Page 1492 - Politics
Pakistan summons Indian High Commissioner to protest IAF strikes
Pakistan on Tuesday summoned the Acting Indian High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia to the Foreign Office to loge its protest over the Indian Air Force (IAF) strikes on terrorist training camps across the Line of Control (LoC), the media reported.
Qureshi briefs Pompeo, others on India's air strikes inside Pakistan
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other foreign diplomats Tuesday and apprised them about the Line of Control "violation" by the Indian jets. In his telephonic conversation with Pompeo, Qureshi said India is "jeopardising the peace in South Asia for its political purposes and elections", state-run Radio Pakistan reported. He said that Pakistan is desirous of peace in the region, but will not compromise on its territorial integrity. Qureshi told Pompeo that the Indian "aggression can disturb joint efforts to establish peace in Afghanistan" as he expressed hope that US will play its role in the region. India bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC), early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders. The air strikes came 12 days after the JeM carried out a .
Expecting 20 plus seats from Northeast: Rahul Gandhi
Setting a target of bagging at least 20 seats out of a total 25 from the Northeast, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Tuesday asserted that his party will win the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and nobody can stop it. Addressing party's district and block unit chiefs from all Northeastern states here, Gandhi said the Congress will fight the polls focussing on three to four major issues, including job crisis, farm distress and corruption. "In 2019 elections, Congress party is going to win. It is a reality and no one can stop that," he told the gathering. "I am expecting 20 plus seats in Northeast from Congress party, nothing less than that. But I think you should try to win 22," he added. The Congress had won eight seats in the Northeast in 2014. It got three in Assam, two in Manipur, one each in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram. The BJP had won seven Lok Sabha seats in Assam and one in Arunachal Pradesh, represented by Union Minister of State for Home Kiran Rijiju. After ruling the ...
CM seeks Centre's help to free 46 fishermen from Lankan jails
The Tamil Nadu government Tuesday sought the Centre's intervention to secure the release of 46 Indian fishermen and 26 boats from Sri Lankan custody. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said fishermen from Thanjavur, Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai and Nagappattinam districts were apprehended in nine different incidents by the Sri Lankan Navy in the last two months. Describing their arrest as unfortunate, Palaniswami said the fishermen's prolonged incarceration in Lankan Jails was subjecting them and their families back home to untold misery besides pushing the families into abject poverty. The Chief Minister expressed concern over the latest incident of the Lankan Navy apprehending seven fishermen from Nagapattinam early this month. Palaniswami reiterated the state government's demand for restoration of traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay by annulling the Indo-Sri Lankan agreements of 1974 and 1976, through ...
Senior SP leader calls IAF strike on Jaish camp inside Pak 'false'
In a bizarre development, a former UP minister and senior Samajwadi Party leader has called the air strike by Indian Air Force on a Jaish terrorist camp inside Pakistan "false". "BJP leaders are liars. Is the surgical strike anything new? TV channels were airing it today. This (that an air strike will happen) was known for 10 days," SP leader Vinod Kumar, who is also known as Pandit Singh, told party workers at a programme in Gonda Tuesday. "It was known for five days that they (the government) have colluded with Pakistan and decided to drop a couple of bombs on an abandoned house. And then issue a statement (to the media)," he claimed, adding the air strike was "false". The SP leader also accused the BJP of "spreading terror". "By forming government in Jammu and Kashmir with Mehbooba Mufti, they proved that they had no hesitation in joining hands with those who supported terrorism," Singh claimed. Officials said the Indian Air Force bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest ...
Nagaland Assembly passes Rs 18,026.10 crore state Budget
The Nagaland Assembly Tuesday passed the Rs 18,026.10 crore state budget for the financial year 2019-2020. No new taxes have been levied in the budget. The budget was presented in the Assembly on Monday by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who also holds charge of the Finance portfolio. Discussions and consideration of the budget was taken up Tuesday Responding to the discussion on the budget, Rio asserted that the constructive criticisms and suggestions of both the opposition and ruling members have been noted and that the government will seriously pursue to take up the suggestions meant for the peoples welfare and requested the opposition members to withdraw the cut motions. To this, Opposition Leader T R Zeliang while stating that even if the cut motions are raised the ruling ministers would not be able give the satisfying reply while some of them were not present in the Assembly. Zeliang also requested the ministers incharge of different departments to be prepared and not .
Sonowal launches PRANAM Commission to protect parents of govt
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Tuesday launched the PRANAM Commission, a panel set up to look after the issues concerning a Bill brought in for protection of parents of state government employees. The Parents Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring (PRANAM) Bill, stated to be the first-of-its-kind Bill in the country, is an effort to protect elderly parents of government employees in their times of need, Sonowal said. "We have ensured that no state government employee can ignore their elderly parents and unmarried differently abled siblings. The PRANAM Bill is an effort from the state government to protect them and give them financial security," the chief minister said. He, however, said it would be better if this Bill did not require to be implemented. PRANAM Bill, which was approved by the state cabinet last year, makes it mandatory for state government employees to look after their parents and unmarried differently abled siblings who do ...
Theresa May changes strategy to offer MPs chance to delay Brexit
British Prime Minister Theresa May made a dramatic shift in her Brexit strategy on Tuesday and offered MPs the chance vote for a delay to the March 29 exit deadline if her deal failed to clear the House of Commons next month. In a statement to Parliament, May announced that her government would table a "meaningful vote" on the final withdrawal agreement reached with the European Union (EU) on March 12. If that vote fails to be passed by MPs, May said she would table an amendment the following day, March 13, for MPs to vote on whether they are prepared to leave the EU without any deal in place. In the event that MPs reject such an amendment, which is widely expected, a vote will be held on March 14 for MPs to have their say on an extension to the Article 50 process to delay the Brexit deadline. The government would thenbring forward the necessary legislation to change the exit date by a "short limited" period. "Let me be clear, I do not want to see Article 50 extended. Our absolute ...
IAF avenges JeM suicide bombing, Pakistan vows 'befitting response'
In a chilling message to Pakistan that it cannot keep messing with India, the IAF bombed the Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) biggest training camp killing "a very large number" of terrorists and their trainers in a pre-dawn operation on Tuesday -- exactly 12 days after a JeM suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF troopers in the Kashmir Valley.
Air strikes against JeM in Pakistan may take wind out of opposition's sail
With the BJP expected to raise pitch over the IAF strike across Line of Control in the terror camp of JeM, there are apprehensions among sections of opposition that it could change the narrative and the focus may not be as much on the "shortcomings" of the government in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
BJP, Cong hail IAF air strike on terror camp in Pakistan
The BJP and the Congress in Telangana Tuesday hailed the Indian Air Force air strike on a terror camp in Pakistan while activists of the saffron party, students and others took out rallies at different places in the state lauding the defence personnel. State BJP president K Laxman and his Congress counterpart N Uttam Kumar Reddy welcomed the air strikes. "The way Osama Bin Laden was killed by the US army in Pakistan, we feel that it is appropriate that the Indian Army should also carry out such (surgical) operations against Pakistan aided terror outfits," Telangana Pradesh Congress president Uttam Kumar Reddy, a former IAF fighter pilot, said. "As a former @IAF_MCC fighter pilot, my heart swells with pride at the skill & valour of the Mirage 2000 pilots who destroyed Pakistani terror camps across the LOC. Congratulations to the Air Warriors!#IndianAirForce," he tweeted. Laxman said the air strikes were a matter of pride for the entire country "It was surgical strikes
No Indian movie to be released in Pakistan, says Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister
In response to air strikes by the Indian Air Force (IAF) against terror camps in Pakistan, the Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry of Pakistan on Tuesday announced a boycott of Indian films and 'Made in India' advertisements in the country.Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry took to his Twitter handle to state that the Cinema Exhibitors Association has decided to boycott the Indian content completely and that no Indian movie "will be released in Pakistan."The minister further stated that he has also instructed PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) to act against advertisements made in India.The move comes hours after the IAF violated Pakistani airspace near the LoC earlier on Tuesday which has further worsened the already strained relations between the two neighbouring countries.Relations between Pakistan and India have been tense since the Pulwama terror attack which took place on February 14 that killed over 40 CRPF ...
YSRCP election manifesto committee holds first meeting.
YSRCP election manifesto committee held its first meeting on Tuesday.Party's senior leader Ummareddy Venkateswarlu informed the media that party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy has been conducting Praja Sankalpa Yatra across the state since 2017. Now those promises are being incorporated in the election manifesto.He also claimed that the manifesto will be designed keeping in mind the aspirations of the people. On March 3 opinions of representatives of all unions associated with the party will be taken. Manifesto committee cell will be set up in the party office.The general public, employee unions and all other associations from different walks of life can send their suggestions, said the YSRCP leader.
Army tweets poem which says power is essential for peace
Hours before the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday carried out air strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) on largest terror camp Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Indian Army tweeted lines from a Hindi poem saying that politeness before enemy can be mistaken as cowardness and that power begets peace.
Opposition hails IAF strike on Jem camp in Pakistan (Roundup)
Opposition leaders on Monday hailed the Indian attack on a terrorist camp deep into Pakistan, congratulating the Indian Air Force which carried out the strike at Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) biggest training camp at Balakot in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Entire nation celebrating Diwali after air strike on terrorist camp inside Pak: Amit Shah
Asserting that the families of martyred jawans must be feeling relieved, BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday praised the Modi government after the Indian Air Force struck a Jaish terrorist camp in Pakistan, saying the entire country is celebrating Diwali now. Addressing a Kamal Jyoti Sankalp Abhiyan event of BJP here, Shah said the air strike inside Pakistan must have brought relief to the families of soldiers killed in Pulwama attack. Forty CRPF jawans died in the attack carried out by a Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber on Feb 14. "You go to your homes and light a lamp with a pledge to re-elect Modi Ji," the BJP president said. "The entire country is celebrating Diwali after the air strike on terrorist camps." Shah, later visited the residence of a beneficiary of central government schemes and lit a lamp, symbolising "development" brought to the poor under the Modi dispensation. He had taken a boat to visit Gaurhat village, which was recently electrified. At the event in Ghazipur, the BJP .
France condemns Pulwama attack, asks Pak to put an end to terror groups
France has condemned the "terrible" Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 Indian soldiers and asked Pakistan to put an end to the terrorist groups operating from its soil. Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed on February 14 in Jammu and Kashmir when a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their bus in Pulwama district, sparking outrage in the country. "France most firmly condemns the terrible attack perpetrated on February 14 against Indian security forces in Pulwama, for which the terrorist group, Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed responsibility," said the acting spokesperson of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. "France recognises India's legitimacy to ensure its security against crossborder terrorism and asks Pakistan to put an end to the operations of terrorist groups established on its territory," the official said in a statement. France, which stands by India in the fight against
Sonowal hails IAF air strike on terror camps in Pakistan
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Tuesday hailed the Indian Air Force for carrying out air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan. In a statement Sonowal thanked the Indian Air Force personnel for carrying out air strikes in Pakistan to neutralise militant outfits that are operating to carry subversive activities on India soil. He said "130 crore people of India are today elated in response to the courage and conviction shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in carrying out offensive against the anti-India forces hell bent to create disturbances in the country." Sonowal said "The entire nation is today proud of the actions of the Indian Air Force for the timely actions undertaken to defend the motherland. In a pinpointed and swift air strike that lasted less than two minutes, India pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp in Pakistan early Tuesday, killing up to 350 terrorists and trainers who were moved there for their protection after the Pulwama attack.
Modi only world leader with strong determination against terrorism: Shah
BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday said the Modi government can go to any extent to defend the country and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only world leader who has strong determination of zeo tolerance policy against terrorism.
Pakistan's radars were jammed by IAF during airstrike at Balakot
The Pakistan Air Force failed to detect the presence of the Indian fighter jets as it was already too late for them as their surveillance system had been jammed by the IAF during its raid at Balakot militant camp early on Tuesday, sources said.