Page 1246 - Politics
Pro-Trinamool men at Bengal CEO's office, BJP alleges
Questioning the content of the show-cause notice sent by the Election Commission to Union Minister Babul Supriyo on a campaign song, the BJP on Wednesday alleged pro-Trinamool Congress officers were deployed in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal.
Left Front announces candidates for 2 more LS seats in Bengal
The CPI(M)-led Left Front on Wednesday announced candidates for two more Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, taking the total number to 40. The development comes hours after the Congress blamed the CPI(M) for the failure of the seat-sharing talks, but decided not to contest five seats in south Bengal as goodwill gesture to the Left party, for its decision to not fight four seats won by the Congress in 2014. The two seats for which the Left Front announced its candidates are Jangipur and Malda North -- two of the four Lok Sabha seats that the Congress had won. However, Left Front Chairman Biman Bose, in a statement, said if the Congress decides to withdraw candidates in two of the Lok Sabha seats -- Raiganj and Murshidabad -- that the CPI(M) had won in 2014, then the Left, too, might take a "positive step". It would be as per a previous agreed policy of no mutual contest in the seats that both the parties had won last time. "Never did we discuss about any alliance between two
Modi a habitual offender in seeking credit for valour and sacrifice of armed forces: Cong
The Congress on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using the Balakot air strikes to woo voters ahead of Lok Sabha elections, saying his "snide remarks" reflect the bankruptcy of political discourse on his part. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also accused the Prime Minister of being a "habitual offender" in seeking credit for the valour and bravery of the security forces after having failed to deliver on key issues of jobs, agrarian and economic crisis and corruption. "Such snide remarks only reflect the bankruptcy of political discourse on part of a Prime Minister staring at defeat in 2019," he said. "Modiji is a habitual offender in credit seeking for the valour and sacrifice of our armed forces," he alleged. Surjewala said after having "scored a zero" on delivery on jobs, agrarian crisis, slump in economic indices, he is "politicising the bravery of our jawans". "Yet he fails to admit that Pulwama terror attack was a gross national security and ...
Nirav Modi's arrest a 'got-up match': Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday refused to give any credit to the Narendra Modi-led government for the arrest of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi in London and termed it a "got-up match".
LF contesting two Bengal LS seats held by Congress
The Left Front on Wednesday announced its candidates for two of the four Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal it had so far left for the Congress, as chances of a seat adjustment between the two parties receded further.
'Nervous' Priyanka Gandhi temple hopping: Senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav
Taking a potshot at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ram Gopal Yadav on Wednesday said the Congress General Secretary was visiting temples as she is "nervous" and the Congress is in "trouble" in Uttar Pradesh."Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is nervous and therefore, she is temple hopping due to her nervousness. People run to temple only when they are in trouble. In Uttar Pradesh, Congress is in trouble," Ram Gopal Yadav told ANI.Priyanka was on a three-day long 'Ganga Yatra' from Prayagraj to Varanasi. Priyanka's tour focused on 'Sanchi Baat Priyanka ke Saath' in which she talked to people during her 140 kilometres long travel on a steamer boat to Assi Ghat in Varanasi.The SP, BSP and RLD have forged an alliance to take on the BJP in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in the state. Akhilesh had, however, claimed that the Congress party is with the SP-BSP alliance in UP. The SP-BSP has left Rae Bareli and Amethi seats for the Congress.As per the seat-sharing agreement, ...
Kejriwal won't celebrate Holi 'as a mark of respect' for Pulwama martyrs
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not celebrate the Holi festival tomorrow as a mark of respect for the martyrs of Pulwama terror attack, Aam Aadmi Party posted on its official Twitter handle on Wednesday."Delhi Chief Minister @ArvindKejriwal will not celebrate the Holi festival tomorrow as a mark of respect to the martyrs of Pulwama terror attack" the AAP posted on its official Twitter handle.Earlier on Tuesday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh too had said that he will not celebrate the Holi Festival in the wake of Pulwama attack.On February 14 last month, a CRPF convoy was attacked by Jaish-e-Mohammad fidayeen terrorists. Around 40 CRPF jawans were killed in the attack.Indian Air Force retaliated by conducting air-strikes at JeM camp in Pakistan's Balakot.
Uttar Pradesh: IRS officer Preeta Harit joins Congress
IRS officer Preeta Harit, Principal Commissioner, Income Tax joined Congress party on Wednesday. She joined the party in presence of Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar.She has resigned from the post of Principal Commissioner and her resignation has been accepted.Preeta Harit is the founder of Bahujan Samyak Sangathan. Born in Haryana's Palwal, she got selected in civil services at the age of 22 and accepted to work as an IRS officer.Lok Sabha polls for the 80 seats of Uttar Pradesh will be held in all the seven phases.The counting of votes will be done on May 23.
TDP lawmaker SPY Reddy joins JSP
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader SPY Reddy on Wednesday joined the Jana Sena Party (JSP) in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district.Reddy, who was a TDP Member of Parliament (MP) from Nandyal Parliamentary constituency, joined the JSP in the presence of party president and film actor Pawan Kalyan.Reddy met Pawan Kalyan at the JSP office at Mangalagiri in Guntur district of the state. Pawan Kalyan welcomed Reddy by flanking party shawl.Reddy was expecting an MP ticket from Nandyal constituency, but the TDP did not oblige.
Russian delegation visits North Korea to boost economic cooperation amid nuclear talks
A delegation from Russia held meetings with North Korea officials on Monday to discuss the economic cooperation between the two countries.Russia's TASS news agency reported that a group of Russian Ministers, who came on a six-day visit headed by Oleg Melnichenko, met with a vice-ministerial-level official from the North's Ministry of External Economic Relations to discuss economic cooperation projects that could be advanced without violating the U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea.The meeting comes amid reports that the United States and North Korea are attempting to get the "sequencing" right in negotiations to dismantle the communist country's nuclear weapon programme and open a new future for Pyongyang,Yonhap news agency cited a North Korean newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, saying that in the view to celebrate the anniversary of an agreement between the two communist countries, North Korea's relations with Russia "fully conform to the mutual desire and interests.""The two countries have
EC sends show cause notice to two Trinamool leaders
The Election Commission on Wednesday slapped showcause notices on Trinamool Congress leaders Jitendra Kumar Tiwari and Anubrata Mondal, following the BJP's complaint against the duo and two state ministers from the ruling party for violation of the model code of conduct.
Trump slams Russia probe but says report should be public
President Donald Trump on Wednesday launched a prolonged attack on the integrity of a huge probe into whether he or his election campaign colluded with Russia or obstructed justice -- but did say that the final report should be released. "If you want to let them see it, let them see it," Trump said of the report, which independent special prosecutor Robert Mueller is believed to be close to finishing. Trump has been investigated for almost two years, following suspicions that he or his team had improper ties to Moscow. Mueller will submit his findings to the Trump-appointed attorney general, who is not obligated to release the report. But pressure is intense for the contents to be made public. In anticipation, Trump intensified his long-running campaign to question the legitimacy of Mueller, who is widely respected, and to undermine confidence in the report itself. Trump referred to his 2016 election win as "one of the greatest... in the history of this country" and said by contrast .
Afghanistan presidential election delayed to Sept 28
War-torn Afghanistan has delayed its presidential election until September 28, officials announced Wednesday, the second time the ballot has been put back and five months later than it was originally scheduled to be held. The announcement by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) comes after speculation that the vote would be postponed to create space for US-led efforts to end the 17-year war with the Taliban. The presidential ballot was originally scheduled for April 20, then delayed to July 20. Many observers had considered both dates unrealistic given the Independent Election Commission (IEC) is still finalising results of October's shambolic parliamentary elections. The IEC said in a statement Wednesday that the vote had faced "numerous problems and challenges ... therefore holding the elections based on the timelines previously announced is not possible". "In order to better implement the rule of election law, ensure transparency as well as voter registration, the presidential
Turkey's Erdogan sparks spat with Australia, New Zealand
Turkey's president has sparked an acute diplomatic spat with far-off New Zealand and Australia, referring to a key World War I campaign and the more recent Christchurch mosque shooting as targeting Islam. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been campaigning for local elections due at the end of the month, suggested this week that Australia and New Zealand had sent troops to fight in WWI's Gallipoli campaign due to their opposition to Islam. In more inflammatory comments, Erdogan said any Australians and New Zealanders traveling to Turkey with anti-Muslim sentiments would be sent back in coffins "like their grandfathers" were in the Gallipoli campaign. The battle, marked by heavy casualties on both sides, was a disastrous defeat for the allies against the then Ottoman Empire. Although the battle later helped cement friendship between the three countries, more than a century later it remains a highly sensitive subject in both Australia and New Zealand. Australia was aghast at Erdogan's ...
Nirav Modi's arrest a got-up match: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday refused to give credit to the Narendra Modi government for the arrest of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, saying it was a "got-up match" and the arrest may have been fixed by the Centre beforehand. Talking to reporters here, she termed the development a "strike" by the Modi government to reap electoral dividend. Nirav Modi (48), the main accused in the USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank scam case, was arrested in London and was on Wednesday remanded to custody there till March 29. He has been absconding from the country for over a year. "I think the Nirav Modi arrest is a got-up match. It is one of the 'strikes' by the Modi government to reap electoral dividends. I have been told by some people that two to three more such 'strikes' are in the offing and will take place in between the seven phases of Lok Sabha polls," Banerjee said. Stating that the Modi government should not claim any credit for the arrest of the fugitive, the ..
BJP hails Samjhauta Express blast verdict as historic
The BJP Wednesday described as "historic" the acquittal of Samjhauta Express blast accused, saying it is an indication of how the previous Congress-led government played politics with terror. Twelve years after a blast on Samjhauta Express killed 68 people, mostly Pakistanis, a special court Wednesday acquitted Swami Aseemanand and three others in the case. "The historic verdict in the case is an indication as to how the previous UPA government sought to play politics with terror. It was based upon very imperfect evidence. This has to be seen in conjunction with the saffron terror issue raised by the then Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and also echoed by P Chidambaram," BJP leader and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. The investigative agency had claimed that the accused were upset with terror attacks on Hindu temples and then conspired to seek "revenge".
BJP's election panel meets
The BJP's central election committee (CEC) met Wednesday for a third time to deliberate on the names of its candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and is believed to have finalised candidates for most of the seats going to the polls in the initial few phases. It has so far not released any list of candidates for the seven-phase polls starting from April 11. The party is likely to field Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, R K Singh and Giriraj Singh from Patna Sahib, Arrah and Begusarai seats in Bihar respectively. It may repeat Union ministers V K Singh and Satyapal Singh from their seats in western Uttar Pradesh. In Odisha, the party is considering fielding its spokesperson Sambit Patra and its vice president Baijayant Panda, sources said. While the party is set to drop a sizeable number of its sitting MPs from UP to take on the formidable SP-BSP alliance, it is set to bank on its sitting members in Bihar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to recontest from Varanasi and the party .
EU's Tusk: short Brexit delay possible if MPs back deal
European Council president Donald Tusk said Wednesday that EU leaders could approve a short delay to Brexit if British lawmakers finally approve the withdrawal deal they have twice rejected. "In the light of the consultations I have conducted over the past days, I believe a short extension will be possible but it will be conditional on a positive vote on the withdrawal agreement in the House of Commons," he told reporters. "Even if the hope for a final success may seem frail, even illusory, and although Brexit fatigue is increasingly visible and justified, we cannot give up seeking until the very last moment a positive solution, of course without opening up the withdrawal agreement." Tusk took to the podium at the European Council on the eve of a summit at which Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May will plead with fellow EU leaders for more time to win domestic support for the divorce plan. He tacitly confirmed that no decision on an extension will be possible this week at the summit,
Nirav Modi's arrest due to probe agency's work, govt's political authority: Ravi Shankar Prasad
The BJP Wednesday hailed the arrest of jeweller Nirav Modi by the London police and credited it to the work done by Indian investigative agencies and the Narendra Modi-led government's "political authority". Senior party leader and Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government is following the plea for the fugitive diamantaire's extradition in right earnest and asserted that India's global stature will be an "important factor". Nirav Modi, the main accused in the USD 2 billion PNB scam case, has been arrested in London where a court Wednesday remanded the fugitive diamantaire in custody till March 29, saying there are "substantial grounds" to believe that he would fail to surrender if granted bail. "The Narendra Modi government is pursuing all fugitives, be it Nirav Modi, Christian Michel or Vijay Mallya, and surely all the 'raajdars' (those having secrets) are going to speak a lot," he said. AgustaWestland case accused Michel was recently deported by the UAE. "The arrest of ...
Mayawati won't contest LS polls, but says still possible to become PM
BSP chief Mayawati Wednesday announced she will not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls but hinted she could still be in the running for the prime minister's post. The statement announcing her decision pointedly mentioned that a minister or a prime minister has six months to become a member of the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. The Bahujan Samaj Party chief has in the past indicated that she is not averse to becoming the country's prime minister and posters put up by her supporters in Uttar Pradesh have pitched her for the position. "In view of the present circumstances and the need of the country and the interests of the party, the movement and the public, it is the need of the hour that I do not contest the Lok Sabha polls, she said. But she told party workers to not get disheartened with her decision. "When I became the UP chief minister the first time in 1995, I was not a member of either the UP Assembly or the Council, she said. It is a similar provision at the Centre, where a ...