Page 1578 - Politics
AIADMK, BJP sign electoral pact; BJP gets 5 seats
The ruling AIADMK signed a pact with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday to contest the Lok Sabha elections together, with the BJP allocated five of the 39 seats in the state.
Walk the talk: Mehbooba to Imran Khan on Pulwama attack
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday said Pakistan was not being blamed for the Pulawama terror attack without any evidence and asked its Prime Minister Imran Khan to walk the talk. However, Mufti said Khan deserves a chance since he has recently taken over the reigns of the country. "Disagree. Pathankot dossier was given to them (Pakistan) but no actin was taken to punish the perpetrators. Time to walk the talk," Mehbooba said in a tweet. "But Pak PM deserves a chance since he has recently taken over. Of course the war rhetoric (in India) has more to do with the impending elections that anything else (sic)," she added. Khan on Tuesday assured India that he would act against the perpetrators of the Pulwama terror attack if New Delhi shares "actionable intelligence". In a video message, he said Pakistan wants "stability in the region". Khan said that he understood it was India's election year and the narrative of blaming Pakistan would make it easier to get votes from the masses but he
Rajnath reviews J-K situation; NSA, Home Secy attend the meeting
Home Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday reviewed the security situation in the country, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, where 40 CRPF Jawans were killed in an audacious terror attack last week, officials said. Five security personnel, including a major, were martyred in the state on Monday in an encounter in which three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists, including two top commanders believed to be behind the February14 Pulwama terror attack, were also eliminated. During the meeting, the home minister was briefed about the prevailing security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, including along the Indo-Pak border, a home ministry official said. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval too participated in the meeting which was attended by Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba, director of intelligence bureau Rajiv Jain besides others. The meeting also took stock of the steps being taken to hunt down the terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir and how to check attempts of infiltrations from across ..
Pulwama encounter: All credit goes to our security forces, says Rajnath Singh
A day after three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists were gunned down in an encounter in Pulwama, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday called the killing "a big achievement for India".On Monday, three terrorists, including the mastermind of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, were gunned down by security forces in an encounter in South Kashmir's Pinglena village."This is all because of our determined security forces in the Indian Army and it comes as a big achievement for all of India and us," the Union minister told ANI.Days after one of the ghastly terror attacks in Pulwama's Awantipora area, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel, on Monday, the security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Pinglena after it received credible inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area. Last week, Rajnath Singh in Odisha had reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark on the Pulwama terror attack that "the sacrifice made by 40 CRPF in the recent Pulwama ...
Ker Guv seeks urgent report from Ker CM on Kasaragod killing
Kerala Governor P Sathasivam Tuesday sought an urgent report from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the status of the police probe into the killing of two youth Congress workers at Periya in Kasaragod. Opposition Leader in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala had met the Governor to brief him about the issue, a release from the Governor's office said. Chennithala had informed the governor that the families of the victims were under utmost grief due to their personal loss and delay in arresting culprits. Since the post of ADGP North was lying vacant for the last 6-8 months, monitoring of law and order in the district had been affected, the congress leader had alleged. It was in this context that the governor sought the report from the chief minister, the release added. The left government is facing the heat over the killings of Kripesh (24) and Sarath Lal (21), the Youth Congress activists who were waylaid and attacked while returning home after attending a function on .
AIADMK, BJP clinch poll pact in TN;Saffron party to contest 5
The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and the BJP Tuesday sealed an alliance for the coming Lok Sabha elections under which the saffron party would contest five seats in the state. The announcement was made by AIADMK coordinator and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam and Union Minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal, party election in-charge for Tamil Nadu, who described it as a "mega alliance". This came after the second and final round of discussions held here by the two parties that also involved Chief Minister K Palaniswami. Earlier in the day, the AIADMK clinched a deal with the PMK, offering the Vanniyar-based party seven out of 40 seats, including one in the neighbouring union territory of Puducherry. It was not clear yet how many seats the AIADMK would contest.
Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy seconds 'boycott everything Kashmiri' call of retired Army Colonel
Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy on Wednesday stirred a hornet's nest by expressing solidarity with the call given by a retired Army Colonel to "boycott everything that is Kashmiri" in view of the recent Pulwama terror attack.Roy, who is known for stoking controversy, on Wednesday chose to re-tweet the post of a retired Colonel, which reads: "An appeal from a retired colonel of the Indian Army: Don't visit Kashmir, don't go to Amarnath for the next 2 years. Don't buy articles from Kashmir emporia or Kashmiri tradesman who come every winter. Boycott everything Kashmiri." "I am inclined to agree," tweeted Roy, a former BJP leader from West Bengal.However, Roy didn't stop here.He also re-tweeted the post of retired Major Gaurav Arya, which reads: "The Pakistan Army (who are handling the Kashmiri separatists) was among their own in East Pakistan in 1971. They slaughtered and raped right and left. And they would have kept EP but for the whacking from India. I am not suggesting that we go ..
Congress launches bus yatra in Andhra, promises special category status
The Congress party in Andhra Pradesh launched its statewide bus yatra on Tuesday with the promise that if voted to power at the Centre it would accord Special Category Status (SCS) to the state.
Cong, BJP to support bandh called by farmers outfit in Odisha
The opposition Congress and BJP extended their support to the state's leading farmers outfit call for a 12-hour Odisha bandh on February 21. The Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) has given the call for the bandh demanding proper minimum support rice on paddy, pension and prestige for the farmers. Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik Tuesday announced his party's support to the NNKS's bandh call. "Farmers are our top priority," Patnaik said. BJP Odisha unit president Basant Panda said the saffron party will extend support to NNKS, which has been demanding pension and proper price of the agricultural produce. Panda on Monday said: "The farmers have rights to express their opinion and protest in a democracy. The state government has time and again tried to throttle their voice. We will protest the anti-farmer policies of the state government." Meanwhile, the NNKS convenor Akshya Kumar told PTI Tuesday that the outfit has rejected the state government's appeal to ...
Go, pick Jaish chief in Bahawalpur: Amarinder tells Imran
Chiding Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan over his comments demanding proof of Pakistan's role in the Pulwama attack, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday asked if the bodies of the terrorists killed by security forces should be sent to him for proof.
China, Iran meet amid efforts to preserve nuclear deal
The foreign ministers of China and Iran met in Beijing on Tuesday amid efforts to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. No details were immediately released about the discussions between China's Wang Yi and Iran's Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is leading a delegation that includes parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani and the ministers of finance and petroleum, as well as the CEO of the country's central bank. Germany, Britain, France, China, Russia and the European Union have been trying to preserve the 2015 deal meant to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon in exchange for sanctions relief after the unilateral withdrawal of the US last year. Zarif told the Munich Security Conference on Sunday that a barter-type system known as INSTEX set up last month by France, Germany and Britain to allow businesses to skirt direct financial transactions with Iran, and thereby evade possible US sanctions, fell short of commitments to save the nuclear deal. Zarif addressed the conference a day .
KCR expands Cabinet; no berth for son, nephew
Ending an over two-month long speculation, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday expanded his two-member Cabinet by inducting 10 ministers including six new faces.However, there were no berths for his son and working party president KT Rama Rao and nephew T Harish, who were part of the earlier ministry..The first-time ministers, which took oath, were Singireddy Niranjan Reddy, Koppula Eswar, Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Srinivas Goud, Vemula Prasanth Reddy and Ch . Malla Reddy.Those who were reinducted were Indrakaran Reddy, Talasani Srinivasa Yadav, Jagadeesh Reddy and Eatela Rajendhar.The oath of office and secrecy was administered to the new minister by Governor ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan.In the first term, the KCR Cabinet had 16 ministers while now it comprises of 12 members including Chief Minister Rao and Home Minister Mahmood Ali.In December last year, Rao, who is the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president, took oath as the Chief Minister of Telangana for a .
Naseeruddin Shah, Kamal Haasan trying to Islamize: Giriraj Singh
Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday alleged that actors Naseeruddin Shah and Kamal Haasan are trying to Islamize India."In Pakistan there are talks of 'ghazwa-e-hind', which means 'Islamikaran' of India (spread of Islam) and have gained momentum after Pulwama attack. Unfortunate that in India, people like Naseeruddin Shah and Kamal Haasan has become agent of those who talk of 'ghazwa-e-hind'," Singh said.In the recent past, both Shah and Haasan faced intense criticism for their remarks on mob lynching and other issues, however, the duo later issued clarifications over the same. This came after Haasan on Sunday called for a plebiscite in Kashmir and questioned the government as to what they are "afraid of".Referring to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) as 'Azad Kashmir', he said: "In Azad Kashmir, they are using Jihadis' pictures in trains to portray them as heroes. That is a foolish thing to do. India too behaves with an equal amount of foolishness; it is not a correct thing to do.
Nepal PM claims of successfully managing decade-long Maoist conflict
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Tuesday claimed that his government has successfully managed the Maoist conflict, that had groped the Himalayan country for over a decade.Addressing the nation on the occasion of the 69th Democracy Day in the Tundikhel, PM Oli said, "As of now the conflict management is almost done. In the context of the conflict management, Nepal had adopted a substantive method, It took the ways forward with a commitment to resolve its' own problem and this work have shown Nepal's capability to solve its problem on its own. This also has increased Nepal's prestige in the international arena."The Nepali government had signed a peace agreement with the de-facto group in 2006 after which it became a political party and ruled over the country with the formation of the government over different period of time.During the decade-long insurgency, around 13,000 people had reportedly lost their lives, while about 1,300 people are still missing, along with complaints and ..
Number 112 launched in Punjab; to replace 100
To strengthen the emergency redressal system for residents of Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Tuesday launched 112 - a number that will replace police helpline number (100) in two months.
Meghalaya Governor backs boycott of Kashmiri items
Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy here on Tuesday supported a call for boycott of "everything Kashmiri" following the terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF troopers on Thursday.
KCR expands cabinet, leaves out son and nephew
Ending over two months of speculation, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday expanded his two-member Cabinet with induction of ten members, but left out his nephew T Harish Rao, and son K T Rama Rao, the party's two bigwigs. Six new faces -- S Niranjan Reddy, Koppula Eashwar, Errabelli Dayakar Rao, V Srinivas Goud, Vemula Prashanth Reddy and Ch Malla Reddy -- found berth in the Council of Ministers. A Indrakaran Reddy, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, G Jagadish Reddy and Etela Rajender, who were part of the cabinet in Rao's previous term, returned as ministers. Harish Rao, who earlier served as Irrigation Minister, did not figure in the list, as also Rama Rao. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor E S L Narasimhan administered them the oath of office and secrecy at Raj Bhavan, in the presence of the chief minister, taking the Cabinet size to 12. A senior leader of the ruling party said KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, may have the idea of ...
JD-U's fortunes rose with BJP in LS polls
The Janata Dal-United (JD-U), which is one of the partners of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, had witnessed a rise in its fortunes in the elections whenever it had contested the Lok Sabha polls with the BJP in the state since 1999.
If India attacks, we'll retaliate: Imran warns
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said Pakistan will certainly retaliate if India declares war after the suicide bombing in Kashmir but also pledged to act against Pakistanis found involved in the attack if "actionable intelligence" was provided.
Pakistan interested in advancing its ties with Israel: Qureshi
Pakistan is interested in advancing its ties with Israel if there is an improvement in the political situation in the region, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said. Qureshi's remarks assume significance as Pakistan does not recognise Israel and the two nations have no diplomatic ties. "Pakistan is interested in advancing its relations with Israel, but this is a question of the political situation in the region," Qureshi told Ma'ariv, an Israeli news portal, on the sidelines of recently concluded Munich Security Conference. "Progress in solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be very helpful," he said adding, "if the American plan succeeds in doing so, it will be good. We wish all the best for Israel. We have many friends in the region and we would like you to join them," the Pakistani minister was quoted as saying. Pakistan and Israel have also in the past tried to engage each other with their foreign ministers meeting on September 1, 2005 in Istanbul in a much ...