Page 1070 - Politics
Congress plans on AFSPA to put armed forces at risk: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the Congress of conspiring to put the lives of soldiers at risk by promising to amend the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).
Azad blames PM Modi, PDP-BJP govt for 'growing militancy' in J-K
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the erstwhile PDP-BJP government for "growing militancy" in the state, saying their policies were responsible for pushing Jammu and Kashmir back into the era of 1990-91."Narendra Modi's government at the Centre is responsible for creating an environment which forces the youth of the state to join militancy," Azad said at an election rally here.He added that during his time "militants were willing to surrender arms and return to mainstream whereas now militancy is growing in the state."He also slammed the Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party for forming a government in alliance with the BJP, according to Azad, whose leaders have been abusing the people of Kashmir for 70 years.The former Chief Minister of the state also blamed the previous BJP-PDP government for the state of affairs of the valley. "Bad days for the people of Kashmir started the day BJP-PDP government came to power," he
Azad blames PM Modi, erstwhile PDP-BJP govt for 'growing militancy' in J-K
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the erstwhile PDP-BJP government for "growing militancy" in Jammu and Kashmir, saying their policies were responsible for pushing the state back into the 1990-91 era."Narendra Modi's government at the Centre is responsible for creating an environment which forces the youth of the state to join militancy," Azad said at an election rally here.He added that during his time "militants were willing to surrender arms and return to mainstream whereas now militancy is growing in the state."He also slammed the Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party for forming a government in alliance with the BJP, according to Azad, whose leaders have been abusing the people of Kashmir for 70 years.The former Chief Minister of the state also blamed the previous BJP-PDP government for the state of affairs of the valley. "Bad days for the people of Kashmir started the day BJP-PDP government came to power," he ...
Will work for Pawan Bansal's victory from Chandigarh, says Navjot Kaur Sidhu
The decision of the party to field former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal from Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat is welcomed and we will work for his victory, said Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu on Wednesday.Sidhu, who was in the race for the party ticket from Chandigarh, the seat currently held by BJP's Kirron Kher, told ANI: "Pawan Kumar Bansal ji is a senior leader. I respect the party's decision and we will work towards his win. My vision was to work for the benefit of the youth in the area. The decision has been made and I welcome the decision of the party."Sidhu, whose husband Navjot Singh Sidhu is a Cabinet Minister in Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh led Congress government in Punjab, also clarified that she was not interested in fighting either from Bhatinda or Sangrur Lok Sabha seat even if the party gives her a ticket from any of these two constituencies."My house is only in Amritsar and Chandigarh, and one in Patiala. I cannot have any more of them. I am not a flying ...
Will teach Rahul how to fight elections on ground in Wayanad: Left parties
Not impressed by Rahul Gandhi's decision to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad in Kerala, Left parties Wednesday asserted that they will teach him how to "fight elections on the ground", even as the Congress said nothing will affect its chief's prospects in the state. We are fighting this polls to win, a senior CPI leader said, on the eve of Gandhi filing his nomination to fight the elections from the hill constituency. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) -- a coalition of left-wing parties in Kerala -- has fielded CPI's P P Suneer from the Wayanad parliamentary constituency, which has seven assembly segments, three each in Wayanad and Malappuram districts and one in Kozhikode district. CPI's Wayanad district leader, Vijayan Cherukara, said the LDF candidate has almost completed three phases of campaigning and he has directly connected with nearly four to five lakh voters. The fourth phase of campaign is meeting families and it will commence in two days. The Left feels that the ...
Cong fields MLA Chavda against Amit Shah on Gandhinagar seat
The Congress has fielded its MLA C J Chavda against BJP president Amit Shah from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat. The opposition party released a list of names late Tuesday night in which it mentioned four more candidates from the state, including Chavda. With this, the Congress has so far declared 18 candidates in Gujarat, where the last date of filing of nomination papers is April 4. Polling in all 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held on April 23 and the results will be declared on May 23. Chavda, a two-time MLA from Gandhinagar-North Assembly seat, said he will give a tough fight to Shah in the Lok Sabha polls. Besides Chavda, the Congress has also given ticket to Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convener Geeta Patel, a loyalist of Congress leader Hardik Patel, from Ahmedabad-East Lok Sabha seat. The party has fielded its Limbdi MLA Soma Patel from Surendranagar seat to take on BJP's Mahendra Munjpara. It has also given ticket to Murubhai Kandoriya from ...
Amit Shah slams Congress' silence on Kashmir PM
BJP President Amit Shah on Wednesday slammed the Congress for its silence on the National Conference chief Omar Abdullah's demand of a separate Prime Minister for Jammu and Kashmir.
Cong has DNA of maximum corruption, considers poverty political property: Naqvi
Taking a swipe at the Congress over its proposed NYAY scheme, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday said the party which has a "DNA of maximum corruption" is talking about giving minimum income to the poor. Naqvi, addressing a public meeting in Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, alleged that the Congress and the SP-BSP want to make a "coalition of crime" in Uttar Pradesh. Canvassing for Jaya Prada, the BJP candidate from Rampur Lok Sabha seat, Naqvi said those who failed in the Congress-SP alliance in UP Assembly polls, are now undertaking the "acid test" through the SP-BSP alliance. "But neither their chemistry nor their physics match," Naqvi was quoted as saying by a statement from his office. This alliance will also fail disastrously, the minority affairs minister claimed. Terming the Congress a "history-sheeter" in "making mockery of poverty", he said the party should realise that "mountain of slogans" cannot get votes for it. Despite being in power for decades, the Congress ...
EC seeks details of Namo TV from I& B Ministry
The Election Commission is learnt to have sought details of Namo TV from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry after the issue was flagged by the Congress and the Aam Admi Party which wanted to know whether political parties having own channels was violative of the model code of conduct. The Commission, among other issues, is learnt to have asked about details of the launch of the channel. The channel, also called 'Content TV', carries the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its logo. It was launched ahead of Lok Sabha polls beginning April 11. It is available on various DTH and cable TV platforms. It shows speeches of the PM and interviews of BJP leaders. The AAP had recently written to the EC complaining against Namo TV, asking the poll panel if political parties having TV channels was in adherence to the model code of conduct. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party asked the EC if the BJP had sought approval for the launch of the channel, which has Prime Minister Modi's ...
AAP leader, ex Goa Congress chief file nominations
Former state Congress President and now BJP candidate for the Shiroda Assembly by-poll Subhash Shirodkar and state AAP General Secretary and North Goa Lok Sabha candidate Pradeep Padgaonkar filed their nominations for their respective seats on Wednesday.
Mayawati terms Congress manifesto as 'facade', says it has deceived people in past
Bahujan Samajwadi Party supremo Mayawati on Wednesday called the Congress manifesto for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls as a facade' and said the party has deceived people in past.Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Mayawati said that the Congress party has failed to fulfil the promises that it made in past."Congress election manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls appears to be a showoff and facade just like its previous promises. Due to continuous work against its promises, no credibility is left for Congress among the people. In this case, both Congress and BJP are no different in non-fulfilling promises," the BSP supremo tweeted.Earlier on March 27, Mayawati had said that the BJP terming the Congress' Nyunatam Aay Yojana (Nyay) scheme a bluff is true, adding the two parties are "birds of the same feather."The Congress party on Tuesday had released its manifesto in which special focus has been on youth and farmers. From opening vacancies for job creation to providing a minimum support ...
Former Karnataka chief secretary K Ratna Prabha joins BJP
Former chief secretary of Karnataka, K Ratna Prabha, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Wednesday.Talking to ANI, Prabha said, "I decided to join BJP because it is the most popular national party today. The Prime Minister is striving for development in a unique manner by visiting every village of the state."Elaborating on the reasons why she joined the BJP, she said, "After retirement, I wanted to serve the nation and I think the best way to do it is by joining BJP."She further said that the leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, BS Yeddyurappa, invited her to join the party and she was interested in the same."Politics is the best way to reach out to people. I want to work for the underprivileged and women," she said."My heart lies in Kalaburagi and I am happy to join the party from here," said Prabha who began her career as the Assistant Commissioner of Police from Kalaburagi, going on to work as a Divisional Commissioner from here ...
BJP fields Malayalam star Suresh Gopi from Thrissur
Malayalam superstar and sitting Rajya Sabha member Suresh Gopi, who has been named as the Thrissur Lok Sabha candidate by the BJP, says he is humbled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's confidence in him.
Mayawati hints she is contender for PM's post
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday hinted at being a contender for the Prime Minister's post, saying the situation will become clear after the election results.
'Brijwasi' vs 'outsider' contest on cards in Mathura
Bollywood's 'dream girl' Hema Malini had a dream run in the last Lok Sabha polls but her electoral rivals claim she neglected her constituency and wasn't approachable during her term and Brijwasis would reject her this time. But Hema Malini is pinning her hopes on the work the Narendra Modi government has done in the past five years. She is up against Narendra Singh of the RLD, which is part of the alliance with the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, and Congress's Mahesh Pathak. The opposition is also billing it a 'Brijwasi vs outsider contest' claiming that Hema Malini was never approachable during her entire term. The opinion of voters was somewhat divided. Some fell that the Balakot air strike and Mission Shakti could be electoral issues while for others, problems of farmers, unemployment and lack of development are major issues here. "We don't know Hema Malini but we have full faith in Modi. Sometimes you have to forget own problems for the sake of the country," said a ...
'Amending AFSPA will dilute armed forces' immunity'
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday slammed the Congress for its election promise to amend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and accused the opposition party of supporting separatists and anti-national elements.
Modi tears into Cong, says its manifesto encourages separatism
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday made a scathing attack on Congress for "sympathising" with elements who disrespect the national flag and chant 'Bharat tere tudke honge', after the grand old party's manifesto promised to scrap the sedition law if voted to power."They have formulated a programme to encourage violence and those who disrespect the national flag, chant 'Bharat tere tudke honge', dance to the tunes of foreign powers, insult our legacy, and break idols of Baba Bhim Rao Ambedkar. They have sympathy for such people," he said, addressing a rally in Pasighat in East Siang district.Calling the Congress manifesto a "hypocritical document", the Prime Minister said, "They have promised to scrap the sedition law which is against those who don't believe in the Constitution. Should punishment not be awarded to those who commit treason?""If anti-nationals get a free hand, will you face problems or not? The country will also have to face it. Is this not an attempt to strengthen
LS polls: Congress releases list of 4 candidates for West Bengal
The Congress on Wednesday released a list of four candidates for the West Bengal Lok Sabha polls.The party has fielded Syed Shahid Imam from Kolkata Uttar, Lakshman Chandra Seth from Tamluk, Khandakar Mohammad Saifullah from Ghatal and Biswarup Mondal from Asansol.West Bengal will go to polls in all seven phases of the Lok Sabha elections which will begin on April 11 and conclude on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.The seven-phased Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held from April 11 till May 19. The result will be announced on May 23.
BSP's new ally Pawan Kalyan roots for Mayawati as PM
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has stitched an alliance with actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party (JSP) which has a strong presence in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.At a joint press conference with the BSP supremo, Pawan Kalyan asserted that he would support Mayawati's candidature for the post of the Prime Minister. "We want to see Behenji Mayawati as the PM of this great nation. We want her experience and administrative calibre to guide this country. This is our agenda; we will do our best to make sure she gets all the support from both the Telugu speaking states," he said.Mayawati took on the Congress party accusing it of not doing enough for the Andhra-Telangana region despite being in power for several years. She blamed the Congress for neglecting the region due to which the demand for a separate state grew strong.Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will vote for 25 and 17 Lok Sabha seats respectively on April 11. State elections will be held in AP simultaneously.
Inspections necessary for N Korea, says IAEA chief
Amidst stalled denuclearisation talks, the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano outlined the need for steadfast inspections in North Korea to advance the denuclearisation process.Speaking to NHK World, the chief said that while summits between USA and North Korea are necessary, "promises without steadfast inspections have no meaning".He added that "steadfast inspections" ensure that agreements last for long while referring to the current situation in North Korea. Yukiya also said that while countries like the USA should carry out inspections, agencies like IAEA should also undertake probes.Speaking further on North Korea, the IAEA chief said that it is an "indisputable fact" that North Korea has expanded its nuclear activities in the past decade.He also added that the IAEA would be ready to send its inspectors to North Korea within weeks of a deal being worked out with the nation.South Korea's spy agency, National Intelligence Service, recently said that ...