Page 1354 - Politics
Disgruntled Cong leader Sujay Vikhe Patil likely to join BJP
In a jolt to the Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra, disgruntled Congress leader Sujay Vikhe Patil, son of the leader of opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, is likely to join the BJP on Tuesday.This reportedly comes after NCP chief Sharad Pawar denied Sujay's request to contest the impending general elections from Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat, despite Sujay's father meeting Pawar multiple times over his son's request."Ahmednagar seat was always our seat, there was no point in giving that seat to anyone else. If you look back, NCP even defeated late Balasaheb Vikhe Patil from there and I personally had to face legal case in court from Vikhe Patil following that. Joining our party was an open option but at no point of time that seat could have been taken away from NCP," said Pawar.On the other hand, BJP is leaving no stone unturned to rope in the disgruntled father-son duo into their party.Earlier today, in a surprise announcement, Pawar said he will not contest .
India, US discuss 'urgency' of Pakistan acting against terrorist groups
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Monday discussed the importance of bringing those responsible for the terrorist attacks on India "to justice and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil", a State Department official said.
Erdogan dials Modi; condoles deaths in recent terror attacks
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to condole the deaths in recent terrorist attacks in the country and wish speedy recovery to those injured, a statement said on Monday. During their conversation, Modi underscored the importance of "immediate, demonstrable, and irreversible action" against terrorism by all countries concerned. He asserted that terrorism remains one of the gravest threats to global peace and security. "President Erdogan expressed condolences for the victims of recent terrorist attacks in India, and wished speedy recovery to those injured in the attacks," the statement said. Forty personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed on February 14 when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a paramilitary bus in Kashmir's Pulwama district .
DMK asks EC to hold bypolls in 3 more TN Assembly seats
The DMK Monday urged the Election Commission to hold bypolls to three more vacant Assembly seats besides the 18 segments for which byelections have been scheduled on April 18 alongside Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. At a meeting of its district secretaries, MPs, and MLAs here, the main opposition party adopted a resolution which said not holding bypolls to the three Assembly constituencies was "anti-democratic." Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo's had on Sunday said bypolls were not scheduled for Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi constituencies, which are also vacant, since election petitions were pending in the Madras High Court. To this, the DMK meet said, "it is noteworthy that the Election Commission was not restrained from holding bypolls to the three constituencies by the court." The resolution, hence, demanded that the EC hold bypolls to these three constituencies. DMK president M K Stalin said his party's Rajya Sabha MPs Tiruchy ...
Baijayant Panda charges BJD with sheltering criminal elements
Former BJD MP Baijayant Panda, who recently joined the BJP, Monday spewed venom at the Naveen Patnaik government, accusing it of being corrupt and sheltering criminal elements. Addressing his first public meeting here after joining the BJP, he alleged that the BJD has forgotten the ideology of legendary leader Biju Patnaik, father of the chief minister. "It has become a safe haven for goons and persons involved in the multi-crore chitfund scams," Panda, now a BJP national vice-president, alleged at a public meeting in Ichhapur under Kendrapara constituency that was represented by him twice. Panda, who joined the BJP on March 4 after quiting the BJD a year ago, alleged that individuals with dubious credentials and corrupt bureaucrats are running the government. His meeting was organised a day after Patnaik attended a women's convention in this coastal district. Claiming that the state government has failed miserably on law and order, Panda said, "Safety of women is at a .
Sudan parliament cuts state of emergency to six months
Sudan's parliament on Monday approved a nationwide state of emergency of six months instead of one year as ordered by President Omar al-Bashir to quell protests against his iron-fisted rule. Bashir declared a year-long state of emergency from February 22 after an initial crackdown failed to suppress the demonstrations that have rocked his administration for nearly three months. "A six-month state of emergency has been approved by a majority," the speaker of parliament Ibrahim Ahmed Omer said after lawmakers voted on the presidential decree. Deadly protests erupted on December 19 after a government decision to triple the price of bread. The demonstrations quickly escalated into nationwide rallies against Bashir's administration, with analysts calling it the biggest challenge to his rule stretching back three decades. Officials say 31 people have died in protest-related violence so far, while Human Rights Watch has given a death toll of at least 51 including medics and ...
US opposes incremental denuclearization of N. Korea: envoy
A top US envoy said Monday Washington's goal is the complete denuclearization of North Korea by the end of Donald Trump's first term, insisting it will not settle for incremental disarmament. "We are not going to do denuclearization incrementally," said Stephen Biegun, the special US envoy for North Korea. While stressing he was not bound by an artificial calendar, Biegun said the administration wanted to accomplish the complete and verified denuclearization of North Korea by the end of Trump's term in January 2021. The US side has included North Korea's chemical and biological weapons in the negotiations with Pyongyang. The envoy said there could be no comprehensive agreement with the North without agreement on each point, adding that there was "complete unity" in the administration on that approach. Speaking at a conference organized by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Biegun said progress had been made despite the failure of Trump's second summit with North Korean ...
PM has telephonic talks with Turkey Prez, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince; junior Saudi FM calls on him
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday held separate telephonic conversations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, while Saudi Arabia's junior foreign minister called on him -- engagements which came in the backdrop of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. It was not immediately known whether Indo-Pak tensions figured in the Prime Minister's telephonic conversations with the leaders of Turkey and UAE. Government sources said there was no offer of any mediation by any country to de-escalate tensions between India and Pakistan even though Islamabad was reaching out to several foreign governments for such a role. The official statement on Modi's conversation with Erdogan said that the Prime Minister stated that terrorism remains one of the gravest threats to global peace and security. He underscored the importance of immediate, demonstrable, and irreversible action against terrorism by all countries concerned, .
Brexit talks deadlocked ahead of key Parliament vote
British Prime Minister Theresa May looks set for another major Parliament defeat this week over Brexit as talks with the European Union (EU) to finalise a draft withdrawal agreement remain "deadlocked" on Monday, ahead of a key House of Commons vote. The so-called meaningful vote on May's Brexit deal is set for Tuesday but with no changes agreed on both sides to the controversial Irish backstop clause to make the deal more acceptable to British MPs, the UK government seems to be on course for a repeat of January's historic Commons defeat. As Downing Street admitted that talks with the EU remain deadlocked, reports emerged from Ireland to indicate that Theresa May may be undertaking a last-minute dash to Strasbourg in France later on Monday for talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to try and salvage her Brexit deal. The PM and the negotiating teams are focused on making progress so we can secure Parliament's support for the deal, a Downing Street spokesperson ...
Chazhikadan will contest from Kottayam: Kerala Congress (M)
: Kerala Congress (M) leader and former MLA Thomas Chazhikadan will be the Congress-led UDF candidate for the Kottayam Lok Sabha constituency, KC (M) chairman K M Mani said here Monday. Mani decided to field his close confidant Chazhikadan from Kottayam, rejecting claims by KC(M) working chairman and former state minister P J Joseph for the lone seat allotted to the party by the UDF. Joseph, representing Thodupuzha constituency in the Kerala Assembly, had publicly expressed his desire to contest the elections as the UDF candidate from Kottayam. A series of meetings of the KC (M) leaders were held here to decide the partys candidate but failed to reach a consensus over Josephs candidature as K M Mani and his son Jose K Mani wanted to keep the seat within their fold. While the supporters of Joseph strongly argued for his candidature, supporters of Mani opposed it, arguing that no sitting MLA should be fielded as the Lok Sabha candidate. We will unitedly fight and win the ...
Lanka's Tamil party TNA, JVP pledge to work together to abolish executive presidency
Sri Lanka's main Tamil party TNA and Marxist party JVP on Monday held a rare meeting here and decided to work together towards abolishing the executive presidency in the country. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which represented diagonally opposed political stands, came together during the political crisis in the island nation when President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The TNA and JVP put up a broad front to force Sirisena backtrack through court action. The Supreme Court's intervention made Sirisena to reinstate Wickremesinghe as the prime minister. The meeting between the two parties on Monday came as part of JVP's consultations on the need to abolish presidency. The two parties held discussion on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution which aimed at abolishing the executive presidency. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told the media they discussed mustering support for the 20th amendment to the ...
4-phase polls announced in Odisha to help BJP: BJD spokesman
The ruling BJD on Monday alleged that the four-phase election schedule for Odisha has been announced to suit the BJP since it faces "bleak" electoral prospects in the state. While single-phase polling has been announced for states with more number of seats, the decision to hold Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha in four phases appears to have been influenced by the BJP, the Spokesperson of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Amar Patnaik, alleged. However, BJD president Naveen Patnaik welcomed the poll schedule. While single-phase polling will take place in states such as Andhra Pradesh (25 LS seats) and Gujarat (26 LS seats), polling will take place in Odisha in four phases, which has only 21 LS constituencies, the BJD spokesperson said. "Therefore, it appears that the election schedule has been prepared to suit the BJP. In states such as Odisha, where BJP's poll prospects are bleak, multiple phases of elections have been scheduled," he said. There is no logic behind holding the ...
Verifiable action to dismantle terror infrastructure must for tackling terror: India to Saudi
In a clear reference to Pakistan, India on Friday conveyed to Saudi Arabia that that an "immediate, irreversible and verifiable action" to dismantle terror infrastructure is essential to fight the menace of terrorism. This was conveyed during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Saudi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir, who paid a four-and-a-half-hour visit to India, days after his trip to Islamabad. Sources, however, said there was no offer, either earlier or now, from the Saudi side to mediate in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Jubeir held extensive talks with Swaraj here with a focus on deepening cooperation to combat terrorism. It is learnt that the recent tensions triggered by the Pulwama attack and India's subsequent air strike on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan also came up during the meeting. "They (Swaraj and Jubeir) took note of significant developments after the visit of His Royal Highness (Saudi Crown Prince .
Foreign Secretary Gokhale meets Pompeo, appreciates US support after Pulwama terror attack
India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Monday met US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and appreciated the firm support that India received from Washington in the aftermath of Pulawama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.During his meeting, Gokhale also apprised Pompeo about the recent developments in this regard.According to a statement released by the Indian Embassy in Washington, Pompeo expressed his understanding of India's concerns regarding cross -border terrorism."They agreed that Pakistan needs to take concerted action to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure and to deny safe haven to all terrorist groups in its territory," said the statement."They also agreed that those who support or abet terrorism in any form should be held accountable," added the statement.It is worth noting that Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber attacked CRPF convoy in Pulwama on February 14 in which 40 jawans were killed.In retaliation, Indian .
DMK candidate seeks to withdraw election petition
DMK's losing candidate in the 2016 by-election to Thirupparankundram assembly constituency Monday moved the Madras High Court seeking to withdraw his election petition over which the court had already reserved its orders. S Saravanan, who had challenged the victory of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (AIADMK) A K Bose in the by-election held on November 19, 2016, filed a plea, saying he wanted to withdraw his election petition. Bose had died in August, 2018. Justice P Velmurugan had earlier reserved his order on the petition. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader's counsel made a mention before Justice Velmurugan to expedite the verdict on the election petition. The withdrawal petition was filed in the backdrop of the Election Commission announcing by-elections to 18 assembly constituencies leaving out three other vacant seats, including Thirupparankundram. It had cited pending court cases as the reason for not declaring by-polls in the three seats.
Kejriwal meets AAP leaders on poll preparations, party MP says no chances of alliance now
The top leadership of AAP huddled into a meeting at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence to discuss preparations for Lok Sabha polls, on Monday, as a senior party leader claimed chances of party's alliance are now nil. During the meeting, Kejriwal, the AAP national convener, asked party leaders to keep Lok Sabha campaign centred around the full statehood demand for Delhi, instead of getting into the question of the next prime minister of the country. Party MP Sanjay Singh, after the meeting, told reporters that "there are no chances of alliance now," when asked if the issue was discussed during the meeting. He said the party leaders discussed how to take the issue of full statehood to every home in Delhi in the run up to voting in Delhi for seven Lok Sabha constituencies on May 12. Earlier Monday, Delhi AAP convener Gopal Rai said his party is not in talks with Congress for an alliance in the national capital and it will contest all seven seats on its own. "The party is ...
Tejaswini Ananth Kumar likely to be BJP candidate for
Tejaswini Ananth Kumar is likely to be the BJP candidate from Bangalore South, the Lok Sabha constituency that her late husband and former Union Minister Ananth Kumar had represented six times, the saffron party's Karnataka leaders said Monday. BJP legislators, corporators and workers have unitedly endorsed her name as candidate from Bangalore South, which will be recommended to the high command for final decision, senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister R Ashoka said. "I have spoken to all MLAs. All our BJP workers have requested Tejaswini madam should be our candidate.. It is the opinion of every one that she should our candidate," he said. Speaking to reporters after meeting with party MLAs and local leaders here, Ashoka said the endorsement would be forwarded to the party leadership as a decision can be taken at the level of national president Amit Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party's state chief B S Yeddyurappa. "Yeddyurappa has called me for a .
Saudi junior foreign minister, Swaraj hold talks
Days after visiting Islamabad, Saudi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir on Monday held extensive talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here with a focus on deepening cooperation to combat terrorism. It is learnt that the recent Indo-Pak tensions triggered by Pulwama attack and India's subsequent air strike on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan also came up during the meeting. During his four-and-a-half-hour visit, Jubeir also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed bilateral issues, officials said. In her meeting with Jubeir, Swaraj is learnt to have raised the issue of cross-border terrorism and the need for ramping up pressure on Islamabad to take action to dismantle terror infrastructure in that country. "EAM @SushmaSwaraj had a warm meeting with the Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs @AdelAljubeir on his visit to India. Follow up to the recent visit of Saudi Crown Prince to India, including cooperation in counter-terrorism, came
Day after poll dates out, BJP top brass go into huddle
A day after Lok Sabha poll dates were announced, the BJP's top brass on Monday began discussing their election preparedness and strategies with party chief Amit Shah meeting office bearers and Home Minister Rajnath Singh meeting members of the manifesto committee.
Rahul says 'Masood Azharji', invites BJP barbs
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday stirred a controversy after he referred Jaish-e-Mohammad founder Massod Azhar as 'Masood Azhar ji' giving fresh ammunitions to the BJP, which said the Congress "loves terrorists."