Page 1596 - Politics
Demanded SIT probe only because it will cover corruption:
Dismissing charges that he was seeking to corner Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy by demanding a SIT probe into the audio clip over BJP's alleged toppling game, senior Congress leader Siddaramiah Sunday said he pitched for it as it would attract Prevention of Corruption Act. Referring to the alleged Rs 50 crore bribe offer in the audio to MLAs of ruling combine, he said a judicial commission would not be adequate to investigate into the charge because it was a fact-finding body. The former chief minister was responding to allegations levelled by the BJP MLA from Shivamogga K S Eshwarappa that Siddaramaiah wanted to 'fix' Kumaraswamy by demanding the SIT probe into the audio clip. "I have only recommended the formation of SIT.. I only expressed my views that it should be constituted because it attracts Prevention of Corruption Act," Siddaramaiah told reporters at Vijayapura on the sidelines of a function. "Haven't you heard (in the audio recording) that Rs 50 crore has been
Pb govt gives nod to budget presentation, clears CAG audit reports
The Punjab government Sunday cleared the presentation of the budget estimates for 2019-20, along with various accounts and CAG audit reports, in the ongoing budget session of the Vidhan Sabha. A cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, okayed the presentation of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Audit Reports, Finance Accounts and Appropriation Accounts for the year ending March 31, 2018. It also gave the go-ahead for presenting the budget estimates of the Government of Punjab for the year 2019-20 in the assembly, an official release said. Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is facing criticism for his remarks after the Pulwama terror attack, was conspicuous by his absence from the cabinet meeting, called to approve the state budget before the document is tabled in the state assembly. Sidhu had on Friday asked if an entire nation can be blamed for a handful of people after Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit took responsibility for the ...
HIGHLIGHTS AT 9:15 PM
Following are the top stories at 9:15 pm CAL18 BH-LD PM Fire raging in your bosoms is in my heart too: PM Barauni (Bihar): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday asserted that he was filled with grief and outrage, just like the people of the country, in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pulwama which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. CAL25 OD-RAJNATH-LD RALLY Country's chowkidar is pure, not chor: Rajnath Singh Bhadrak (Odisha): Union Home Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh Sunday asserted that the country's "chowkidar (watchman) is pure and not a chor" (thief) while lashing out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his frequent barbs against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. CAL19 AS-LD SHAH Sacrifices of CRPF personnel won't go in vain as there is BJP govt now: Shah Lakhimpur (Assam): BJP president Amit Shah said Sunday that the sacrifices of the 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama will not go in vain as there is a BJP government at the Centre now and it, unlike the erstwhile Congress
BCCI should donate Rs 5 crore for Pulwama martyrs' families: Khanna
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) acting President CK Khanna on Sunday appealed Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai to contribute at least Rs 5 crore to the families of CRPF troopers who lost their lives in Pulwama terror attack.
Scrap Article 370, provide package to J-K: Maha BJP MLA to PM
Maharashtra BJP MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha Sunday demanded the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution that gives Jammu and Kashmir special status and limits Parliament's power to make laws concerning the northern state. He also sought a special package for J-K so that youth there could get trade and industrial opportunities. The legislator from Malabar Hill in the metropolis, in a letter to Prime Minister, said people of the restive state should not feel alienated and disconnected from the rest of the country. "You (PM Modi) are in favour of taking many strong decisions and this has been proved by your many past decisions. Therefore, I demand theremoval of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir," his letter stated. "A special package should be announced for trade and industrial development in the state for people ofKashmir to remainconnected with the nation," it added. Praising PM Modi, the BJP MLA said the country was with the former's leadership in this hour of grief ..
Kejriwal to visit Puducherry CM sitting on a dharna against Lt Governor Kiran Bedi
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will visit Puducherry on Monday to meet his counterpart V Narayanasamy there who is sitting on a dharna outside the Raj Nivas, an official said here Sunday. Narayanasamy, his cabinet colleagues and legislators belonging to the Congress and the DMK continued their dhrana for the fifth day on Sunday protesting Lt Governor Kiran Bedi's "negative stand" towards his government's proposals awaiting her approval. A senior Delhi government's official said Kejriwal, accompanied by his deputy Manish Sisodia, will meet the Panducherry chief minister at the protest venue around 12 noon Monday. The Lt Governor and the government headed by Narayanasamy have been at loggerheads over various issues ever since Bedi assumed office in May 2016. Narayanasamy has accused Bedi of not approving his government's 39 proposals for welfare schemes, including a free rice scheme, and on administrative matters.
Security of 5 J&K separatist leaders withdrawn
The Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Sunday evening withdrew the security cover provided to five separatist leaders, including Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.
BJP using Pulwama terror strike to attack opposition parties, alleges Omar
National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah Sunday said the Bharatiya Janata Partyhas "politicised" the Pulwama attack and was "using it to attack opposition parties". Abdullah's remarks come after BJP president Amit Shah, at a rally in Assam, said "the sacrificeof CRPF personnel won't go in vain as it's not the Congress government which is at the Centre, it is the BJP which is at the Centre". "The BJP & their pet channels shouldn't play victim now when the opposition does its political duty by highlighting the failures of the government. It's the BJP that has politicised the Pulwama attack & is using it to attack opposition parties. #Shame," Omar wrote on Twitter.
Top US official discussed Trump removal in 2017: ex-FBI chief
The US deputy attorney general discussed how many cabinet members would support removing US President Donald Trump from office in 2017, the FBI's former acting director said in an interview airing Sunday. Andrew McCabe said invoking the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution was raised by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after Trump fired FBI director James Comey on May 9, 2017. "Rod raised the issue and discussed it with me in the context of thinking about how many other cabinet officials might support such an effort," McCabe told CBS's "60 Minutes" news show. A clip of that part of the interview was run early Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" show, the first time McCabe's actual comments on the explosive subject have been aired. Rosenstein has dismissed reports that he discussed removing Trump from office -- and even pondered wearing a wire to secretly record his conversations with the president -- as a "joke," if indeed he made the comments. In the interview, McCabe was asked .
Adityanath meets family of CRPF constable killed in Pulwama attack
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Sunday visited the family of slain CRPF constable Pankaj Tripathi in Maharajganj district's Harpur Belhiya village. Tripathi was one of the 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel killed in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. The chief minister paid tributes to the constable and assured Tripathi's family that their demands would be fulfilled. Adityanath spoke to family members and enquired when Tripathi had last come home. The constable's father, Om Prakash Tripathi, said, He (the chief minister) didn't ask us about our demand and has not told us what we will be getting. We wrote our demands in a piece of paper and we gave it to the chief minister." "He kept it and told us that our demands will be met, he said. When he was asked about the demands, Om Prakash Tripathi said the six demands of the family include a job in a primary school for the constable's widow and a link road to connect the main road to the ..
People believe Modi govt will punish Pulwama perpetrators: LS
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan Sunday said people of the country are "taken aback" and "bewildered" by the Pulwama terror attack but not "frustrated" as they believe the perpetrators will be punished by the Narendra Modi government. Forty CRPF troopers were killed on Thursday in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir after a Jaish-e-Mohammed operative rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the paramilitary force's convoy. "Countrymen are taken aback by this terror incident but they are not frustrated because people believe they have a strong leader in Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will surely teach a lesson to the terrorists," Mahajan said at a BJP programme here. "The prime minister has given complete freedom to the country's armed forces to act against the terrorists," she added. Mahajan expressed concern over the martyrdom of a large number of Indian soldiers and emphasised on a solution for the Kashmir problem. Speaking about the suicide bomber who carried out the ...
Rahul should sack Sidhu from Cong, apologise before nation: Giriraj
Union minister Giriraj Singh Sunday demanded the expulsion of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu from the Congress in view of his comments on the Pulwama terror attack. The firebrand BJP leader also hailed the Centre's decision to withdraw the security cover of six Kashmiri separatist leaders, saying they were "traitors" who were being "treated like guests". "Congress president Rahul Gandhi should offer a clarification, apologise before the nation and expel Sidhu from his party," Singh told reporters here. He was replying to a query on the Punjab minister who had, while denouncing the terror attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel, asked if entire Pakistan must be held responsible for the terrorist activities patronised on their soil. Sidhu, who made his political debut as a BJP MP in 2004 but joined the Congress ahead of the 2017 assembly polls in Punjab, had drawn flak last year when he visited Pakistan to attend the swearing-in of Prime Minister Imran Khan ...
India, Iran agree on close cooperation to fight terrorism
India and Iran, after suffering from two "heinous" terrorist attacks in the past few days, have agreed on close cooperation to combat terrorism in the region as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi here. The meeting between Swaraj and Araghchi came hours after Iran's Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, referring to Paistan-based terror outfit Jaish al-Adl, said the government of Pakistan must pay the price of harbouring these terrorist groups and this price will undoubtedly be very high. Iran's Revolutionary Guards accused Pakistan's security forces of supporting the perpetrators of a suicide bombing in which 27 troops were killed on Wednesday. India has also blamed Pakistan for the Pulwama terror attack on Thursday that killed 40 CRPF troops. Swaraj, during a brief stopover in Tehran on her way to Bulgaria, met Deputy Foreign Minister Araghchi and discussed bilateral issues on Saturday. The two countries agreed on close
40 bull-tamers injured in jallikattu
At least 40 bull-tamers were injured in the jallikkattu held near here Sunday. A total of 740 bulls and 1,700 tamers from across Tamil Nadu took part in the sport. This was the second edition of jallikattu (taming of the bull) organised here. The event was inaugurated by the state Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani. There were over 40,000 spectators. Of the injured, 20 were admitted to various hospitals while the rest were treated as outpatients, official sources said. A few bulls too sustained minor injuries, they said. Karthik of Madurai, who tamed 13 bulls, was adjudged as the best tamer and he received a car, a motorcycle and two housing plots. Before the event began, a two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to the 40 CRPF personnel who lost their lives in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, talking to reporters, the Minister said the traditional sport of Tamil Nadu was held on 300 acres of land and nearly 2,500 police personnel ...
Time for people to vote out BJP govt in Maharashtra: Chavan
MaharashtraCongress president Ashok Chavan Sunday accused the BJP-led government in the state of "holding common citizens and farmers to ransom" and said the time has come for people to vote it out of power. Addressing aBanjara community rally in Solapur district, around 350km from here, the former chief minister said the Fadnavis government has "failed" to solve the problems being faced by farmers. Chavan said the BJP-Shiv Sena government has "held common citizens and farmers to ransom" by making false promises. "At a time when farmersare committing suicide, the government is in deep slumber," the Lok Sabha MP from Nanded alleged. Chavan said the Banjara community has always supported the Congress and assured the party would stand by them. Senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the community's youths have rallied behind the opposition party. "Youths in the community are educating themselves and doing well," he said.
Assad: Only Syrian army can protect groups in northern Syria
Syrian President Bashar Assad says only the Syrian army can protect groups in northern Syria. In a speech in the Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday, he appeared to be referring to US-allied Kurdish groups, which fear a Turkish assault once American troops withdraw from northeastern Syria. Assad said any foreign troops in Syria will be dealt with as occupation forces. He did not specifically mention the planned withdrawal of 2,000 American troops from northern Syria but said "no one should bet on protection from the Americans." He suggested that the Syrian army will return to the area after the American troop pullout. "Every inch of Syria will be liberated, and any intruder is an enemy," he said.
Saudi agrees joint venture with French firm to boost navy
Saudi Arabia's state arms producer and a French government-majority firm signed an agreement Sunday on a joint venture to boost the kingdom's navy, amid calls to halt weapons sales to Riyadh over it role in Yemen. The memorandum of understanding between Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) and France's Naval Group is aimed at providing the oil-rich Gulf state's navy with "state-of-the-art systems", a statement said. "Through design, construction, and maintenance activities, the joint venture will contribute significantly to further enhancing the capabilities and readiness of our Royal Saudi Naval Forces," SAMI boss Andreas Schwer said. A spokeswoman for Naval Group -- which is owned by the French state and French multinational giant Thales -- refused to give any more details. French lawmakers and rights groups have repeatedly called on France's government to suspend all arms deals to Riyadh because of the war in Yemen, where some 10,000 people have been killed since a Saudi-led ...
Pb Cong to send complete list of candidates shortlisted for 13 LS seats
The Punjab Congress will send a list of candidates shortlisted for the 13 Lok Sabha seats to Congress president Rahul Gandhi for final selection. This was decided here in a meeting of the election committee of the state unit of the party for the coming Lok Sabha polls. "The decision, which marks a new openness and stronger democratic systems in the party under the dynamic leadership of Rahul, comes in response to the party president's suggestion that the state unit should send in the names of proposed candidates instead of merely authorising the high command to take a decision," according to a party release. Referring to the suggestion, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar mooted a proposal in the meeting to accept the same and move forward accordingly. The objective is to ensure Congress' victory in the polls and it forming the government at the Centre, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said, urging all party members to rise above personal relations and concerns to select only winnable ...
Iran pressures Europe to do more to save the nuclear deal
Europeans need to do more than talk if they want to preserve a deal meant to keep Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon after the unilateral withdrawal of the United States, Iran's foreign minister said Sunday, slamming Washington as the "biggest source of destabilization" in the Middle East. Mohammad Javad Zarif told a gathering of world leaders, top defense officials and diplomats that a barter-type system known as INSTEX, which was set up last month by France, Germany and Britain to allow businesses to skirt direct financial transactions with Iran and thereby evade possible U.S. sanctions, is not enough. "Many around the world, particularly on this continent, speak eloquently about multilateralism, but they also need to walk the walk," Zarif told the Munich Security Conference in an impassioned address. "INSTEX falls short of the commitments by (European countries) to save the nuclear deal. Europe needs to be willing to get wet if it wants to swim against a dangerous tide of U.S. .
Country's chowkidar is pure, not chor: Rajnath Singh
Union Home Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh Sunday asserted that the country's "chowkidar (watchman) is pure and not a chor" (thief) while lashing out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his frequent barbs against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a rally on the outskirts of the north Odisha town of Bhadrak, the BJP stalwart said that Modi will continue to serve as prime minister after the Lok Sabha polls for his "honesty, integrity and performance". In reference to Gandhi's oft-repeated jibe of 'chowkidar chor hai' (the watchman is the thief) made in the context of the Rafale fighter jet deal, Singh said, "No one can raise question on the intention and integrity of the prime minister." "The Congress chief says 'chowkidar chor hai', but he should realise that the country's chowkidar is not chor but pure." Hitting out at Gandhi, the home minister said the Congress chief can comment on the performance of the incumbent government, but he should refrain from levelling ...