Page 1564 - Politics
India, Saudi Arabia to establish high cooperation council to boost ties
India and Saudi Arabia will set up a high cooperation council to provide huge impetus to bilateral ties between the nations, Saudi Indian Business Council Chairman Kamel S Al-Munajjed said Wednesday. Munajjed said the 'Saudi Indian High Cooperation Council' will be headed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The mechanism will enable the two nations to discuss any problem and engage directly on various aspects including business, politics and defence. In an interview to PTI here in the backdrop Mohammed bin Salman's visit to India, Munajjed said terrorist action should not deter Saudi Arabia from having good relations with India or any other country, amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack. "As soon as this terrorist attack (Pulwama) happened, Saudi Arabia issued a very strong statement condemning terrorism. The Saudis have suffered a lot in the last 20-30 years due to terrorism. "We should not .
Imran Khan should be given opportunity: Mehbooba on Pak PM seeking proof
A day after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan asked India to share "actionable intelligence" on the Pulwama terror attack, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said an "opportunity" should be given to him to see what he does. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, however, said Pakistan has not acted on the evidence given to it on Pathankot and Mumbai terror attacks. In a video message to his nation on Tuesday, Khan had assured India that he would act against the perpetrators of the Pulwama terror attack if New Delhi shares "actionable intelligence", but warned against any "revenge" retaliatory action. "Imran Khan is a new prime minister and he is talking about a new start. I feel that he should be given an opportunity. We should give him proofs and documents and see what he does," the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief told reporters here on Wednesday. Mufti also denounced the war cries across India and batted for dialogue with Pakistan. "The two countries cannot afford war. Only ...
Pol parties, people holding constitutional positions spreading
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday said a section of political parties and even those holding constitutional positions were indulging in rumour mongering and spreading hatred with their "dangerous statements", calling it "shameless politics". "One section of political parties/groups along with people holding constitutional positions (are) indulging in rumour mongering, spreading hatred with dangerous statements," Banerjee said in a tweet. "Even journalists not spared. This is shameless politics. What levels of polluted politics have we descended to?" she said. Her statement came a day after Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy supported a call for boycott of "everything Kashmiri", including the Amarnath Yatra and purchasing products from the state. Roy's comment followed the February 14 suicide bombing of a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama by an alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed terrororist which left 40 personnel dead. Banerjee had earlier accused the BJP
No scandal with Rafale deal, 36 fighter planes to be delivered in next two years: Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier
There is no scandal with Rafale deal and 36 fighter planes will be delivered to the Government of India in next two years, said Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier here on Wednesday."There is no scandal with Rafale. We were asked for 36 Rafale jets which we are going to deliver to India in the next two years. The first jet will be delivered this year in September and then one fighter jet will be given every month," he said.Talking to media persons here, Trappier said: "We will deliver more Rafale planes if India wants so. We will be more than pleased to deliver and we feel confident for the future." "If India wants to buy more and strengthen its defence capability, then 100 is a good number," he said."I wanted to be an in-charge of the industrial process in the company as I have the capability to master the quality, standards, and timing of delivery. We are more than proud to show today in our stand what we have produced in Nagpur, the first Falcon 2000 cockpit manufactured under the .
UN Secretary-General offers to broker peace between India and Pakistan
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has offered to broker peace between India and Pakistan in view of the growing tension between the two neighbours after a suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on February 14.Al Jazeera quoted UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric as saying "We are deeply concerned at the increasing tensions between the two countries."Dujarric informed that Guterres has stressed "the importance of both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalate," while also offering to mediate "should both sides ask."United Nations has called upon New Delhi and Islamabad to take steps to defuse tensions after what is called the worst attack on the security forces in three decades in Indian-administered Kashmir. The attack that killed as many as 42 CRPF personnel on Thursday in south Kashmir's Pulwama district was claimed by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror outfit.
Odisha needs double engine BJP govt for development like UP, says Yogi
The people of Odisha will get the full benefit of the central government's schemes if BJP comes to power in the state and at the Centre, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said during BJP booth-level workers meeting here on Wednesday."If Odisha has BJP government like UP, which is supported by double-engine, the people of the state will also get full benefits of the schemes. In 19 years, (Chief Minister) Naveen Patnaik has provided only 17 lakh houses and the UP government provided 20 lakh houses to poor people in two years under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna," the chief minister added.Criticising the Chief Minister of Odisha of taking credit, Adityanath said: "Rs 29 out Rs 31 is given by the BJP government at the Centre for the 1 kg rice scheme to poor people started by the Odisha government."On Pulwama terrorist attack, the chief minister said, "Before it was said that if the terrorist fires first then you fire. We all need to decide that the fight against terrorism is not
You won't get Dalit votes if RPI (A) is ignored: Athawale warns Shiv Sena, BJP
Upset over being ignored by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena for a pre-poll alliance, Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief Ramdas Athawale warned that if his party is not given representation, the alliance would "lose the votes of Dalits.""Shiv Sena and BJP should not leave behind RPI (A) because if we don't get any seat then Dalits will not vote for them. I believe if BJP, Shiv Sena and RPI(A) join hands in Maharashtra, we can win 43 to 44 seats," he told ANI.In a joint press conference in Mumbai alongside BJP president Amit Shah and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had formally announced the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections.In response to this, Athawale said although he is happy that the two parties joined hands, the RPI (A) is upset over not being included in the alliance."There was not a possibility of an alliance between the BJP and Shiv Sena as there was a ...
NIA takes over Pulwama terror attack probe, chief visits attack site
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a fresh case and begun its probe in the February 14 terror attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama in which 40 troopers were killed, an official said on Wednesday.
Jharkhand Speaker upholds merger of six JVM MLAs with BJP
Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Dinesh Oraon Wednesday said he found the merger of six JVM MLAs with the BJP four years ago legal, while rejecting the petition of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) demanding their disqualification under the 10th Schedule. The ruling came after JVM president Babulal Marandi and the partys Legislative Party leader Pradip Yadav filed the petition with the speaker saying these MLAs had fought the 2014 assembly elections on JVM tickets and attracted disqualification from the House under the 10th schedule. Prima facie, on February 10, 2015, it was found that the merger by the six MLAs with the BJP was legal and they were allowed to sit with the (ruling) BJP, a senior official with the state Assembly Secretariat told PTI quoting the speakers ruling. After the subsequent hearing on the petition, the speaker said he went through all the legal points and found that their merger with the BJP was as per the law. The six MLAs are; Amar Kumar Bauri ...
India's fuel product sales rises 6.4% to 18.34 million tonnes in January 2019
Fuel products sales up 3.2% to 176.15 million tonnes in April-January FY2019
ECI reviews poll preparations in Raj ahead of LS elections
Senior deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha Wednesday reviewed the poll preparations in Rajasthan ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Sinha urged the officers of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to run activities under the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SWEEP) program at polling stations to make voters understand the importance of voting. He said the polling percentage had increased to 63 per cent in 2014 Lok Sabha elections as compared to 48.46 per cent in 2009 due to the SWEEP activities in the state. The deputy EC further directed the officials to conduct special drives to register new voters in the state through planning and monitoring especially in those constituencies where voting percentage was low in the last elections. Sinha also reviewed the law and order situation in the state in a meeting with senior police officers. DGP (law and order) M L Lather briefed Sinha about the related information in the meeting. Rajasthan Chief Election Officer .
Cong leader terms AIADMK-BJP-PMK alliance "unprincipled"
AICC secretary Sanjay Dutt dubbed the alliance firmed up by the AIADMK, BJP and PMK for the Lok Sabha polls as unprincipled and not based on any ideology. Dutt said the PMK had been continuously flaying the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu in recent months and had also hit out at the BJP and NDA government at the Centre, he said. "How can there be a 360 degree U Turn on the part of the PMKnow to have an alliance with the AIADMK and BJP. It should be either under threat of investigating agencies or out of fear psychosis that the alliance had been clinched by the PMK and AIADMK with BJP," Dutt, also incharge of party affairs in Puducherry, said. Describing the tie-up as "unpricipled," he said it was not based on any ideology. He was talking to reporters after chairing a joint meeting of the functionaries of the Campaign and Publicity committees of the PCC formed in the context of the coming Lok Sabha polls. Dutt said when congress president Rahul Gandhi had taken the ...
Rafale steals the show at Aero India
Political row hit Rafale jet was the cynosure of all eyes as the breathtaking display of manoeuvres by military aircraft and the aerobatic team cast a spell at Aero India, Asia's premier air show here Wednesday. The city's skies dazzled with somersaults and stunts by the metal birds, which also paid tributes to the Surya Kiran aircraft pilot killed in a mishap during rehearsal on Tuesday. The might of the Rafale jet was in full flow as it roared into the skies at the Yelahanka air base, the venue for the event, giving a dazzling display with breathtaking manoeuvres. The Rafale aircraft flew at low speed to pay tribute to Wing Commander Sahil Gandhi who died in a mid-air collision between two aircraft of IAF's aerobatics team 'Surya Kiran" during rehearsal on Tuesday. Three Rafale jets have landed in Bengaluru for Aero India- two for flying and one on static display. Rafale has been participating in the Aero India shows since 2011. India has signed an Inter-Government ...
Microsoft warns of hacker 'attacks' on EU elections
Tech giant Microsoft said Wednesday it had detected hacker "attacks" ahead of European Parliament and national elections in the EU, in a warning to civil society groups, politicians and campaigns. The firm said a group it calls Strontium was behind the attacks, known to security firms and government agencies as Fancy Bear or APT28 and widely believed to be linked to Russian intelligence. "At Microsoft, we've seen recent activity targeting democratic institutions in Europe," security chief Tom Burt wrote in a blog post. "Attacks are not limited to campaigns themselves but often extend to think tanks and non-profit organizations working on topics related to democracy, electoral integrity and public policy and that are often in contect with government officials," he added. Among others, Microsoft found the hackers targeted 104 employee accounts from well-known groups the German Council on Foreign Relations, the Aspen Institutes in Europe and the German Marshall Fund (GMF) between ...
BJP Kisan Morcha national convention to begin in Gorakhpur on Feb 23
The BJP Kisan Morcha will be holding its two-day national convention in Gorakhpur on February 23-24. It will be inaugurated by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah, while Union Home minister Rajnath Singh will preside over the valedictory function on February 24. In a statement issued on Wednesday, president of the Kisan Morcha Virendra Singh Mast said that more than 8,000 persons are likely to attend the event. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya are expected to participate, he said. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a number of welfare steps have been taken for the farmers, and this is just the beginning," Mast said. "More welfare-oriented steps are in the anvil for the 'annadata' of the country. The BJP is committed to make the farmers prosperous and economically empowered," he added.
S African Parliament unanimously condemns Pulwama terror attack
In a rare move, South African lawmakers have unanimously passed a motion in Parliament condemning the Pulwama attack and called on Pakistan to find the perpetrators of the "dastardly" terror strike. Member of Parliament Sandy Kalyan from the opposition Democratic Alliance moved the motion which called on the House to note with shock and dismay the terrorist attack by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The motion also condemned the cowardly act of terrorism, the likes of which had not been seen in three decades in Kashmir. It called on the government of Pakistan to find the perpetrators of this dastardly act as it also saluted the fallen Jawaans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and conveyed condolences to the families and the nation of India for this tragic loss." The motion followed condemnation from a host of political parties, NGO's and the public. Earlier, President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a statement declaring
Cong govt in MP agrees "in principle" to implement EWS quota
The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh told the assembly Wednesday it has "in principle" agreed to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education to economically poor in the general category. Making an announcement of this effect, Chief Minister Kamal Nath said a Cabinet sub-committee will be constituted on the issue. The announcement came after main opposition BJP demanded implementation of 10 per cent quota in jobs and education for general category poor candidates. A law in this regard was enacted by the Centre last month. BJP members alleged the ruling Congress has been discriminating against the youths of unreserved category by not providing them reservation. Just after the Question Hour, Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava asked the state government to clarify its stand on the issue and sought implementation of the quota law for economically poor in accordance with the 124th Constitutional Amendment Bill passed by Parliament. Reacting to Bhargava's ...
BJP willing to grant special status to Goa: Sahasrabuddhe
The BJP is willing to include the demand to grant special status to Goa in its manifesto for Lok Sabha elections, a senior party functionary said here Wednesday. Many groups in the coastal state have been demanding special status for Goa, which has been facing challenges from in-migration, scarce land resource and a resultant dilution of its identity. "We are accepting all the suggestions. The BJP is willing to include special status (demand) for Goa as a part of its election manifesto for Lok Sabha polls. We will implement the demand," BJP national vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe told reporters. He was in Goa as a part of the party's drive to receive the feedback and suggestions from various sections that could be inducted in the manifesto. The BJP's assurance came at a time when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been demanding special category status for the southern state which was bifurcated to create Telangana in 2014. Meanwhile, ...
Sri Lanka Cricket elections to go ahead tomorrow as planned
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) elections will go ahead as scheduled tomorrow after one of the parties agreed to contest for different positions other than originally intended. Mohan de Silva was to contest for the president's position and Ravin Wickremaratne for secretary but on Wednesday, they opted before the the court to fight for the posts of secretary and vice-president respectively. They had petitioned the Appeal Court over the rejection of their candidature by the SLC's nominations committee. The SLC elections were due since May last year but could not take place due to questions over the suitability of certain candidates. Mohan de Silva and Wickremaratne are from the camp of the former SLC boss Thilanga Sumathipala. Sumathipala's nomination to contest the May election was challenged by Nishantha Ranatunga, a former secretary and the brother of the World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga. Sumathipala, a Member of Parliament, has announced that he will no longer seek office at ...
'Mizo Peace Accord ensured enduring peace in Mizoram'
The Mizo Peace Accord of 1986 has stood the test of time and made Mizoram one of the most peaceful states in the country, Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan said Wednesday. Addressing a meeting here to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the Mizo Peace Accord - Remna Ni (Peace Day) - Rajasekharan said it is the duty of all stakeholders to ensure enduring peace in the state as it is the most crucial prerequisite for development. The Peace Accord was signed on June 30, 1986, by the erstwhile underground Mizo National Front (MNF), the Centre and the Mizoram government. "It is to the credit of the strong civil society out here, that we have transitioned from years of struggle to become one of the most peaceful states in the country. It is our duty to maintain this peace, which is so vital for development," he said. The governor urged the people to exploit the immense potential that Mizoram offers in the realms of agriculture, horticulture, organic farming, food ...