Page 1080 - Politics
Opposition speaks Pakistan's language on terror: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attacked the opposition, accusing them of "speaking the language of Pakistan" on terror while his government had cracked down on terrorist activities and ensured security in the country.
No HC stay on no-trust motion against civic body chief
The Calcutta High Court Tuesday refused to pass any interim stay on a no-confidence motion brought against Bhatpara Municipality chairman Arjun Singh, who recently left the TMC to join the BJP. Claiming that one of the 21 councillors who signed the no-confidence motion has filed a police complaint alleging that she was forced to vet it, Singh moved the high court challenging the motion. He prayed for a stay on the no-confidence motion, a notice for which was given by the councillors on March 18. The West Bengal government opposed his prayer for injunction claiming that there was no illegality in the motion. Refusing to pass any interim injunction on it, Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed the state government to file an affidavit within four weeks stating the reasons for opposing Singh's petition. The court also directed Singh to file an affidavit in reply within the next two weeks after the government files its opposition. Of the 35 seats of Bhatpara Municipality, 34 were won by ..
Rahul to address election rallies in Vidarbha this week
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will launch the Maharashtra phase of his party's Lok Sabha poll campaign from Vidarbha during a two-day visit beginning April 4, party sources said. Gandhi is scheduled to hold public rallies in Nagpur, Chandrapur and Wardha, which are among the seven Lok Sabha constituencies that will vote on April 11 in the first round, the sources said. In Pune, which will vote on April 23 in the third phase, he is set to hold an interactive session with students, they said. Gandhi had held rallies in Mumbai and Dhule last month before the model code of conduct came into force on March 10. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also likely to campaign for the party in the state, the sources said, adding programme details have not been finalised yet. The Congress is contesting 25 out of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, which sends the second highest number of MPs to the Lower House of Parliament. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the .
EU cannot be 'held hostage' to Brexit crisis: Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday warned the European Union could not "be held hostage" to the Brexit crisis and said that a lengthy extension of the deadline for Britain to leave the bloc was "not a certainty". Speaking during a visit to Paris by Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, the French leader said: "The EU cannot be held hostage to the resolution of a political crisis in the United Kingdom on a long-term basis." He added that France was "open" to a lengthy extension of the Brexit deadline on certain conditions but that it was "neither a certainty nor automatic. I am repeating it here with conviction.
Cong manifesto makes 'traitors, separatists' happy: Swaraj
Union Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday slammed the Congress' manifesto claiming it made "traitors and separatists happy". The Congress Tuesday released its manifesto for the April-May Lok Sabha polls. The 55-page document titled 'Hum Nibhayenge' (We will deliver) talks about doing away with the sedition law, as claimed by Union Minister Arun Jaitley in a press conference in Delhi. Among other things, the Congress manifesto promises a sum of Rs 72,000 each to five crore poor families under the 'Nyay' scheme, filling up 22 lakh government vacancies, bringing a separate budget for farmers and fixing a single moderate GST rate. Swaraj was addressing a BJP women workers' meet here for the party's Nagpur Lok Sabha candidate and Union minister Nitin Gadkari. "The Congress manifesto has made deshdrohi (traitor) and algavwadi (separatist) people happy. It is unfortunate for the country that on one side Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving a befitting reply to Pakistan's ...
Azali confirmed winner of disputed Comoros vote
The Supreme Court in Comoros on Tuesday confirmed Azali Assoumani as the winner of the disputed presidential election held last week in the volatile Indian Ocean archipelago. Azali was declared the winner with 59 per cent of the votes, well ahead of his rivals Mahamoudou Ahamada who scored 15,7 per cent and Mouigni Baraka Said Soilihi, who was a distant third with 5,5 percent of the ballots cast. "Having obtained the absolute majority, Azali Assoumani is proclaimed president of the republic," said the country's judge president Harmia Ahmed. The results were confirmed at a heavily guarded court house in Moroni. The opposition has complained of widespread fraud and irregularities in the elections held in the country on March 24. Observers and community groups have questioned the credibility of the election held on March 24. Violence broke out last week after defeated one of the presidential candidates Soilihi Mohamed, who came fourth in the vote, was arrested. Soilihi Mohamed, a widely .
Congress promises to establish CDS, reform NSA office
The Congress on Tuesday promised to establish the office of Chief Defence Staff (CDS), provide a statutory basis to the National Security Council (NSC) and the office of National Security Advisor (NSA) as well as re-establish the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) to boost national security.
Meghalaya CM stresses strong regional unity to be heard in
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said that people in Delhi were too far away to understand the issues and problems of the North East and urged citizens of the region to stand together for fulfilling their aspirations. Sangma, who is president of National People's Party (NPP), highlighted how unity among people of the Northeast helped foil passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Regional parties like NPP, United Democratic Party, the Peoples Democratic Front and the Hill State Peoples Democratic Party have come together to field a common candidate under the banner of ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) on both the two Lok Sabha seats in the state. Jemino Mawthoh, general secretary of the UDP, is the common candidate of the MDA for the Shillong seat while Agatha K Sangma of the NPP is their joint nominee in Tura constituency. The people in Delhi are too far away to understand the issues and problems faced by the people of North East. Different ..
Never sought poll ticket from BJP since 1989: Sumitra Mahajan
As suspense continued over the BJP's nominee from Indore constituency, Lok Sabha Speaker and local MP Sumitra Mahajan Tuesday said she never sought poll ticket from the party in the last three decades. Asked about the delay in announcing her candidature, the eight-time MP from Indore told PTI that BJP leaders might be having "something" on their mind. The BJP has not fielded many of its veterans, including former presidents L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, in the Lok Sabha elections. There is speculation that Mahajan, who turns 76 on April 12, may also not be renominated. Advani (91) and Joshi (85) were not renominated from their Lok Sabha seats, Gandhinagar and Kanpur, respectively. Advani has been replaced with BJP chief Amit Shah. Mahajan, the second woman to be Lok Sabha Speaker, said the BJP has been fielding her from Indore on its own. "I did not seek ticket from the Indore seat in 1989 when I first contested the Lok Sabha elections. The party on its own made me .
EC gets report on Adityanath's 'Modiji ki sena' comment; examining it
The Election Commission on Tuesday received a factual report on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's reported remarks referring to the Indian Army as 'Modiji ki sena' and has started examining it to ascertain whether it violated the model code of conduct. The district magistrate of Ghaziabad has furnished a report in this regard. "It is under examination," official sources said. "Congress ke log aatankwadiyon ko biryani khilate the aur Modiji ki sena aatankwadiyon ko goli aur gola deti hai. (Congress leaders would feed biryani to terrorists, while Modi's army gives them bullets and bombs). This is the difference. The Congress people use 'ji' to refer to Masood Azhar to encourage terrorism," Adityanath said at an election rally in Ghaziabad on Sunday. The BJP leader was campaigning for sitting MP and Union minister V K Singh. The Election Commission had on March 19 asked political parties to "desist" from indulging in any propaganda involving actions taken by defence forces ..
Hit by Modi bouncer, NCP says Pawar clean bowls his opponents
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted NCP chief Sharad Pawar, the party Tuesday attributed the criticism to the former's "fear" that its president was uniting other parties to dislodge the BJP from power at the Centre. Countering Modi over his "hit wicket" jibe aimed at Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said its president was "not the one who gets out hitting wickets, but the one who claims wicket of opponents clean bowled". NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik claimed the BJP and Shiv Sena will draw a blank in the first phase polling in Vidarbha thanks to the "poor response" they are receiving to their campaign rallies in the region in eastern Maharashtra. He said even Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Hansraj Ahir and Subhash Bhamre will lose from their respective constituencies of Nagpur, Chandrapur and Dhule. The first phase polling will be held across seven Lok Sabha seats in Vidarbha on April 11. Modi had Monday claimed Pawar, "who once felt he ..
Ample evidence by NIA to show link between Hurriyat, terror groups, says SC; cancels Watali bail
The Supreme Court Tuesday cancelled the bail of Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, a Kashmiri businessman, in a terror funding case saying NIA has collected ample evidence to show linkages between the Hurriyat leaders of Jammu and Kashmir and terror organisations as also their activities to wage war against India. The bail was granted by the Delhi High Court to Watali arrested by NIA for his alleged role in a terror-funding case involving Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed. "Ample material has been collected to show the linkages between the Hurriyat leaders of the Jammu and Kashmir and terrorists/terrorist organizations and their continuous activities to wage war against Government of India," said a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi. The judgement assumes significance in the light of the government's recent crackdown on separatist outfits based in the state. The apex court's verdict came on an appeal filed by the NIA against the high court's ...
BJP appoints Tejaswini AnanthKumar as party's Karnataka vice-president
Days after denying her parliamentary ticket, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday appointed former Union Minister Ananth Kumar's wife Tejaswini Ananthkumar as the vice-president of party's Karnataka unit.Making the announcement, Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa tweeted, "I am very delighted to announce that Smt. @Tej_AnanthKumar has been appointed as state vice president of @BJP4Karnataka. Wishing her all the very best."Tejaswini was recently denied ticket from the South Bengaluru parliamentary constituency, a seat her husband represented since 1996. BJP has fielded 28-year-old Tejasvi Surya as its candidate from the seat in this Lok Sabha election.Despite the denial of ticket, Tejaswini had reaffirmed her support to the party and had said that she was shocked but will stand by the party's decision since the nation comes first.
Will decide on alliance with BJP for LS polls on Saturday: OP Rajbhar
Om Prakash Rajbhar, UP minister and president of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), on Tuesday said that he will take a decision on his party's course on an alliance with the BJP for Lok Sabha elections on Saturday."Whatever is to happen, will happen on April 6. Nobody would have hoped for what will happen on that day," a visibly upset Rajbhar told ANI here.Rajbhar, who is a Cabinet Minister in UP government, said: "Our voters are not slaves of any party. They will vote where we want them to vote."He said that his party was trying to seal a poll pact for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh and accused its ally BJP of misleading the SBSP."They have given seats to another ally Apna Dal but they are misleading us," he said.A meeting of SBSP leaders was scheduled to take place in Lucknow on Monday to discuss the prevailing political situation in the state. However, the meeting was postponed until Saturday.Rajbhar has been critical of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led UP ...
AFSPA amendment necessary to balance rights of armed forces with human rights: Congress
Asserting that its manifesto is completely implementable by a "competent and wise government", Congress on Tuesday said that its promise of amending the AFSPA was about striking a balance between rights of armed forces and human rights.Addressing a media briefing hours after the release of the poll manifesto, former union minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said, "We will amend the law (AFSPA). We will balance the rights of security forces and human rights and would remove immunity only in three cases namely enforced disappearance, sexual violence, and torcher. I have been a Home Minister and we recognise that armed forces require a certain amount of immunity but we also realise that human rights have to be respected. We will need to balance that."Chidambaram also responded to BJP's claims of Congress manifesto being impossible to implement and said that it may be impossible for BJP to implement but not for Congress."I concede that it's unimplementable by a BJP ...
Over 25,000 ballot units for Nizamabad seats where 185 candidates are in fray
The Election Commission (EC) will use over 25,000 ballots units to conduct the Lok Sabha elections in Nizamabad, where 185 candidates are in the fray including Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha.This is perhaps for the first time the electronic voting machines (EVMs) with such a large number of candidates contesting in a single constituency will be put to use in the Lok Sabha polls.Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat consists of seven assembly segments. These are Armoor, Bodhan, Nizamabad, Nizamabad (Rural), Balkonda, Koratla, and Jagtial. In 2014, Kavitha won the seat with a margin of 1,67,184 votes. She had defeated Madhu Yakshi Goud of the Congress who had got 2,70,948 votes.Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said Tuesday that the polling staffs have also been increased for the constituency. "Special observers are also coming to carry special awareness programme on EVMs and VVPATs. All EVMs have been tested and ...
Ideas in Cong manifesto are positively dangerous, agenda for balkanisation: Jaitley
Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday slammed the Congress manifesto alleging that some of the ideas in it are "positively dangerous" and are an agenda for the "balkanisation" of India.Addressing the media here, he also lashed out at Congress for promising in its manifesto to amend the Armed Force (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), if voted to power, and said that the party has made the document to "favour the terrorists"."This manifesto has ideas which will divide India. Some of the ideas are positively dangerous in the Congress manifesto. They are for an agenda for the balkanisation of India," he said.Jaitley said, "Even though there was a drafting committee, but it appears that some of the important points have been drafted by the Congress president's friend in 'Tukde, Tukde gang' when it deals with Jammu and Kashmir."Attacking Rahul Gandhi, he claimed that the Congress leader has made promises out of ignorance."When out of ignorance, Rahul Gandhi makes unimplementable and dangerous ...
Russia: Explosion in Mozhaysky's Military-Space Academy, 4 cadets injured
At least four cadets were injured when a blast occurred at A F Mozhaysky's Military-Space Academy in St. Petersburg on Tuesday.A press release of the Russian Ministry of Defence read, "At about 1:30 p.m. [10:30 GMT], in St. Petersburg, an unidentified unshelled object exploded in one of the offices of the administrative building of the Mozhaysky Military and Space Academy."The ministry also stated that the injured have already received medical care and their lives were out of danger.Earlier, a representative of the regional emergency services had reported that four cadets been injured as a result of the blast.A F Mozhaysky's Military-Space Academy located in St. Petersburg is one of the largest military education establishments in Russia.
In Pudukkottai, Shah takes dig at 'scamster' Karti Chidambaram
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Tuesday appealed to the public at a rally here not to vote for former finance minister P Chidambaram's son Karti in the impending Lok Sabha polls, while calling the latter a 'scamster'.Shah, who was addressing an election rally here, said, "I appeal to the people of Sivaganga parliamentary constituency to vote for NDA candidate against scamster Karti Chidambaram in order to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."Karti, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Sivaganga parliamentary seat on Congress ticket."In their manifesto, the Congress has announced that all should get bail and no one should be put behind bars. Probably, it is meant for Karti Chidambaram," the BJP president quipped.Karti is facing a probe in the INX media case. He was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2018 and had spent several nights in Delhi's Tihar jail.Meanwhile, Shah drew a ...
Congress introduced EVMs, BJP started cheating with it: Ghulam Nabi Azad
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said that his party introduced EVMs but it was the Narendra Modi government which started "cheating" in the voting machine."The Congress had started making use of EVMs because earlier musclemen used to capture polling booths. In our time, EVMs were 100 per cent perfect and reliable. But when Narendra Modi came to power, they started cheating in it too," said Azad.He said that the BJP government is responsible for the downfall of politics. "Politics these days is all about abuses. Earlier, the main issues were development related but now Mandir-Masjid has taken over."He also blamed the BJP government's policies for the increase in casualties of the Armed Forces and security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. "These days Army personnel are dying, the number of casualties of security personnel has increased enormously. Militancy has increased because Prime Minister Modi has created such situations," said Azad.Six Lok Sabha seats of Jammu ...