Page 164 - Politics
J-K: Army Major injured in ecounter with terrorists in Anantnag dies
An Army Major of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles who was injured in an encounter between security forces and terrorists in Anantnag on Monday, died during treatment in hospital.Another injured, a soldier, is presently undergoing treatment."We will be able to give you more information once the encounter is over," Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh had said earlier.Earlier on June 12, five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel had lost their lives and three others were injured when their patrol party was attacked by terrorists here.
Indian Army's Northern Command celebrates its 48th Raising Day
Indian Army's Northern Command - the most active formation engaged in dealing with counter-terrorism operations against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir - celebrated its 48th Raising Day in Udhampur on Monday."On the 48th Raising Day, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh extends warm greetings to all ranks, their families and civilian staff. He paid homage to the martyrs and exhorted all ranks to rededicate themselves to the service of the Nation," the Northern Command said in a tweet.On this occasion, the chief of the command Lt Gen Ranbir Singh paid homage to the martyrs & exhorted all ranks to rededicate themselves to the service of the Nation.Northern Command was raised on June 17, 1972. It has been at the forefront of the nation's effort to counter security challenges posed by terrorism and externally sponsored proxy war in J & K.The Command with the motto of being 'forever in operations' has the unique distinction of having been "in war" in every major conflict ..
Lanka Easter bombings signal 'new type of terror' threat in S Asia: Nepal's dy PM
Sri Lanka's devastating Easter Sunday bombings have signalled that a "new type of terrorism" threat has arrived in South Asia and that Nepal has to learn from the lessons and experiences of its friends around the world on counter terrorism, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishwar Pokhrel has said. It is very important to understand the complex phenomenon of terrorism in regional and national contexts, Pokhrel said while addressing a seminar 'Dialogues on Public Security: Countering Terrorism' organised by Nepal Army here on Sunday. Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels on April 21, killing 258 people and injuring 500 others. "We have witnessed terrorist attacks on innocent civilians in many parts of the world and we have been saddened by those attacks," he was quoted as saying by My Republica newspaper. "The Easter Sunday bombing attacks this April in Sri Lanka sent a clear and strong message that a new
Munde questions Economic Survey figures
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Dhananjay Munde, Monday raised doubts over the data shared by the BJP-led state government in the Economic Survey, which was tabled in the legislature on the first day of the monsoon session. As per the Survey, except for a two per cent rise in the construction sector, others like mining, manufacturing and utility are showing a downward trend in 2018-19. State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, however, defended the report, claiming that investment in several sectors was still underway and they would report a rise in the coming period. However, Munde said: "The Union government's data on various aspects has been doubted by some 108 economists from various countries. Even former economic advisor Arvind Subramanian has also made similar claims. It clearly means, government has not presented accurate data. The errors need to be removed". He said a closer look at the data and introspection on part of the ...
Rahul Gandhi takes oath as Lok Sabha member
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday took oath as member of the 17th Lok Sabha. Gandhi won the election from Wayanad in Kerala. He had also contested from the Gandhi bastion of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh but was defeated by BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani by a margin of over 55,000 votes. Rahul took the oath in English. Minutes before taking oath, he tweeted that his fourth consecutive term as a member of the Lok Sabha begins Monday. "Representing Wayanad, Kerala, I begin my new innings in Parliament by taking my oath this afternoon, affirming that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India", he tweeted.
Lobbying hots up in Odisha's BJD for bypoll to three RS seats
With the Election Commission announcing July 5 as the date for conducting by-polls to three Rajya Sabha seats in Odisha, hectic lobbying was underway in the ruling Biju Janata Dal, headed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik, sources in the party said. Among the leaders vying for a Rajya Sabha ticket were former Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani, former Berhampur MLA Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik, former bureaucrat Amar Patnaik, and former Balasore MP Rabinda Jena, who lost the just- concluded polls. Senior BJP leader Prafulla Ghadai, who was expelled in 2014 and re-inducted in the run-up to the polls, was also one of the hopefuls, the sources said. Patsani, the former parliamentarian from Bhubaneswar, said, "I was assured a Rajya Sabha berth after being denied a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections. I have full faith in the chief minister. He will make me a candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls." Echoing similar sentiments, former legislator Chyau Patnaik also said that he
China slams US criticism of UN envoy's Xinjiang trip
China on Monday rejected US criticism of the UN counterterrorism chief's visit to the restive region of Xinjiang as "absurd" after Washington warned it could serve to legitimise Beijing's crackdown on Muslim minorities. Chinese authorities have placed an estimated one million people, many of them ethnic Uighurs, in internment camps in Xinjiang that Beijing downplays as "vocational education centres" needed to steer people away from extremism. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Vladimir Voronkov, the United Nations under-secretary general for counterterrorism, visited China from Thursday to Saturday, adding his trip was "very successful". "It strengthened cooperation between China and the United Nations in the field of counterterrorism. The United Nations has also given positive comments on this visit," Lu said at a regular press briefing. During his trip to Xinjiang, Voronkov and his delegation learned "on the spot about anti-terrorism and anti-extremism measures in ...
Gautam Gambhir takes oath as MP in English wearing white kurta-pajama
Newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) from East Delhi Gautam Gambhir on Monday took oath in English wearing ethnic Indian attire -- white kurta and pajama.Cricketer-turned-politician Gambhir of the BJP won by a margin of over 3 lakh votes from East Delhi seat where he was pitted against Arvinder Singh Lovely of the Congress party and Atishi Marlena of the AAP.The poll campaign in East Delhi was marred with controversies with Atishi accusing Gambhir of distributing defamatory pamphlets against her.As a cricketer, Gambhir has featured in 147 ODIs, 58 Test matches and 37 T20s for India and scored more than 9,000 plus runs.He was the highest run scorer in the 2011 World Cup final match against Sri Lanka as he played a knock of 97 runs.
EU states cool on US blaming Iran for Gulf tanker attacks
European states on Monday urged caution in attributing blame for last week's tanker attacks in the Gulf, pointedly refusing to fall in line with Washington's assessment that Iran was behind the incidents. Several EU foreign ministers arriving for talks in Luxembourg backed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' call for an independent investigation into explosions that damaged two tankers sending tensions -- and oil prices -- soaring. US President Donald Trump has said the Gulf of Oman attacks had Iran "written all over it" and Britain has concluded responsibility "almost certainly" lies with Tehran, but the EU has called for caution. "We know the findings of the American and the British intelligence services, which assume that you can be almost certain. We are comparing this with our information. I think you have to proceed very, very carefully on this," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters. His Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto said it was vital to have "the full ...
Opposition walks out in Ker Assembly over price rise issue
The Congress-led UDF Monday staged a walk out in the Kerala Assembly after its notice for an adjournment motion against the government on "exorbitant" rise in prices of essential commodities was rejected. Raising the issue, the UDF members alleged "ineffective" market intervention by the CPI(M)-led LDF government had resulted in the present situation. The price increase has come as a "double blow" for the people whose purchasing power had been dented by devastating floods in August last year and the Ockhi cyclone in December, 2017, they said. However, the LDF government rejected the opposition claims and said it had been taking effective market intervention steps in the past three years to regulate the prices. The House witnessed heated exchange of words between the opposition members and Food and Civil Supplies Minister P Thilothaman and Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar over the issue. Thilothaman said crores of rupees had been set aside by the Left government ...
Protesting doctors win, Mamata agrees to live media coverage
A delegation of 30 doctors will be at Nobanno to meet the West Bengal Chief Minister after protesting medicos stuck to their demand and agreed to meet Mamata Banerjee on Monday only after the official confirmation of live media coverage of the discussion.
Mayawati hits out at UP Govt on proposed increase in electricity tariffs for domestic consumers
BSP chief Mayawati on Monday hits out at the Uttar Pradesh government after the state's power corporation proposed an increase in electricity tariffs for the domestic consumption saying it is condemnable."The Uttar Pradesh government's move to increase the electricity tariffs for people living below the poverty line is condemnable. After the Lok Sabha polls, does the BJP wants to inflict a blow to 20 crore people of Uttar Pradesh by increasing the electricity tariffs?," she said in a tweet.The BSP chief also slammed the state government for the "deteriorating" law and order situation in the state, especially with regard to incidences of crime against women in the state."The law and order situation, especially the anarchism spread over the state with respect to the security of women from all the sections of society is very sad...The people of the state are disgusted with the incidences of crime. These incidences negate the promises made by the state government," she said.
Referendum should be conducted on use of EVM in polls: Moily
Asserting that there are "serious doubts" over EVM, senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily has sought a referendum on whether it should be used in the electoral process or ballot papers be brought back. He also emphasised that such a referendum should be conducted on ballot papers and not on electronic voting machines (EVMs) over which he claimed there was a trust deficit. "Everybody is suspecting EVM. This is a very serious matter and there is serious doubt on EVM. I think many countries like the US after having used EVM have gone back to manual voting," Moily told PTI in an interview. He asserted that when serious doubts have arisen, the Election Commission (EC) and the government should act and go back to the ballot paper. "There are serious doubts and EVM machines will have to be given up to return to the ballot. I think on this question of electoral process itself, even if it is necessary to take referendum from the people, I think the government should do that kind of a ...
Bill moved in US House to put India on par with Washington's 'closest allies'
A legislation has been moved in the United States' House of Representatives seeking to advance the US-India strategic relationship and bring New Delhi on par with Washington's "closest allies and partners".The HR 2123 Bill was introduced in the House on April 8 by Congressman Joe Wilson for making "appropriate modifications" in the US Armed Controls Export Act for the purpose.The legislation seeks that a joint assessment be conducted by the US Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defence "of the extent to which India possesses capabilities to support and carry out military operations of mutual interest to the United States and India".It also calls for an assessment of "the defence export control regulations and policies that need appropriate modification, in recognition of India's capabilities and its status as a major defence partner".Citing the India-United States Joint Statement -- "The United States and India: Enduring Global Partners in the 21st Century", the Bill notes that ..
EU drops sanctions threat against Maldives
The European Union on Monday dropped the threat of sanctions against the Maldives, saying the political situation had improved in the Indian Ocean archipelago since President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's election. The bloc introduced a legal framework to allow it to impose restrictions on Maldivian people and entities in July last year in response to political turmoil that erupted when the then-president Abdulla Yameen jailed or exiled all his main opponents. Autocratic strongman Yameen was dumped in a shock election defeat in September under a cloud of corruption allegations, with Solih taking over and pledging an end to graft. The sanctions framework was never used and on Monday, EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg formally revoked it. "Since the inauguration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration in November 2018, the political situation has improved," the European Council, which groups the 28 member states, said in a statement. "The government confirmed its firm ...
Local political leader injured in roadside blast in Pak
A local political leader and prominent religious scholar in northwest Pakistan is battling for his life after he was injured in a roadside bomb blast in the restive province, an official said Monday. Maulana Gul Dad Khan of the Awami National Party (ANP) was travelling when his vehicle was hit by the roadside blast in the tribal Bajaur district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. His friend was also injured in the blast. Both the wounded were immediately shifted to the district headquarters hospital, Khar for treatment, the official said. A team of officials of the district administration and Levies forces have reached the area to investigate the incident, the official added. A doctor at the hospital said Khan was undergoing treatment. The Awami National Party is a secular and leftist Pashtun nationalist political party. It was the largest Pashtun nationalist party and governed the province from 2008-2013, but lost to Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan ...
Iran says it will break uranium stockpile limit in 10 days
Iran will break the uranium stockpile limit set by Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in the next 10 days, the spokesman for the country's atomic agency said Monday while also warning that Iran has the need for uranium enriched up to 20 per cent, just a step away from weapons-grade levels. The announcement indicated Iran's determination to break from the landmark 2015 accord, which has steadily unraveled since the Trump administration pulled America out of the deal last year and re-imposed tough economic sanctions on Iran, sending its economy into freefall. The spokesman for Iran's nuclear agency, Behrouz Kamalvandi, made the announcement during a press conference with local journalists at Iran's Arak heavy water facility that was carried live on Iranian state television. The development comes in the wake of suspected attacks on oil tankers last week in the region, attacks that Washington has blamed on Iran, and also as tensions have spiked between Iran and the United States, a ..
Rahul, Priyanka meet Kuldeep Bishnoi in Delhi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday met his sister and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Haryana leader Kuldeep Bishnoi at his residence here.
Mamata agrees to live coverage of meeting with protesting docs
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave consent for live coverage of the proposed meeting with agitating junior doctors on Monday, paving way for a solution to the week-long impasse. The state government had earlier turned down the striking doctors' demand for live telecast of the meeting, scheduled to be held later in the day. "The chief minister has agreed to the demand for live coverage of the meeting," a state government official said. The meeting will be held at an auditorium adjacent to the state secretariat in Howrah. Junior doctors across the state are protesting against an assault on two of their colleagues, at the NRS Medical College and Hospital here, allegedly by the family members of a patient who died last week.
Keeping with tradition, PM Modi takes oath first in LS
During the UPA regime, Sonia Gandhi took oath first as Leader of the House. At that time the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was a member of the Rajya Sabha and was also Leader of the House.Former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash Kashyap says there is no hard and fast rule on the sequencing of oath taking by members and by convention the Prime Minister takes oath first as Leader of the House.Today Prime Minister Modi took oath first, then panel Chairman followed by ministers and then Members of Parliament in alphabetical order of the states they represent.