Page 1372 - Politics

Rahul, Yechury intervenes to resolve Cong-CPI (M) seat-sharing impasse in Bengal

The impasse between the CPI(M) and the Congress over the seat-sharing deal in Bengal seems to have resolved after intervention of Rahul Gandhi and Sitaram Yechury. According to Congress sources, after the CPI(M) announced candidates for Raiganj and Murshidabad Lok Sabha seats, the state unit of the Gandhi-led party urged the AICC to look into the matter. "We have come to know that Gandhi and Yechury discussed the matter. Later on, after speaking to state Congress leaders and Deepa Dasmunsi, one of the prime contenders for Raiganj, it has been decided that the Congress won't put up candidates in those two seats," a senior Congress leader said. However there has been no official communication on the development as of now, the Congress leader said. Amid the ongoing seat-sharing talks between the CPI(M) and the Congress in West Bengal, the Left Front on Friday announced its candidates for the Raiganj and Murshidabad Lok Sabha seats, a bone of contention between the two parties. The ...

UK official criticized after baby of IS teen dies in Syria

British Home Secretary Sajid Javid faced criticism Saturday after the death of a UK teenager's baby in a Syrian camp. Shamima Begum, who had left London as a 15-year-old in 2015 to join the Islamic State group, had pleaded with British authorities before her baby was born to let her return to Britain to raise the child. But Javid revoked her passport, saying Begum hadn't shown any remorse. The teen had told newspaper reporters she didn't have a problem with IS actions, including the beheading of captives. Begum's infant son died Friday. Begum's family said the boy appeared to be in good health when he was born on February 17. No clear cause of death has yet been given, but reports suggested he was having respiratory problems. Fellow Conservative Party lawmaker Phillip Lee said Saturday he was "deeply concerned" by Javid's handling of the case, suggesting he had taken a hard line in order to please populists. He said it was clear 19-year-old Begum "holds abhorrent views," but called ...

Official Secrets Act 'archaic', needs relook: former VP Ansari

Amid the government's indication that the Official Secrets Act could be used to investigate the "stolen" Rafale documents, former vice president Hamid Ansari on Saturday said the British-era legislation was "archaic" and needed a relook in the light of today's realities. Ansari, who was also a career diplomat, said he was always taught that the OSA "operative up to the grave". He said there are so many documents in the country, which are still classified and yet they are public knowledge and published elsewhere. In the process it is the loss of the country's scholars, he said. "So, apparently the Official Secrets Act, to my understanding...I maybe wrong, it's like so many other laws we have...archaic, irrelevant in this age when the same thing is available in authentic form elsewhere and simply used if you want to make an example of something," Ansari said. It is not something which is "operative" in this age, he said. "It needs to be looked at it again in light of today's realities ..

IS attack on US-led coalition wounds Syria fighters: monitor

A suicide car bomb targeting US forces in northern Syria wounded at least two allied fighters Saturday, a monitor said, with the Islamic State group claiming the attack. A jihadist "driving a car bomb" hit a convoy that included a US armoured vehicle from the international anti-IS coalition and Kurdish fighters in the city of Manbij, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The two wounded fighters were from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Britain-based monitor said. "No US soldiers were injured or killed today," coalition spokesman Sean Ryan told AFP. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed the attack by an "explosive-laden vehicle" via its Amaq propaganda arm. The attack is the third in the past two months targeting the US-led coalition and its allies in northern Syria. On January 16, four Americans were among 19 people killed in a suicide attack in the city claimed by IS. Manbij is a former IS stronghold that is now held by a military council affiliated to the

Sri Lanka calls for dialogue to diffuse India-Pak tension

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday called on Pakistani High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Shahid Ahmad Hashmat and suggested dialogue as the need of the hour to diffuse tensions between India and Pakistan.Radio Pakistan quoted the Sri Lankan President as saying that the military escalation between Pakistan and India is affecting the entire region.On Thursday, High Commissioner of Pakistan, Major General (Rtd) Shahid Ahmad Hashmat had a telephonic conversation with Sri Lanka's Speaker, Karu Jayasuriya, to brief the latter regarding the current situation between India and Pakistan, Colombo Page reported.During the phone call, Hashmat noted that the repeated measures taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan to de-escalate tensions across the Line of Control would prompt the international community to call for dialogues and negotiations between New Delhi and Islamabad to ensure a peaceful resolution between the two neighbouring countries including the Kashmir issue.Tensions ...

Pakistan violates ceasefire at 3 places

Continuing with ceasefire violations, Pakistani troops pounded India's border areas at three places along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border on Saturday. The Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire Rajouri, Poonch and Akhnoor sectors of Jammu and Kashmir.Early in the morning, Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling in Poonch in which a Special Police Officer (SPO) was injured. Later in the evening, Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in the Keri Battal area along the International border in the Akhnoor sector in the Jammu district of the state. The Pakistani side also violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control in the Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district.Further details in the incident are yet to follow.

Finland's outgoing premier may bow out as party chair

Finland's outgoing prime minister, who abruptly tendered the resignation of his center-right government just weeks before the general election, said Saturday he won't seek to remain as chairman of his party next year if support continues to decline. Juha Sipila, now heading a caretaker government in the Nordic country, told Finnish public broadcaster YLE that polls showing 14-per cent support for the ruling Center Party meant "that I won't for sure be running as a (chairman) candidate with that kind of support" at the 2020 party congress. Sipila had headed a three-party coalition government since 2015, deciding in a surprise move Friday to step down because of the Cabinet's failure to push through a major social and health reform package. The plan, which has been worked on by previous governments since 2006, is meant to tackle an aging population, improve efficiency and reduce public spending by 3 billion euros (USD 3.4 billions) by 2029. It pledged to offer Finnish municipalities and

Mehbooba chairs PDP meeting in Srinagar

In the wake of the central government's decision to ban Jamat-e-Islami, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti held a party meeting today at her residence in Srinagar.The recent ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, arrest of Hurriyat leaders and elections were discussed at the meeting.The government has launched a crackdown against 'separatist' elements in the valley in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack.The Ministry of Home Affairs banned Jamat-e-Islami under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for a period of five years.Both the mainstream parties in Jammu and Kashmir have expressed their disagreement with the decision. While National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah urged the central government to reconsider the decision, Mufti warned that banning Jamat-e-Islami will have dangerous consequences.Jammu-Kashmir Traders Association had also termed the Centre's decision as 'unacceptable'.PDP and BJP were alliance partners in Jammu and Kashmir for three years before BJP parted ways ..

Ramdas Athawale wants BJP to spare 1-2 LS seats for RPI in Kerala

The Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale is keen to put up one to two candidates in the coming Lok Sabha polls in Kerala and an equal number of candidates in Assam and Maharashtra in alliance with the BJP.Athawale, who was here to attend the conference of his party workers, said: "If the BJP fails to concede to our demand of one to two seats in Kerala, then the RPI will contest at least three to four seats in the state on its own.""I will also talk to BJP national president Amit Shah and would ask for one or two Lok Sabha seats in Assam and Maharashtra my party candidates," he told media persons here."I have talked to Kerala's BJP unit president Sreedharan Pillai. There are 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala. If the BJP doesn't leave a few seats for us, then we will contest on 3-4 seats on our own," he said."But on the remaining 14-15 seats, we will support the BJP in Kerala," he said.RPI is an ally of the BJP led NDA from Maharashtra. A Rajya Sabha MP, Athawale is Union ...

European EPP leader to meet Hungary's Orban: report

Manfred Weber of the centre-right European People's Party will meet Hungarian populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban to discuss his Fidesz Party's dispute with the EPP, a Germany newspaper reported. On Tuesday, Weber, the EPP's leading candidate to take over as head of the European Commission later in the year, set Fidesz an ultimatum if it wanted to avoid being expelled from the largest group in the European Union parliament. Orban had to stop his government's anti-EU campaign; let the CEU university founded by the liberal US-Hungarian billionaire George Soros stay in Budapest; and apologise to other member parties of the EPP. "I will again in the coming days personally hold talks with Viktor Orban in Budapest," Weber told Welt am Sonntag, due to appear Sunday. He said he wanted to make it clear to Orban that Fidesz was going to be forced out of the EPP if he did not change his position, he said. On a visit in Slovenia Saturday, Weber refused to confirm if he was going to Hungary ...

Another Congress MLA to join Telangana Rashtra Samithi

: A week after two of its MLAs left the party and joined the ruling TRS, Congress in Telangana was dealt a further blow when its legislator from Nakrekal, Chirumarthi Lingaiah, Saturday announced that he would join the Telangana Rashtra Samiti. The MLA made the announcement in a press release here. The two Congress MLAs -- Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka) and Atram Sakku (Asifabad) -- had announced on March 2 that they decided to join the ruling TRS in the interest of the 'welfare and development of Scheduled Tribes, especially Adivasis.' TDP MLA from Sattupalle Sandra Venkata Veeraiah Sunday had also joined the TRS that day. With the three Congress MLAs quitting the party, the party's strength in the 119 member Assembly will now be down to 16. In the December 7 2018 assembly elections, the Congress had won 19 seats. The TRS had returned to power in the elections, winning 88 seats. Giving his reasons for joining TRS, Lingaiah said that despite being defeated at the hustings, ..

Modi talks of patriotism but spreads hatred: Rahul

Congress President Rahul Gandhi said here on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about patriotism but spreads hatred.

Cong, BJP trade barbs over Nirav Modi; Govt says taking all steps to extradite him from UK

The Congress and the BJP traded barbs on Saturday over a media report that PNB scam accused Nirav Modi was living in a swanky apartment in the UK, with the opposition alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was running a "fraudster settlement yojana" and the ruling party accusing the UPA of allowing the banks to be "looted" under its watch. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the government was taking all steps for extradition of Nirav Modi from the UK, and asserted that the extradition request made to that country showed that India was aware he is there. The assertions, claims and counter claims began after British daily The Telegraph reported that Nirav Modi, wanted in India in the Rs 13,500 crore PNB fraud case, was living openly in an eight-million pound apartment in London's West End and running a new diamond business just yards away. Asked about the report, the MEA said the UK was considering India's request to extradite Nirav Modi. MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, at .

Rahul, Priyanka to attend CWC meet, address rally in Gujarat on March 12

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi will attend a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting here on March 12 and later address a rally at Adlaj in Gujarat, party sources said on Saturday.UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will also attend the CWC meet, they said.This will be the first meeting of the CWC, the highest decision-making body of Congress, for Priyanka Gandhi.The meeting in Ahmedabad was scheduled on February 28, but it was postponed following tensions between India and Pakistan. The rally in Adlaj will be addressed by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, the sources said.Meanwhile, the Congress top brass is slated to hold a strategy session this evening. It will be chaired by Sonia Gandhi and attended by senior party leaders Jairam Ramesh, Anand Sharma and P Chidambaram.The Congress leaders will discuss the party's strategy to counter BJP on national issues, the sources said. Congress is preparing resolutions .

Rahul, Priyanka to attend CWC meet, address rally in Gujarat on March 12

This will be the first meeting of the CWC, the highest decision-making body of Congress, for Priyanka Gandhi

Sheila Dikshit, Sonia discuss party's poll preparedness in Delhi

Delhi Congress President Sheila Dikshit on Saturday met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her residence to discuss the state unit's preparedness for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Post-Pulwama, Kashmir helpline gets over 500 calls

With nationalist sentiments on a high after the suicide attack that left 40 CRPF troopers dead, it is the Kashmiris around the country who have felt the heat. Post-February 14 Pulwama attack, a helpline for students from the state in the NCR area received over 500 calls -- more than 25 calls a day.

Data theft case: Prime accused will come out at the right

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Saturday said the prime accused in the alleged data theft case, probed by the Telangana police would come out at the right time, even as he alleged that the case was an "unprecedented conspiracy" to implicate the TDP. "I have not seen such conspiracies in the 72-year history of the country. Even in cinema, you don't find such conspiracies. Even the magnum opus Baahubali too did not have such a great conspiracy," Naidu remarked at a press conference. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief blamed BJP, YSRC and TRS for hatching the conspiracy to "implicate" his party and its functionaries in an "untenable and fabricated case of unauthorisedly accessing the official data bases." D Ashok, who heads IT Grids firm that's under a cloud now, faced a lot of agony because of the police raid, the Chief Minister said. IT Grids is accused of theft of data of voters through "Seva Mitra" mobile app, used by the TDP in Andhra Pradesh. The ...

Expect another Pulwama-like attack during polls, predicts Raj Thackeray

Making a shocking prediction, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray on Saturday claimed that another "Pulwama-like attack" would come within a couple of months" at the height of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

'Post Pulwama narrative will sustain till LS elections'

The post Pulwama narrative with its emphasis on nationalism will by and large sustain till the April-May general elections, a cross-section of people across the country said on Saturday but there were some notable voices of dissent that lamented that burning economic issues will be relegated to the backburner.