Page 143 - Politics
Patanjali to organize programs in 1 lakh villages on International Yoga Day: Ramdev
Yoga guru Ramdev on Wednesday said his organization Patanjali will organize programs in one lakh villages across India on the occasion of International Yoga Day on June 21."We wanted to organize programs in at least 1 lakh villages across India through Patanjali on the occasion of International Yoga Day. It is great that Yoga is not being seen through the lenses of religion and practices, it is a knowledge passed on by our ancestors," Ramdev said at a press conference here.He added that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured him that he would participate in the program in Maharashtra on June 21."We finalized a grand program to be held in Nanded with Devendra Fadnavis today. On June 21, CM Fadnavis will do Yoga with me for at least 2 hours here, many ministers of his government will also participate in events at other locations," he said.Ramdev was attending a joint press conference with Maharashtra Education Minister Ashish Shelar after meeting CM Fadnavis ...
Johnson wins key Brexit backing in UK leadership race
British leadership favourite Boris Johnson won the endorsement of a key Brexit-backing rival on Wednesday despite accusations he was softening his rhetoric on leaving the EU. Ahead of another round of voting among Conservative MPs, former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab said Johnson was the "only candidate" who would take Britain out of the European Union as planned on October 31. On Tuesday, Raab was eliminated from the contest to replace Theresa May as the leader of the governing Conservative Party and therefore as prime minister, leaving five candidates standing. One of them will be eliminated in another ballot later Wednesday, before further votes on Thursday to whittle the field down to a final pair. Former foreign minister Johnson is leading the pack after securing the support of 126 of the 313 Conservative MPs in Tuesday's ballot. A figurehead of the 2016 referendum campaign for Brexit, he insists there must be no more delays to Britain's EU exit, after May postponed it ...
Pelosi: No Trump censure bid if evidence backs impeachment
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she wouldn't have the House try to censure President Donald Trump if Democrats are able to find evidence that could support impeachment. "If the goods are there, you much impeach," the California Democrat tells reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. Pelosi has tried to restrain House Democrats from a pre-election impeachment effort. She has said she wants the numerous committee that are investigating Trump to gather more evidence, including whether he obstructed special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Pelosi says censure is "a day at the beach for the president, or golf club or wherever he goes." Censure would rebuke Trump but not trigger a Senate trial on whether to remove him from office.
Rahul turns 49, meets party leaders
Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who turned 49 on Wednesday, met party leaders at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) when the issue of his resignation from the President's post did not come up.The Congress MP from Wayanad met leaders present at the party headquarters where greetings were offered to him and pleasantries were exchanged and nothing about the resignation was discussed, sources said.Gandhi also offered sweets to media persons.Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari, who met Gandhi, said Gandhi is and will remain the President of the Congress Party."We met today to wish Rahul Gandhi on his birthday and as the party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala has said that Rahul Gandhi is and will be party president, then where is the question," he said.However, a press release about the dissolution of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee today does not mention Rahul Gandhi's name and said that the AICC has decided to dissolve the unit. Prior to this Maharashtra assembly, office ...
Thousands march in Kathmandu demanding scrapping of Guthi Bill
Thousands of Nepalese took to the streets here Wednesday demanding scrapping of a controversial bill that sought to nationalise private and public trusts meant for running the cultural activities and temple affairs, a day after the Nepal government withdrew it following intense protests by the ethnic Newar community. The K P Sharma Oli-led Communist Party government had tabled the Guthi Bill in Parliament last week to amend the Guthi Act and nationalise both public and private guthis or trusts and regulate all religious sites under a powerful commission. Fearing that the government's move could jeopardise Sanatan Hindu tradition, the ethnic Newar community staged week-long protests demanding scrapping of the Bill. Following intense protests, the Nepal government Tuesday withdrew the controversial bill from the parliament, but the protestors are demanding scrapping of the Bill. Thousands of protestors -- including Guthiyars or trustees, cultural experts, social activists, civil society
Navy has categorised 20 ports in Raigad as sensitive: Maha CM
The Indian Navy has dubbed as many as 20 ports in neighbouring Raigad district as "sensitive" from security point of view, the Maharashtra government told the Legislative Council here Wednesday. The information was given by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a written reply to a question asked by the NCP's Aniket Tatkare about coastal security and an inspection conducted by the Navy recently. "Of the 591 ports in Maharashtra, 20 in Raigad district alone have been categorised as "sensitive" by the Indian Navy. "The naval inspection also opined that security around these ports should be beefed up," the reply said. The state government has already taken steps to improve the security at 91 ports, Fadnavis added. A committee headed by former union home secretary Ram Pradhan has recommended various measures to make ports and fishermen's wharfs safer, the reply said. "The measures include keeping a register of boat movement, issuing i-cards to workers, verification of licenses
'One Nation, One Election' concept is anti-federal, anti-democratic: CPI-M
The concept of 'One Nation, One Election' is "fundamentally anti-federal and anti-democratic and strikes at the root of a parliamentary democratic system," said Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), on Wednesday.Keeping his point in the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss 'One Nation, One Election' concept among other things here, the CPI-M opposed the move stating that "simultaneous elections will enhance the role of the Governor and the Central intervention in the system.""Apart from technical issues involved in the holding of the simultaneous elections to the Parliament and state Assemblies, our opposition to this is based on the fact that it is fundamentally anti-federal, anti-democratic and strikes at the root of the parliamentary democratic system, as ordained in the Constitution," said Yechury.Yechury said that elections were simultaneous when the Constitution was adopted and was segregated after the ...
Naidu 'advises' Rajnath to take personal interest in expediting defence projects in AP
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday "advised" Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to take personal interest in expediting defence projects in Andhra Pradesh, the foundation stones for many of which were laid when he was a Union minister, a statement said. Naidu wanted the defence minister to remove impediments, if any, in the execution of the projects, the statement added. Singh called on Naidu on Wednesday and apprised him about the activities of his ministry. The minister also informed the vice president about the progress of defence projects being implemented in the country, including in Andhra Pradesh. "The vice president advised the minister to take a personal interest in expediting the defence projects in Andhra Pradesh, the foundation stones for many of which were laid when Naidu was a Union minister. He also wanted the minister to remove impediments, if any, in the execution of the projects," the statement said. The projects discussed included Bharat Electrical Limited's ...
Gehlot, Pilot congratulate Birla for being elected Lok Sabha Speaker
Leaders from the ruling as well as the opposition in Rajasthan Wednesday congratulated BJP MP Om Birla for his unanimous elections as speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his deputy Sachin Pilot and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje have congratulated Birla. In his Twitter message, Gehlot greeted Birla for his election whereas Pilot wrote on the microblogging site, "Wishing warm greetings and bright future to Om Birlaji for being elected as the Speaker of Lok Sabha." Raje wrote on Twitter, "I believe that the way honorable Sumitra Mahajan has maintained the dignity of the temple of democracy with affection, your presence will further enhance that glory." BJP state president Madan Lal Saini said, "It is a matter of pride that a common party worker of Rajasthan has become the Speaker of the Lok Sabha." Several other prominent leaders of the state also congratulated Birla.
People still in doubt over EVMs, conduct polls through ballot: Harish Rawat
Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat on Wednesday said voting should be conducted using ballots in the country to ease the people who are unsure of whether their votes are going to their favourite candidate."People till date are still in doubt whether their votes are going to the candidate whom they have chosen or not, the people are not sure. The only solution to this is conducting elections through ballot once," Rawat told ANI here.Rawat had come to the state Congress headquarters in Dehradun to attend the programs organized on the event of party President Rahul Gandhi's birthday.Apart from raising doubts on the electronic voting machines (EVMs), he pointed out that the Election Commission (EC) coming under questioning by the people was a bad sign for the country."Whatever happened on the issue of EVMs is one thing, but it is a worrying sign when the credibility of the organization which is entrusted to conduct elections is under questioning," he said.With the death toll of children .
Dissolution of KPCC will help bring in new leaders; state
All India Congress Committee's move to dissolve KPCC would pave the way for reorganization of the party at all levels, creating an opportunity for new leaders, state Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao said Wednesday. "The AICC President has dissolved the present Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. The intention is to reorganize the party at the state, district and block levels, which is important," Rao told reporters here. Stating that he and Working President Eshwar Khandre would have to start working towards reorganizing and strengthening the party, he said they would hold discussions with legislature party leader Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal and other leaders on the way ahead. "We will look for giving an opportunity to new leadership in the party. Those loyal to the party and honest workers will be identified and given an opportunity in the organization. We have also started working towards appointing members ..
Student to cycle from Kashmir to Kanyakumari to highlight country's water woes
A 24-year-old student from Manipur has set out on a 3,461-km journey from Kashmir to Kanyakumari on a cycle to draw the government's attention to water scarcity in several parts of the country. Phillem Rohan Singh began his journey on June 15 from Srinagar. As part of his campaign, "Water For Life", he will cross 12 cities within 12 weeks. Besides Srinagar, Singh will pass through Amritsar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Karnool and Bengaluru before finally reaching Kanyakumari. "The motive of the campaign is to draw the government's attention towards the current scenario of water scarcity in the country and towards the overall water-related problems," Rohan told PTI. "I have decided to do this not to raise money or for fame, but to act for humanity," he said. Referring to the severe water crisis in various parts of the country, like Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Marathwada regions in Maharashtra and Chennai in ...
R'than: 19 Pak migrants granted Indian citizenship
Nineteen Pakistani migrants living in Rajasthan's Barmer for the past several decades were granted Indian citizenship on Wednesday, an official said. Certificates of Indian citizenship were handed out to them at an event held at the district collectorate. The state government has granted Indian citizenship to 19 Pak migrants who have been living in Barmer district for more than a decade, District Collector Himanshu Gupta said. He, along with Additional District Collector Rakesh Kumar Sharma, handed out the certificates to the migrants. Expressing their happiness, the migrants said getting Indian citizenship after years of wait is a dream come true. The decision to grant citizenship to these 19 migrants living in Barmer, along with 10 living in Pali and five in Jalore was announced by the Rajasthan government on Tuesday.
Iran 'categorically rejects' US tanker attack allegations
Iran's defence minister "categorically rejected" Wednesday accusations that Tehran was behind two tanker attacks in the Gulf of Oman, describing evidence presented by Washington as "unsubstantiated", official news agency IRNA reported. Washington has blamed Iran for last week's attacks, releasing images and a grainy video it alleges shows Iranians on a patrol boat removing an unexploded limpet mine attached to one of the tankers. "Accusations levelled against Iran's armed forces and the published film with regards to the incident (that) happened to the vessels ... are unsubstantiated and we categorically reject these accusations," IRNA quoted Defence Minister Brigadier-General Amir Hatami as saying. "The armed forces and the port organisation were among the first to approach the tankers after the incident for relief operations and they rescued 23 people in the first tanker," he added. Hatami did not explicitly specify which of the two ships he was referring to, but Iran's ...
Law panel for tough legal framework to hold simultaneous polls
As the government toys with the idea of holding simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies, the Law Commission has recommended a tough legal framework for such a gigantic exercise. The law panel, in its draft recommendations made last August, recommended amendments to the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act to ensure simultaneous elections. Simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies can be held in two phases, provided at least two provisions of the Constitution are amended and ratified by majority of the states, the Commission had recommended. Agreeing with the view of the law panel, former chief election commissioner T S Krishnamurthy said the 'one nation one election' idea is very attractive but cannot be put into practice without a constitutional amendment providing for fixed tenure for legislatures. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday discussed with heads of various political parties which have at least one MP either in the Lok Sabha or
FM reviews state of economy at FSDC meet: RBI Guv Das
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Wednesday reviewed the state of economy at the meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) attended by sectoral regulators, including RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, here. The meeting also discussed proposals releating to the Budget to be presented by Sitharaman on July 5 in the Lok Sabha, Das told reporters after the meeting. The RBI Governor further said that the Bimal Jalan committee, which is looking into the size of capital reserves that the RBI should hold, is likely to submit its final report by June-end. It was the first meeting of the FSDC after the new government assumed office. The FSDC is the apex body of sectoral regulators, headed by the finance minister.
Athawale's jibe at Rahul leaves Sonia, Modi smilling
Minister of State for Social Justice Ramadas Athawale on Wednesday took jibes at Rahul Gandhi on his party's drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections saying, "I congratulate you that you got the opportunity to sit there (in the opposition benches)".Felicitating newly-elected Speaker Om Birla shortly after his election in Lok Sabha, Athawale, who heads one of the factions of RPI and known for witty remarks, said that he was approached by the Congress party before the elections but he spurned them because he knew the "wind" was blowing in favour of Modi.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in the House, was seen enjoying the remarks, while Sonia Gandhi was seen talking to Rahul, seated by her side, and occasionally joining the laughter in the House."When you were in power, I was with you. Prior to the elections, people in Congress were asking me to come to their side. But I saw that wind was blowing in favour of Modi," said Athawale who is a member of the Rajya Sabha.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary dedicates poem to LS speaker Om Birla
After the 17th Lok Sabha unanimously elected Om Birla as the Speaker of the lower house, Birla was felicitated by the various leaders of the house including Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.After Modi, newly-elected Congress Leader of Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary also addressed the speaker and expressed his party's commitment towards upholding parliamentary democracy.Chowdhary further said that as speaker of this house, one needs to be impartial and protect the dignity and spirit of this house as the speaker is the "presiding officer and custodian of the house and according to Nehru, represents the house, the freedom of the people and the nation itself."Chowdhary concluded his address by dedicating a poem to Om Birla saying: "Khuda se kya maangu tere vaaste (What do I ask for you from God?), sada khushiyon se bhare hon tere raaste, (May your ways are always filled with happiness and prosperity), hansi tere chehre pe rahe is tarah, (I pray you always keep a smile on your ..
Without vision document one nation, one poll is a mere slogan: AAP
Deciding not to attend the government meeting on 'one nation, one election' concept, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said without a comprehensive vision document, the idea would merely be a slogan.In a letter to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahalad Joshi, AAP national Spokesperson Raghav Chadha said there are various concerns on the issue and sought a vision document or a white paper on it so that an informed discussion can take place."We note with concern the lack of vision document, policy draft or white paper on the proposed concept of 'one nation, one poll' or 'simultaneous polls'...in the absence of a clear basis/vision, it would be futile for any political party to comment on the merits or the demerits of a proposal such as this. Presently, it is merely a slogan; one that has been debated on television based on the subjective and personal understanding of commentators and news anchors," he said.The AAP raised some questions on one nation, one poll concept, saying, ...
Highest number of malnutrition deaths in last 5 years: Khadse
In a rebuke for the government led by his own party, senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse claimed Wednesday that Maharashtra has witnessed the highest number of malnutrition deaths in the last five years. He was speaking during a discussion in the Legislative Assembly on ashram-shalas (residential schools for tribal children) run or aided by the Tribal Development Department. A code prescribing mandatory facilities at these schools was prepared eight months ago but its copies were yet to be made available and therefore it could not be implemented, the BJP leader alleged. The code also prescribes how much salary the security guard employed at ashram schools should get. Guards get Rs 5,000 per month for round-the-clock duty at present, and their duty hours should be curtailed, he said. Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike said the decision on pay scale of security guards would be taken soon. Khadse said decisions taken by the government are not implemented immediately. "The ...