Page 1288 - Politics
'Main Bhi Chowkidar' a way of diverting people's attention, claims Kamal Nath
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of diverting the attention of citizens by launching 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' campaign ahead of ensuing Lok Sabha elections."Everyone is familiar with the kind of chowkidar he claims to be. When the country is under danger, what is he doing?" he said while addressing media here. "There have been more attacks during his term than ever. His party was in the term when the parliament attack took place. By launching such campaigns, is he implying that he made the Indian Air Force, Army and Navy? This is just a way to divert the attention of people," he added.'Main Bhi Chowkidar' was launched on Saturday in order to further the narrative of the Prime Minister's strong and decisive image which multiple surveys have conveyed is the main factor in the upcoming elections, an official release mentioned.A day after the launch of the poll campaign, Prime Minister Modi and top BJP leaders such as Amit Shah, Piyush ...
Former PSC chairman K S Radhakrishnan joins BJP
Former Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) chairman Dr K S Radhakrishnan joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday in the presence of BJP state president, P.S Sreedharan Pillai.Speaking to ANI after joining the BJP, Radhakrishnan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership motivated him to join the party."After actively serving for the Indian National Congress (INC) for more than a decade, I joined BJP just for the reason that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives a very effective and pro-power leadership. He is the kind of person who believes that personal abilities must be the basis to get the position [in BJP] and not the family."Appreciating Prime Minister Modi for the work he has done, Radhakrishnan added: "I appreciate his efforts in effectively eradicating corruption and improve the financial status of the downtrodden in the country. In my opinion, he has rightly regained those who have been estranged by the political discourse."KS Radhakrishnan was the Vice-Chancellor ..
Congress approached NC for alliance, says Omar Abdullah
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Sunday said the Congress party had approached them for an alliance in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls."It is true that we had received a proposal from Congress for alliance (in Jammu and Kashmir for Lok Sabha polls). But we told them clearly that only National Conference candidate will be there on the 3 seats in the valley (Kashmir)," Abdullah told media here.The former chief minister, however, said the party is open to discussing about the other seats at stake in the state. "If it suits them (Congress) then we can talk about other seats. Let's see what response we receive," he added.With regards to the 5-year ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, Abdullah claimed that when he was the chief minister, things were "more peaceful."" I was the Chief Minister for six years, no organisation including Jamaat-e-Islami was banned, things were far more peaceful back then. Today, the state is suffering the repercussions of BJP-PDP alliance of 2015," he added.Abdullah ..
If YSRCP wins, KCR will rule Andhra Pradesh: Chandrababu Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday claimed that if YSR Congress Party wins the upcoming state Assembly election, Telangana Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) will rule the state.While addressing party leaders and cadre at a meeting here, Naidu even indirectly accused YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of killing his own uncle, YS Vivekananda Reddy.He said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are experts in cheating and betraying... Andhra Pradesh got injustice due to KCR and Prime Minister Modi. But Jagan has colluded with them and betraying the state... Do we need a person who killed his own uncle and vanished all the evidences?""KCR is supporting Jagan, as he wants a puppet government in Andhra. If YSRCP wins, KCR rules the state. So don't vote for YSRCP," he added.Naidu feels YSRCP does not have any right "even to sit in opposition"."Their MPs resigned as they couldn't fight there (in Parliament). Their MLAs did not turn to Assembly as
Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand enters US presidential race
Amid a long list of Democrats running for the White House, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Sunday announced her candidacy for the 2020 presidential elections with a campaign video titled "Brave Wins."According to CNN, the New York Democrat launched an exploratory campaign in January, announcing it on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," which is aired on CBS. She further divulged that she spent the past two months travelling to key states.In the two-minute-long video released on Sunday, Gillibrand announced that she is running for the White House and the video ends with an invitation to join Gillibrand at the Trump International Hotel on March 24, where she plans to deliver "her positive, brave vision of restoring America's moral integrity straight to President Trump's doorstep."In her video, Gillibrand said, "Our anthem calls America the home of the brave, but we don't realize that the lyrics first pose it as a question ... It asks, 'will brave win?' Well, it hasn't always and it ...
BJD accuses BJP of violating Model Code of Conduct, urges EC to take action
Ruling BJD on Sunday accused BJP of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by allegedly shifting the Railway Electrification Board unit from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru on March 13 after the announcement of the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly poll schedule.A BJD delegation led vice-president Badri Narayan Patra submitted a memorandum to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar in this regard.The delegation which also included party spokesperson Sasmit Patra alleged the BJP is trying to impress the voters of Karnataka through the move.The BJD vice president said: "The Model Code of the Conduct has been in force since March 10. Unfortunately, the Central government took a decision to shift the Railway Electrification unit from Odisha to Bengaluru.""This is a decision they should not have taken after the MCC came into force. This is a clear-cut violation of the MCC and that is what we wanted to bring to the notice of the CEO," he said.Badri Narayan Patra demanded that this decision .
Mehbooba Mufti calls PDP workers 'real Mujahideen'
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday called her party workers the "real Mujahideen" (real holy warriors).
MNS out of Lok Sabha poll fray in Maha
Raj Thackeray-led MNS, which is struggling to stay relevant in the state politics, would not contest next month's Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. An MNS leader said party president Raj Thackeray would make his political position clear on March 19 in a public meeting, and guide the party cadres. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), founded in 2006 by Raj Thackeray after he fell out with Shiv Sena patriarch and his uncle Bal Thackeray, reached its zenith in 2009 assembly elections when it won 13 out of total 288 seats. The party was also said to be responsible for defeat of Shiv Sena candidates in Mumbai and its metropolitan region, apparently due to division of Marathi votes. However, the party lost the momentum gradually. Though it never won a Lok Sabha seat, in 2014 elections it was blown away during the Narendra Modi wave. In the assembly elections held that year, the MNS won only one seat in Maharashtra. Recently, that lone MLA from Junnar in Pune district has ...
Kanimozhi figures in DMK's list of LS candidates
Tamil Nadu's DMK on Sunday announced Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi Karunanidhi will be its candidate from Thoothukkudi constituency as it released its list of 20 candidates for the April 18 Lok Sabha polls.
BJP announces 1st list for Arunachal Assembly polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday announced the first list of 54 candidates (out of 60) for the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections, to be held on April 11.
BJP announces first list of candidates for Andhra
The BJP on Sunday announced its first list of 123 candidates for the Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh where the polls are due on April 11.
RMP to support Congress candidate in Kerala's Vadakara
K.K. Rema, the widow of T.P. Chandrasekharan, the slain leader of a breakaway group of the CPI-M, Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP), said on Sunday that the RMP will support the Congress candidate from Vadakara constituency, as a murderer should not win from here.
Swaraj meets top Maldivian leadership; discusses cooperation in defence, health
India and the Maldives on Sunday discussed measures to strengthen bilateral ties and collaborate in the fields of defence, development cooperation, capacity building and health as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with the country's top leadership, including her Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid. Swaraj arrived here on Sunday on a two-day visit, the first full-fledged bilateral trip from India to the island nation after the government of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came to power in November last year. Swaraj and Maldivian Foreign Minister Shahid reviewed progress on important bilateral issues, including implementation of agreed outcomes of President Solih's visit to India last year, External Affairs Ministry (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. They agreed on a broad spectrum of issues for further collaboration, including development cooperation and enhancing people-to-people contact. Solih visited India in December last year during which India announced a
Cong offers BJP ally IPFT "honorable solution"
With the ruling BJP and its coalition partner Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) in the state failing to forge an alliance for the coming parliamentary elections, the opposition Congress Sunday offered the tribal party an honorable solution if it wished. Tripura PCC president Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debburman told reporters that Congress would offer an "honourable solution" to IPFT wishes to talk to it regarding the parliamentary elections. "If IPFT feels it has trouble with BJP, they are most welcome to talk to me. I will offer them an honourable solution," Debburman said. However, he did not elaborate what could be the "honourable" solution. IPFT had on Saturday announced that talks for seat adjustment with BJP for the two Lok Sabha seats in Tripura had failed and it has decided to field its candidates in them. IPFT supremo N C Debbarma, who is the revenue minister of the coalition government in the state, would contest from the East Tripura (ST) constituency .
Relatives, officials arrive at ailing Goa CM's residence
Relatives of ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, senior government officials and political leaders started arriving at his residence in Dona Paula here Sunday evening. In a tweet, the Chief Minister's Office said that "Chief Minister @manoharparrikar's health condition is extremely critical. Doctors are trying their best". Among the first to arrive at the chief minister's private residence was state Director General of Police Pranab Nanda. Police presence around the house has also been increased. The former Defence Minister's health, which has been fluctuating for a year, took a turn for the worse in the past two days. Several party leaders and allies in the state government had rushed to meet him on Saturday.
UN envoy says Hamas violently suppressed Gaza protests
A United Nations envoy condemned Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas on Sunday, accusing the group of violently suppressing peaceful protests. Since Thursday hundreds of Palestinians have taken to the streets in multiple locations throughout the Gaza Strip, protesting the rising cost of living in the Palestinian enclave. Dozens have been arrested, including journalists and human rights workers, with security forces using violence to break up the demonstrations, according to rights groups. "I strongly condemn the campaign of arrests and violence used by Hamas security forces against protesters, including women and children, in Gaza over the past three days," UN envoy to Israel and the Palestinian territories Nickolay Mladenov said in a statement. "I am particularly alarmed by the brutal beating of journalists and staff from the Independent Commission for Human Rights and the raiding of homes." "The long-suffering people of Gaza were protesting the dire economic situation and demanded an ...
In Bihar, RJD in reckoning but Lalu Prasad is being missed
The presence of Lalu Prasad, known for his witty repartee and rustic mannerism, which made campaigning a lively affair, is being sorely missed this time. The RJD supremo is serving sentences in fodder scam cases and lodged in a Ranchi hospital for a number of ailments. The inimitable RJD supremo, whose party symbol lantern brings the promise of dispelling darkness, is known to lighten up the tedium associated with elections, often leaving in splits even those at the receiving end of his jibes. People still recall the kind of banter he had brought to the atmosphere during the assembly polls of 2015, when he took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was firing on all cylinders during campaigning. The polls were fought along with his arch rival Nitish Kumar - who headed the JD(U) as the chief ministerial candidate - but the imprint of Lalu, ailing and disqualified from contesting elections himself, was unmistakable. Who else could have dismissed prime minister at one panel discussion ..
RSS leader talks of 'Akhand Bharat', sees Pak merger by 2025
RSS leader Indresh Kumar has said that after 2025 people from India could settle and start businesses in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, among other cities in neighbouring Pakistan. Dishing out a history lesson while speaking at an event in Dadar on Saturday, he said the region now comprising Pakistan used to be called "Hindustan" till 1045 AD. He said that formation of a "Bharatiya Union of Akhand Bharat" was also possible. "People used to say there was no Pakistan before 1947. Till 1045 AD, the area was called Hindustan. It will become Hindustan again after 2025. You can start looking to settle or start a business in say Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi or Sialkot after 2025," Kumar claimed. Commenting on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's "Akhand Bharat" or undivided India doctrine, Kumar said, "Delhi has ensured that Bangladesh has a government favourable to us." Appreciating the Centre's "tough stand" on Jammu and Kashmir, he said it was a result of "changed political willpower". "For .
Admiral Lanba visiting Kochi for debrief of war exercise
: Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba will be here Monday to preside over the debrief of largest war-game of the Indian Navy - the Theatre-level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 19). The exercise had commenced on January 7 and was planned to be terminated by March 10, but the Jaish-e-Mohammad sponsored terrorist attack on the CRPF convoy in Pulwama on February 14 led to the rapid redeployment of the Indian Navy for operations in the North Arabian Sea, a defence press release said here Sunday. The major combat units, including the carrier battle group with INS Vikramaditya, nuclear submarines and scores of other ships, submarines and aircraft swiftly transited from exercise to operational deployment mode as tension between India and Pakistan escalated, the release said. A clear and resolute message regarding the operational posture of the Indian Navy to prevent, deter and defeat any misadventure by Pakistan in the maritime domain was also issued during the ...
Arunachal CM to be BJP nominee from Mukto Assembly seat
Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu will contest the April 11 assembly elections from Mukto, his home constituency in Tawang district, bordering China. Since 2004 assembly elections, the Mukto seat has a history of MLAs being elected without a contest. Khandu, heading a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government since December 2016, was elected unopposed from the constituency in 2014 and had no rival in the 2011 by-election as well. The death of his father and former chief minister Dorjee Khandu in a helicopter crash in April 2011 had necessitated the by-poll. The senior Khandu too was elected unopposed from the Mukto seat in 1990, 2004 and 2009 on a Congress ticket. The constituency is dominated by the Monpa community, who are followers of Buddhism. The BJP on Sunday declared the names of candidates for 54 seats in the 60-member state Assembly. Among the candidates, few are first timers while the names of several ministers, including Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Kumar Waii ..