Page 1558 - Politics
Parties always unite on issues of national importance: Patel
Senior NCP leader Praful Patel Wednesday said political parties always come together on the issues of national importance, even as the general perception among people about the politicians was somewhat negative. He also said they believed in the BJP's poll slogan 'sabka saath sabka vikas' and want the nation to move ahead. Speaking at an event organised by Asia Society India Centre, Patel also said while it may seem that the Parliament is in mayhem most of the times, all political parties come together on the issues of national interest. Patel said young and restless India was not willing to wait, but wanted quick results. "However, where are the job opportunities? If we create one job opportunity, there are 100 others waiting in line...the cycle goes on...but, we do believe in 'sabka saath sabka vikas' and want the nation to move ahead," the former Union minister said. He said challenges before the country evoke nationalism and there was a need to demonstrate that the ..
Cabinet approves 10 pc reservation provision for J-K
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday, which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved 10 per cent reservation to economically weaker sections in general category and reservation in promotion to SC and STs in Jammu and Kashmir."Since Jammu & Kashmir is under the President's Rule, the Union Cabinet decided to approve the extension of the provision of reservation to the state," Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh told media persons. He said, "This will help a certain section of society which belongs to lower economic strata and will benefit equally Jammu and Kashmir like other states." "PM Modi government had introduced the provision of reservation in promotion for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. That too has been approved for Jammu and Kashmir," he said."It will enable Jammu and Kashmir to be beneficiaries of the same public welfare measures for the benefit of the weaker sections that PM Modi initiated for the rest of the country," he ...
Rahul, Priyanka meet families of Pulwama martyrs, say their father also met the same fate
Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday said that they very well understand the pain of the families whose near and dear ones achieved martyrdom in Pulwama terror attack.Sharing his grief and condolences with the family members of martyrs-Amit Kumar Kori and Pradeep Kumar-here, Rahul said: "We are with you in your grief. Our brave soldiers have sacrificed their lives for the country. The father of (Amit Kumar) said that he was sad but also proud of his son."Rahul, who was speaking at a prayer meeting, said: "I would also like to say that we are saddened but are also proud of the fact that a family of Hindustan spent the whole life in educating his son; the family gave the entire love to the son, and the son on his part sacrificed everything for the nation. We can never forget this fact."Referring to an observation earlier made by Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul said: "My sister stated that our father met the same kind of fate. We can understand the pain you .
Congress leader Karan Singh says can't act discriminatory against Kashmiris
Days after the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir which claimed lives of 40 CRPF personnel, veteran Congress leader Karan Singh on Wednesday said we cannot act in a discriminatory manner against Kashmiris if we consider the state of Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India. "We cannot act in a discriminatory manner against the common people of Kashmir, nor are we in any way justified in targeting Kashmiri students studying in various parts of the country," Singh said.He further said: "Unfortunately there has been a strong anti-Kashmiri backlash around the country, dignitaries are going to extent of advocating the boycott of Kashmiris and Kashmiri goods."On the present situation, Singh said that we are moving towards yet another conflagration which could have incalculable consequences."The terrorist organisation that claimed responsibility for the attack is based and nurtured in Pakistan, where its leaders are free to roam around the country and issue
Bengal announces Rs 5 lakh for families of Pulwama victims from state
The West Bengal government on Wednesday announced a Rs 5 lakh compensation each for the families of the two CRPF troopers hailing from the state who were killed in the Pulwama terror attack last week.
Trump administration to end fuel economy talks with California - official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration has decided to end negotiations with California over plans to roll back fuel economy rules, a government official confirmed on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia orders release of 850 Indian prisoners
Coinciding with the visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to India, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday ordered release of 850 Indian prisoners lodged in its jails.
Germany, France close to deal on new euro zone budget
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany and France have broadly agreed a detailed proposal for a new euro zone budget and will present their final joint position in the coming days, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday.
Cong gets 9 LS seats in TN, one in Puducherry under DMK-led
The DMK Wednesday finalised the seat sharing exercise with key ally Congress for the coming Lok Sabha elections, allotting it nine seats in Tamil Nadu and one in neighbouring Puducherry, a day after arch rival AIADMK cobbled up an alliance with the BJP and PMK. Announcing the pact at the party headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam' here, DMK president M K Stalin said the constituencies to be contested by the Congress will be announced later on conclusion of seat sharing exercise with other allies. DMK had already appointed committees to steer the alliance process, Stalin said flanked by All India Congress Committee general secretaries Mukul Wasnik, incharge of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, K C Venugopal, state unit party chief K S Alagiri. The work on seat sharing with other allies will begin from tomorrow, he told reporters. There are a total of 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu and one in the union territory of Puducherry, ruled by the Congress. In the 2014 elections, ...
Meghalaya party quits BJP-led NEDA over Citizenship Bill
The United Democratic Party (UDP), a constituent of Meghalaya's ruling alliance, on Wednesday announced that it has severed ties with the BJP-led Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Formed in 2016, the NEDA is an alliance of non-Congress parties in the northeast. The UDP is a constituent of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), which also includes the BJP. The UDP has nine MLAs in the MDA, while the BJP has two. The UDP decided to leave the NEDA following BJP chief Amit Shah's announcement in Assam on Sunday that if voted to power after the Lok Sabha polls, the saffron party would ensure that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is passed in Parliament, UDP vice-president Allantry F Dkhar said. "We have decided to sever ties with the NEDA. It is amply clear that the BJP does not respect the sentiment of the people of the north east region and has announced that it will bring back the bill," he told PTI. The contentious Citizenship Bill is .
Trump, Abe discuss denuclearisation of North Korea
Donald Trump on Wednesday called Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and discussed their commitment to achieve denuclearisation of North Korea, ahead of the second summit between the US president and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this month, the White House said. Trump and Kim will meet on February 27 and 28 in Vietnamese capital Hanoi. The two leaders held their first meeting in Singapore last year, after which the White House said in a statement that Kim "reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has conducted no further nuclear and missile tests since the June summit, but has made no commitment to surrendering its nuclear arsenal. "The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearisation of Korea," and discussed Trump's upcoming summit with Kim in Hanoi, the White House said. Trump and Abe committed to coordinate "closely in advance" of the US-North Korea summit, it
Maharashtra Opposition vows to 'uproot' BJP-Sena
Kicking off the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, the UPA allies on Wednesday vowed to "uproot" the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv sent in the Centre and state.
Farmers defer Mumbai march by a day; hold talks with minister
A leading organisation of farmers Wednesday deferred launch of its long march from Nashik to Mumbai by a day after the police allegedly took "suppressive measures" stopping peasants from participating in it even as the Maharashtra government reached out to the protesters. All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) president Ashok Dhawale said the outfit had expected 50,000 peasants to join the protest march, scheduled to begin from Nashik on Wednesday. But not all could reach Nashik, about 200km from Mumbai in North Maharashtra, due to the police action, he alleged. "So, we held a rally of farmers in Nashik and decided to defer the launch by a day. Meanwhile, the state government has approached us through its minister Girish Mahajan for talks," Dhawale said. "We will think about the course of our protest if the talks (with Mahajan) are satisfactory. In case it is not, we will continue with the protest," he added. The AIKS has planned the long march from Nashik to Mumbai to protest ...
Pawar continues to target Modi for skipping all-party meet
NCP chief Sharad Pawar Wednesday continued to hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his failure to attend the all-party meeting called by the NDA government in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack. He said instead of attending the meeting, Modi addressed other public events on the same day, which was "not right". Modi was in Yavatmal and Dhule districts of Maharashtra on February 16 to launch several projects. Addressing the first joint rally of the Congress, NCP and other opposition parties in Nanded ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Pawar said all the parties stood behind the Centre after the attack, but it allegedly did not take note of it. He added that the "ghost" of Rafale fighter jet purchase issue will "bury the government" and that the leaders of the government would be left with no place to hide their faces once corruption in the deal is established. The all-party meeting was convened on February 16. Political parties put up a united face then as they ...
Irani calls Sidhu modern India's Jaichand
Union minister Smriti Irani Wednesday hit out at Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, calling him modern India's Jaichand for "defending" Pakistan after the Pulwama attack. "Such people will be taught a lesson by the people she added. Jaichand had betrayed Prithviraj Chauhan in a battle against Muhammad Ghori in 1192. "Those who call Pakistan PM their friend and try to defend Pakistan by claiming it had no role in the Pulwama attack are modern India's Jaichands, she said while replying to questions on Sidhu but didn't take his name. Following the car bomb attack carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 that had killed forty CRPF personnel, the cricketer-turned-politician had said that an entire nation could not be blamed for the actions of "a handful of people". Condemning the attack, Sidhu, who was among the invitees for the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan as Pakistan prime minister last year, however had posed, "For a ...
Cong slams PM's 'hugplomacy', questions 'grand welcome' to Saudi crown prince after Pak bonhomie
Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for receiving Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the airport, the Congress on Wednesday asked whether according a grand welcome to "those who praised" Pakistan's "anti-terror efforts" was the PM's way of remembering the Pulwama attack martyrs. In a special gesture, the prime minister received the Saudi crown prince at Palam airport on Tuesday night. The visit comes days after a suicide bomber belonging to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) group killed 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. "National interests V/S Modiji's 'hugplomacy'. "Breaking protocol, grand welcome to those who pledged USD 20 billion to Pakistan and praised Pakistan's 'anti-terror' efforts. Is it ur way of remembering martyrs of Pulwama?" Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter. The Congress spokesperson was referring to the crown prince's visit to Pakistan, during which the two countries signed investment ...
Rights activists attacked during anti-war march in Kolkata, Mamata orders stern action
An anti-war march by human rights organisation APDR was attacked in the city on Wednesday by a group of men who accused the rallyists of being sympathisers of terrorists. The Association for Protection of Democratic Rights or APDR alleged that the BJP and the RSS was behind the attack, both of which denied the allegations. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the attack and asked police to take action. APDR activists carrying placards and shouting slogans demanding peace between nations in wake of the Pulwama terror attack was to cover a 2.8 km distance between College Street and Esplanade in the heart of the city this afternoon. A massive police contingent was guarding the march. When the rally reached the Jan Bazar area, few men carrying national flags blocked its way and shouted slogans against APDR activists, accusing them of being sympathizers of Pakistan and "anti-national" elements. They also allegedly heckled the rallyists and asked them to go to Pakistan. The police then .
Desecration incidents: Why could you not do what we did, Amarinder asks Akalis
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Wednesday hit out at the SAD-BJP government over desecration of religious texts in 2015, asking why it could not have taken action in the issue the way the Congress government did after coming to power. Singh assured the state Assembly that his government would not spare anyone found guilty of the "horrendous" crime. Winding up the discussion on the Governor's address in the ongoing Budget Session here, he alleged the incidents of desecration occurred because of the "failure of the law and order system". He claimed the previous government had even failed to accept their own commission's report over the issue. "Why could not you do what we have done... You could have formed a Special Investigation Team. You could have taken action," he said. The chief minister said his government would take the findings of the Ranjit Singh Commission report on desecration and police firing incidents to its logical conclusion. He also accused the Badals of "complete
NRAI to allow Pak shooters to participate in ISSF World Cup
National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) Secretary General DV Seetharama Rao on Wednesday said when Pakistani shooters will come; they will allow them to participate in the upcoming Shooting World Cup."The information we have got from the Indian government is that their visa process is underway. When Pakistani shooters come, we will allow them to participate," Rao told the reporters."The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is facing an urgent situation as Pakistani athletes cannot get entry visas to participate in the competition, due to the terrorist attacks happened last days in India," the statement issued by ISSF said.Nearly 40 CRPF personnel were killed in an attack orchestrated by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14."The ISSF and the Organizing Committee of the competition are taking all efforts to solve the situation to avoid the discrimination of the Pakistani team. Besides that, the ISSF and ..
DMK gives 10 Lok Sabha seats to Congress in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry
DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday announced to give 10 Lok Sabha seats to Congress in Tamil Nadu including Puducherry where in all 40 seats are at stake.Stalin, while making the announcement to media persons, said: "The Congress will contest nine Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu as well as the Puducherry seat as per the agreement we have entered into to stitch the alliance.""The distribution of seats will be done in due course of time. The seats will be identified in consultation with the alliance partner," he said.Taking a jibe at the meeting held by Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday, Stalin said: "Our talks were held at the DMK headquarters and not secretly in a hotel.""We will hold talks with the like-minded parties, which have stood by us for the people in the past. DMK's election manifesto is being prepared by senior leader TR Balu and will soon be released," he said.Hitting out at the People's Welfare alliance which was announced by the BJP and the AIADMK on Tuesday, the ...