Page 1604 - Politics
All tears will be avenged, our armed forces do not forgive any culprit: PM on Pulwama attack
Noting that the entire country is angry over the Pulwama terror attack, Prime Minister NarendraModi on Saturday said "all tears will be avenged" as India's armed forces "do not forgive any culprit"."Today, I have come here at a time when the entire nation is angry over the terrorist attack on our jawans in Pulwama. On one side the country is angry, on the other, all eyes are numb," he said while addressing a rally here."This is the time for restraint and mourning. But I want to assure all the families of slain soldiers that all their tears will be avenged," the Prime Minister asserted.Over 40 CRPF personnel were killed on Thursday when their convoy was targeted by a suicide bomber of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Pulwama district on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.He noted that Maharashtra also lost a few of its children in the attack."India is a country of new customs and new policies. The world is experiencing this. Our security forces do not forgive any culprit. This ..
Give free hand to Army to deal with terrorism says, says Mulayam Singh Yadav
Former Defence Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday said the Centre should give a free hand to the Army to deal with terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir."The Army should be given a free hand in dealing with terrorism in the Kashmir Valley," said Yadav in a statement, two days after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror outfit-JeM-rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the CRPF convoy, killing 40 jawans. Underlining the need for maintaining communal harmony in the country, Yadav said: "The Centre should ensure communal harmony is maintained across the country. Communal harmony boosts the morale of our personnel, while weakens the morale of terrorists."Yadav also urged the Centre to take care of the family members of slain soldiers in a proper manner."It is my personal belief that most of the slain soldiers belonged to poor farmer families who were the sole bread-earners. I urge all the governments of States and Centre to help them as much as
Pulwama attack: Priyanka Gandhi speaks to deceased CRPF jawan's father, expresses condolences
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday spoke to father of deceased Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldier Awadhesh Kumar Yadav, who was killed in Pulwama terror attack.While speaking to Awadesh's father Harikesh Yadav over phone, the newly appointed Congress general secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka expressed her deep condolences and solidarity to the family.Awadhesh, who hailed from Chanduali, was among the 40 soldiers who died in the ghastly terror attack in Pulwama on February 14. In 2010, Awadesh was posted in the 45th battalion of the CRPF as a radio operator.On Saturday, Awadesh's body reached his native village for the last rite where his wife Shilpi and father Harikesh bid an emotional adieu to him.Priyanka, daughter of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, earlier also released a press statement which read, "Deepest condolences to the families of the 30 Jawans martyred in a terror attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. I can very well understand the pain and grief of ...
More sops for AP ryots, total aid per annum goes up to Rs 15K
In fresh sops to ryots ahead of Lok Sabha polls,the Andhra Pradesh government Saturday further modified the 'Annadaata Sukhibhava' scheme, announcing an extra financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per annum to small and marginal farmers, taking the total to Rs 15,000. The overall assistance includes Rs 6,000 announced by the Centre in its interim budget on February 1. The state government, on its own, would pay Rs 10,000 per annum to farmers with a landholding of over five acres, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said Saturday evening. On February 13, the state Cabinet decided to uniformly grant Rs 10,000, at the rate of Rs 5,000 per crop season, to all farmers irrespective of the landholding. While the Central government fixed a cap of five acres for the financial assistance, the state government decided to make it open-ended. "What the Centre is going to give is not adequate. We have previously decided to give an additional Rs 4,000 but now we have decided to make the state
NC appeals for restraint after reports of harassment of Kashmiris in Jammu
The National Conference Saturday said violence has no place in today's world and appealed for restraint in Jammu and other parts of country in the wake of alleged harassment of Kashmiri people. "We expect that the mature civil society of Jammu will not heed the divisive agenda of certain rouge outfits. The mob frenzy and violence in Jammu is an attempt by communal elements to polarise the state on regional and religious lines," NC provincial president, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani said. He said people of Kashmir can empathise with the pain of aggrieved families of the CRPF personnel as they too have been the victims of violence. "Our sympathies and thoughts are with the grief-stricken families of the slain CRPF men. We, here in Kashmir, can empathise with the pain of aggrieved families. We too have been the victims of violence and no one else other than us could possibly gauge the pain of those who have lost their loved ones the other day in the attack," he said. Wani welcomed the ...
Dying days of caliphate in Syria as IS fighters trapped
Jihadist fighters defending the last dreg of the Islamic State group's "caliphate" Saturday were holed up in half a square kilometre in a village of eastern Syria. US President Donald Trump said the fall of the IS proto-state would be announced Saturday, but a top Syrian commander said his forces had slowed down their advance to protect civilians. The jihadists declared a "caliphate" in large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, but have since lost all of it but the tiny patch in eastern Syria near the border with Iraq. "IS is besieged in a neighbourhood that is estimated to be 700 metres (yards) long and 700 metres wide" in the village of Baghouz, said Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Jia Furat. "Baghouz is within our firing range but we are moving cautiously considering there are civilians still trapped there as human shields," said Furat, the overall commander for the operation. "In a very short time, not longer than a few days, we will officially announce the end .
Egypt's Army kills 7 terrorists in Sinai
As many as seven militants were killed on Saturday in a shootout at a checkpoint in the country's North Sinai province, officials said. 15 military personnel were either killed or wounded in the gun battle, he added.
Protest near Lahore-bound Indo-Pak bus
Demanding scrapping of Indo-Pak bus service in the wake of Pulwama terror attack, members of a right-wing outfit staged protest by waving their black jackets and T-shirts at a Lahore-bound 'Sada-e-Sarhad' bus on Saturday after their black flags were taken way by police . Led by Shiv Sena (Hindustan) state president Manish Sood, the activists held the protest at Sugar Mill Chowk on national highway 1 when the Delhi-Lahore Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) bus was crossing the route. Sood said they wanted to show black flags but the police had taken those way. "Left with no other alternative, we removed our black jackets/T- shirts and waved these to protest, Sood said, and declared that they will show black flags daily to the bus till the Indo-Pak bus service is cancelled. We will block the passage of the bus in case our demand to terminate the Indo-Pakistan bus service is not heeded, he warned. Sood also demanded that diplomatic ties with Pakistan be snapped.
MP govt cabinet meeting held in Jabalpur for first time
The Madhya Pradesh government Saturday held a state cabinet meeting in Jabalpur for the first time, an event chief minister Kamal Nath termed historic. Chief Minister Kamal Nath said Jabalpur is known as "sanskardhani" (cultural capital), a description first used for the city by Acharya Vinoba Bhave, and added that his government was committed to its overall development. At the Jabalpur cabinet meet on Saturday, a decision was taken to create an Information Technology directorate in the state due to rapid developments in the field, a minister said. At the cabinet meet, the government also decided to set up a helpline number - 181 for women in distress. The 181 helpline will also be used to inform women about the state government's welfare schemes, he added. The city is a stronghold of the BJP which has won Lok Sabha elections from here since 1996. Jabalpur was also the venue of the historic 52nd session of the All India Congress in 1939 in which Netaji Subhash Chandra ...
India takes national, international players into confidence as it plans retaliation
In the aftermath of the terror attack by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 49 CRPF personnel, the government's strategy for retaliation seems clear - launch an international campaign for exposing and isolating Pakistan for its complicity in terror activities, while taking all domestic and global players into confidence as it prepares for a befitting reply on a military level.
Tiny Goa stares at three assembly bypolls
With the death of Goa's former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP MLA Francis D'Souza, the number of assembly seats heading for bypolls in the state has gone up to three. The tiny state, which has a 40-member House, has already seen two bypolls since the February 2017 assembly elections and three more seats are lying vacant for different reasons. D'Souza (64), elected from Mapusa in North Goa, died on February 14 after a prolonged illness. Goa saw two by-elections in Panaji and Valpoi assembly constituencies - in 2017, while bypolls for Shiroda and Mandrem segments, whose sitting MLAs resigned last year, are due before April. The death of D'Souza has now necessitated a bypoll in Mapusa too even as the Manohar Parrikar-led coalition government is yet to complete two years in office. "Four by-elections are forced on the state electorate, while one is due to unavoidable circumstances," said Prabhakar Timble, a former State Election Commissioner. "Five bypolls within two years ..
Pulwama terror attack: Mamata Banerjee-led TMC holds candle light march in Kolkata
Showing solidarity with 40 CRPF personnel killed in Pulwama terror attack, Trinamool Congress led by its supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday took out candle light march in the state capital Kolkata."We express our solidarity with our jawans, countrymen and united India. At this hour, we are all together," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted earlier on Saturday.The candle light march commenced from Hazra More in south Kolkata and ended up to Gandhi statue.Some protestors donned black cloth on their mouth to register their protest in the killing of around 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama.A Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist rammed a vehicle carrying over massive explosives into the CPRF convoy on Srinagar-Jammu national highway around 3.15 pm on February 14,Earlier on Saturday, the all-party meeting was called by the Central Government to deliberate upon the situations arising out of Pulwama terror attack. The meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Under PM Modi's leadership, Army will destroy Pakistani terrorists by entering into their territory: Jharkhand CM
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Indian Army will destroy Pakistani terrorists by entering into their territory, asserted Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Saturday. His remarks come two days after around 40 CRPF jawans were killed in a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama."Our security forces have defeated Pakistan three times even before. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, we'll again destroy terrorists in Pakistan by entering into their territory," Raghubar Das said.Addressing the media in Ranchi, where the mortals of the Pulwama attack martyr's arrived, the Chief Minister said that the nation is proud of those brave hearts and the stories of soldiers will remain immortal.Around 40 CRPF personnel were killed on February 14 when their convoy was targeted by a suspected suicide bomber of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pulwama district on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.The convoy of 78 buses, in which around 2500 CRPF ...
India will act against Pak in every sphere, says Union Minister Rathore
Taking on Pakistan for orchestrating terrorist attack on CRPF troops in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Saturday said India will act against Pakistan in every sphere and will give a befitting reply to those behind the heinous act."The terrorist attack, which took place in Pulwama on Thursday, has been condemned by the entire world. India will move ahead of Pakistan in all respects and will soon give a befitting reply to those behind the heinous terror act," Union Minister Rathore told media persons here."The tradition of India makes us peace loving people. It will be a mistake of our enemies who think of taking advantage of being peaceful people. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India has shown that we are amongst all those countries, which can retaliate all terrorist attacks if required," he said."Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already cleared that whosoever has carried out this attack will have to pay a heavy price. ...
Pulwama attack: Omar asks Rajnath to appoint nodal officer in MHA to ensure safety of J-K students
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday apprised Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of the reports of Kashmiri students being threatened by terrorists and requested him to appoint a nodal officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the same."Just met union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to personally pay my condolences for the tragic deaths in Pulwama on Thursday. I requested him to take all steps necessary to ensure Jammu remains calm," Abdullah tweeted after meeting with the Home Minister."I took the opportunity to inform Rajnath Singh of the reports I had received of Kashmiri students & others being threatened/harassed and requested him to appoint a nodal officer in MHA to ensure the directive issued to states is followed in letter and spirit. I'm grateful that Rajnath Singh gave me time at very short notice and his response to my requests was extremely positive," he added.Their meeting took place after the Ministry of Home Affairs earlier in the day issued an ...
Major-rank Army officer killed in IED blast near LoC in J-K
A Major-rank of Army officer was killed on Saturday while defusing an improvised explosive device (IED).IED had been planted by terrorists inside the Line of Control (LoC) in Naushera sector of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, police said.The officer is from the Corps of Engineers.The IED was planted 1.5-km inside the Line of Control in Naushera sector. The nature of the explosion is yet to be ascertained, police said.It is worth mentioning that a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy on its way to Srinagar from Jammu was attacked in Awantipora area of Pulwama district on Thursday afternoon by terrorists, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF jawans.Around 2,500 personnel were travelling in 78 vehicles which were part of the convoy when the incident occurred. Further details are awaited.
CM Patnaik, ministers join thousands in paying homage to slain CRPF jawans in Odisha
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, several ministers and senior officials joined hundreds of people in paying homage to two CRPF jawans from the state, who lost their lives in Pulwama terror attack, after their bodies were flown in here Saturday by a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force. The government also announced an enhanced ex-gratia to Rs 25 lakh for the families of slain soldiers Prasanna Kumar Sahoo and Manoj Kumar Behera. Patnaik paid floral tributes after the bodies arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport, where scores of people had converged to offer their last respects to the jawans. Union Ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha Finance Minister S B Behera, Culture Minister Ashok Panda, Health Minister Pratap Jena, MP Prasanna Patsani, OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, BJP state president Basant Panda, senior CRPF, police and government officials were among those who paid homage at the airport. The government had on Friday announced Rs 10 lakh ..
PM Modi in campaign mode over Pulwama attack, says Maha Cong
The Maharashtra Congress Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of getting into campaign mode and raising nationalistic fever centred on the Pulwama attack even as mortal remains of its martyrs was en route to native villages for last rites. PM Modi was on a day-long visit to Maharashtra Saturday and at public gatherings in Yavatmal and Dhule, he spoke of Thursday's attack on the CRPF convoy and said sacrifice of the martyred jawans wouldn't go in vain and its perpetrators would be punished. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Ratnakar Mahajan said, "This has exposed his (PM Modi) false concerns for fallen soldiers. When the country is in mourning over the Pulwama incident, the PM expects opposition parties to stand by the government irrespective of political differences. But, he himself is campaigning for his party and creating a feverish nationalistic pitch." "The mortal remains of the martyrs are just reaching native places for last rites and the PM has already .
Pulwama attack: AP govt announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia each to kin of 40 jawans
The Andhra Pradesh government Saturday announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of 40 CRPF jawans killed in the deadly terrorist attack in Pulwama of Jammu and Kashmir. Pledging support to the Centre on whatever action it intends to take to stamp out terrorism, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the country would always remember the sacrifices of the jawans. "The whole country was left in shock as 40 jawans were killed in the worst terror attack. We all should stand in support of the families of the jawans in this hour of grief," he said in a statement here. The state government decided to offer ex-gratia payment to the slain jawans' families while the people of Andhra Pradesh voiced their protest over the "dastardly" act, the chief minister added. Earlier, the Telugu Desam Party politburo that met here under the chairmanship of Naidu expressed grief over the Pulwama attack and observed two-minute silence in memory of the CRPF jawans killed. Forty CRPF ...
Army officer killed, soldier injured in IED blast along LoC in JK
An Army officer was killed and a soldier suffered injuries in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said. The IED was apparently planted by "enemy forces within Indian territory" in Naushera sector and set off when an Army officer, along with his men, was patrolling the area, they said. The blast killed the officer and injured a soldier who was evacuated to hospital, the officials said. The IED blast came two days after 40 CRPF personnel were killed when a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist rammed an explosive-laden SUV into a bus carrying them in Pulwama district in south Kashmir. This was the second IED attack along the LoC in the same sector since January. On January 11, two Army personnel, including a major, were killed in Naushera sector of Rajouri.