Page 1508 - Politics
Syria's Assad meets Iran supreme leader in Tehran
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on his first visit to the Islamic republic since the start of the Syrian conflict. During talks on Monday, Assad expressed his gratitude to Iran for all that it has done for Syria during the nearly eight-year war, the Syrian presidency said. The leaders "reviewed the fraternal and strong relations between their two peoples, which have been the main factor in maintaining Syria and Iran in the face of plots by enemy countries", the presidency said. Khamenei told Assad that "Iran considers helping the government and nation of Syria to be helping the resistance movement and is proud of it from the bottom of its heart", his website said. "The creation of the buffer that the Americans are seeking to create in Syria is an example of these dangerous conspiracies which must be strongly denounced and resisted," Khamenei added. He called Assad "the hero of the Arab world" and said his steadfastness made the ...
India's "dream" of isolating Pakistan will never be fulfilled: Qureshi
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Monday that India's "dream" of isolating Pakistan will never be fulfilled, amidst simmering tensions between the two countries following the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers. 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. Addressing a conference on Kashmir in Islamabad, Qureshi said a number of foreign dignitaries were scheduled to visit Pakistan in near future. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad will be the chief guest on Pakistan Day Parade on March 23, he said. He said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will pay the visit on March 12 and the EU High Representative will also visit Islamabad soon. Qureshi said India's "dream" of isolating Pakistan will never be fulfilled. India ..
Amarinder responds to Shah's barb, says SAD, BJP don't know meaning of 'common man'
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh responded to BJP chief Amit Shah's "raja-maharaja' government barb on Monday, accusing him of speaking "blatant lies" and said the previous SAD-BJP dispensation did not even know the meaning of "common man". He alleged Shah, at a BJP workers' meet in Amritsar on Sunday, tried to mislead people. Singh said the BJP-SAD alliance has plummeted to the "depths of shamelessness" to recover their political ground in Punjab. "From witch-hunts against opposition leaders, to ridiculous accusations and claims, BJP leaders were resorting to all kinds of disgraceful tactics to get back into public limelight, which the Modi government completely lost with its non-performance over the past five years," the chief minister claimed. Shah had called the Amarinder Singh-led Congress dispensation in Punjab a "raja-maharaja" government. He had also hit out at Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for hugging Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa at Imran Khan's
Delhi BJP's Kamal Jyoti Abhiyan from Tuesday
Delhi BJP workers will visit homes of beneficiaries of Modi government's welfare schemes in the national capital under the Kamal Jyoti Abhiyan, which will launched on Tuesday, the party said. Under the campaign, the party workers will be lighting a Kamal Jyoti' in the house of the beneficiaries between 6pm and 9pm, it added. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said in a statement the beneficiaries would be urged to take a pledge to re-elect Narendra Modi as prime minister in the coming Lok Sabha election, due by May. At a press conference earlier Monday, Tiwari alleged that the AAP government in Delhi "wastes crores of rupees on advertisements but does not do anything for the security of women." He said the government "does not take any action against" AAP leaders who misbehave with women, and accused three of its leaders of misbehaving with a security personnel of EDMC. Tiwari also asked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to fulfil the promises made to the people of Delhi before sitting on a ...
BJP-led government eliminated eight crore fake beneficiaries: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that his government regards delay in completion of government works as "criminal negligence" and asserted that it has eliminated eight crore fake beneficiaries of government schemes and boosted employment with creation of 1.20 crore jobs in a year.
Syrian President Assad begins visit to Iran
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran on an official visit, state news agency SANA reported.
Trump leaves for Hanoi for his second summit with Kim Jong-un
US President Donald Trump Monday left for Hanoi for his second high profile summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during which the two leaders will have several rounds of discussions aimed at normalising ties and complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. President Trump and Chairman Kim are scheduled to meet in Hanoi, Vietnam on February 27 and 28. During their two days of talks, the two leaders are expected to have several rounds of discussions in multiple settings, including a one-on-one, during which they are likely to review the progress made after their first historic summit in Singapore last summer. Ahead of his trip, Trump said he shared a great relationship with the North Korean leader. "I think we can have a very good summit. I think we'll have a very tremendous summit. We want denuclearisation, and I think he'll have a country that will set a lot of records for speed in terms of an economy," he told a meeting of governors at the White House. In a tweet, Trump .
Mamata to launch her book on Feb 27
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will launch her book India in Distress in the national capital on February 27, sources said Monday. The TMC chief will be in Delhi to be part of the Opposition meet to strategise in pre-poll alliances against the BJP for the upcoming general elections. Leaders of a number of Opposition parties will meet in Parliament to chalk out a 'Common Minimum Programme' for fighting the general elections, sources said. The opposition strategy on the Pulwana terror attack may also come up for discussion, they said. The decision to formulate a Common Minimum Programme was mooted at the February 13 meeting of opposition leaders that included the Congress. The last meeting was attended by Congress president Rahul Gandhi,Banerjee, AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh ChiefMinister N Chandrababu Naidu and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, among others. While leaders of a number ..
Woman BJD leader accuses party MLA of misbehaviour
A member of the Odisha Women's Commission and the ruling BJD on Monday accused a fellow party leader of "misbehaving" with her at his residence. Tilottama Nayak, a BJD leader from Kalahandi district, levelled the allegation against the party's Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das. "Bobby Babu (the MLA's nickname) misbehaved with me following which I had an argument with him. Several other women were present. He also used abusive language while talking to them. If I am not safe from an MLA, how can I give security to other women," Nayak told reporters. The alleged incident took place at the residence of Das in the city, when Nayak had gone to the law maker over a party-related matter. The BJD and the MLA in question have not yet made any comment on the issue. Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan sought a clarification from Patnaik. "This is an unfortunate incident that a member of the state commission for women is harassed by a sitting MLA," ...
Amit Shah asks BJP CMs to file review petitions in SC to safeguard tribals
BJP President Amit Shah on Monday spoke to Chief Ministers of party-ruled states and asked them to file review petitions in the wake of Supreme Court's February 13 order directing Chief Secretaries of 21 states to evict tribals living in forest areas.
National War Memorial event reduced to political rally: TMC
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien on Monday accused the BJP of reducing the National War Memorial (NWM) inauguration event into a political rally and "disrespecting" the uniform. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the NWM, adjoining the iconic India Gate complex in the heart of the capital, nearly 60 years after it was mooted to honour the fallen soldiers after Independence. O'Brien, the TMC national spokesperson, in a statement, said, "The National War Memorial was turned into a political rally. That's called disrespecting the uniform." The TMC and the BJP have been at loggerheads in West Bengal and at the Centre in the run up to the general elections. BJP president Amit Shah has set a target of winning more than 23 Lok Sabha seats out of the 42 in the state. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the Modi government was indulging in "politics over the dead bodies of jawans" after the Pulwama terror attack and alleged the ...
Former power minister Rana Gurjit Singh seeks probe into PSPCL recruitment
Former power minister and Congress MLA Rana Gurjit Singh Monday sought a probe into the recruitment of staff by power utility Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). During Question Hour on the last day of the Punjab budget session, Singh asked whether power minister Gurmeet Singh Kangar will order an inquiry into the recruitment by the PSPCL. "Will you will hold an inquiry to check whether right persons were recruited? Their qualification be checked and it should also be ascertained that they belong to which assembly constituency," the MLA from Kapurthala said Earlier, Congress MLA from Jalandhar (North), Avtar Singh Junior, alleged discrimination in jobs announced by the PSPCL in the Doaba region. The legislator claimed that out of 2,439 jobs for technical and non-technical persons by the PSPCL during 2018-19, only 178 were from Doaba district, while 1,722 were from Malwa region. Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) legislators Balwinder Singh Bains and Simarjit Singh Bains sought ...
Maha CM reaches out to Sena legislators
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Monday sought to reach out to MLAs and MLCs of the Shiv Sena to ensure the BJP and the Uddhav Thackeray-led party contest upcoming elections in unison. Fadnavis invited the legislators of the BJP and the Sena over a dinner. At the occasion, the chief minister expressed hope that the NDA allies would work hard to improve their tally in Lok Sabha elections, a BJP MLA said. "Fadnavis also admitted that NCP chief Sharad Pawar is more experienced but Sena-BJP can still outsmart him in the poll campaign. He also stressed that the Congress and the NCP are losing this battle even before elections are announced," the MLA said. Pawar is expected to contest from Madha Lok Sabha constituency. Recently, BJP chief Amit Shah and Fadnavis had appealed to party workers to ensure that Baramati, the pocket-borough of Pawar, be won in elections. The CM asked all the elected representatives to attend the ongoing budget session during discussions ..
Rebel Apna Dal MP Haribansh Singh forms new political party, to stay with NDA
Rebel Apna Dal MP from Pratapgarh Kunwar Haribansh Singh on Monday announced the formation of a separate political outfit by the name of Akhil Bhartiya Apna Dal (ABAD) and said that they would support the NDA in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.Speaking to ANI, Singh said: "I have got the Akhil Bhartiya Apna Dal registered. Jagdish Singh Patel has been appointed its national president. We will stay with the NDA and will support Prime Minister Narendra Modi. If Anupriya Patel wants to go with any other party, she is free but we will suggest her to be with NDA as well. All party workers will get respect in our party."On being asked about the reason for quitting the party, he said, "In Apna Dal, everything is between the families. We want party workers to be rewarded for their efforts. Hence, we have formed this party."He also said that the election symbol of 'cup-plate' has been allotted to his party by the Election Commission of India.Apna Dal (S) had called a meeting of all its state and national
Opposition leaders caution Centre against any haste on Article 35A, Mehbooba warns of serious repercussions
The opposition leaders on Monday urged the Centre not to act hastily on the Article 35A, which gives special privilege to the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, on her part, has warned of serious repercussions if the Article 35A is tampered with. "I hope the adjudication about the Article 35A by the Supreme Court would be done very sensitively, carefully. In terms of politics, we should not be playing with something so sensitive," said former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Salam Khurshid here on Monday."The issue of Kashmir is very sensitive. Kashmir has defining dimensions. It defines India as a truly secular country. Therefore, anyone doing anything in haste or for narrow political advantage would be very unfortunate," said Khurshid.In Srinagar, PDP chief Mehbooba asked the Centre not to play with fire and "fiddle" with the Article 35A. "Otherwise you will see what you have not seen since 1947," she said.Addressing a press ...
NCP lawmaker criticises PM Modi for washing sanitation workers feet, calls it publicity stunt
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) lawmaker Jitendra Awhad on Monday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for washing the feet of sanitation workers during his recent Kumbh visit and called it a publicity stunt.He said, "This is all a publicity stunt and is wrong. The Prime Minister has shown that he supports and promotes Chaturvarna Vyavastha (four-layered Hindu social order) by washing the feet of the Dalit sanitation workers. Instead of sanitation workers, he should have called some soldiers affected by Pulwama and should have washed their feet. However, he called Dalit workers for political advantage."On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a holy dip at the 'Sangam' and offered prayers. He also performed the Ganga Aarti at the ongoing Kumbh Mela. After this, the Prime Minister met sanitation workers and washed their feet as a mark of respect.
Maharashtra: Athawale decides to stay with NDA
Despite his unhappiness over seat sharing in Maharashtra, Union Cabinet Minister and Republican Party of India (RPI) President Ramdas Athawale on Monday decided to stay with Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP)-led NDA alliance but demanded RPI representation at the Centre. "We will stay with NDA but we have certain demands including that RPI should get one seat from Shiv Sena and one from BJP. We want two Lok Sabha seats. One seat should be in Mumbai and one outside Mumbai," he said.Athawale added, "The party core committee has decided to continue being in NDA and will help Narendra Modi to be re-elected as Prime Minister. But he also added that party is not happy with the new set up of NDA in Maharashtra in terms of seat sharing.""RPI will try its options for a respectable share of seats in Maharashtra for upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls," RPI chief said."RPI should get one Cabinet seat at the Centre and a Minister of state from Maharashtra," he demanded if BJP able to form the ...
Gopal Rai asks BJP, Congress to clear their stand on full statehood to Delhi
Ahead of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's indefinite strike for full statehood to Delhi, Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai on Monday wrote a letter to BJP's Manoj Tiwari and senior Congress leader Sheila Dixit, urging them to clear their stand on the issue.Rai, in his letter, reminded Dikshit and Tiwari of statements made by their leaders and parties in the past with respect to full statehood."Giving full statehood for Delhi used to be the focal point of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Its leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had promised to give full statehood to Delhi in 2014 polls. So why they are not supporting this demand anymore," he asked.Talking about the movement for full statehood, Rai said: "Three-level committee at the Lok Sabha level, Delhi Assembly level and zones will be formed. Every ward will be divided into two zones. The full movement will be monitored from the Central protest site where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will start the indefinite hunger strike.""The
YSRCP launches campaign song
In its last leg of the campaign for the upcoming General Elections 2019, YSR Congress Party here on Monday released their campaign song, Ravali Jagan, Kavali Jagan (Jagan should come, we want Jagan).The title is also the official slogan of the campaign.Launched in the presence of senior party leaders at the party central office near Lotus Pond in Hyderabad, the party aims to take the song to each and every person in the state.Created by Indian Political Action Committee (I-PEC) after the inputs from thousands of people across Andhra Pradesh, the song captures the mood of the people of the state, and channels the outcry of various sections of the society.YSRCP plans to take the song to the grassroots through a free download link, and efforts such as the musical marches on bikes.The song was launched in the presence of the top party leaders, including Mr Vijay Sai Reddy, Mr Botsa Satyanarayana, Mr Aanam Ramanarayan Reddy, Mr Sagidurga Prasad Raju, etc.Speaking to media, the party ...
UK should 'rapidly' give up Chagos Islands, says ICJ
In a major diplomatic victory for Mauritius, the UN's highest court on Monday ruled that the United Kingdom (UK) should end its control of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean "as rapidly as possible".In a statement, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said: "Court is of opinion that the UK is under obligation to bring to an end its administration of Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible and that all member states are under obligation to cooperate with UN to complete decolonisation of Mauritius."By a majority of 13 to one, the UN's top court stated that the process of decolonisation of Mauritius was not "lawfully completed".It is to be noted that the ICJ's advisory opinion, delivered here, is not legally binding.In its submission to the ICJ last year, Mauritius contended that it was forced to give up the control of the Chagos Islands, located over 3,000 km off the east coast of Africa, by the UK in 1965, in exchange for independence, which it gained in 1968.It underlined ...