Page 161 - Politics
Prince Harry promotes late mother's cause: Angola land mines
Prince Harry has offered his support to a new initiative to clear land mines from a wilderness area in Angola, saying it will protect lives and help communities. In backing the 47 million pound ($60 million) initiative of the Angolan government and the Halo Trust, Harry continued work on a cause championed by his late mother, Princess Diana. She drew attention to the African nation's dangerous minefields by stepping onto one. The funds will be used to clear 153 minefields in an area with vital waterways to the Okavango Delta. The Halo Trust hopes foreign governments and individuals will match the funds pledged by the Angolan government. Speaking Monday at London's Chatham House think tank, Harry said Angola's wilderness was "an asset that should be protected, celebrated and benefited by its people.
Cong move SC against EC's decision to hold separate bypolls for 2 RS seats in Gujarat
The Gujarat Congress Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the Election Commission to hold separate bypolls to two Rajya Sabha seats in the state which fell vacant due to the election of BJP chief Amit Shah and Smriti Irani to Lok Sabha. The petition filed by Congress MLA from Amreli and Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly, Pareshbhai Dhanani has sought a direction to the Election Commission for holding the election for the two seats simultaneously. The petition, filed through advocate Varun K Chopra, is likely to be mentioned on Tuesday before a vacation bench for urgent hearing as a press note issued by the poll panel on June 15 has scheduled the election for both the seats on July 5. The seats fell vacant after Shah won from Gandhinagar and Irani from Amethi Lok Sabha constituencies. Shah was appointed as the Union Home Minister and Irani as Minister of Women and Child Development. Dhanani has sought a direction to quash and declare the poll panel's order .
Rahul Gandhi takes oath as Lok Sabha member amid cheers from Opposition benches
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday took oath as a member of the 17th Lok Sabha in English amid cheers from the Opposition benches. Gandhi, who got elected to the Lower House of Parliament for a fourth consecutive term, however, forgot the customary practice of signing the Lok Sabha register and started walking towards his seat after taking oath. He was immediately called back by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Lok Sabha staffers to sign the register. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi thumped the desk, along with other Congress members, after Rahul Gandhi's name was called by the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha for taking oath as a member. The Congress president came late to the Lok Sabha and was not present in the House when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues took oath. Rahul Gandhi was elected from Wayanad in Kerala this time. He had also contested from his traditional Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, but was defeated by BJP leader and Union Minister ...
313 MPs take oath as members of 17th Lok Sabha
Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as many as 313 newly-elected MPs on Monday took oath as members of the 17th Lok Sabha where linguistic diversity of India was on full display.Slogans like 'Jai Shri Ram' greeted Protem Speaker Virendra Kumar when he took the Chair at 11 am to commence proceedings.After the customary playing of the national anthem and observance of a minute's silence to mark the occasion, Kumar announced the order in which members would take oath after the Prime Minister, who is also the Leader of the House, would do it first.Modi was followed by a panel of Chairmen Kodikkunil Suresh (Congress), Brij Bhushan Saran Singh (BJP) and Bhatruhari Mahtab (BJD).Then came the turn of ministers to take the oath. Deputy Leader of the House Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah followed Modi as did other ministers.Smriti Irani, who defeated Rahul Gandhi, drew loud cheers as she took the oath while Gandhi preferred to enter the House late afternoon when it was the turn of ...
Amaravati: JC Diwakar Reddy denies being contacted by BJP
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader JC Diwakar Reddy on Monday denied the rumours of him getting contacted by the BJP and said he has already retired from active politics but has no knowledge of his family members being contacted by the party in Centre."I have not received any calls from BJP, if Narendra Modi calls me up personally, I will inform you guys about it. As far as my son and my brother getting contacted by BJP are concerned, I don't know anything about them. They are all majors and capable of taking decisions on their own," Diwakar Reddy told ANI here.Diwakar Reddy was an MP from the Anantapur seat in Andhra Pradesh from where he had won the election on TDP ticket. His term came to an end on May 23.He termed the Andhra Pradesh Assembly election results as an unpredictable one and wished Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy best of luck for the next five years."This election gave an unpredictable victory to YSR Congress and failure to TDP. I don't know much about Jagan Mohan Reddy ..
Auto fares in Delhi hiked by 18%
Commuters in Delhi will have to pay more for their auto rides as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has decided to hike auto fares in the national capital.
J.P.Nadda to be BJP working President: Rajnath Singh
The BJP on Monday announced Jagat Prakash Nadda as its Working President.
Ex-advisor to Planning Commission writes to PM backing proposed free metro rides to women
Renuka Viswanathan, former principal advisor to the erstwhile Planning Commission, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, advocating the Delhi government's proposed free metro rides for women. Vishwanathan's letter came days after former Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief E Sreedharan wrote to the prime minister, requesting him not to agree to the proposal as it would set "an alarming precedence". In her letter, Viswanathan said she was impressed by the Delhi government's free-ride proposal for its simplicity and administrative efficiency. "No additional paper work or energy needs to be spent to identify women beneficiaries and there is very little scope for misuse of the scheme by ineligible persons. "I trust that the central government will recognise and appreciate the many merits of this proposal and support it in all respects," she said in the letter. Viswanathan, who is also the former secretary to the Centre in the Cabinet Secretariat, had contested the 2018 ...
MP govt completes 6 months, CM says development fast-tracked
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Monday said the Congress-led government has ushered in the era of development in the state since it came to power six months ago. On a day his government completed six months in office, the chief minister said he had inherited a revenue deficit of Rs 8000 crore when he took charge in December 2018. "Our government came to power at a time when the state was having a revenue deficit of Rs 8,000 crore. There were no funds to pay salaries of employees. The state had a debt burden of Rs 1.87 lakh crore," Nath was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee. The Congress had won the assembly polls with a slender margin and went on to form the government with the support of the BSP, the SP and Independent MLAs. Describing the situation of Madhya Pradesh when he became CM, Nath claimed, "Investments were low and there was no trace of good governance and justice. A total of 46,000 girls had lost their ...
Iran slams Saudi Arabia over tanker attack allegations
Iran hit back at Saudi Arabia on Monday over allegations Tehran was involved in tanker attacks in Gulf of Oman, saying Riyadh's "wrong policies" have caused current regional tensions. The allegations were "a continuation of the wrong path taken in the past and an attempt to escape all problems that Saudi Arabia's wrong policies have brought upon the region," foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi wrote in a statement on his Telegram channel. Mousavi said the kingdom lacked a "proper understanding of the region's dynamics" and followed "an approach based on militarism and causing crises and tension". Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accused rival Iran on Saturday of being behind attacks last week on two oil tankers in the Sea of Oman, a vital shipping lane for global oil trade, echoing claims by US President Donald Trump. Tehran has vehemently denied any involvement in the attacks and hinted that Washington itself could have done it to pile pressure on the Islamic republic on ..
UAE, Japan discuss 'defence' cooperation after Gulf attacks
Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed met with a top Japanese military official Monday, days after a Japan-owned tanker was rocked by explosions in Gulf waters. Sheikh Mohammed and General Koji Yamazaki, chief of staff of Japan's ground forces, discussed cooperation "in the defence and military sectors", the United Arab Emirates news agency WAM reported. The tanker Kokuka Courageous was carrying highly flammable methanol through the Gulf of Oman on Thursday when it was set ablaze along with the Norwegian-operated Front Altair -- the second assault in a month on tankers in the strategic shipping lane. The United States and its ally Saudi Arabia have accused Iran of being behind the attacks, charges denied by Tehran. The latest attacks took place as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was holding talks in Tehran.
J P Nadda appointed BJP's working president
Senior BJP leader and former Union minister J P Nadda was appointed as party's working president during a parliamentary board meeting on Monday. This was announced by former BJP president and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after the party's highest decision-making body's meeting, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. Shah will remain party's national president.
Internal rift and chasm led to Congress humilitating defeat in Rajasthan.
Internal rift and chasm among leaders is the reason for the Congress' humiliating defeat in Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan, said party candidates who contested Lok Sabha 2019, during an internal review meeting here on Monday.As many as 11 Lok Sabha candidates from Rajasthan participated in the meeting convened by General Secretary Incharge Avinash Pandey in which Rajasthan Chief Minister's Ashok Gehlot son Vaibhav Gehlot was also present.After its poll debacle, the Congress is pondering over the reasons for its rout and has asked general secretary in-charges and state in-charges to prepare a report regarding same.The candidates told that MLA's and ministers acted against the party and didn't put all their weight behind so as to make them win, said sources.While Vaibhav Gehlot defended his father and said that he could not give enough time to his constituency. Ashok Gehlot had already blamed Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan unit Congress chief, for the defeat of his son from Jodhpur parliamentary
LS veterans Advani, Sushma, Deve Gowda missed in 17th Lok Sabha
Several veteran parliamentarians, including L K Advani, H D Deve Gowda and Sushma Swaraj, who had been regulars in the Lower House for decades, were missed in the new Lok Sabha on Monday as they either did not contest the polls or lost it. The familiar faces which were not seen included BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi, former Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, M Veerappa Moily and Jyotiraditya Scindia. While Advani, Joshi and Mahajan did not contest the polls due to the party's norm of not fielding leaders older than 75 years, Swaraj had not contested the polls, citing ill health. Former Prime Minister Gowda and Congress leaders Kharge, Moilly and Scindia lost the Lok Sabha polls. While AIADMK leader and former Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai and Akali Dal leader Prem Singh Chandumajra lost the polls, BJD leader Tathagata Satpathy did not contest the polls. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, his party colleagues Sushmita Dev also lost the
Rahul hails Kabir Das, Laxmibai
Congress president Rahul Gandhi paid homage to mystic poet and saint Kabir Das on his birth anniversary on Monday, hailing him for raising his voice against social malpractices through his couplets. "My respectful tributes on the birth anniversary of Sant Kabirdas ji who raised his voice against social malpractices through his couplets," he said in a Facebook post. The Congress chief also paid tributes to warrior queen Rani Laxmibai on her death anniversary.
Netanyahu calls for 'snapback sanctions' if Iran violates nuclear deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Iran should be immediately hit with sanctions if it surpasses a uranium stockpile limit set under the 2015 nuclear deal. "Should Iran make good on its current threats and violate the nuclear agreement, the international community will need to immediately impose the sanctions regime that was agreed upon in advance, the 'snapback sanctions'," Netanyahu said. Iran's atomic energy organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said Monday his country intended to surpass the 300-kilogram reserve of enriched uranium in 10 days, but would reverse the move "once other parties live up to their commitments". On May 8, President Hassan Rouhani said Iran would stop observing restrictions on its stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water agreed under the 2015 nuclear deal. Rouhani said the move was in retaliation for the US decision to unilaterally withdraw form the accord last year and impose tough economic sanctions on the Islamic ...
Rajagopal Reddy comments reported to Congress high command
Taking serious note of comments of party MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy, who has hinted at joining BJP, the disciplinary action committee of Congress in Telangana Monday reported the matter to the high command. The committee, which met here, deliberated on his comments against the party's key leaders and the national leadership, reported the matter to the high command and decided to wait for its decision, Congress sources said. The Congress in Telangana is already faced with a crisis following the merger of 12 party MLAs with ruling TRS. Rajagopal Reddy, the MLA from Munugode near Nalgonda, had earlier hinted that he might join the BJP. "The Congress is in a difficult position, not only in Telangana, but the whole of India. The country will progress under BJP. The youth are with BJP.The party is the alternative to counter KCR (Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao)" he had said Sunday. He has blamed state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and AICC incharge of party ...
Xi to begin two-day North Korea visit on Thursday
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea this week, becoming the country's first top leader in 14 years to make an official trip to its ally and reclusive country.
Analysis: China blinks on Hong Kong, but divide remains
The leader of China, it turns out, may not be all-powerful. Faced with huge and disruptive protests in Hong Kong, China blinked. The decision to shelve the legislation that sparked the demonstrations shows that limits still exist to how hard China can, or is willing, to push. It also exposed a fundamental contradiction in the "one country, two systems" framework that governs the semi-autonomous city. Chinese President Xi Jinping has cemented his hold on power since taking the helm in 2012. His government has expanded control over information, religion and other aspects of society. In Hong Kong, the local government has disqualified a pro-independence party, sent the leaders of a 2014 protest to prison and denied a visa renewal to an editor for Britain's Financial Times. Activists decried these moves as chipping away at Hong Kong's freedoms, but residents largely went about their lives. Then the government, with China's backing, chipped too deeply, propelling hundreds of thousands, ...
Maharashtra Opposition questions cabinet posts to non-MLAs
Opposition parties in Maharashtra on Monday questioned the need for giving ministerial berths to senior leaders Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Jaydutt Kshirsagar, who are not members of either house of the legislature.