Page 1323 - Politics
Terror financing case: NIA issues fresh summons to Mirwaiz for questioning in Delhi
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Thursday issued fresh summons to moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq to appear for questioning at the probe agency headquarters in connection with a terror financing case, officials said. According to the notice, the Mirwaiz has been asked to appear at the National Investigation Agency (NIA) headquarters in New Delhi on March 18, the agency officials said. The NIA had on February 26 carried out searches at premises of separatist leaders, including the Mirwaiz, in connection with the case related to financing of terrorist and separatist groups in Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA team, accompanied by police and CRPF personnel, searched residences of some of the separatist leaders, including the Mirwaiz, Naseem Geelani and Ashraf Sehrai, the chairman of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat. The houses of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yaseen Malik, Shabir Shah, Zaffar Bhat and Masarat Alam were also raided. Barring the Mirwaiz and Sehrai, all .
Ailing Parrikar guiding force for poll campaign: BJP
Ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will continue to be the guiding force behind the Goa BJP's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and Assembly bypolls, party spokesperson Nilesh Cabral said on Thursday.
Mayawati meets BSP leaders, warns about EVMs
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday gave final touches to the list of party candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and urged party colleagues to keep an eye on electronic voting machines (EVMs).
PDA announces candidate for lone LS seat in Nagaland
The ruling People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) in Nagaland Thursday announced its candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state. Tokheho Yepthomi, the sitting Lok Sabha member and a leader of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), was also give the party ticket at a programme here. The NDPP is a the major constituent of the PDA. The ticket for the by-election to the Aonglenden Assembly constituency was also handed over to Sharingain Longkumer of the NDPP. The by-poll was necessitated as MLA Imtikumzuk passed away on September 22, 2018. Polling for the lone Lok Sabha seat and the by-poll will be held on April 11. PDA alliance partners comprises NDPP, BJP, National People's Party, Janata Dal (United) and Independents. Nagaland Chief minister Neiphiu Rio said the PDA candidates need to win by a huge margin. The PDA Chairman Chingwang Konyak, who is also the president of NDPP, asked the alliance partners to work hard and not to be complacent. The opposition ..
Differences surface in Delhi Congress over alliance with AAP in Delhi
Differences among senior Delhi Congress leaders over the issue of a possible tie-up with AAP in Delhi in the Lok Sabha elections surfaced on Thursday with the party's Delhi unit chief Sheila Dikshit questioning the move to seek opinion of party workers through a mobile app. In the survey, through the recorded voice of AICC incharge of Delhi unit PC Chacko, opinion of 52,000 Delhi Congress workers, registered on party's Shakti app, were sought. They were asked if they favoured an alliance with AAP in Delhi. Dikshit questioned the move by Chacko and former Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken, saying it was "overriding" the decision taken against the alliance by Rahul gandhi. "There should be no confusion. Our stand remains what it was," she said referring to her meeting with Rahul Gandhi earlier this month after which she had said there was unanimity in the party against alliance with the AAP in Delhi. The survey concluded on Thursday with Maken saying it was backed by Congress ...
Ensure new voters are added to electoral rolls: Nirmala Sitharaman to BJP workers
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday cautioned Delhi BJP workers against being lax ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and asked them to ensure new voters were added to the electoral rolls. Addressing BJP workers, the union minister said the atmosphere was good for the party as "people believe the country is safe under Modi-ji" but there was no room for them to be lax. "You should keep repeating that 'if we have to be secure, you have to elect Modi-ji'. If Delhi relaxes, due to any reason, the country will get the message that the party is not active," she said. She said the workers should ensure new voters were enrolled. "It is important to get new voters added. It is our responsibility to get the millennials, who were born after 2000, added. There is scam in the voter registry by the Aam Aadmi Party but I won't talk about it. But (remember) it is our responsibility to get new voters added," she said.
European parliament deals setback to EU-US trade talks
The European Parliament on Thursday failed to back the launch of trade talks between the EU and the United States, dealing an unexpected blow to efforts to avert a trade war. Pursuing a limited trade deal was the central part of a truce agreed in July when European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and US President Donald Trump pledged no new tariffs following those on steel and aluminium. That announcement allowed the two sides to reduce tensions at a time when Trump threatened to impose steep duties on European automobiles -- a threat he has renewed in recent weeks. MEPs meeting in the eastern French city of Strasbourg on Thursday failed to pass an approval of an EU mandate, after a rebellion by lawmakers changed the wording of the text. In the final tally, 223 voted against the recommendation to start the talks and 198 in favour, with 37 abstentions. The European Parliament only has an advisory role with regard to the EU's negotiating mandate, but it will have the final say .
LS poll: BJP may announce 1st list of Mah candidates on Mar 16
The BJP is likely to announce its first list of Maharashtra candidates for the next month's Lok Sabha polls in New Delhi on March 16, party leaders said on Thursday. Around 18 candidates will be announced in the first list, a BJP leader said, adding that the party will contest 25 seats this time, one less than the last general election. "Talks on another 4-5 seats, including those that the BJP could not win in 2014, are still going on. If they are not finalised by then, those names would be announced later," the leader said. The saffron party has given a clear indication that it would spare only a couple of seats for its allies in Maharashtra, although there are four key partners Republican Party of India (A), Rashtriya Samaj Paksh (RSP), Rayat Kranti Sanghatna and Shivsangram Sanghatna. The BJP core committee meeting was held here Thursday, where names of probable candidates were recommended to the BJP's national parliamentary committee. "Once the national committee ...
PCI notice to J-K administration over 'denial' of govt ads to two dailies
The Press Council of India (PCI) has issued a notice to the Jammu and Kashmir administration over non-issuance of government advertisements to two leading newspapers of the Valley. The PCI took cognizance of the complaint filed by the Kashmir Editors Guild and protest by the major newspapers of Kashmir by way of running blank front pages on March 10 for the non-issuance of government advertisements to the Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader, without giving any reasons. "A notice for statement in reply has been issued to the government of Jammu & Kashmir and the state information department," the PCI said in a statement. It said such incidents tend to undermine the freedom of press and the council views them with concern.
Koshiyari, Khanduri to skip LS polls (Dangal 2019)
After former Uttarakhand Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri, another senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, also a former Chief Minister, from the state has expressed his inability to contest 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
J-K: Political worker Mohd Ismail Wani shot at by terrorists
Political worker Mohd Ismail Wani was shot at by terrorists on Thursday.Wani has been admitted to a hospital in Srinagar. More details are currently awaited.National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah took to Twitter and wrote, "My JKNC colleague Mohd Ismail Wani, block President Bijbehara block in South Kashmir of has been shot and injured. He has been referred to Srinagar. Praying for his recovery.
Angry locals stop YSRCP MP from entering village
Local women here stopped YSRCP MP YS Avinash Reddy from entering their village, alleging that the lawmaker did not do anything for the people of the constituency.Reddy was campaigning in his constituency along with local leaders when local women opposed his entry in the village. They alleged that the Kadapa MP had done nothing for them.Kadapa is considered a YSRCP stronghold.Elections for the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh are slated to be held on April 11. Legislative elections on 175 sets too will be held simultaneously with Lok Sabha elections. Results of both these elections will be announced on May 23.In 2014 legislative elections, TDP won 104 seats, YSRCP won 67 seats while BJP won only four seats. The Congress party drew a blank.Out of 25 Lok Sabha seats, TDP won 15, YSRCP won 8 seats while BJP won two seats in 2014.But unlike in 2014 where BJP-TDP fought in the alliance, this time they are fighting as rivals.
Holding talks on Kartarpur does not mean resumption of dialogue: India tells Pak
India on Thursday made it clear to Pakistan that initiating talks on modalities for the Kartarpur Corridor does not mean the resumption of any bilateral dialogue between the two countries.India's views were conveyed to Pakistan during the first meeting here to discuss the operationalisation of the Kartarpur Corridor."Today what we had was a meeting on the issue of the Kartarpur Corridor, with an objective that pilgrims can have easy access to Kartarpur Sahib... This does not mean the resumption of any bilateral dialogue with Pakistan. Our position on the dialogue is very clear," said Deepak Mittal, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.He was addressing the media after the talks for which an 18-member Pakistani delegation is here.The Indian delegation was led by S.C.L. Das, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs while the Pakistan delegation was headed by Mohammad Faisal, DG (SA and SAARC) of Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs."Our expectations were made clear
BJP-Shiv Sena to begin joint election campaign from Friday
"Alliance partners Shiv Sena-BJP will begin their joint campaign for the Lok Sabha elections from Friday," Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut informed on Thursday."Senior leaders from both the parties including Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be present on the occasion," he added.BJP-Shiv Sena last month finalised a plan to contest the upcoming elections jointly. While BJP will contest on 25 seats, Shiv Sena will contest on 23 seats.Although both the parties have been in alliance for past several decades, they broke up in 2014 for a brief time just before the legislative elections in Maharashtra. BJP demanded a higher share of seats which Shiv Sena was not willing to concede.Out of 288 legislative seats, BJP won 122 while Shiv Sena managed to win only 63 seats.Shiv Sena later joined the government headed by BJP Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Even while being a part of the alliance, it repeatedly criticised the central and state ...
Kejriwal calls Sheila's 'Manmohan' remark shocking, alleges something cooking between BJP-Congress
Expressing shock over Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit's remark that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's response to 26/11 Mumbai attacks was not as strong as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that it only hinted at "something cooking between the BJP and Congress".Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal wrote, "This statement of Sheila ji is really shocking. Something is cooking between the BJP and Congress."Kejriwal's tweet comes after Dikshit acknowledged today that Manmohan Singh's "reaction" after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks was "not as strong and determined" as that of Modi after the Pulwama strike. She, however, added that the Modi does everything for "politics"."Manmohan Singh, yes, I agree with you, was not as strong as and as determined as he (Modi) is. But there is also a feeling that he is doing it all for politics," the senior Congress leader said in an interview to Vir Sanghvi for CNN-News18 channel.Dikshit was ...
Priyanka Gandhi remains hope for Congress in UP
Priyanka Gandhi continues to make waves in Uttar Pradesh as many party leaders see the new General Secretary as key to resurrecting the Congress's fortunes in the politically-crucial state but her absence is being felt in the state capital where the party office is not as bustling.
NCP announces first list of candidates; Supriya Sule to contest from Baramati
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday declared its first list of 12 candidates for Lok Sabha polls, with senior party leader Supriya Sule being fielded from the party stronghold of Baramati. The party has also given ticket to Mohammad P P Faizal from Lakshadweep. It has also decided to field sitting MPs Udayanraje Bhosale and Dhananjay Mahadik from Satara and Kolhapur, respectively. The other candidates include Anand Paranjpe (Thane) and Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai Northeast). The name of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana leader Raju Shetti, whose party left the NDA and joined the UPA, also figures in the NCP's list.
Cong will gain from AGP's 'betrayal', will win 10 seats
Veteran Congress leader Tarun Gogoi Thursday said the party will benefit from the anti-Citizenship Bill sentiment in Assam after the AGP's "betrayal", and it hoped to win at least 10 of the 14 seats in the state in the Lok Sabha polls. The former Assam chief minister claimed that the alliance between the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not help either. People know that the BJP is "anti-Assam" and the AGP is now exposed as a "shameless and double-standard party". Addressing a press conference here, Gogoi said the BJP and the AGP had formed an "opportunistic alliance" as none of them has the capability to win alone. The AGP had severed ties with the BJP-led government in Assam in January to protest the Centre's decision to ensure the controversial bill's passage in the Lok Sabha. It returned to the NDA fold after a meeting between AGP president Atul Bora and BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Tuesday. "The AGP rejoining the BJP shows a kind of ...
Goa BJP invites Modi to address election rally next month
The BJP in Goa has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a public meeting in the state and also lined up a number of senior party leaders for campaigning for the next month's Lok Sabha elections. Voting for the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa will be held on April 23. By-elections to three Assembly constituencies - Shiroda, Mandrem and Mapusa - will also be held the same day. "We have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a public meeting in Goa during the second week of April. "We are waiting for his confirmation after which the exact date will be finalised," Goa BJP president Vinay Tendulkar told reporters here Thursday. He said senior BJP leaders, including Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and Smriti Irani, will address election rallies in the coastal state. Tendulkar said the BJP will re-nominate both its sitting Members of Parliament Shripad Naik (North Goa) and Narendra Sawaikar (South Goa). He said the BJP's Central Election Committee will meet in New .
As CM, Mehbooba betrayed nation wearing nationalist mask, should be tried treason: BJP
The Jammu and Kashmir BJP Thursday alleged that Mehbooba Mufti carried out anti-national activities and promoted a pro-Pakistan agenda in the state as the chief minister of the BJP-PDP government, and demanded she be probed and tried for treason. BJP spokesman Brig (Retd) Anil Gupta, whose party was an ally in the government headed by Mehbooba, alleged that as the CM she played divisive and communal politics in Jammu and pursued the agenda of separatists in Kashmir. "It was for this reason that she held the Home portfolio (as well) and did not even have a Minister of State despite the state being infested with terrorism," he charged in a statement. Mehbooba served as the first woman CM of the state from April 4, 2016 to June 19, 2018 before the BJP pulled out of the alliance, citing discrimination with the Jammu and Ladakh regions. "While she was wearing the mask of a nationalist and occupied the highest chair in government, she actually was betraying the nation by carrying out ...