Page 1255 - Politics

CRPF not to celebrate Holi in the wake of Pulwama attack

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will not hold any official function to celebrate Holi anywhere in the country in solidarity with the families of its personnel killed in the Pulwama terror attack, its chief R R Bhatnagar said on Wednesday."No official function will be held in the establishments of CRPF in solidarity with the martyr families," he told ANI.According to officials, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Border Security Force (BSF) and other para-military forces have also decided to refrain from "officially" celebrating the festival.In the deadliest terror attack on security forces in Kashmir, 40 CRPF personnel were killed on February 14 when their convoy was targeted in Pulwama district on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.CRPF, which celebrated its 80th Raising day on Tuesday, is the leading internal security force of the country.

Kazakhstan foreign policy remains unchanged: Ambassador Bulat Sarsenbayev on president's resignation

Kazakhstan foreign policy "remains unchanged" in the aftermath of its President Nursultan Nazarbayev's resignation as the head of state, said Ambassador of Kazakhstan to India Bulat Sarsenbayev on Wednesday."President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev in his televised address to the people announced his resignation from the head of state. We emphasise that with the departure of President N. Nazarbayev, the foreign policy of Astana remains unchanged. Kazakhstan is firmly committed to its international obligations," said Bulat Sarsenbayev.Terming the president's resignation "historic", Sarsenbayev said, "Over the years of his presidency much has been achieved: the economy of Kazakhstan grew by 15 times, and household incomes by 9, which made it possible to reduce the poverty level by almost 10 times; state borders are defined; the solid legislative basis has been created, the country's banking and financial systems have been strengthened."He said that Nazarbayev has laid a solid ...

Mayawati says she will not contest LS polls

BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday announced that she will not contest the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.Mayawati told ANI that it's more important for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance to win each and every seat it is contesting rather than her winning the polls.She, however, laid stress that if needed, post elections, she can easily make her way to Lok Sabha by asking one of her MP's to vacate a seat for her."If I will contest then my party workers, despite of my telling them not to do so, will spend all their energy in campaigning for me in the particular Lok Sabha constituency I choose to contest from. This will certainly not be in the interest of the party," said Mayawati."It is more important for the (SP-BSP-RLD) alliance to win each and every seat it contests on rather than me winning the elections. If the opportunity arises after the election then I can easily make my way to Lok Sabha by asking someone to vacate his seat," she added.SP-BSP-RLD are contesting Lok Sabha polls in alliance in ...

CM Pramod Sawant wins floor test in Goa assembly

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday won the floor test in the state Assembly after 20 MLAs including 11 from BJP and 3 each from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Independents voted in his favour.Sawant had taken the oath as the Chief Minister in the wee hours of Tuesday following the death of Manohar Parrikar on Sunday evening after a prolonged battle against cancer.Along with Sawant, 11 other members of Goa Assembly including Sudhin Dhavalikar of the MGP, Vijay Sardesai of the GFP and BJP MLA Vishwajit Rane, were also sworn-in as ministers in the new Cabinet.After Parrikar's death, opposition Congress, which is the single largest party in the 40-member Assembly, had written twice to Governor Mridula Sinha staking claim to form the government.While four seats in the Assembly are vacant, by-polls in three of the constituencies will be held on April 23. The previous Assembly polls in Goa were held in February 2017.

LS polls: a question of existence for Left parties in Bengal

Once a formidable force in West Bengal politics, the CPI(M)-led Left Front will be fighting one of its toughest political battles in this Lok Sabha polls to prove its political and electoral existence in the state. The Left Front which had ruled the state for 34 long years since 1977 is now just a shadow of its past. Faced with steady erosion of its vote bank, leadership crisis and exodus of cadres to the ruling TMC and resurgent BJP, it struggles to hold on to its ground with the saffron party replacing it as the main opposition to the ruling party. As the state probably faces a four cornered contest among the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the BJP, the Left Front and the Congress, the Left would fight a lone battle. "This election indeed will be one of our toughest political battles in Bengal. We had never thought that we would be in such a position in state politics. We hope things will change in the days to come once people realise that only the Left, and not the BJP, can .

Hindu Yuva Vahini member beaten up by Congress workers in Raebareli

Several Congress workers on Sunday allegedly thrashed a Hindu Yuva Vahini (HVY) member in full public view for stopping them from raising anti-Prime Minister Narendra Modi slogans, like 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' in Sonia Gandhi's home turf Raebareli.Speaking to ANI, Ashish Pathak, HVY district coordinator alleged that Congress workers brutally thrashed him in public."No one has a right to hit me for asking questions pertaining to PM Modi. I politely asked the Congress why they feel Prime Minister is a thief. They did not give an answer instead started hitting me mercilessly. I am also a heart patient," he said.An FIR has been registered against two Congress leader Himanshu Singh and party District President V K Shukla.However, denying claims, Abhay Trivedi, a Congress leader alleged that Pathak along with others were passing indecent remarks against Priyanka Gandhi."We all had assembled at the city's civil lines area to welcome Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was going to cross Rae Bareli ...

Sri Lanka made 'poor progress' in rights resolution, observes local think-tank

Sri Lanka has made "poor progress" by implementing only 6 of the 36 commitments it made as part a UNHRC resolution adopted in 2015 to address human rights concerns, a local think tank has said, ahead of the UN body's review of the island nation's progress in honouring its pledge. In a critique released by the Colombo-based Verite Research, Sri Lanka has partially fulfilled a few commitments such as release of military-held land while showing no progress on majority ones. Sri Lanka co-sponsored a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution in September 2015 which made it committed to fulfil a range of measures dealing with human rights, accountability and transitional justice. Critics have accused Sri Lankan government forces of human rights violations during the three-decade-long Tamil separatist conflict that ended in May 2009 with the killing of rebel Tamil Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. The Tamil Tigers were fighting for a separate state for the Tamil minority ...

Former Maharashtra NCP MP joins BJP

In a setback to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP in Maharashtra, former party MP Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil joined the BJP here Wednesday. Ranjitsinh, son of senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, joined the BJP in presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis. Vijaysinh Mohite Patil is NCP's Lok Sabha member from Madha constituency and a former deputy CM of Maharashtra. Ranjitsinh, who was a Rajya Sabha member of the NCP, said he was disappointed with top NCP leadership. This is the setback to the Congress-NCP combine, after Sujay Vikhe Patil, the son of Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil joined the BJP recently. There is speculation that Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil tendered his resignation as LOP to Congress president Rahul Gandhi on moral grounds.

Goa Assembly condoles death of Parrikar

The Goa Assembly on Wednesday condoled the death of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar, and two other prominent BJP leaders in the state. During a special session of the House convened for holding the floor test of the new BJP-led government in Goa, leaders cutting across party lines lauded Parrikar's contribution towards the state's development. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant turned emotional as he recalled his predecessor's contribution in shaping up his political career. "Today, if I am an MLA and sitting on this chair, I owe it to him," he said. Sawant, who resigned from the post of Assembly speaker before taking oath as the chief minister on Tuesday, appealed to all members of the House to strengthen his hands and fulfil Parrikar's dreams. Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo, who presided over the proceedings, passed the condolence motion, saying words were not enough to express grief over the demise of a "visionary leader" like Parrikar. The motion of condolence for the .

Goa CM becomes emotional as House mourns Parrikar

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant broke down while speaking on a motion passed in the Assembly on Wednesday to condole the death of former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Actress Sumalatha files nomination from Mandya seat

Multilingual south Indian actress Sumalatha Ambareesh on Wednesday filed her nomination to contest the Lok Sabha elections in April as an Independent from the Mandya seat.

India could boycott China's Belt and Road Forum for the second time

Speculation is rife whether India would attend the second BRF as China has deepened its commitment to expand the $60 billion CPEC

Priyanka visits Lal Bahadur Shastri's ancestral home in Varanasi

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Wednesday visited the ancestral home of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at Ramnagar here. Gandhi, who reached here Wednesday morning by road, garlanded the statute of Shastri at his ancestral home. She was accorded a warm welcome by party leaders and workers on reaching Varanasi.

PM destroyed 1 crore jobs in 2018: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of destroying 1 crore jobs in 2018 alone despite promising to create 2 crore jobs annually. Addressing a public rally in the Manipur capital, Gandhi said the job losses under the Modi government were to the tune of 30,000 per day through 2018. "In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi destroyed 1 crore jobs in the country. This is the scale of his incompetence. It is absurd and ridiculous that the PM promises giving 2 crore jobs," Gandhi alleged. Slamming the Centre's demonetisation move of 2016, Gandhi said it shattered people's lives. "One fine morning, he (Modi) got up and decided to carry out demonetisation. Is this a joke? Destroying people's lives," he said. Gandhi claimed that whenever the prime minister visited Manipur, he "insulted your culture, your history". "His (party) president (Amit Shah) says Citizenship Amendment Bill will be imposed on the people of Manipur and the Northeast. These people .

Cong believed in insulting institutions, its desire for power cost nation greatly: Modi

Accusing the Congress of insulting institutions, including Parliament, judiciary, media and the armed forces, when it was in power, Prime Minster Narendra Modi Wednesday urged people to think wisely before casting their vote in the Lok Sabha elections beginning April 11. His government has changed things as it puts institutions above everything else, the prime minister said in a blog post. "As you go to vote - remember the past and how one family's desire for power cost the nation so greatly. If they could do it then, they can surely do it now," Modi wrote. "Think wisely: From the press to parliament. From soldiers to free speech. From the constitution to the courts. Institutional insult is the Congress way." "Everyone is wrong, only the Congress is correct," he said, taking a dig at the principal opposition party. India has seen that whenever dynastic politics has been powerful, institutions have taken a severe beating, he said. Referring to parliamentary proceedings, he said, "The ..

Congress believes it has no chance in 2019: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said Congress President Rahul Gandhi was not keen on seat sharing in different states in 2019 as he believes that he has no chances of winning the Lok Sabha battle and was eyeing the 2024 elections.

BJP, Congress men fight as Priyanka visits Varanasi

A minor scuffle broke out between Congress and BJP supporters while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was visiting the Shastri Memorial at Shastri Chowk in Ramnagar here to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Naveen files nomination from Hinjili

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday filed nomination for Hinjili assembly constituency in Ganjam district. This is the fifth consecutive time that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president is seeking election from Hinjili. Patnaik, who would contest from two seats for the first time, has also been the party nominee for Bijepur. The chief minister said he will submit his nomination papers for Bijepur very shortly. Both Hinjili and Bijepur assembly seats will go to polls in the second phase of voting on April 18. The last date of nomination for the second phase of polling is March 26. Patnaik is the first BJD candidate to file nomination for the assembly elections to be held along with the Lok Sabha polls in four phases next month. "I have filed my papers for the coming assembly polls," Patnaik told reporters soon after filing nomination before assistant sub-collector of Chhatrapur, S N Nayak, at Chhatrapur, the district headquarters town of Ganjam. The chief minister ..

Rahul Gandhi to address six public meetings in Telangana

Congress President Rahul Gandhi is slated to address six public meetings in Telangana, where the party would be able to win "many seats" in the coming Lok Sabha elections, a senior party functionary said Wednesday. "As per the programme, Rahul Gandhi would address six meetings", the AICC in-charge of Telangana, Rama Chandra Khuntia, a former MP, told PTI. Telangana, which has 17 Lok Sabha segments, goes to the polls in the first phase on April 11. The Congress has named candidates for all constituencies, except Khammam. In last year's Assembly elections, the Congress suffered a humiliating defeat, winning only 19 seats in the 119-member House. Khuntia said the Lok Sabha polls would be mainly between the Congress and BJP in the country. "KCR (Telangana Rashtra Samiti President and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) has no presence at the national level. TRS is a regional party", he said. Khuntia said the BJP has only a "nominal" presence in Telangana. "Other than the ...

Only must belong to RSS dynasty to be CM or PM in BJP regime: Kapil Sibal

Hitting back at BJP's criticism to Congress's 'dynastic politics', party leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday said that only those from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh "dynasty" can become chief minister or prime minister in BJP regime."Modi ji is right. I think the BJP and Modi ji is ruining the nation by the dynastic politics of the Sangh Parivar. What is Sangh Parivar except for a dynasty?" he said in reply to the Prime Minister's blog, "The biggest casualty of the same (dynastic politics) are institutions. From the press to Parliament, from soldiers to free speech, from the Constitution to the courts, nothing is spared."Questioning the appointments of BJP's chief ministers and ministers, Sibal told ANI, "Whoever is to be a chief minister whether it is Goa or somewhere else must belong to the Sangh Parivar, the Prime Minister of this country must belong to Sangh Parivar. All important portfolios in the government must be given to people of Sangh Parivar. This is the biggest Parivar which is