Page 1517 - Politics

Twitter asked to support free and fair Lok Sabha polls, ensure no bias

A parliamentary panel on Monday asked Twitter executives to ensure that the content on their platform supports "free and fair" Lok Sabha elections and it does not face allegations of bias or politically motivated practices.

Modi, Centre had prior information of Pulwama attack: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing politics with the blood of the slain CRPF troopers ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, and claimed that the Centre had "prior information" regarding the February 14 Pulwama terror strike.

MP Baig's fear: 'Individuals will flourish but there may be no KP community as such'

Kashmiri Pandits will flourish as individuals wherever they go but there may be no KP community as such in a decade or two, People's Democratic Party MP Muzaffar Hussain Baig has said while highlighting their plight. He was speaking at a recent conclave -- The Kashmiri Pandits: Right the Wrong in Kashmir -- which was also attended by former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister and senior National Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather, among other panelists. The Kashmiri Pandit community faced an exodus in 1990 from the state after facing atrocities. The community has been demanding a peaceful return to their homeland. "The year of 1990 will go down in the history of Kashmir and perhaps the rest of India as the one of the darkest days of our history," Baig said. "It was in this year that the mass exodus of the KP community who were the original inhabitants of Kashmir took place in the wake of a mass uprising." The community was made to feel so insecure that some of them left only with ...

Korean War could be declared over at Hanoi summit: Seoul

Hopes that Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un will formally declare an end to the 1950-53 Korean War at the Hanoi summit rose Monday, after South Korea said the two leaders could reach an agreement. The devastating conflict between communist North Korea, backed by China, and the capitalist South, aided by the United States, ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving Pyongyang and Washington still technically at war. "I believe that the possibility is there," the South's presidential Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters about a formal declaration. "There is no way of knowing what kind of declaration it might be, but I believe the US and North Korea may reach an agreement." President Moon Jae-in said in October "it was only a matter of time" before Washington and Pyongyang declared an end to the war. The US has also struck an upbeat tone. Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy for North Korea, said earlier this month that Trump was "ready to end this war", fuelling

JK Cong leader alleges sloganeering, stone pelting on Jammu people

Jammu and Kashmir Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma Monday alleged "anti-national" sloganeering coupled with stone pelting on people from Jammu was being carried out at the behest of "Kashmir-centric" politicians and secessionist forces. The former minister also expressed concern over registration of cases against youths of Jammu who protested against such forces. "Anti-national sloganeering followed by stone-throwing on Jammu people was done with the intent to flare up communal passions at the behest of Kashmir-centric politicians and secessionist forces," Sharma, senior vice president of J&K Congress unit, said. The Jammu and Kashmir police had registered a case on Thursday in connection with allegedly raising anti-national slogans by some stranded Kashmiri Muslim passengers here on February 11. The Congress leader said those who committed the crime were moving scot-free. Sharma also urged upon the government to take strict action against "anti-national" elements. "During the ...

Govt will address demands of under-privileged groups: Maharashtra governor

Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao told the state legislature on Monday that the state government was committed to address the demands of under-privileged communities "in due course of time". The six-day budget session of the Maharashtra legislature began here on Monday. The governor said, according to the recommendations of the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission, a law had been enacted to provide 16 per cent reservation to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in educational institutions and for direct recruitment in public services in the state. He added that the law fulfilled the government's commitment for the welfare of the SEBC communities. "The government is also committed to address the demands of under-privileged communities like Dhangar, Vadar, Parit, Kumbhar and Kolis in due course of time," Rao said. The state government had decided to fill the vacant posts in 14 administrative departments, he pointed out. These include Agriculture, Animal ...

Pak FM postpones Japan visit amid tensions with India

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has postponed his scheduled visit to Japan, amid tensions with India following the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers. Qureshi telephoned his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono and apprised him about the reason behind the postponement of his official visit to Tokyo. He said the situation in South Asian region, including Kashmir, is tense following the Pulwama attack. He said in such a sensitive situation, it was important and inevitable for him to stay in the country, Radio Pakistan reported. "I have written to the UN secretary general to play his role in easing tensions and also request Japan to play an active role to do the same," he said. Both the foreign ministers agreed to reschedule the visit at the earliest. Last week, the Foreign Office announced that Qureshi will visit Japan from February 24-27 and meet his counterpart as well as the prime minister. Forty Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed on ...

PMK defends alliance with AIADMK, says it is for retrieving

Amid criticism of its allilance with the ruling AIADMK by various quarters, PMK Monday said the pact for the coming Lok Sabha elections was forged with an intention to 'retrieve' and uphold Tamil Nadu's rights on various issues. Pattali Makkal Katchi Youth Wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss also asserted the party would support any anti-graft action against state Ministers if corruption charges against them were proved. "Our intention is to retrieve and uphold the rights of Tamil Nadu and its people," he told a press conference here. On the PMK's stand now on corruption charges against the AIADMK over which it had earlier petitioned the state Governor seeking action, Anbumani Ramadoss insisted his party remained firm on its stated position. "Regarding the petition we had submitted to the Governor, action should be taken if the charges are proved.... I will be the first person to seek the resignation (of Ministers concerned)," he said. The AIADMK had last Tuesday struck ...

Decision on alliance with BJP to be taken after meeting with Shah: Rajbhar

Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister and SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar Monday said he will take a decision on his party's continuation in the saffron party-led alliance after meeting BJP president Amit Shah. Rajbhar, who earlier threatened to part ways with the BJP if recommendations of the Social Justice Committee were not implemented by February 24, said a meeting has been scheduled with the BJP president in Delhi on Tuesday (February 26). "After the meeting, it will be decided whether we have to contest the coming elections in alliance with the BJP," he said. Senior leaders of his party as well as Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma will also remain present in tomorrow's meeting, Rajbhar said . Asked if Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also attend tomorrow's meeting, Rajbhar, whose Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) is an ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, said, "His presence is not important as the decision has to be taken by the BJP." On the issues concerning the meeting, he said .

Senior Taliban leaders in Qatar for talks with US envoy

Senior Taliban leaders, including one of the group's founders, were to hold another round of talks Monday in Qatar with Washington's special peace envoy as U.S. efforts intensify to find a negotiated solution to Afghanistan's 17-year war, America's longest. The Taliban, some of whom arrived in Doha, Qatar's capital, from Pakistan the previous night, raised expectations ahead of talks with U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. "Yes, there is a possibility we will reach some results," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told The Associated Press. Leading the Taliban delegation in Doha was Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the movement who was released last year from a Pakistani jail where he had languished since his arrest in a joint Pakistani-CIA operation in 2010. Past rounds have focused on U.S. withdrawal of troops, which has been a standing Taliban demand, and guarantees that Afghanistan will not be used again as a staging area for terror attacks on the United States. Khalilzad ..

India-Pakistan ties: EU's Mogherini speaks to Pakistan Foreign Minister

Federica Mogherini, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, spoke to Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, stressing on the "urgency to de-escalate" the ongoing tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad following the February 14 Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF troopers.

Arunachal protests: Curfew on; Opposition boycotts all-party meet

Three days after violence erupted here over the state government's move to grant permanent residence certificate (PRC) to six non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes communities, curfew here continued on Monday, police said.

Now monitor railway punctuality, earnings with 'eDrishti'

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday launched a dashboard for passengers to keep track of train punctuality as well as other such information from anywhere in the country.

Cong MP writes to PM demanding special status for AP

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Andhra Pradesh on March 1, Congress leader KVP Ramachandra Rao has demanded that the PM immediately issue instructions for implementation of provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, including special category status to the state. In a letter to Modi, the Rajya Sabha MP said the state's people "strongly feel" that it is the "bounden duty" of the prime minister and his cabinet colleagues to implement the Act passed by Parliament. Rao said other pending demands such as establishing a separate railway zone, special economic package to Rayalaseema and Uttarandhra districts, and granting sufficient funds for the Polavaram project be implemented before the primer minister's visit to the state. "The people of the state strongly feel that it is the bounden duty of the Indian prime minister and his cabinet colleagues to implement an Act passed by the Parliament of India under the provisions of the Indian Constitution and assented by the president

Potential of six-party talks should be considered during North Korea, US Summit: Russian foreign minister

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on Monday, advocated that the key takeaways of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue should be considered during the upcoming North Korea and the United States summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.He also said that he is expecting some progress in relations between the US and North Korea during the talks."The situation in Northeast Asia is not easy, primarily because of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, but as far as long-term stability goes, the goal is to establish a peace and security mechanism in the region," TASS quoted Lavrov as saying."This is one of the goals that were agreed on during the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue when the talks were still underway. They are stalled now but their potential should be taken into account," the Russian top diplomat added.The talks which were hosted by China in Beijing from 2003 to 2009, were multilateral negotiation attended by China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South ..

UNHRC to discuss Human Right state in Venezuela during 40th session

The United Nations Human Right Council (UNHRC) is expected to discuss the state of human rights and freedoms in violence-hit countries including Venezuela during its 40th session commencing on Monday (local time) in Geneva.An interactive discussion on Venezuela is scheduled for March 11, reported TASS.During the first three days of the session, senior officials from more than 90 states and international as well as regional organisations will highlight human rights issues of national and international interest and concern.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres President of the UN General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet are expected to make remarks in the opening session on February 25.The council will also discuss the Human Right condition in Syria, Myanmar, South Sudan, Yemen, Ukraine and Sri Lanka. According to the reports, the council will review over 120 reports on a wide range of issues presented by more than 25 .

Kulgam encounter: Two of the three JeM terrorists killed were top commanders from Pakistan, says Police

The three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists killed in the Kulgam encounter on February 24 included two of its top commanders from Pakistan, said the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday."The three killed terrorists have been identified as Raqib Ahmad Sheikh, a resident of Kulgam, and Waleed and Numan from Pakistan," read a statement of the Jammu and Kashmir Police."According to police records, all three killed terrorists were affiliated with JeM. The two killed Pakistani terrorists, Waleed and Numan, as per police records, were top commanders of JeM who were active in southern parts of the Kashmir valley," the police said.The encounter broke out after the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 34 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police jointly conducted search operations in Tarigam area of Kulgam district."Arms and ammunition including rifles were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to ..

Politics is not something served in a plate : KTS Tulsi on Vadra's possible entry into Politics

Amid the speculations of his client Robert Vadra's possible venture into the active politics, KTS Tulsi, lawyer of Vadra said that politics is 'not something that is served in a plate'. He added that 'all desires are not horses' and it took Priyanka Gandhi about 20 years to enter active politics. "It took Priyanka Gandhi about 20 years to be able to fortify her desire," said Tulsi."It is not something which is served to you in plate and it's all a matter of destiny. After all, all desires are not horses," said KTS Tulsi.Meanwhile, speaking on posters being put up in Moradabad welcoming Robert Vadra to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Moradabad seat, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said that the party workers have the right to express their views."It is up to the workers. Every person expresses himself. Everyone has the freedom to express themselves," said Sandeep Dikshit while talking to ANI.Hinting his entry into politics Vadra in a Facebook post said, "All these years of ...

Will start working on it: Robert Vadra on plans to enter politics

A day after hinting at joining politics through a Facebook post, Robert Vadra, son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, on Monday said that he will start working on it but there is no hurry.Talking to ANI, Vadra said, "First, I need to absolve (myself) from baseless accusations and allegations. But yes, I will start working on it. There is no hurry. People need to feel that I can make a change..."Vadra's comments came shortly after posters appeared in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district inviting him to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from the constituency."Robert Vadra Ji, you are welcome to contest the election from the Moradabad Lok Sabha constituency," the posters read.Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, has hinted at joining politics, a month after his wife Priyanka Gandhi made her debut into active politics and was appointed a general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh East in the party.In a Facebook post, Vadra said, "All these years of

Vietnam vows 'maximum level' security for Trump-Kim summit

With North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on an armored train barreling through China toward Vietnam's capital, and US President Donald Trump about to board a jet for Hanoi, Vietnamese officials scrambled Monday to finish preparation for a rushed summit that will capture global attention. Officials in Hanoi said they had about 10 days to prepare for the summit much less than the nearly two months they said Singapore was given for the first Trump-Kim meeting last year but still vowed to provide airtight security for two leaders. "Security will be at the maximum level," Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung told reporters at a briefing meant to showcase the nation's efforts to welcome Kim and Trump. Another official, Nguyen Manh Hung, the leader of the information ministry, said that the 3,000 journalists from 40 countries expected in Hanoi could rely on his agency as "you'd count on a family member." The world will be watching as the Trump and Kim deal with one of ...