Page 1497 - Politics
Alert sounded in Himachal Pradesh after IAF strike
The Himachal Pradesh police on Tuesday issued an alert for all districts in the state in view of a pre-dawn strike by the Indian Air Force on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp inside Pakistan, an official said. In view of India's air strike and resultant security scenario, an alert has been issued to all district SPs in Himachal Pradesh to ensure safety of vital installations and also to keep sharp vigil in their respective districts, Himachal Pradesh Police spokesperson and SP (Law and Order) Khushhal Sharma said. It has also been advised to pay more attention in communally sensitive localities and to ensure safety and security of Kashmiri people living in Himachal Pradesh, he said. In a swift and precise air strike following the Pulwama attack, India bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp in Pakistan early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders, officials said. The operation, described as a non-military, preemptive ...
HC stays govt order to grant leave with pay to employees
The Kerala High Court Tuesday stayed a government decision to grant leave with pay to government employees who failed to turn up for work on January 8 and 9, the days when joint trade unions had observed a 48-hour strike. The high court criticised the government decision to provide salary without any cut to employees who participated in the strike and said the administration's move amounts to encouraging the employees to participate in such agitations. Considering a PIL filed by G Balagopalan, a retired government employee, challenging the government order allowing the employees to mark the days of absence as leave, a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar, directed the government to present its view on the matter before the court. The order, which decided not to declare dies-non for the strike called by joint trade unions, had stated that the employees can apply for any leave that they are entitled for against the two days.
Country in safe hands, PM says after IAF hits JeM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told the nation that the country is in safe hands and he will never let the country down.
Air strikes: Pak expresses reservation about OIC's invitation to India
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that he has spoken to his UAE counterpart and "expressed reservations" about invitation to India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to attend the OIC meeting scheduled later this week. In a strategically significant development, India has been invited to the inaugural plenary of the foreign ministers' conclave of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a powerful grouping of Muslim majority nations, in Abu Dhabi from March 1 to 2. Swaraj will attend the meeting as the 'guest of honour'. Addressing a press conference here after a special meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) in the wake of India's air strikes inside Pakistan early Tuesday, Qureshi said the situation has changed now. "Aggression has been done against a founding member of the OIC," he said, referring to the Indian attack that destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ...
British PM says parliament can vote on any Brexit delay
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday she would allow parliament to vote on March 14 on whether to delay Brexit if MPs reject both her deal and the prospect of leaving the EU without an agreement. If those two options are rejected the government would put forward "a motion on whether parliament wants to see a short, limited extension to Article 50," May said, adding that any delay could only be until the end of June. The prime minister said she still wanted Brexit to happen on the scheduled date of March 29 and repeated her promise to hold a parliamentary vote on her deal on March 12. If the deal is rejected, as it was overwhelmingly by parliament last month, the government would then hold a vote on March 13 on whether MPs want a no-deal Brexit. The vote on a possible delay would be the following day. "Let me be clear, I do not want to see Article 50 extended. Our absolute focus should be on working to get a deal and leaving on March 29," she told parliament. She added: ..
Will stage black flag demo if Modi arrives in TN to launch
The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam would stage a demonstration by waving black flags in case Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes to Kanaykumari on March 1 to launch the BJP's poll campaign in the state, MDMK chief Vaiko said Tuesday. Vaiko made the remarks here a day after Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan reportedly appealed to the MDMK chief not to wave black flags at the Prime Minister as he had done in the past. "Radhakrishnan is a sweet and long-time friend of mine. It is his responsibility to appeal to me to abstain from protests. But, headed by me, a black flag protest would take place if Modi comes to Kanyakumari on March 1," Vaiko told reporters. Last month, Vaiko had staged a black flag demonstration when the prime minister arrived at Madurai to lay the foundation stone for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. MDMK cadres released black balloons and raised slogans against Modi alleging that he had betrayed the ...
Sachin Tendulkar, Salman Khan and others praise IAF operation across LoC
Celebrities from the Indian film fraternity and cricketing world continue to celebrate the spirit and courage of the Indian Air Force (IAF).Many Indian celebrities including Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Vicky Kaushal, Varun Dhawan, Rajkummar Rao, Sidharth Malhotra, Hema Malini, Kriti Sanon, Bhumi Pednekar, Preity Zinta, Sachin Tendulkar and Shikhar Dhawan hailed IAF's multiple aerial strikes at terror launch pads at various places across LoC twelve days after the Pulwama terror attack.The IAF managed to destroy control rooms of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and some other infrastructure.Here's what some of the celebrities wrote:Salman Khan expressed his respect for the IAF and wrote, "Respect @IAF_MCC Indian Air Force... Jai ho !!!"Vicky Kaushal, who recently starred in 'Uri: The Surgical Strike', a film based on the 2016 Indian Army's surgical strikes, wrote, "Salute to the #IndianAirForce and our Intelligence Department. #IndianStrikesBack . Jai Hind."Varun Dhawan too took to Twitter and ...
Pak should take this as a message and act against terror groups: D Raja on aerial strikes
Saluting the Indian Air force (IAF) for carrying out aerial strikes across the LoC, Communist Party of India Leader D Raja on Tuesday said Pakistan should consider it as a message and act against terror groups emanating from its soil.Speaking to ANI, Raja said: "Pakistan should take note that it is a message not only from India but from the international community. Proxy war cannot be encouraged by any government. Pakistan should take credible action against terror groups operating from its soil."The CPI leader pointed out that since it is the first time that the Indian Air Force has crossed the LoC after ceasefire agreement between both countries, India should exercise caution."I should point out that it is reported that the Indian Air Force crossed the LoC for the first time after the ceasefire agreement had taken place. We should be cautious as to the response of Pakistan. It should not escalate into a conventional war," said Raja.Twelve days after the deadly Pulwama attack, Indian
Pak unhappy over OIC invite to India, host UAE snubs
UAE did not pay heed to Pakistan's concern over the invitation extended to India for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meet slated to be held next week.UAE did not pay heed to Pakistan's concern over the invitation extended to India on Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meet slated to be held next week.Speaking to media post-National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Tuesday, "I telephoned UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and expressed disappointment on the invitation of Indian foreign minister Swaraj to attend OIC. However, while discussing the matter with my UAE counterpart, he did not respond to it. Then I contacted Pakistan's ambassador to UAE (Moazzam Ahmad Khan) to discuss the matter with them (UAE government), but still, there was no response."In a first, OIC invited India as a "Guest of Honour" last week for the inaugural plenary of its meeting of Foreign Ministers to be held on March ..
Himachal CM congratulates IAF for action
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday congratulated the Indian Air Force for striking terror bases in Pakistan.
Hundreds more leave Syria IS holdout: AFP reporter
Hundreds of suspected jihadists and their relatives exited the last Islamic State group holdout in eastern Syria aboard 11 trucks on Tuesday, an AFP reporter said. The huge double-trailer trucks snaked towards a screening point manned by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces across the plain from Baghouz, the last hamlet still held by IS. Women could be seen spilling out of the trucks as SDF fighters prepared to screen yet another batch of survivors from the last speck of the jihadist "caliphate". On Monday alone, 46 such trucks left the IS pocket, bringing to around 50,000 the number of people who quit jihadist-held territory since December. Among them were thousands of suspected jihadists who tried to blend in with civilians in a desperate attempt to save their lives before a final assault by the Kurdish-led SDF.
IAF showed Lord Hanuman-like bravery: LS Speaker lauds strikes
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan Tuesday praised the Air Force for the strike on a terror camp in Pakistan and equated the operation to the mythical tale of Lord Hanuman returning safely after setting Lanka ablaze, as mentioned in the epic Ramayan. Mahajan also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the strikes, saying the action sent a strong message to Pakistan that it should not look at India with evil eyes. "Pawan putra Hanuman returned after torching Lanka. Our air force displayed bravery like Lord Hanuman. Now the entire country is confident of terrorism being eliminated," the MP from Indore said. She said the operation was so swift that Pakistan appeared clueless about what happened. "Our air warriors returned unscathed after taking action against the terrorists' hideouts but the neighbouring country is still clueless about what happened," she said. In an air strike that lasted less than two minutes, India pounded Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp .
RSS congratulates govt, IAF for translating people's feeling into action
The RSS Tuesday congratulated the government and the Indian Air Force for air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan, saying they have translated into action the angry feelings of Indians following the Pulwama attack. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh general secretary Suresh Joshi said in a statement that these air strikes caused no harm to the Pakistani army and civilians which, he added, is tune with the "Bharatiya" (Indian) culture. "The entire nation was agitated and angry in the wake of terror attack by Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pulwama. Today the Indian Air Force demolished JeM's Pakistan-based base camps' by precision air strikes. We congratulate the government of India and the Indian Air Force for exactly translating the the feelings and anger of millions of Indians," he said in the statement. 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 .
Aus says Pak can no longer allow legal & physical space to extremists to operate from its soil
Australia on Tuesday asked Pakistan to take "urgent and meaningful" action against terrorist groups including JeM and said it can no longer allow extremist groups the legal and physical space to operate from its territory. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne's statement came hours after Indian fighter jets struck Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s biggest terror camp in Pakistan in a pre-dawn attack. She also urged India and Pakistan to "exercise restraint" and engage in dialogue to ensure issues are resolved peacefully. The Indian Air Force (IAF) bombed terror camps at multiple locations across the Line of Control (LoC) on the Pakistani side in a pre-dawn strike, 12 days after the Pakistan-based terror group JeM carried out the Pulwama attack in Kashmir. The Australian government is concerned about the relations between India and Pakistan, Payne said. "Pakistan must take urgent and meaningful action against terrorist groups in its territory, including Jaish-e-Mohammed which has ...
(PRS) Pakistan has limited options to retaliate (IANS Exclusive)
Pakistan has warned that it will respond to the Indian air strikes but the sense in New Delhi is that Islamabad has limited options to retaliate.
Entry points of Delhi to get facelift as Tourism gets Rs 49 cr budget allocation
The Delhi government on Tuesday proposed a budget of Rs 49 crore for implementation of schemes, programmes and projects of the Tourism department, allocating a major chunk of the fund for beautification of entry points and creation of entry gates of the city. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is also Delhi's Finance Minister, presented a Rs 60,000 crore budget for 2019-20 in the Delhi Assembly laying emphasis on the education, health and transport sectors. "Our government has prepared a concept plan for beautification of entry points and creation of entry gates of Delhi. The beautification of entry points in Delhi will give an aesthetic look to the commuters entering Delhi," he said. Five entry points have been identified for taking up the beautification and makeover in phase-I at Gurugram Border, Tikri Kalan Border, Ghazipur Border, Apsara Border and Anand Vihar border near Kaushambi, Sisodia said. Seven more entry points will be identified for beautification in the second ...
'Will turn Pak into graveyard if it retaliates to air strikes'
Pakistan will turn into a graveyard if it dared to retaliate against air strikes carried out by the Indian Air Force on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps, senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said Tuesday. Expressing happiness at the IAF air strikes, the BJP general secretary said the act had put India in the league of nations like United States and Israel which resort to cross-border action to avenge misadventures against its forces. Addressing a function at the stone-laying ceremony of a 300-bedded Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospital here, Vijayvargiya said, "I was watching the news on my mobile phone on my way to this programme. Some people were saying (after the IAF action on the terror camps across the border), will Pakistan (counter) attack?" Speaking on such an eventuality (of Pakistan hitting back), the BJP leader said, "Now, there is a small graveyard (due to the air strikes). But if Pakistan will carry out an attack (retaliatory), then India's .
Delhi govt proposes scheme allowing felling of only 20 per cent of trees for a project
The Delhi government Tuesday said it is planning to implement a scheme which will allow felling of a maximum of 20 per cent of trees required for a development project while the remaining 80 per cent would have to be transplanted through modern technology. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, while presenting the budget in Delhi Assembly said the government is planning this scheme under which 80 per cent of the remaining trees will have to be mandatorily transplanted. "The government has already implemented a scheme to plant 10 trees for cutting one tree, but now the government is planning to bring an important plan under which, removal of maximum 20 per cent of the total trees required for implementation of the project will be allowed," he said. Noting that this is a "tough but very important step", Sisodia said Delhi is the first state in the country where this stringent rule will be implemented. The AAP government Tuesday presented a Rs 60,000 crore budget for 2019-20 laying ...
Punjab CM seeks Chandigarh's inclusion under open sky policy
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday sought inclusion of Chandigarh in the list of cities notified for the operation of airlines of ASEAN countries under the Government of India's Open Sky Policy.In a demi-official letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, Singh has stated that the International Civil Terminal at SAS Nagar (Mohali) had been functioning for the last three years and was now set to launch round the clock operations for wide-bodied aircraft with upgraded Code 4E status starting April 1, 2019."The airport caters not only to the population of the Tri-City of Chandigarh but also to international passenger traffic from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and even parts of Uttarakhand. The State Government would take all possible steps to support the growth of civil aviation and to harness its benefit for the overall development of the region", read the letter by the Chief Minister.Punjab Chief Minister also outlined that at ...
Power of God with us to save earth from enemies of humanity: PM Modi
Hours after the Indian Air Force attack on terror camps in Balakot area of Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke about "the power of God being always with us to save earth from the enemies of humanity.""The power of the Lord is always with us to save the earth from the enemies of humanity. We are attempting to spread this message with complete authenticity to the evil spirits and 'asuras'," the prime minister said.He was addressing a gathering at the 'Gita Aradhana 'event at ISKCON where he unveiled a giant edition of the Bhagwad Gita.The Indian Air Force (IAF) in the wee hours of Tuesday attacked terror camps in Balakot area in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, targeting key operatives of dreaded terror outfit-Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).While Prime Minister in his address made no direct mention of the air strike during his address, the significance of the day's most important development was not lost on the crowd which erupted into loud cheers and chants of ...