for allowing dance bars to function in the state. Polling for Pune and Baramati seats will be held on April 23.
Centre opposes EC's stand in SC on electoral bonds; justifies issuing them
The Centre Wednesday opposed in the Supreme Court the concerns raised by the Election Commission on issuing electoral bonds and justified the changes in law saying it was "a pioneer step" to bring poll reforms "ensuring transparency" and "accountability" in political funding. The government in its fresh affidavit said that the massive amount of political donations were earlier made in cash by individuals or corporates using "illicit means of funding" under the old system and unaccounted black money was pumped in for financing elections. The Centre's stand is significant as the poll panel in its affidavit said that the changes made in several laws by the central government will have "serious repercussions" on transparency. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi Wednesday said it will hear the pleas challenging the validity of the Centre's decision on issuance of electoral bonds for political funding on April 5. It told advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for one of the ...
No wish to contest LS polls, but ready to fight from anywhere if party wants: Bhupinder Hooda
Amid speculations that he could contest from Sonipat, senior Congress leader and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday said he does not wish to contest the 2019 parliamentary polls, but was ready to fight from anywhere in the state if his party wants. The two-time chief minister said he will not hesitate to take on Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in case the BJP leader, who is a legislator from Karnal, decides to fight the Lok Sabha polls. "I do not wish to contest the Lok Sabha polls, but I am a disciplined solider of my party. My party is my priority. I will abide by whatever it says," Bhupinder Hooda said. When asked if he could contest from the Sonipat parliamentary seat, the former CM replied, "I have said that I will go by whatever my party says. I can contest from anywhere (on any LS seat) in the state if they say so". "I am confident that Congress will win all the 10 Lok Sabha seats," he said, adding the party will decide on the nominees from the .
India lost 1.1 crore jobs in 2018; 90 lakh lost in rural areas alone: civil society groups
India lost 1.1 crore jobs, including 90 lakh in the rural sector, in 2018 alone, claimed a "chargesheet" released on Wednesday by a group of civil society organisations on the NDA government's five-year tenure. According to the document, released about a week before the general election starts, demonetisation in November 2016 has resulted in 35 lakh jobs being lost. It claimed at least 75 people, including children, died of hunger across 10 states since 2015. The cause of death, it stated, was "prolonged hunger." Also, nearly 42 of these people died because they were denied rations as their Aadhaar linkage did not function or they were not enrolled in the scheme, the chargesheet alleged. It, however, did not cite the source of its data. Announcing People's Agenda or 'Jan Sarokar 2019' at a press conference here, representatives of various campaigns demanded accountability from political parties, emphasising the "days when political parties made empty promises is over". They also ...
Cong manifesto favours separatists, terrorists: BJP
Intensifying its attack on the Congress over the issue of national security, the BJP Wednesday alleged that various provisions in the opposition party's Lok Sabha polls manifesto posed a threat to the country as those favoured separatists and terrorists, and demoralised the armed forces. Defence Minister and BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters that the Congress's manifesto, which was released on Tuesday, was not in national interest and indirectly helped terrorists and others working against the country. She cited the opposition party's promise to review the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and repeal section 124A (sedition law) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to attack it. AFSPA gives the armed forces certain protection from legal action in carrying out their operations in disturbed areas. "Are you writing the manifesto to help separatists?," Sitharaman asked at a press conference here. Insisting that her party was not against withdrawing AFSPA if the situation ...
Jeremy Corbyn target practice film emerges ahead of PM May's crucial meeting with opposition leader
A video appearing to show British soldiers firing shots at a poster of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for target practice has triggered a controversy, ahead of embattled Prime Minister Theresa May's crucial talks with the opposition leader to break the Brexit deadlock. In the short clip, four paratroopers in uniform appear to use a large portrait of Corbyn for target practice, the BBC reported. The Labour Party has called the behaviour alarming but said it has confidence in the Ministry of Defence to investigate. It is not known when the footage was filmed. It is believed the clip first circulated on Snapchat before being posted on Twitter, the report said. Reacting to the video, an Army chief said it showed a serious error of judgment. Brigadier Nick Perry said the Army was taking the matter "extremely seriously" and would fully investigate. "The video shows totally unacceptable behaviour that falls far below the behaviour that we expect," he said. Brig Perry, commander of 16 Air ...
Nigel Adams, Junior Wales minister resign amid May, Corbyn talks
A junior Wales minister resigned on Tuesday (local time) after Prime Minister Theresa May decided to meet Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to break the Brexit deadlock.Nigel Adams, in his resignation letter, accused the Prime Minister of "cooking up" a deal with Corbyn "who has never once in his political life put British interests first."May is expected to meet Corbyn later Wednesday. This decision of talks was taken during seven hours of the cabinet meeting, reported Xinhua.On this offer, Corbyn responded that he was "very happy" to meet May, adding that he recognised his "responsibility to represent the people that supported Labour in the last election and the people who didn't support Labour."No resolution seems to be in sight for the UK as the British Parliament had earlier rejected a "no-deal Brexit" scenario.The EU, on the other hand, has reiterated on multiple occasions that the previously negotiated Withdrawal Agreement, which has now been rejected thrice, is the best that ..
Curbs on civilian traffic on Jammu-Srinagar highway
No civilian traffic will be allowed on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Sundays and Wednesdays from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m. to ensure the safety of convoys of security forces, the government announced on Wednesday.
Decide complaint against Andhra government: HC to EC
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Election Commission (EC) to decide a complaint alleging violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the Andhra Pradesh government.
After ugly Twitter spat with AAP lawmaker, Lamba asks public if she should resign from party
Disgruntled AAP MLA Alka Lamba Wednesday asked the people outside Jama Masjid here whether she should resign from the Aam Aadmi Party as her "party people" were "repeatedly demanding" her resignation. Her visit to Jama Masjid followed a bitter Twitter spat with party lawmaker Saurabh Bharadwaj, who had taunted her to resign from the party. Addressing a large crowd that gathered around her, Chandni Chowk MLA said AAP was repeatedly demanding her resignation and sought to know from the people "I am fighting against BJP but some people are fighting with me. My party people are repeatedly asking me to resign. I want to know what is my fault. Why should I resign? I want the people of my constituency Chandni Chowk to decide whether I should resign from AAP or not," Lamba said. She also said that the only way to defeat the BJP is that AAP and Congress join hands. Lamba said that this was the second time her party had asked her to resign after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought her ..
Back full statehood for Delhi, AAP urges Congress
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday wrote to Congress President Rahul Gandhi asking him to support full statehood for Delhi.
Congress banks on Digvijay to breach saffron bastion of Bhopal
Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh's entry into the Lok Sabha poll fray from Bhopal, a traditional BJP seat, has added an interesting angle into the contest which is going to be prestigious battle for both the parties. However, the BJP has not yet zeroed in on a suitable candidate to take on the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, known as 'Raja Sahab' among his followers, who is contesting his first Lok Sabha elections since 1991. In order to wrest Bhopal from the BJP, the Congress has fielded Singh (72) from the state capital to give a tough challenge to the saffron party which has not lost from here since 1989. The Bhopal seat is currently held by Alok Sanjar of the BJP. The Congress won Bhopal last time in 1984 when the party candidate K N Pradhan registered victory from here, riding the Indira Gandhi assassination sympathy wave. The surprise move of the Congress to field Singh has forced the BJP to redraw its strategy for retaining Bhopal, the high-profile ...