Page 1539 - Politics
ED grills Vadra for 7 hours in money laundering case for fifth time
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday questioned Robert Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, for over seven hours in a money laundering case, for the fifth time.
PM should be ashamed of his behaviour: Rahul Gandhi
Alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was busy making a movie about himself even after receiving the news that 40 CRPF troopers were killed in a terror attack in Kashmir, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday said Modi should be ashamed.
No Brexit 'deal in the desert' for May: EU source
British Prime Minister Theresa May will have a chance to speak to fellow EU leaders at their summit with the Arab League, but she should not expect a Brexit breakthrough, an EU source said Friday. Arab and European leaders will meet for two days from Sunday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, even as Britain lobbies to reopen Brexit negotiations just weeks before it is due to leave the bloc. "There will be no deal in the desert in Sharm el-Sheikh, this is a summit between the EU and the Arab states," an EU source told reporters in Brussels. According to the source, only 24 of the 28 EU leaders have confirmed they will attend the Red Sea summit, and all would have to be present to agree any Brexit deal. Nevertheless, May is expected to meet some of her counterparts one-on-one on the sidelines of the meeting to push her case for changes to the divorce agreement. This could pave the way towards a later breakthrough, perhaps at the next planned full EU summit on March 21 and 22, ...
Rajnath urges ASEAN nations to support India's fight against terrorism
Home Minister Rajnath Singh Friday urged the ASEAN nations and the international community to support India's fight against terrorism. Delivering the valedictory address at the 4th India-ASEAN Expo and Summit here, Singh said an environment of peace and security are prerequisites for trade and commerce to flourish. "This summit must acknowledge the fact and ensure that the soil of any country should not be used for propagating terrorism," he said, appealing to the ASEAN countries and other nations to support India's fight against terrorism. Referring to the "gruesome cowardly" terrorist attack in Pulwama, where 40 CRPF jawans were killed, the home minister said there exists immense potential to strengthen and deepen cooperation in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, violent extremism and radicalisation through information sharing, law enforcement cooperation and capacity building and anti-money laundering and countering terror-financing. Talking on the trade ...
Government bans unregulated deposit schemes
The government has issued the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019 to prevent chit fund scams and protect small investors.
Punjab Assembly Speaker to seek legal opinion on Phoolka's resignation
Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh Friday said he will seek legal opinion on the resignation of Dakha MLA H S Phoolka as it was not in proper format. He was responding to SAD-BJP members, who sought to know the status of legislators who have resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), during the Zero Hour of the ongoing Budget session. SAD and BJP MLAs, led by Bikram Singh Majithia and Parminder Singh Dhindsa, sought to know the clear status of resignations of Phoolka and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira. Phoolka, former leader of opposition in Punjab Assembly, had tendered his resignation as Dakha MLA in October 2018 over the alleged "inaction" by the state government on Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on sacrilege incidents. The Supreme Court lawyer had quit the AAP last month. Khaira had also resigned from the AAP and floated his own party last month. Singh said he was going beyond the rules in replying to the query by Akalis. He said Phoolka was told that his resignation ..
Rahul attacks Modi over Pulwama attack, dubs him 'prime time minister'; BJP hits back
The war of words between the Congress and the BJP over the Pulwama terror attack escalated on Friday with Rahul Gandhi calling Narendra Modi "prime time minister" for allegedly continuing with a photo shoot when the nation was grappling with pain, while the BJP slammed the opposition party for "indulging in petty politics". In a tweet with the hashtag 'PhotoShootSarkar', Gandhi said the prime minister continued shooting for a film till even three hours after news of the Pulwama terror strike came in. Citing media reports, the Congress has alleged that Modi was attending a photo shoot for a film at the Corbett National Park on February 14, and he continued to participate in the shoot even after the terror attack which took place at around 3.10 PM. At a press conference, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari cited DD News footage to claim that the prime minister addressed a rally in Uttarakhand at 5:10 pm via phone. He said Modi must tell what he was doing in the initial two hours after ..
Modi govt committed to security of all citizens: BJP leader
BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav Friday targeted Pakistan over the Pulwama terror attack, stating the neighbouring country is aiding and abetting terrorism as part of it proxy war against India. He also said the Modi government is committed to ensure safety and security of all citizens of the country, including Kashmiris who have come under attack in different parts of India in the wake of the February 14 terror strike on security personnel at Pulwama that left 40 CRPF soldiers dead. "By abetting terrorism, neighbouring country (Pakistan) is attacking India in a proxy manner," Yadav told reporters here after taking part in a party programme. He said the Narendra Modi government has taken the attack on CRPF jawans in Pulwama very seriously and is taking stern measures against terrorists and separatists. Asked about the attacks on Kashmiris in different parts of the country after the Pulwama carnage, the BJP leader said the Modi government is working for the security ..
India is tired of your fake news: BJP to Rahul
The BJP on Friday rejected Congress President Rahul Gandhi's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was indulging "gleefully" in a photoshoot allegedly hours after the Pulwama attack and asserted that the photographs were taken in the morning.
Rahul's 'prime time minister' jibe: Naqvi claims Sonia made indecent remarks during Kargil war
Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his "prime time minister" jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Friday claimed the Congress president was following his mother Sonia Gandhi's footsteps who had made "indecent" remarks during the Kargil war. Either the Congress leaders are questioning the surgical strike or raising hue and cry over the Rafale deal, he said. "During the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, when the armed forces were involved in Kargil war, Sonia Gandhi had made indecent remarks... it is their tradition. Now when two Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists have been nabbed in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress is in pain," Naqvi said on the sidelines of an event here. Two alleged Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists, posing as students and involved in recruiting for the group, have been arrested from Deoband in Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police O P Singh said on Friday. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi dubbed Narendra Modi "prime time ...
Delhi to host Russian cultural festival
The Delhi government on Friday announced that it will hold a three-day festival 'Moscow Days' in the national capital later this year to celebrate the bilateral ties between India and Russia.
CPIM demands protection for Kashmiris living across India
The CPI(M) demanded Friday that the central and state governments take all steps to protect Kashmiris living outside Jammu and Kashmir, following reports of them being targeted in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack. The Jammu and Kashmir governor should convene a meeting of political leaders and prominent citizens to discuss the present situation, CPI(M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami told reporters here. "We demand that the central and state governments take all steps to protect Kashmiri Muslim residents," he said. He said that in the aftermath of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, jingoistic communal atmosphere is being created in the country, while in certain places, protests were deliberately turned against Kashmiri students, businessmen, employees and others. "This tragic and horrible act of terror should not be used for narrow partisan interests and should not lead to polarise the already charged situation," he added. The Supreme Court Friday directed the Chief ...
AP CM challenges Shah to prove allegations against him
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Friday challenged BJP president Amit Shah to prove the allegations that he reposed faith in the Pakistan Prime Minister while doubting Narendra Modi on the Pulwama terror attack. Naidu asked BJP leaders to stop "meaningless" criticism and propaganda against him. He also wanted the BJP to tender an apology to the country by withdrawing the remarks against him. In a statement released to the media here, the Chief Minister claimed he had only "recalled" Modi's demand in 2013 after the terror attacks in Bihar and Kashmir that Manmohan Singh resign as Prime Minister. "I only questioned if Modi will step down as Prime Minister owning responsibility for the Pulwama attack. I am unable to understand why the BJP leaders are jittery over this," Naidu said. He wondered if it was patriotism when Modi spoke and not when he spoke. "If you do, it is good politics and if we do is it mean politics," he said. What would Modi answer to ...
How do we ban the already banned, asks actor Sushant Singh
Actor Sushant Singh, General Secretary of the Cine and TV Artistes Association (CINTAA), feels the government needs to take some hard decisions and solid steps to isolate Pakistan rather than simply look towards the Indian entertainment industry for a ban.
ECI to hold special voter registration drive from Saturday
The Election Commission of India (ECI) will hold a special two-day drive from Saturday to enable citizens to register themselves as voters. The drive is aimed at facilitating those, who missed the opportunity to get their names registered during the recent revision of electoral rolls. Election officials will be present at all the polling booths on February 23 and 24, a statement from the state election authorities said. Forms for voter enrolment, addition and deletion of names will be available there, it said, adding that during the drive, other citizens can also check whether their names appear in the voters' list. Over 28 lakh new voters have been added to the voters' list in Maharashtra as part of the summary revision of electoral rolls, it said. As per the revised list published on January 31, as many as 35,68,352 voters have been added, while names of 7,29,335 people have been deleted. Thus net addition in the voter list is 28,39,017, the statement said. An official
China bars millions from travel for 'social credit' offenses
Forgot to pay a fine in China? Then forget about buying an airline ticket. Would-be air travellers were blocked from buying tickets 17.5 million times last year under a controversial "social credit" system the ruling Communist Party says will improve public behaviour. Some 5.5 million people were barred from buying train tickets, according to the National Public Credit Information Center. In an annual report, it said 128 people were blocked from leaving China because they were behind on their taxes. The ruling party says penalties and rewards under "social credit" will improve order in a fast-changing society. Three decades of economic reform have shaken up social structures. Markets are rife with counterfeit goods and fraud. The system is part of efforts by President Xi Jinping's government to use technology from data processing to genetic sequencing and facial recognition to tighten control. Authorities have experimented with "social credit" since 2014 in areas across China. Points .
SC seeks response from Centre, Delhi government on shifting 7 militants to Tihar Jail
The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Centre and the Delhi government on a plea by the J&K government seeking the shifting of seven Pakistani terrorists from Jammu prison to Tihar Jail.
General Hooda's appointment in Congress acceptance of surgical strikes: Jaitley
A day after the Congress formed a committee on national security headed by Lt. General D.S. Hooda (retired), Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said his appointment was grudging "recognition" and "acceptance" of the 2016 surgical strikes that India carried out to avenge the killing of soldiers in Uri.
Rahul dubs Modi 'prime time minister', claims he continued photo shoot hours after Pulwama attack
Dubbing Narendra Modi "prime time minister", Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that the prime minister was smiling at a photo shoot in the waters on February 14 when an "ocean of pain filled the country's heart and homes of the martyrs" after the Pulwama attack. In a tweet with the hashtag 'PhotoShootSarkar', Gandhi said the prime minister continued shooting for a film even three hours after the news of the Pulwama terror strike came in. At a press conference, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari cited DD News footage to claim that the Prime Minister addressed a rally in Uttarakhand at 5:10 pm over phone. "Even after three hours of the news of the 40 jawans being martyred in the Pulwama terror strike, the prime time minister continued with a film shooting," the Congress president tweeted in Hindi. "There was an ocean of pain in the country's heart and in the homes of martyrs, and he was smiling and doing a photo shoot in the waters," Gandhi wrote on Twitter and attached
Shah holds discussions with BJP functionaries in southern TN
BJP president Amit Shah Friday inaugurated a programme here for eliciting suggestions from the public on the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections. On a short visit to southern Tamil Nadu, he met BJP functionaries from 18 Lok Sabha constituencies and held discussions with them on the coming polls. The meeting was held at the Subbulakshmi Lakshmipathy College of Science near here. Shah was welcomed by Tamil daily 'Dinamalar' Joint Executive Editor R Lakshmipathy and Joint PublisherDr L Ramasubbu, who are the President and Secretary respectively of the Governing Council of the college. BJP state unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan and other senior leaders L Ganesan and Vanathi Srinivasan were among those present on the occasion.