Page 1328 - Politics

Sidhu to be Congress' star campaigner in LS polls: Party's Pb in-charge

Known for his trademark witty one-liners, Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will be one of the star campaigners for the Congress in the Lok Sabha poll hustings, a senior party leader said. The 55-year-old Punjab tourism and cultural affairs minister who hogged the headlines for his push for the Kartarpur corridor between India and Pakistan, has been the "star voter-catcher" for the Congress. "Sidhu is one of the star campaigners for the Congress across the country. He has a way of connecting with the audience and has campaign value," the party's Punjab affairs in-charge Asha Kumari said. The cricketer-turned politician had aggressively campaigned for the party in the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh assembly elections for 17 days, injuring his vocal cords in the process. He was advised by doctors to take complete rest. Sidhu was recently at the centre of a controversy for his remarks following the Pulwama terror attack and was sacked from a popular comedy talk ...

US report avoids linking MBS to Khashoggi murder

A US State Department report has labelled journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder a human rights violation committed by Saudi Arabian government agents, but has made no mention whether Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman played a role in the Washington Post columnist's death.

Rahul consoles slain YC worker's family

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Thursday met the family members of a slain Youth Congress activist, who was allegedly killed by CPI(M) workers in February last year, and consoled the grieving relatives. Gandhi spent around half and hour with the parents and sisters of Shuhaib at the international airport here and extended the party's support to them, party sources said. Senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Mulapally Ramachandran were among those present during the meeting. Party sources here said the Congress chief, who arrived for a one-day visit in the state to officially kick-start the party's Lok Sabha poll campaign, wanted to meet the family of Shuhaib, an alleged victim of political rivalry, despite his hectic schedule. An active party man hailing from Mattannur here, Shuhaib, 29, had served as the Mattannur block Youth Congress secretary. He was hacked to death on the night of February 12 last year allegedly by CPI(M) activists. A .

We don't want SP-BSP 'ghatbandhan' to lose: Veerappa Moily

Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said on Thursday his party did not want the SP-BSP-RLD alliance to lose in Uttar Pradesh and that it may enter into an understanding with the 'ghatbandhan' in segments in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He said the Congress has chosen to fight the polls in Uttar Pradesh, an electorally crucial state with 80 seats, on its own strength after the SP-BSP offered it only two seats. "For a national party like the Congress, we cannot take like that (the offer of only two seats). That is why we are putting up candidates," Moily told PTI in a telephonic interview. "And while putting up candidates, there may be seat understanding even without 'ghatbandhan'. You will see that trend. Wherever we (Congress) are interested...they (SP-BSP) are interested to defeat the BJP, there may be an understanding. "We do not want our (SP-BSP-RLD) 'ghatbandhan' people to lose. That kind of an understanding will take place between the Congress, BSP and SP," the former ..

Mayawati gives final touches to list of BSP candidates

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati Thursday gave final touches to the list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and discussed other important electoral issues at a party meeting here. The BSP president held a meeting with important district and divisional level leaders in Uttar Pradesh, a party release issued here said. Names of party candidates and other important electoral and political issues were discussed at the meeting, it said. The decisions taken at the meeting will be carried forward after discussions with the top leadership of alliance partner Samajwadi Party (SP), the release said. According to the feedback received during the meeting, the appeals of BSP and SP leaders have had a good impact on the people, it said. The workers of all the three parties, including the Rashtriya Lok Dal, have gotten into election mode, leaving behind their differences, to defeat the casteist and egoistical BJP at the hustings. After taking the feedback, Mayawati directed her ...

Patnaik sets up a committee to prepare BJD's poll manifesto

Biju Janata Dal president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday set up a committee to prepare the regional party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections. Patnaik has appointed Patkura MLA and former minister Bed Prakash Agrawal as the chairman of the committee while senior leader and MP Prasanna Acharya, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, MLAs Mangala Kisan, Padmanav Behera and woman leader Kasturi Mahapatra were made co-chairpersons of the panel. Patnaik has suggested to the committee to prepare the party's manifesto based on the opinion of the people being collected through BJD's "Ghare Ghare Sankha" (conch in every house) programme. The Ghare Ghare Sankha programme was launched on March 5, the birth anniversary of legendary Biju Patnaik, to collect opinion of people for preparing the manifesto The other members of the committee are A.U. Singhdeo, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Achyut Samant, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Sanjay Dasburma, Arun Sahu, Sudam Marangi, ...

Till now he used to 'abuse' PM Modi: Cong on Vadakkan criticising it after joining BJP

After its spokesperson Tom Vadakkan joined the BJP, the Congress on Thursday dismissed his criticism of the party saying that till now he used to "abuse" Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a huge embarrassment to the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Vadakkan, once a key aide of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, joined the BJP and attacked his former party for its stand on the Balakot air strikes. Vadakkan, who joined the saffron party in the presence of Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, and later met its president Amit Shah, said, "I am deeply hurt and that is why I am here." "Our best wishes to him," Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said when asked about Vadakkan joining the BJP. Asked about Vadakkan citing dynastic politics and the Congress's stand on the Pulwama terror attack and India's retaliatory strikes as his reasons for quitting the party, Surjewala said every person who leaves a party to join another party "searching for a better future", has to say ...

TMC leader and four-time MLA Arjun Singh joins BJP

TMC leader and four-time legislator from West Bengal Arjun Singh Thursday joined the BJP, giving a boost to the saffron party's prospects in the state for the Lok Sabha elections. Singh joined the BJP in the presence of party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and West Bengal BJP leader Mukul Roy here. Addressing the media at the BJP office, Singh said he was shocked at Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's comments on the Pulwama terror attack. "I gave 30 years to Mamata Banerjee. I was shocked at her comments on the Pulwama terror attack. Her statement has shaken the country. "When the Indian Air Force carried out the strike, she demanded the body count of terrorists. If a leader does not have national interest on her mind then she cannot do any good to her voters," Singh said. The four-time MLA from Barrackpore is likely to contest on a BJP ticket in the Lok Sabha polls against TMC heavyweight Dinesh Trivedi, sources said. They added ...

Shetti to wait till Thursday evening to decide whether to quit NCP-Cong alliance or not

After having talks with senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Ashok Chavan, the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) will wait till Thursday evening before deciding whether to be a part of NCP-Congress alliance or not in Maharashtra, said Raju Shetti on Thursday.Shetti, president of SSS, confirmed to ANI that he has agreed to wait till Thursday evening after senior Congress leaders requested him to do so.A meeting of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee is slated to be held on Thursday where the issues related to the ensuing Lok Sabha elections will be discussed. Commenting on his two-day ultimatum to Congress-NCP over seat sharing, he said: "I should get at least two seats. When I was in the BJP, we got three seats. In the Congress, I should get at least two seats, if not three."The three seats are-Wardha, Buldhana, and Hatkanangale, the seat which Shetti himself represents in the Lok Sabha. In Maharashtra, 48 Lok Sabha seats are at stake. However, Shetti reaffirmed that he ...

Sack Smriti Irani for misusing MPLAD funds: Congress

Citing a CAG report indicting Union Minister Smriti Irani for making a payment of nearly Rs 6 crore from MPLAD funds without a tender, the Congress on Thursday demanded her sacking and also registering an FIR against the BJP MP from Gujarat.

Cong women's wing chief lauds Priyanka for saying 'sisters and brothers' at rally

Congress women's wing chief Sushmita Dev on Thursday lauded Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for her gesture of referring to women before men by saying "sisters and brothers" in her maiden speech at a rally as party general secretary in Gujarat. Priyanka Gandhi said she thought no one noticed that she had done so. Nearly two months after she was made party general secretary in-charge Uttar Pradesh East, Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday addressed her first political rally, taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his home state of Gujarat over "unfulfilled" promises. "The speech of @priyankagandhi ji in Gujarat stood out for many reasons. I loved the fact that in her address she changed the order most people follow by referring to women before men i.e. 'behenon or bhaiyyon' (sisters and brothers) and not the other way around," All India Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev tweeted. Responding to Dev, Priyanka Gandhi tweeted: "...and I thought no one noticed!!", with a wink emoji. This was Gandhi's third

Congress leader Tom Vadakkan joins BJP

Tom Vadakkan, who used to be the face of the Congress in the capacity of a spokesperson, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, saying he had quit the grand old party because it was now resorting to "use and throw" approach.He said the dynastic politics in Congress has reached a level which is not acceptable to "self-respecting people". Vadakkan, National Secretary (Communications) in the All India Congress Committee (AICC), was inducted into the BJP here in the presence of Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad."The reason why I left the Congress party, with a heavy heart, is that the attack by the Pakistani terrorists on our land and the reaction from my party was sad indeed. When you question the integrity of the armed forces, I am deeply hurt and that is why I am here," he said after joining the party."The question is not of the ideology. If a political party takes a decision that is against the nation, I had no other option but to leave it. It is about love for our ...

SP-BSP will have joint rallies in Uttar Pradesh, says Akhilesh

In Uttar Pradesh, SP-BSP will have joint election rallies during the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, said former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav here on Thursday."We have planned joint rallies in Uttar Pradesh," he told ANI in reply to a question about what transpired in his meeting with BSP president Mayawati on Wednesday."The meeting was to discuss the poll strategy for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. We have decided on meeting and rallies of SP and BSP. We have also planned joint rallies," he said.SP-BSP are fighting the ensuing Lok Sabha polls in UP as allies. As per the seat-sharing agreement, SP is contesting 37 seats and BSP 38. Three seats have been given to the RLD--Mathura, Muzaffarpur, and Bagpat. Two seats--Rae Bareli and Amethi--have been left for the Congress. Exuding confidence, Yadav said that his party would now reach out to the people of the state, where Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases beginning April 11 to end on May 19. The counting of votes will

BJP tears into Rahul for calling PM Modi 'weak', 'scared' of Chinese President

The BJP on Thursday lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi "weak" and saying that he is scared of Chinese President Xi Jinping.A day after China blocked a proposal at the United Nations Security Council to declare JeM chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist, Rahul Gandhi said "Weak Modi is scared of Xi. Not a word comes out of his mouth when China acts against India. NoMo's China Diplomacy: Swing with Xi in Gujarat, Hug Xi in Delhi and Bow to Xi in China."Referring to Rahul's tweet, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while addressing the media asked, "Why is Rahul Gandhi in a celebratory mood when the country stands pained in this kind of move by China."Prasad, reacting to the charges, said Rahul should have used his proximity with China to influence its decision to designate Masood Azhar as a terrorist."You enjoy a very close relationship with China. If you have such good relations with China at least you could have used that ...

'Weak' PM Modi 'scared' of Chinese President: Rahul Gandhi

A day after China blocked a proposal at the United Nations Security Council to declare JeM chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said "weak" Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "scared" of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Taking to Twitter, Gandhi wrote, "Weak Modi is scared of Xi. Not a word comes out of his mouth when China acts against India."For the fourth time in the last ten years, China on Wednesday blocked a proposal by the US, the UK and France, among others, to enlist Pakistan-based Azhar as a global terrorist.Later addressing a fisherman parliament in Thrissur in Kerala, he accused the Prime Minister of not doing enough for the uplift of the poor, fishermen, farmers and small businessmen."Our Prime Minister is not concerned about the welfare of the poor, fishermen, farmers and small businessmen. He is only concerned about businessmen like Mehul Choksy, Nirav Modi and others. His philosophy is different from mine. I am here to uplift the poor and ..

Disappointed over China blocking proposal on Masood Azhar at UNSC: Ex envoy Gautam Bambawale

Former Indian Ambassador to China, Gautam Bambawale, on Thursday said that it is disappointing that China blocked the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at United Nations Security Council (UNSC).Talking to ANI, Bambawale said, "We are disappointed that China for a fourth time blocked listing of Masood Azhar at UNSC, under 1267 sanctions. It's quite obvious that China is doing this as they've said they do not have enough information about Masood Azhar."He said China must have factored in the diplomatic cost for taking the step.The former envoy said, "China must have factored in that there is a diplomatic cost of taking this step. If China opposes terrorism, it must allow this listing to go ahead. We must continue to work with China to convince them to remove the hold."China on Wednesday blocked a proposal in the UN Security Council to enlist Azhar as a global terrorist.This is the fourth time that China has used the technical hold to block the ...

Trinamool's Arjun Singh joins BJP

Trinamool Congress strongman and MLA Arjun Singh on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here in the presence of senior party leaders.

Rahul accuses PM of listening only to Ambani, Nirav Modi

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ignoring voices of farmers, fishermen and small businessmen, Congress President Rahul Gandhi Thursday said the NDA government listened only to industrialists such as Anil Ambani and Nirav Modi. Interacting with fishermen at the National Fishermen Parliament organised by All India Fishermen Congress in Thriprayar near here, Gandhi said in India, the most important thing is giving voice to the people. "In today's government, Anil Ambani or Nirav Modi has a lot of voice. Whatever they want to say to the prime minister can do so in 10 seconds. And they don't have to shout. They can even whisper it and the message goes whereas farmers, fishermen and small businessmen...they have to shout very loudly before the government listens to them," he said launching the Congress's campaign for the Lok Sabha elections in Kerala. Gandhi said he was talking about the "dishonest" people associated with Modi and "it is really the fight between Congress and ...

BJD MP Balabhadra Majhi resigns from party

In a setback to the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the elections, its Lok Sabha member Balabhadra Majhi Thursday resigned from the party claiming that he was "ignored and cheated". "I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of the BJD as I felt ignored, neglected and cheated. I presumed the party no more requires me," Majhi, who represents Nabarangpur (ST) Lok Sabha seat, said here. Majhi told reporters that was unable to meet Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik and submitted the resignation letter to political secretary of the party chief. "Somewhere, a gap has developed between I and you .. may be designed by some persons envious of my achievements," Majhi said in his resignation letter to Patnaik. To a question about any move to join any other political party, Majhi said he is yet to think about it and a decision in this regard will be taken after speaking to people of his area. To a query, Majhi said the BJD is "no longer ...

China veto on Masood, no J&K polls Modi's failures: Omar

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that China's veto against JeM chief Masood Azhar being declared a global terrorist and not holding Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were "big failures" of the Modi government.