Page 1116 - Politics
Three killed as thousands protest at border, but Gaza-Israel truce holds
Tens of thousands of Gazans gathered at the Israeli border Saturday to mark a year since protests and clashes erupted there, but fears of mass bloodshed were averted after late Egyptian-led negotiations. Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire, one during an overnight demonstration and two 17-year-olds in clashes later Saturday, the health ministry in Gaza City said. Another 316 Gazans were wounded. But fears of a repeat of similar protests and clashes to those that saw more than 60 Palestinians killed on May 14, when the United States transferred its Israel embassy to Jerusalem, did not materialise. Israel deployed several thousand troops along the border, with the anniversary coming at a sensitive time ahead of its April 9 elections. Egypt tried to mediate between Israel and Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas to rein in violence. Hamas officials say an understanding was reached that would see Israel ease its crippling blockade of Gaza in exchange for the protests remaining ...
O'Rourke officially joins US presidential race, citing 'moment of truth'
Beto O'Rourke, the youthful Democrat who seized national attention last fall with an unexpectedly strong Senate campaign in conservative Texas, formally launched his presidential candidacy Saturday in his hometown of El Paso, vowing to bring a unifying dynamic, progressive values and generational change to American politics. "This is our moment of truth, and we cannot be found wanting," he told an enthusiastic crowd of at least 1,000. Speaking from a spot only blocks from the border with Mexico, he underscored some of his most vigorous differences with the man he hopes to succeed in the White House -- Donald Trump -- without ever naming the US president. While Trump seeks to build a border wall and threatened just days ago to close the frontier if Mexico fails to stem the influx of undocumented immigrants, O'Rourke described America as "a country of immigrants and asylum seekers and refugees (who) are the very premise of our strength, of our success and, yes, our security." In an ...
Throw Manoj Tiwari out of your house when he comes asking for votes: Kejriwal asks people
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Saturday chastised Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari over his stand on full statehood to the national capital, and asked people to throw him out of their houses when he comes asking for votes. Addressing a rally at Gokulpur Jan Sabha here, Kejriwal said Tiwari has been telling people that full statehood cannot be granted to the national capital, which the AAP chief claimed was BJP's poll plank in the last election. "Throw him out of your house when he comes to ask for your vote as now he says that full statehood cannot be granted to the national capital," he said. Kejriwal also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the worst thing he did was "pitting Hindus against Muslims". "He destroyed the communal harmony of the country. For centuries, we have been hearing Hindu Muslim Sikh Issai (Christian) (aapas me hain) bhai-bhai (are brothers) but Modi destroyed it all by pitting Hindus against Muslims," he said. Accusing the Centre of creating hurdles in
BTP nominates two candidates for Gujarat
With its pre-poll alliance with the Congress not working out, the Chhotu Vasava-led Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) on Saturday nominated two of its candidates for the two constituencies in south Gujarat reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST).
Members of RSS-linked Muslim Rashtriya Manch join Congress
Several office-bearers of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch, a body affiliated to the RSS, joined the Congress here Saturday, claiming that they were facing discrimination and apathy. City president of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch Riyaz Khan alleged that the RSS and BJP were ignoring their demands, and claimed that some 5,000 members of the Manch were joining the Congress alongwith him and some 20 other functionaries. Congress' candidate for the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency, Nana Patole, welcomed them into the party fold at a function here.
Delhi Cong meets to shortlist Lok Sabha candidates
The Delhi Congress's Screening Committee met late Saturday night to shortlist candidates for seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, amid speculation over its alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party. The meeting held at Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit's residence was on till late hours, said party sources. The committee is tasked to shortlist names from around 80 applications received from party probables for the seven seats last month. A senior party leader said that on an average, two-three names will be shortlisted on each seat and the new list will be sent to the party high-command for final selection of the candidates. A final decision on Congress's alliance with the AAP is pending with the party president Rahul Gandhi.
Civilian injured as Pak violates ceasefire along LoC in J-K's Poonch
A civilian was critically injured Saturday as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by targeting forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Mohammad Mushtaqwas hit by splinters of a mortar shell which exploded near his house at Narala village in Mankote sector, the officials said. They said the critically injured civilian was rushed to hospital. A defence spokesman said the Pakistani Army initiated the unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortar and firing by small arms from across the border in Mankote and Krishna Ghati sectors at around 2000 hours. The Indian Army retaliated befittingly, he said, adding that the cross-border firing between the two sides was still continuing intermittently. Seven persons including three soldiers were killed in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch since India's air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26 in response to the .
Banda DM striving to increase voter turnout to 90%
Absent voters, those who have left the Bundelkhand area of Uttar Pradesh in search of livelihood in other states, are giving the administration, which is striving to improve the voting percentage, a tough time.
Gehlot attacks Modi over his address on ASAT missile test
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Saturday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for keeping the country on tenterhooks over the anti-satellite missile test announcement and ending up with an address that the Congress leader described as "much ado about nothing". India shot down one of its satellites in space on Wednesday with an anti-satellite missile to demonstrate this complex capability, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced, making it only the fourth country to have used such a weapon. The announcement could have been made by the scientists themselves, Gehlot said. He said the entire country waited for 40 minutes "in fear" after the prime minister announced that he wanted to give a message to the nation. "People waited and later realised that it was much ado about nothing (khoda pahad nikli chuhiya). People were aback for being kept waiting for so long. People were in panic whether there is going to be another demonetisation," Gehlot told reporters at a press conference here
"PM's Kisan scheme idea taken from 'Rythu Bandhu of TRS govt'
The TRS Saturday claimed that the idea of the Prime Minister's Kisan Samman farmers' scheme was copied from the 'Rythu Bandhu' farmers' investment support scheme of the TRS government in Telangana. "Yesterday, he (Modi) came (to Telangana) and said about our Chief Minister that, he (Rao) claimed my (Modi) schemes to be his. I am asking Modi ji, where did the idea of Rythu Bandhu come from? Is it not from KCR (Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao)? Is it not from the scheme that KCR gave to our Telangana farmers?," Telanngana TRS working president K T Rama Rao said Saturday. "The idea of PM Kisan (farmers scheme), is it not given by KCR? Have you not copied it?," Rao who addressed road shows in support of TRS candidates in the Lok Sabha polls, said. Though Modi campaigned in Telangana, it would not help the BJP, he claimed. Modi addressed a BJP campaign rally at Mahabubnagar on Friday. On comments of BJP and Congress leaders that comprehensive development was possible only .
Modi's reckless decisions halted economy: Congress
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "monumental mismanagement" of the economy, the Congress on Saturday said his "reckless decisions", including that of demonetisation and the hasty implementation of a "flawed" GST, had turned it into a "gasping" and "struggling" economy instead of a "galloping" economy.
Swaraj explains why she prefixed 'chowkidar' to her name
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Saturday said she prefixed 'chowkidar' to her name on Twitter as she was doing "chowkidari" of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad. Asked by a Twitter user why she, being the foreign minister and the "most sensible" BJP leader, had added the 'chowkidar' prefix to her name on the microblogging site, Swaraj tweeted, "Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad." Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the "Main Bhi Chowkidar" (I too am a watchman) campaign to blunt the Congress's "Chowkidar Chor Hai" (the watchman is a thief) jibe at him. He had prefixed his Twitter handle with 'chowkidar' and almost all BJP leaders and Union ministers including Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Nirmala Sitharaman followed suit. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been targeting Modi over alleged irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal. He has often used the "Chowkidar Chor Hai" slogan while accusing the prime minister of .
#MainBhiChowkidar retweeted 3 million times: BJP
The #MainBhiChowkidar has been retweeted 3 million times and got 1,680 impressions on Twitter since Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the slogan for the Lok Sabha elections, said Madhya Pradesh BJP General Secretary V.D. Sharma, here on Saturday.
BJP expels ex-Bihar MP for filing nomination as independent
Former Banka MP Putul Kumari was on Saturday expelled from the BJP for filing her nomination from the seat as an independent candidate. The order was passed by Bihar BJP general secretary Radha Mohan Sharma, after Kumari failed to withdraw her nominations on the last date on Friday. On Wednesday, state vice-president and in-charge of the Bihar BJP headquarters, Devesh Kumar, shot off missives to Kumari, besides party MLC Ashok Agrawal, who had similarly filed nomination as an independent from Katihar. Agrawal withdrew his nomination on Friday, claiming that he did so upon the request of senior party leaders as also Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose JD(U) is contesting Katihar. The JD(U) is contesting Banka as well, where Kumari had lost in 2014, fighting on a BJP ticket, though she won as an independent in 2010 in a by-election necessitated by the death of her husband Digvijay Singh.
Members of Saudi team that killed Khashoggi received training in US: report
Members of the Saudi team that killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi received training in the United States, the Washington Post has reported, revealing other new elements in the death of the newspaper's former contributor. A critic of the Saudi regime, Khashoggi was killed and dismembered October 2 in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by a team of 15 agents sent from Riyadh. His body has never been recovered. After having denied the murder, Saudi Arabia said the operation was carried out by agents who were out of control. A trial of 11 suspects opened earlier this year in Saudi Arabia. But much of the case remains shrouded, beginning with the role of Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. The US Senate, after a closed-door briefing by the CIA, adopted a resolution naming the crown prince as "responsible" for the murder, while President Donald Trump has refused to publicly take a stand. According to Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, a Saudi who
India becoming 'orwellian dystopia', establishment controls establishment: Mehbooba
India is becoming an Orwellian dystopia in which everything is controlled by the establishment, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief also said that invoking fear and terror to help the Bharatiya Janata Party win the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls was "fraught with dangers". "Invoking fear & terror to propel BJP to a victory this general election is fraught with dangers. After narrowly escaping a direct confrontation with Pak, efforts are on to punish minorities. India is becoming an Orwellian dystopia in which the establishment controls everything (sic)," she tweeted. Her tweet came in response to BJPMP Hema Malini's remark that it will be dangerous for the country if Prime MinisterNarendra Modidoesn't return to power as he alone has the courage to do what is right for the country.
Kharge placates Gavit after latter's son snubbed for LS poll
Congress general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge Saturday met senior leader Manikrao Gavit after the latter threatened to quit the party over the choice of candidate for the Nandurbar Lok Sabha seat. Gavit is a nine-time MP from Nandurbar though he was trounced by 1.06 lakh votes by the BJP's Heena Gavit in the 2014 general elections. Gavit had wanted the Congress ticket for his son Bharat but the party refused to pay heed and fielded MLA K C Padvi. Nandurbar goes to polls in the fourth phase on April 23. In a statement, Gavit said Kharge had assured him that he and his family would be taken into confidence while deciding candidates for the Assembly elections and future local bodies polls. Kharge also asked Gavit to trust him and the party. Gavit said he had asked Kharge why his son Bharat was not considered for Lok Sabha nomination. "I assured Kharge that I enjoy good relations with the Gandhi family since the time of Indira Gandhi and will never leave the party or work ...
Modi all set to return as PM, says Nagaland CM
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday voiced the confidence that the BJP-led NDA government would storm back to power under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
LS polls: EC ropes in community radio stations to educate voters
In a "first of its kind initiative", the Election Commission Saturday reached out to over 150 community radio stations across the country to educate and inform the voters ahead of the general elections, it said. The event was organised by India International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM), in partnership with Seeking Modern Applications for Real Transformation (SMART), at IIIDEM, Dwarka, the EC said in a statement. The main purpose of the workshop was to ensure the training and capacity building of the community radios for voter education and awareness, the EC said. Umesh Sinha, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, said community radio is one of the best mediums to reach out to the last voter of the country and the workshops were just the beginning of a long term and sustained engagement with them. Community radio can play a vital role in motivating and mobilising the voters, enlisting them into the electoral roll, mobilising them to go to the polling booth,
NITI Aayog doing wonderful work in many areas: Saraswat
NITI Aayog member V K Saraswat Saturday defended the policy think tank amid calls by some opposition parties to close it, and said it is a "great institution" and has been doing "wonderful work" in many areas since its inception in 2014. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had Friday tweeted that if voted to power, his party would scrap the NITI Aayog. "These are election times. You cannot debate on such issues," Saraswat told reporters on the sidelines of an event at Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India. The former head of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) said, "NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog is a great institution and has done some wonderful work in areas of economy, health, innovation, artificial intelligence, energy and many others since its inception in late 2014." "The small team is being able to do very creative work and is acting as a think-tank for the government," he said. Gandhi had Friday tweeted, "If voted to power, we will