Page 1547 - Politics
MP farmers to be debt-free in 15 days: Kamal Nath
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday said loans of 25-30 lakh farmers in the state will be completely waived off in another 15 days.
General who led surgical strikes to head Congress task force on national security
Army's former Northern Command chief D.S. Hooda, who directed the 2016 cross-LoC surgical strikes, will now be heading a task force on national security at the behest of the Congress.
Surplus water to be used by Punjab, Haryana, Raj: MoS PMO Jitendra Singh on stopping water to Pak
Hailing the government's decision to stop India's share of river water from flowing to Pakistan, Union Minister Jitendra Singh Thursday said the excess water not utilised by Jammu and Kashmir will now be used by Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Questioning the previous Congress governments for not taking such a step, he said the Centre's decision has corrected a long-standing anomaly. "The earlier governments have to answer why they sat over this (Shahpur-Kandi) project for nearly half a century. It (the decision to stop water going to Pakistan) is a correction of a long-standing anomaly which remained unattended by the earlier governments," the minister told PTI. Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), said the construction of the Shahpur-Kandi dam on river Ravi was started due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "When completed, the entire water of river Ravi, which was flowing into Pakistan despite being India's share of water under the Indus Water .
Sheila Dikshit rejects Kejriwal's claim on alliance, says AAP has reached the 'stage of frustration'
Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit said her party was never approached by AAP national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and alleged that he and his party leaders have reached the "level of frustration" on the issue. Addressing a public rally in Gandhi Nagar on Thursday, Kejriwal reiterated that AAP leaders were tired of convincing the Congress to firm up an alliance with his party, but the intention of the grand old party does not seem to be good. Hitting back, Dikshit, a three-time chief minister of Delhi, told reporters, "He (Kejriwal) has not spoken to us. He does not know what he is saying. The Aam Aadmi Party has reached the stage of frustration." Latching on to the issue, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwar termed Kejriwal a "king of U-turns" which, he said, is evident by his "entreaties" to Congress for an alliance for the general elections. "Why is Kejriwal entreating Congress for an alliance now. Has he forgotten his ...
Lt Gen Singh visits Army units in central Kashmir, briefed on the ground situation
Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh Thursday visited Army units in central Kashmir where he was briefed on the ground situation prevalent in the valley, a defence spokesman said. Concluding his two-day visit to Kashmir, the Northern Army commander, accompanied by Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, visited units in central Kashmir, he said. He said Lt Gen Singh was briefed by the commanders on the ground situation. Appreciative of the measures and Standard Operating Procedures instituted by the units to minimise civilian causalities, the Army commander emphasised on meeting the security challenges more effectively, the spokesman said. Lauding the excellent synergy amongst all the security forces, Lt Gen Singh exhorted all ranks to maintain a safe, secure and peaceful environment for the people of Kashmir, he said.
Country headed for coalition government, but Modi's farm income scheme could spring surprise: Brokerages
The country may be heading towards a coalition government after the upcoming general election if reports prepared by different foreign brokerage firms are to be believed.
BJP, INLD trade barbs in Haryana Assembly over governor's address
The Haryana Assembly Thursday witnessed sharp exchanges between opposition INLD and the ruling BJP after Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala accused the latter of making the governor read out the party's achievements in the House. Addressing the state assembly on the opening day of the budget session here Wednesday, Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya had praised the government's commitment to "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas" and "Haryana Ek, Haryanvi Ek", saying results of the recent mayoral elections and five municipal council polls were a "solid vindication" of that. The BJP had swept the municipal polls in Hisar, Karnal, Panipat, Rohtak and Yamunanagar as well as the by-election in Jind. Taking strong objections to the governor's address, Chautala Thursday asked the government to clarify "if the governor was made to read out the government's agenda or the BJP's". The leader of opposition also pointed out that the governor concluded his speech in just a few minutes after reading out only
BJP likely to replace 3 dozen MPs in UP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to repeat its Gujarat model in Uttar Pradesh for the coming Lok Sabha elections by replacing a number of sitting MPs with new faces.
NRIs can't vote online in Lok Sabha polls, Election Commission clarifies
The Election Commission on Thursday said NRI voters have not been extended right to cast their votes online in the Lok Sabha elections due this summer. Responding to news reports which said NRI voters can cast votes online in the upcoming polls, a Commission spokesperson said no such facility has been extended. "If it happens, it needs amendment to the Representation of the People Act. No such amendment has taken place," the spokesperson said. As of now, overseas Indians have to register as voter, come to India, go to their constituency with the original passport issued to them when they had gone abroad and cast vote. According to estimates of the Ministry of External Affairs, there are about 3.10 crore NRIs living in different countries across the world. An expert committee of the Election Commission had said no to e-voting for NRIs but approved proxy voting. A bill to extend proxy voting rights to NRIs was passed in Lok Sabha recently but is pending in Rajya Sabha. It is set to ...
Sinister campaign on to prove Gumnami baba as Netaji : Family
Some family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Thursday alleged that a "sinister campaign" is on by certain sections in the country to prove that 'Gumnami Baba' was the nationalist leader and urged the Centre to release all Intelligence Bureau (IB) files on the recluse. Claiming that it is a "criminal offense" to term 'Gumnami Baba' as Netaji in disguise without any documentary or photographic evidence to support it, BJP leader and Bose's grand nephew Chandra Kumar Bose said the Centre must also start an inquiry to find out who are supporting such false campaigns against Bose. "There has been an on-going sinister campaign to dishonour Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as being one 'Gumnami Baba of Faizabad' who reportedly lived in Uttar Pradesh since the 1950s for over three decades. The fact is Gumanmi Baba was not Netaji," Chandra Kumar Bose, who is also the BJP state unit vice-president told a press conference here. The "sinister campaign" is an attempt to damage the ...
AIADMK, Cong both hope DMDK will jump on to their bandwagon
Both the ruling AIADMK and Congress, which is part of the DMK front, Thursday hoped that the DMDK, led by actor turned politician Vijayakanth, would join them. Senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar, flaying the DMK front, told reporters here that talks with the DMDK was on and hoped that the Vijayakanth steered outfit would join his party-led "auspicious" alliance. The AIADMK has already held talks with the DMDK leadership, which has however been inconclusive. The DMDK, which contested 14 seats in the BJP-led front in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, had reportedly been demanding seats in 'double digits' from the AIADMK. After the ruling party firmly said it would not be possible, the DMDK is now demanding that it be treated on par with the PMK, which has been allocated seven constituencies plus a Rajya Sabha seat by the AIADMK. Against this background, senior State Congress leader Su Thirunavukkarasar Thursday visited Vijayakanth at his residence. The DMDK leader had recently ...
Nigeria panel confirms elections will take place on Saturday
Nigeria's rescheduled presidential and parliamentary elections will take place this weekend, the electoral commission said on Thursday, adding there would be not be a second delay. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced a one-week postponement last Saturday, just hours before polls were due to open, triggering widespread anger. Logistical issues in the delivery of ballot papers and election material were blamed, leading to a scramble to be ready in time for the new date. In an update on preparations, INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu told a news conference in the capital, Abuja, that the panel was "fully on course" for voting this weekend. Election materials had already been delivered to 19 out of Nigeria's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, he said. All states bar one would have received them by the end of the day, he added. "I want to reassure you that elections will hold on Saturday," Yakubu told reporters. "There won't be another postponement.
Lok Sabha election key priority for us: Twitter
Twitter on Thursday said the 2019 Lok Sabha election is a key priority for the company and it deeply respects the integrity of the election process while being committed to provide a service that fosters and facilitates free and open democratic debate.
Congress trying to weaken AAP in Delhi: Kejriwal
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday attacked the Congress for allegedly trying to weaken the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi by not allying with it in the Lok Sabha elections.
Cong alleges PM busy in film shot in Corbett, had 'chai-samosa' after Pulwama strike;BJP hits back
Gloves were off on Thursday between the Congress and the BJP over the Pulwama strike, with the opposition party citing media reports to allege that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was busy shooting for a film in the Corbett National Park on February 14 till hours after the attack, and the ruling party hitting back saying they have "no face" to raise questions on Modi's nationalism. After maintaining a silence for nearly a week over the terror strike that killed 40 CRPF personnel, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala addressed a press conference to claim that the Prime Minister continued to "have tea, samosas, at seven o'clock in a PWD guest house when every single Indian household didn't eat food". He also accused BJP president Amit Shah of indulging in "politicisation of terrorism" in his speech in Assam on Sunday. Sharply reacting to Surjewala's comments, Shah at a party event in Andhra Pradesh said it was condemnable that the Congress has "politicised" the Pulwama attack, ...
US Ambassador opens photo exhibition on 10 years of Hyderabad Consulate
US Ambassador to India Kenneth I. Juster opened a photo exhibition, commemorating 10th anniversary of the US Consulate General in Hyderabad, here on Thursday.
Governor: Nagaland government committed to facilitate early resolution to the Naga insurgency
Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya on Thursday said the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-led People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) government is committed to facilitating an early resolution for the vexed Naga insurgency through a negotiated agreement.
NHRC issues notices to Centre, Bengal, UP, U'khand over 'ill-treatment' of Kashmiris
The NHRC Thursday issued notices to the Union ministries of Home and Human Resource Development, and the state governments of West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, seeking reports over "ill-treatment of Kashmiris" in wake of the Pulwama terror attack. The National Human Rights Commission or NHRC has also issued a notice to the Delhi Police commissioner and has asked the Union ministries to submit the report on the matter within two weeks. It has given chief secretaries of the states four weeks time to send their reports. The Commission said even though there is an atmosphere of grief and anger across the country after the terrorist attack, such kind of violence by the people against their fellow countrymen cannot be accepted in a civilised society. Stating that such incidents will destroy the democratic fabric of the country and tarnish its image of a rich tolerant culture, the Commission, in a statement asserted that the central government should take action against ...
BJP to reach out to govt scheme beneficiaries on Feb 26
The BJP will seek to reach out to 22 crore beneficiaries of various government schemes on February 26, with party chief Amit Shah set to travel to a newly-electrified Uttar Pradesh village by boat. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Bhupendra Yadav told reporters on Thursday that leaders and workers of the saffron party will fan out across the country to contact these beneficiaries as part of the "Kamal Jyoti" campaign. The ruling party plans to light lamps in the houses and localities that have benefitted from a number of schemes of the BJP governments at the Centre and in states. It has put the number of these beneficiaries at 22 crore. With the Lok Sabha polls due in a few months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address BJP workers across the country on February 28 through the NaMo app. BJP sources said the party was working to ensure that workers from every polling booth -- the total number is anywhere between nine and 10 lakh -- were part of this "Mera booth sabse ..
Imran Khan asks Pak military to 'respond decisively' to any Indian 'aggression or misadventure'
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday authorised the military to "respond decisively and comprehensively to any aggression or misadventure" by India, amidst heightened tensions between the two sides following the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers. Days after the terror strike by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said security forces have been given free hand to avenge the dastardly act. Prime Minister Khan, who chaired a key meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) here on Thursday, said the Pakistan government was "determined to demonstrate" that it is capable of protecting its people. He authorised the armed forces of Pakistan to "respond decisively and comprehensively to any aggression or misadventure by India," said a statement issued after the meeting. "This is a new Pakistan and we are determined to demonstrate to our people that the State is capable of protecting .