Page 1120 - Politics
PM Modi should stop misusing country's armed forces for political gains: Congress
The Congress on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop "misusing" the country's armed forces for political gains. Senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was running away from "real issues" in the campaign for the April-May parliamentary election. "Since 1947, India has achieved several milestones and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only PM who thinks the country's achievements are his individual achievement," he said. "It is an insult for the armed forces of the country. It is the country's armed forces not any party's or prime minister's army, the prime minister should stop its misuse for political gains. Our jawans do not sacrifice their lives for votes and if the prime minister says that, then the world is mocking us for it...it does not suit him," he told reporters. "We have a prime minister who does not believe in speaking the truth. Modi has made certain promises to the people of India and a betrayed nation is asking .
Parties campaign in Ukhand's Pauri
With less than a fortnight to go for the April 11 polls to the five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand, campaigning picked up pace in Pauri district Saturday with both the Congress and the BJP holding public meetings here to garner support for themselves. While BJP nominee from Pauri (Garhwal) Tirath Singh Rawat spoke about the achievements of the Narendra Modi government to seek votes for himself, District Congress president Chandra Mohan Kharkwal said it was a government of mere slogans. "The prime minister gave a clean government as promised to people with not a single minister facing charges of corruption during his five year tenure," Rawat said at a public meeting here. The former pradesh BJP president also said Modi had been true to his slogan of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' by ensuring the development of all the sections of the society, especially the poor. "He provided toilets to all, electricity to every household and made the lives of crores of women smoke-free by providing them ..
Thai King strips ex-premier Thaksin of royal decorations
The Thai king has revoked the royal decorations of billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, citing his conviction and "extremely inappropriate" flight from the country, according to an announcement published Saturday. The statement in the Royal Gazette from King Maha Vajiralongkorn comes almost a week after the country held its first election since a military coup in 2014 installed a royalist junta. Pheu Thai, a political party linked to Thaksin, is now jostling with the junta-backed Phalang Pracharat for the right to form a government. The billionaire told AFP in an interview last week that the election was "rigged". The royal statement said the king "recalls the royal decorations" from the former premier "because Mr Thaksin was convicted by the Supreme Court". "Moreover, he has fled the kingdom which is extremely inappropriate behaviour." The ex-premier was stripped of the "illustrious order of Chula Chom Klao", typically bestowed for service to the country. Thaksin was ousted in .
Aligarh DM submits evidence to EC on Kalyan Singh's remarks on return of Modi as PM
The Aligarh district magistrate has submitted "evidence" to the Election Commission regarding Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh's reported remarks supporting the return of Narendra Modi as prime minister, sources said. The Election Commission is examining his reported remarks in the light of possible violation of the Model Code of Conduct, as holding a constitutional post makes the governor "apolitical". The sources said details and clip of the comments were submitted to the Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer Friday. Addressing BJP workers at his Aligarh residence on March 23, Singh had reportedly said, "All of us are BJP workers and we want the party to win. We want Modiji to become the prime minister." Singh, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, reportedly made these remarks to placate some agitated BJP members who had gathered outside his house over ticket distribution. In the 1990s, the Election Commission had expressed displeasure over Himachal Pradesh Governor Gulsher Ahmed ..
May could face call for government of national unity in UK
A British lawmaker says the UK may have to try a government of national unity if Prime Minister Theresa May cannot break the impasse over the country's withdrawal from the European Union. Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan's comments came a day after Parliament rejected May's divorce deal for a third time, rebuffing the prime minister's plea to "put aside self and party." The House of Commons will vote Monday on a variety of alternatives in an attempt to find an idea that can command a majority, but May's government is considering a fourth vote on her deal. Morgan told the BBC that a cross-party coalition might be the only way to break the deadlock if Parliament were to agree on an alternative and May refused to accept it.
SDF govt to incentivize indigenous women to produce two
The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) will incentivize women belonging to the indigenous committies in the state to produce more children as the fertility rate have declined, senior party leader P D Rai said Saturday. "The fertility rate in Sikkim has plummeted to an alarming low rate of 1.2 children," Rai told reporters here. Equating the declining population of indigenous people comprising Lepcha, Bhutia and Sikkimese Nepalis with Japan and Singapore, he said that the SDF government, if elected to power again, will launch a 'Proud Mother Scheme' under which women will be given an incentive of Rs 5,000 on the birth of her first child and Rs 10,000 on second child. Rai, a two-term sitting LS MP who has been denied ticket by the SDF leadership and replaced by D B Katwal, said that no formula of incentive to the women for giving birth to third child or more has been worked out by the ruling party as yet. Sikkim has a population of in excess of 6.5 lakh of which an estimated .
AIUDF looks towards Trinamool Congress in Assam
The AIUDF led by perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal is actively considering to lend its support to Trinamool Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha polls in Assam, a day after the Congress fielded strong candidates against AIUDF in two constituencies. The process has already begun and Ajmal spoke to senior TMC leader Derek O'Brien on Saturday, while a meeting may be arranged with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a decision of alliance may be announced anytime soon, an AIUDF source said. As soon as the Congress on Friday announced "strong" candidates for Barpeta and Dhubri constituencies, in which AIUDF were contesting, Ajmal rushed to New Delhi leaving behind his campaigns at Barak valley midway. AIUDF sources told PTI that Ajmal met senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel twice on Friday to find a way out of the stalemate and a move in "reciprocation" of the gesture shown in rest of the seats in Assam, but no positive outcome has come yet. "Patel informed us that if .
Mortal remains of army jawan laid to rest
The mortal remains of army jawan Parvez Kathat, who was killed in Pakistani firing, were Saturday buried in his native village in Rajasthan, police said. People of Shekhawas village in Rajsamand district of the state gathered in large numbers to bid a tearful adieu to the soldier who died Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri, they said. Solider Welfare Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas laid a floral wreath to pay tribute to the solider on behalf of the state government. The 29-year-old soldier had joined the army in November 2016. His father is an ex-army serviceman while his elder brother too is in the army.
Cong warns its workers of disciplinary action if they work
Wary of dissidence within hampering the prospects of the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka, Congress has warned its workers of 'strong disciplinary action' if they work against the coalition candidate in the Lok Sabha polls. With transfer of votes between Congress and JD(S) crucial for them to outperform the BJP, there is a worry in both parties that dissidence may affect their performance. Both parties that had fought bitterly against each other ahead of the May 2018 assembly polls, joined hands to form an alliance as the election threw up a hung verdict. Though the coalition leaders decided to go to the polls together, it is not something that workers of both parties at the booth level, who have been fighting each other,agree with. With the alliance facing trouble in several key Lok Sabha constituencies, especially in old Mysuru region, as Congress workers are unhappy over the seat sharing arrangement with JD(S), AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal held a ...
Modi blames Cong for infiltration problems in Assam, rest of Northeast
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said Assam and the rest of the Northeast were suffering from infiltration due to the policies of the Congress and asserted that he, as the 'chowkidar', was committed to resolve the issue. He also said it was the erstwhile Jana Sangh and tall leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had raised their voice in support of Bangladesh during the neighbouring country's independence movement, and not as the Opposition usually portrayed it. "Congress has always cheated the people of Assam and if Sardar (Vallabhbhai) Patel and (first Assam chief minister) Gopinath Bordoloi had not taken a strong stand at the time of Partition, then Assam's identity would not have been what it is today," Modi said while addressing the second of the two election rallies at Gohpur in Assam. Indirectly referring to the Chinese aggression of 1962, Modi said the Congress policy was such that it was only due to the brave people of Tezpur and the armed forces that the state could .
Issue ads for Indore, Bhopal seats, MP CM taunts BJP
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Saturday taunted the BJP for the delay in announcing candidates for the Indore and Bhopal Lok Sabha seats, both considered strongholds of the saffron party. He said the BJP should issue advertisements inviting suitable candidates for the two seats. Senior leader and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh is the Congress' nominee from Bhopal while the BJP is yet to announce its candidate. The seat has been held by the BJP since 1989 and the 2014 polls was won by Alok Sanjar who defeated the Congress' PC Sharma by a margin of over 3.70 lakh votes. Indore is represented since 1989 by Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan. "The BJP is breaking out into a sweat. It should issue an advertisement to find candidates," Nath told reporters at the Congress headquarters here. Queried on the demand from some quarters that Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia be fielded from Indore to wrest the seat from the BJP, Nath said the latter's case was ...
Gaza marks first date of 'Great March of Return'
Thousands of Palestinians gathered near the Gaza-Israel border on Saturday to mark the Great March of Return's first anniversary, while the Israeli Army reinforced its presence in the area to deal with protests.
2 Indian-origin hard-Brexiteer MPs blocking May's EU divorce bill
Two Indian-origin MPs, Priti Patel and Suella Braverman, are among a steadfast group of hard-Brexiteers within Theresa May's Conservative Party that continues to stand in the way of her EU divorce bill as the UK Prime Minister faced yet another bruising defeat in Parliament. As the UK crossed the initial Brexit Day deadline of March 29, the voting pattern for a third parliamentary vote on May's withdrawal agreement reveals that she was able to win over a number of high-profile Brexiteers, including Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, but it did not prove enough in the end as she lost Friday's vote by a margin of 58. Gujarati-origin Patel has remained vehement in her opposition to the agreement because she believes it is "not in our national interest, does not respect the referendum result and is harmful to the long-term future of our country". Goan-origin Suella Braverman, who had stepped down as a minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union last November, has been ...
General elections battle to save India: Farooq Abdullah
The forthcoming general elections will be a battle to save India, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said here on Saturday. The former Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) chief minister also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making false promises to the people of the country. "This election is a battle to save India. It is not just about Jammu and Kashmir. You have to safeguard religious freedom," Abdullah said here. "This election is about whether India will remain a secular India or not. It is not a question about Farooq Abdullah, but the question of saving the country. So, remember this (election) is a bigger battle," he added. The NC president, who is seeking re-election from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, was addressing party workers at NC headquarters. Abdullah said Modi had made many promises to the people ahead of the 2014 elections, but those promises were not kept. "He (Modi) only lies. He made many promises. He said he will create two crore jobs every year, .
After Nishad Party quits alliance, SP fields new candidate in Gorakhpur
A day after the Nishad Party quit the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party Saturday named its own candidate for the prestigious Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat, dropping sitting MP Pravin Nishad. Ram Bhuwal Nishad, the SP candidate from Gorakhpur, the seat once held by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is also from the Nishad community. The Nishad party is headed by Sanjay Nishad, father of Pravin Nishad who had won the Gorakhpur parliamentary seat on an SP ticket in the 2018 bypolls. Gorakhpur was considered a bastion of Adityanath, who had represented the parliamentary constituency several times before. Apart from Ram Bhuwal Nishad, the SP announced its candidate for Kanpur, Ram Kumar, who is also from the Nishad community and the brother of former Unnao MP Deepak Kumar. It changed its Moradabad candidate, Nasir Qureshi, replacing him with S T Hasan. It was only four days ago on Tuesday that the Nishad Party had joined the alliance and it was believed that .
South Korean official leaves for US ahead of Trump-Moon summit
A senior official from the South Korean Presidential Office on Saturday left for Washington to of the summit between the two countries scheduled to be held next month.Yonhap reported that deputy chief of South Korean Presidential Office, Kim Hyun-chong, headed to meet the White House National Security Council and Congressional officials.United States President Donald Trump will be meeting his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in for a summit on April 11 at the White House, amidst an impasse with North Korea on denuclearisation following the Hanoi summit held last month."The trip is aimed at discussing the agenda for the imminent visit to the U.S. by the president," the South Korean official was quoted as saying.This will be the first meeting between the two leaders since last month's summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi ended abruptly.The South Korean President had an emergency telephonic conversation with Trump after the US-North Korea summit ended ...
NPF urges all political parties not to involve underground
The National Peopless Party (NPP) Saturday urged all political parties to refrain from involving underground activists in the electoral politics for overall development of the state. NPP Arunachal unit spokesperson Nima Sangey Saling in a statement appealed to the political parties in the state not to involve undergrounds during election for the interest of the people of the three affected districts - Tirap, Changlang and Longding. The partys appeal came in the backdrop of suspected NSCN (IM) militant killing a NPP worker at Kheti Village in Tirap district on Friday night. "We should try to gain the sympathy of the people through our hard work and connectivity with the grass root people with our clear vision for the states development, peace and harmony in the society. Peace in the society is the key to bring about all round development of the state," Saling said.
Ajit Pawar questions Uddhav's new-found love for BJP, Shah
NCP leader Ajit Pawar Saturday slammed Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray who was present when BJP chief Amit Shah filed his nomination, reminding the Sena and BJP of the insults they had traded earlier. Thackeray accompanied Shah as he filed papers for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, and also shared the dais with him at a rally. "There can not be turncoat tigers..." Pawar tweeted. The big cat is the Sena's logo. "Seeking votes in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj amounts to insulting the warrior king's glorious legacy," the NCP leader added. He referred to Sena's vitriolic attack on Shah earlier where it had dubbed him as "Afzal Khan", the Bijapur sultanate general slain by Shivaji, as well as Shah's warning that the BJP can "thrash" an ally if it turned enemy. After a lot of mutual bickering, the Sena and BJP last month agreed to have alliance for the Lok Sabha once again. Interestingly, senior Maharashtra Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil avoided
Why can't Modi be hailed for airstrikes, asks Rajnath
Facing criticism for indulging in a credit war for the airstrikes in Balakot, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said if former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi can be credited for creation of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should also be congratulated for the action against terrorists.
Congress booklet stresses busting of Achhe Din dream
Setting the campaign tone for the Lok Sabha elections, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee here on Saturday released a booklet, "100 Mistakes of Modi", highlighting what it alleged were the biggest blunders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in five years.