Page 1610 - Politics
Chhattisgarh Assembly condemns Pulwama terror attack
The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly strongly condemned the terror attack in Pulwama of Jammu and Kashmir Friday and paid homage to the martyred CRPF personnel. Several political parties and social organisations took out candle marches to protest the dastardly attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed Thursday. Speaker Charandas Mahant mentioned the terror attack in the House as soon as proceedings began in the morning. "The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly strongly condemns this cowardly act by terrorists. The sacrifice of the martyred CRPF personnel will be remembered for ever," he said. "This House pays a tearful homage to them and expresses solidarity with the family members of the martyred personnel and prays for quick recovery of the injured," Mahant added. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ravindra Chaubey and Forest Minister Mohammed Akbar termed the attack as cowardly. Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik said the whole state stands in solidarity with ...
Karnataka MP protests China's support to terrorist Masood
Condemning the deadly terror attack on CRPF troopers in Kashmir, Karnataka BJP's Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday protested China's backing to dreaded Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) head Masood Azar.
Former president Mukherjee pitches for enhancing seats in Parliament
Former president Pranab Mukherjee on Friday pitched for increasing the number of seats in Parliament in proportion to the size of the electorate, saying it was "necessary" to make the most democratic institution of the country "truly representative". Addressing a gathering at an event at Vigyan Bhawan here, he said since 1977, it had "not been increased". "I would also like to draw the attention to some of the other shortcomings that have crept in the Parliamentary system. The disproportionately large size of the electorate vis-a-vis the number of representatives is a matter of concern," Mukherjee said. Currently, the strength of the Lok Sabha is 545 -- 543 elected members and a maximum of two members of the Anglo-Indian community nominated by the president. "There is a need to enhance the number of seats in Parliament in proportion to the size of the population to make the most democratic institution of the country truly representative," Mukherjee said. Since 1977, there had been ...
Odisha CM appeals to schools to observe prayer for martyrs
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik appealed educational institutions across the state to observe silent prayer on Saturday for the 40 CRPF personnel who were martyred in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. "The Chief Minister has requested the educational institutions to observe a two-minute silence prayer at 11 am of Saturday as a mark of respect to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the mother land," a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said Friday. Patnaik himself observed silent prayer at his office and also while attending a farmers rally in Kendrapara district. The state also saw a series of condolence meetings over the martyrdom of the CRPF soldiers. Apart from political parties, various organisations this evening held candle light rallies. The organisations, who have been staging dharna near Odisha Assembly over their demands, also held condolence meetings on the Mahatma Gandhi Marg here.
J&K attack: Condolence meet held in MP; Aishwarya pays
A condolence meeting to pay homage to the CRPF jawans martyred in the Pulwama terror attack was held Friday in Itarsi town in Madhya Pradesh at the site where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to address a public rally. In Indore, noted Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai- Bachchan paid tributes to the martyred jawans at a programme of a private university. Addressing the meeting in Itarsi, Madhya Pradesh BJP president Rakesh Singh termed the deadly attack on a bus ferrying CRPF jawans as "very unfortunate". The Lok Sabha MP from Jabalpur said suitable action will follow, but the people of the country will always remember the sacrifice made by the CRPF jawans. The prime minister was supposed to address a public rally at the Railway Ground in Itarsi, but it was cancelled in view of the Pulwama attack. The condolence meeting took place at the same venue. Modi's another meeting in MP's Dhar district on Saturday, too, has been cancelled. Meanwhile, at the Indore ...
Pak summons Indian Deputy High Commissioner, rejects claims of link to Pulwama attack
In a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan on Friday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner here and lodged a protest against India's allegation of its role in the brutal Pulwama terrorist attack. Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday that left 40 CRPF soldiers dead and five critically wounded. The summoning of the Indian diplomat comes after India earlier in the day summoned Pakistan HC to India Sohail Mahmood and issued a very strong demarche over the killing of the CRPF soldiers. Pakistan must take "immediate and verifiable action" against the JeM and that it must immediately stop any groups or individuals associated with terrorism operating from its territories, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told the envoy. Though the Foreign Office has not issued any statement, sources said the FO summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner and rejected "baseless allegations made by India" .
Media bodies criticise Nepal's punishment proposal for posting anti-govt contents on social media
The Nepal government led by KP Oli has come under severe criticism from national and international media organisations for floating a proposal to bring harsh laws to punish people for posting anti-government contents on social media. In the proposed bill related to the management and regulation of information technology, the government has prescribed a fine up to Rs 1.5 million and/or five years imprisonment for individuals who post online contents deemed by the authorities as a character assassination or an attack on national sovereignty. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliated Nepal Press Union have strongly criticised the proposal, terming it as "improper". In a statement issued on Friday, the IFJ called on the government to hold consultations with stakeholders before bringing such legislation. In a separate statement, the Nepal Press Union outrightly criticised the draft bill stating that the steps to control the social networking sites through law ...
Mamata demands three-day mourning, criticises Modi for flagging-off train
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday demanded that the Centre should declare a three-day mourning for the slain CRPF troopers in the Pulwama terror strike, and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for flagging off the Vande Bharat Express in the aftermath of the tragic incident.
Trump declares Emergency to fund border wall on Mexican border
President Donald Trump declared a State of Emergency on Friday to fund his campaign promise of building a wall on the Mexican border after the Congress resolutely refused to give him the money he wanted.
Uneasy calm in Kerala Congress (Mani) as senior party leader ducks crucial meeting
Things appear to be in a flux in the Kerala Congress ( Mani) - third biggest ally in the Congress-led United Democratic Front -- as one of its tallest leaders P.J. Joseph, who is also working chairman of the party, was absent in the concluding programme of the statewide yatra of his party held here on Friday.
Pakistani flag burnt in Arunachal
Civil society organisations of Arunachal Pradesh on Friday set ablaze a Pakistani flag here to protest the terrorist attack at Pulwama in Kashmir on Thursday that left 42 CRPF personnel dead. Members of the organisations assembled on NH-415 here, shouted slogans against Pakistan and set fire to the country's flag. They also prayed for eternal peace of the departed soldiers and staged a candle light procession. Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Takam Sanjoy termed the Pulwama attack as one against the sovereignty of India. "The Centre should give a befitting reply to Pakistan for its inhuman acts against security personnel of India," Sanjoy added.
Rane says his party will go it alone in LS polls, fields son
Former Chief Minister Narayan Rane, whose Maharashtra Swabhimani Paksh (MSP) is an ally of the ruling BJP, Friday said his party will contest the ensuing Lok Sabha polls on its own. Rane, who has pockets of influence in the coastal Konkan region of Maharashtra, said his fledgling party will neither tie-up with the Congress-NCP combine nor the saffron outfits the BJP and the Shiv Sena. Addressing party workers here, the veteran politician also announcedthe candidature of his son Nilesh Rane from the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg parliamentary seat. "We are not going with Congress-NCP or Sena-BJP. We are contesting (Lok Sabha polls) independently with all seriousness," he said. Rane said his party will contest a few Lok Sabha seats and candidates will be announced in phases. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabhaseats. The former chief minister took a swipe at BJP and Sena leaders for holding pre-poll alliance talks when the country was mourning the death of 40 CRPF soldiers in a terror ...
As anger flares, Pune shop sells Pak flags with free lighters
As protests erupted in the city over the attack on CRPF convoy at Pulwama, a flag-seller here did a brisk business -- in Pakistani flags. Murudkar Zendewale, a famous flag-seller, sold over 100 national flags of Pakistan Friday and gave a lighter free with every flag. Pakistani flags were burnt at many places in the city in the wake of the terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir Thursday in which at least 40 CRPF personnel were killed. People expressed anger about the neighbouring country, which is accused of harbouring Jaish-E-Mohammad, the terror outfit which has claimed the responsibility for the ghastly attack, by burning Pakistani flags. "Since morning, we sold over 100 Pakistani flags. We gave a lighter free with every flag," said Girish Murudkar, the owner of Murdudkar Zendewale. His family is in the flag-making business for three generations and the shop sells national flags of almost all the countries in the world, he said.
Thai army chief dismisses coup talk ahead of election
Thailand's powerful army chief on Friday dismissed rumours of a coup ahead of next month's scheduled national elections, insisting he was "very close" to junta leader Prayut Chan-o-Cha. Speculation over a fresh military takeover coursed through Thailand this month after the failed prime ministerial candidacy of Princess Ubolratana. She was disqualified by the country's election commission after a stern rebuke from her brother, King Vajiralongkorn, raising concerns of fresh political instability in a country that has seen a dozen successful military coups since 1932. But Apirat Kongsompong, who was appointed by the king to head the army last October, waved away suggestions of a fresh putsch ahead of long-delayed polls. "A coup is not going to happen now in Thailand," he told AFP. "There will be elections on March 24." Apirat said he was "very close" with Prayut and the general now had to "follow his own path leading our country back to democracy". He vowed that the army would "step ...
Poland wants 'clear' explanation of alleged Netanyahu Holocaust remark
Poland said on Friday it wanted a clear explanation from Israel regarding reported comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implicating Poles in the Holocaust. "We expect the Israeli side will clearly explain what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meant in the statement quoted by the Israeli media," Poland's deputy foreign minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek told reporters in Warsaw. "We consider the current explanations regarding this matter unclear," he added, following talks with Israel's ambassador who had been summoned following uproar in Poland over the Israeli media reports. Israeli Ambassador Anna Azari had earlier denied a Jerusalem Post report quoting Netanyahu as saying that "Poles cooperated with the Germans" in the Holocaust. The Haaretz newspaper later also ran the story. The controversy even threatened to undermine a summit due next week in Israel between Netanyahu and four central European counterparts. Warsaw has long been at pains to point out that Poland, which .
Foreign Secretary meets P-5 envoys, underlines Pakistan's role in Pulwama attack
India on Friday started the process to isolate Pakistan internationally in the wake of Pulwama attack with
Pulwama terror attack: Sindhi leader asks Saudi Prince to cancel Pak visit
Assessing the sensitivity of global and regional sentiment against the theocratic fascist and terrorist state of Pakistan, the Saudi Crown Prince must immediately cancel the Pakistan visit, said Shafi Burfat, the chairman of Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), on Friday.The chairman of JSMM in a statement said, "In the current situation, Saudi Crown Prince's Pakistan visit would be considered as encouragement of Pakistani fascism, nefarious terrorist designs and the dirty cold war in the region.""Saudi diplomatic delegation seems to have been interested not in economic and political cooperation but rather purchase of Pakistani nuclear weapons, warheads, and mercenary military services from Pakistan. In fact, this would be globally considered as the direct support of Pakistani terror policy in the region," he said.Burfat said: "Pakistan is directly behind Pulwama, Indian Kashmir, terror attack. Pakistan is an irresponsible terrorist state and has imposed a reign of terror against ...
Trump declares national emergency to build border wall
Battling with one branch of government and opening a new confrontation with another, President Donald Trump announced Friday he was declaring a national emergency to fulfill his pledge to construct a wall along the US-Mexico border. Bypassing Congress, which approved far less money for his proposed wall than he had sought, Trump said he would use executive action to siphon billions of dollars from federal military construction and counterdrug efforts for the wall, aides said. The move is already drawing bipartisan criticism on Capitol Hill and expected to face rounds of legal challenges. Trump made the announcement from the Rose Garden, as he claimed illegal immigration was "an invasion of our country." Trump's move followed a rare show of bipartisanship when lawmakers voted Thursday to fund large swaths of the government and avoid a repeat of this winter's debilitating five-week government shutdown. The money in the bill for border barriers, about $1.4 billion, is far below the USD ..
Shamli mourns loss of martyrs
Grieving families of martyred soldiers in Thursday's terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir have asked the government to give Pakistan a fitting reply. Sons of Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district Pradeep Kumar, 38, from Pratap Nagar area and Amit Kumar Kori, 22, from Railpar Kudana Road attained martyrdom in the Pulwama terror attack. Pradeep's family learned about his death from a CRPF colleague, while the headquarters confirmed Amit's death to his family. The mortal remains of Pradeep and Amit are expected to be brought to their homes by late Friday night. Shamli District Magistrate Akhilesh Singh and SP Ajay Kumar visited the bereaved families. "The entire nation is proud of Pradeep and Amit's sacrifice and stands shoulder to shoulder with their families. The administration will provide all possible support to them," Singh said. Pradeep's father Jagdeesh Kumar and Amit's father Sohanpal singh said it was time to give Pakistan a fitting reply for terror activities in the Valley.
Trump: North Korea has 'tremendous' economic potential
Donald Trump hailed Pyongyang's "tremendous" economic potential Friday, ahead of a second scheduled summit between the US president and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un. "Their location between South Korea and Russia and China right smack in the middle is phenomenal. And we think they have a great chance for tremendous economic prosperity in the future," Trump told reporters at the White House. Pyongyang has yet to provide any official confirmation of the Feb 27-28 summit, which will be the second time the two leaders come together following their June 12 Singapore meeting.